This is a unique opportunity to visit the home of a local and explore traditional culture and cuisine. Your experience will take place in Almada, just a short 7-minute ferry ride from downtown Lisbon. Paula will meet you at the ferry and take you on a lovely 10-minute walk through the center of town to her apartment. Start your meal with a welcome drink of some Portuguese wines that come from a 200-year old winery in the Alentejo region of the country’s south (If you are traveling to the south and are interested in visiting the vineyard and its award-winning underground winery let Paula know and she can provide recommendations!). Enjoy some appetizers which will highlight traditional Portuguese cuisine as well as Goan dishes influenced by the area’s Portuguese history. You might try pataniscas de bacalhau, a very traditional Portuguese cod fritter, along with Goan gram flour fritters, while Paula describes the dishes’ intertwined history. Then sit down to a family-style meal that you will enjoy with Paula along with her elderly father who lives with her. End your meal with a sweet dessert and coffee or tea.
Tour was fantastic! Our guide took us to wonderful places with a variety of foods. Everyone was completely full by the e d. The walk was very good too, only one small hill, everything else was flat.
Meeting Paula was an amazing addition to our trip to Portugal. She offered so much warmth and kindness during our time with her, even showing us around where she grew up and taking us for drinks and good conversation after our class was over. Paula was a great communicator as well, ensuring we knew where to go stress free and offering to help us out if needed during the rest of our trip. The food was amazing! She sent the menu ahead of time too and was open to any and all feedback as she really wants the meal to be yours and for you to enjoy it. It was such a memorable experience for us and we definitely recommend you book with her! - Kayla
The cooking class was warm and inviting. Chef Paula was very knowledgeable about the dishes and taught us some tips and tricks for cooking the meals at home. The class felt like dinner with friends we laughed the entire time and stayed well after chatting throughout the night. Such a great experience
Such an amazing experience! Paula was very informative and friendly we even went out for drinks afterwards. Such a great host will be back!
What a wonderful way to spend a few hours in Almada. If you are looking to have an authentic and customized experience while in Lisbon this is a must do. From visiting the local market to opening up her home and kitchen, Paulihna offers a peek into the real Portugal and the fusion of flavors brought by colonial Portuguese history. Learned some new skills and tasted new flavors.
Paula was so nice she explains all the spices and cooking methods. She was very generous to invite her into her home. The food was the best was so tasteful. We really enjoyed our experience.
This was such a beautiful and fun experience! Getting to develop a love for the food and the people is such a treat. We loved the food and we were all so hands on! Thank you for making it such a memorable experience!
My granddaughter and I have a wonderful day cooking a delicious meal with Paula. It was a great way to experience more of Portuguese culture and Paula was great fun to be with.
Paula was the perfect host. We prepared 3 dishes and she provided all the ingredients. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with her and I have since messaged her on more than one occasion for additional recipes. We will return next year and visit again!
We had a wonderful day with Paula! We were able to explore the section of Lisbon she grew up with while she told us stories about living there. Each meal she created for us was delicious. We had a nice time sitting around the table with good food and wine while learning about the Portuguese culture. Would recommend for a fabulous and authentic experience!
We spent a delightful dinner meal in Defne’s garden. Food was delicious! Defne is very friendly and knowledgeable. We shared family meal experiences.
Sofia and Carlos warmly welcomed us into their home. They prepared a fantastic meal - the best octopus I’ve ever had, freshly caught on their boat. My kids loved it. Dinner was a perfect family experience. I’d highly recommend it!
My time with Paula was wonderful! She made me feel right at home for the moment she picked me up at the ferry to entering her home. She educated the significance of ingredients along the way, and I feel equipped to cook cultural dishes of Portugal back home for my family! Would 100% recommended and do again! Thank you Paula!!! -K
The cooking experience with Paula was informative and pleasurable. The hands on participation in her kitchen and sitting down enjoying the meal was an incentive to come home and prepare some Portuguese food with our friends. Thanks you Paula for your hospitality!
Amazing day with Paula. Shopping in the market and then cooking in her home. It was great to get to know her culture and heritage through the food. Also shared the recipes with us. Can’t wait to try when we get home
Such a lovely afternoon & evening with Paula. She taught me to make a couple of dishes & dessert. It was a hot day so she made fresh lemonade for us to have while we cooked. I also learned a few new techniques to try for when I get home. Thanks for everything Paula!
Paula is so fun! She’s a great cooking teacher and so friendly! Our whole family cooked and dined and visited with her. Definitely highlight of our trip!
I had planned this cooking class with Paula as part of my wife’s 50th birthday trip. Paula was very responsive to questions prior to the class and communicated well with meeting instructions. We met off the ferry and walked to the butcher, then to Paula’s apartment. It was like visiting with an old friend. Paula is so personable and inviting. We made a delicious beef curry and Pastel de Nata. Paula is a wonderful cook and teacher. We had a great evening and highly recommend this experience for anyone, especially if you are looking for something different to do while on vacation.
Paulinha was an amazing teacher and hostess for our cooking class. Using fresh ingredients straight from the market, our experience was great. My daughter and I both were able to be hands on learning new recipes and cooking under her guidance and the results were amazing and tasty. Finishing off the class by eating our accomplishments was a great end to this adventure. I would recommend this experience to any family or foodie who wants a genuine experience and connection while in Portugal.
Thank you for a lovely lunch, Paula! You are most hospitable and generous with your recipes, family history, and time! My family and I enjoyed the opportunity to dine on the meal we collectively cooked!
My wife and I had a fantastic time cooking, learning and laughing as Paulinha shared her recipes and secrets for traditional Portuguese foods. We came home with much more than the usual travel trinkets that get set aside or lost over time, we came home with new skills to make wonderful dishes and share with friends....WOW ! And Paulinha is the real deal to learn from... we are home now and have Pasteis de Nata pastries coming out of the oven as i type this... now that is a memory you can sink your teeth into!
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