Private Market Tour, Cooking Class In Mexico City With Alex & Ale

We had a lovely afternoon with Mariana and Geraldine. The market is an open air market and Mariana does a great job at explaining lots of items that may appear strange/new. The home of Geraldine is in a posh part of town/neighborhood, very quiet, large and has a wonderful back patio and yard for enjoying the lunch. The cooking experience we were thinking we all would have more of a hand in making the dishes but the kitchen space makes it harder for multiple people to be chopping while Mariana is explaining the dish ingredients/method. We mainly watched while they cooked. We did get to chop some onion, help mash salsa and roll/press out the sopes, which my son loved. The food we made during the demonstration all tasted wonderful as well (ceviche, pork, salsa, sopes). And you can bring your own wine to enjoy over lunch as well. Overall a great afternoon.

Traveling Spoon knocks it out of the park again. This time we ventured to the gorgeous San Angel neighborhood of Mexico City. The neighborhood is best known for their very lively Sábado Mercado, we went on a sleepy Tuesday! Mariana and Geraldine invited us into their stunning home filled with artwork and a back garden filled with shade and birds. We started our time together at the market. They were immensely helpful educating us on mole pastes, powders, chilis and spices. After buying provisions, we headed home to cook. Finally got a good handle on making sopas. Also made salsa, red rice and pibil. They broke the steps down and explained the rationale for various tasks. Highly recommend their class and shopping around the plaza.

Alejandro was a wonderful and gracious host! We got stuck in horrible traffic and were an hour late. He completely accommodated us and was not upset at all. We went on a lovely tour of a market and then had such a nice time cooking in his home. He accommodated our dietary restrictions and was wonderful company. Highly recommend!

Alejandro was kind, funny, talented, knowledgeable and a marvelous cook/teacher!!!! Loved learning about the different peppers

This experience was wonderful!! We felt welcome and at home immediately, like we came over for a dinner party at a friend's house. Alex has so much great knowledge to share about his culture, food, the city and country, and cooking techniques. We are all experienced home cooks, but still learned multiple new techniques that we will use right away. The meal was delicious and we appreciated the chosen menu because it highlighted food we were not expecting. Thank you!!

One of the best experiences you can book if you want to get to know Mexican cuisine and locals. Our guide was the most wonderful and we had a great time with nice drinks and food. We will definitively book again.

Our hosts, Mariana and Geraldine could not have been more knowledgeable and nicer. The food market was fun, and we had an enjoyable time cooking, and then, of course sitting down to dinner. Given we were traveling with our somewhat picky teenager, I asked that they limit the menu to pretty straightforward foods. They did, and we made a rice dish, salsa, cochinita pibil, and tostadas. The hands on part was somewhat limited but it was a joy to be in their kitchen. The neighborhood is lovely, so give yourself time to walk around in advance. I only wish that written out recipes would have been given out.

We had a wonderful time exploring the market and cooking with Ismael - he was nice, knowledgeable, and fun! Definitely recommend!

Alex made our cooking lesson a memorable experience.After an interesting and informative visit to a local Mexican market,Alex taught us some very important techniques for creating a delicious three course meal that we enjoyed together accompanied with beer and mezcal. A perfect end to our trip. I must admit that Alex's recipe for mole with chocolate was the best we tasted in Mexico. Thanks to Alex we were very proud of our creations. My friend and I look forward to recreating this delicious meal for family and friends in the near future. I highly recommend cooking with Alex and Ale for anyone that enjoys cooking and is looking for a unique experience while in Mexico City.

Amazing hosts and experience. It was fun to get an insiders look at the market, and a warm experience in Alex’s and Alejandra’s home. They are very kind hosts. We made chicken mole enchiladas, salsa, chicharones del queso (cheese chips) and pan de elote (sweet corn bread) and everything was delicious! They were happy to speak Spanish with me so I could practice, and shared some Mexican cooking slang as well, and were happy to switch to English whenever I didn’t understand. Over all, it was one of the highlights of my trip :)

My mother and I really enjoyed this day! We loved the market and took away great, easy recipes! Fun day!

My friends and I had the pleasure of experiencing a hands on cooking class and tour of Mercado de San Juan with Alex (unfortunately his wife could not join us). It all started with a trip to the market and it was a joyous sight here to see- one of the best markets I had been to while in Mexico City. After picking up all the items for our dinner, we went to Alex’a beautiful home where the cooking class began. It was such a joyful and fun experience and Alex was so personable, friendly, and a great teacher. I learned so much about local cuisine and culture. He taught us how to make delectable dishes. I had never participated in a cooking class like this and now I would definitely want this to be part of my future trips. Thank you Alex for adding to our wonderful memories of Mexico City.

Our cooking class with Alex and Ale was a real highlight of our trip. From the visit to the San Juan Market to bustling around in the kitchen learning new things kept us laughing and sharing with Alex. Both Alex and Ale were a delight welcoming us into their home and enjoying the meal we cooked. Can’t recommend this experience enough.

Our tour with Alex was superb. First he took us to a wonderful market and showed us many local specialties. We got a hands-on feeling for the food culture of Mexico City. The venders were friendly and generous with samples. Then, ingredients in hand, we returned to Alex's apartment to prepare several sauces, sides, a main, and dessert. I still don't know how he did it, but he guided us through with amazing organization and attention to detail. And then we ate! Oh my my, everything was delicious. We will definitely want to try these recipes at home. Alex was a kind and generous host who also introduced us to mezcal and micheladas. I guess you can tell, we highly recommend this tour.

My husband and I took the market tour and cooking class with Alex. He knew a ton about the history of Mexican cuisine and even more about cooking it plus he was great to talk to during the dinner itself! I would recommend anyone going to Mexico City take this tour and class. It’s 100% worth it! :)

We had the best day with Lucia! We were a group of 6 friends in our 30s and this was one of the best experiences from our trip! Lucia met us at the San Angel Market where she showed us many different stalls and introduced us to a couple of new ingredients. Lucia then drove us to her BEAUTIFUL home -- but along the way we stopped for both tamales and tacos from street vendors she knew. Hands down, they were some of the best tamales and tacos we've ever had! Once we arrived, we immediately felt at home! The space is bright, beautiful, clean, and all around lovely. Lucia was an amazing host. We cooked many different dishes, had drinks, listened to music, and learned about Mexican food/culture. It was a highlight of our trip. Following the class, Lucia recommended a great spot nearby to get drinks (absolutely beautiful). Lucia is incredibly knowledgable (she is a professor of pre-hispanic cuisine) and a delight to be around. We would recommend a cooking class with Lucia without hesitation.

Lucia was a gracious host and led us to explore native Mexican produce and techniques in a relaxed and enjoyable lunch. This was our 3rd day in Mexico, our family (2 adults, 2 children) took an Uber to meet her at the market where we sampled mole and mangos while learning about unique local foods and food prep technique. On the way out, we stopped for green chile tamales before heading to her house to make lunch. Our kids enjoyed helping cook while we prepared traditional hand-made corn tortillas for tacos and quesadillas. We snacked on local fruits while preparing tasty sauces and a sweet fruit pudding. It was a relaxing experience, her home is great, complemented by the excellent view from her back patio. Our kids had a great time.

I have taken cooking lessons practically all over thevworld and this one was up there as one of the best! Alex tookus to the local markets to buy groceries and ingredients for the lesson... explaining histories, cultural significances and the importance of Mexican culinary traditions. The menu items in our lesson in Alex and Ale's adorable and very functional kitchen made was simplistic in design, full of flavour and colour and easy to prepare in any kitchen environment... The culminating meal was on the top 3 highlights of our trip! And... we made two friends as well! CHEERS to Alex and Ale!

My husband and I had the pleasure of doing the market tour and in home cooking lesson with Lucia, and it was a true highlight of our trip to Mexico City. We met Lucia at the San Juan market and learned so much about the produce and spices available - we were the only tourists and felt like we really got the authentic market experience. We picked up a few goodies and headed back to Lucia's beautiful home - it was full of light and the kitchen was huge! Spending a few hours cooking with Lucia was so fun - we had so many tastings of different items, that by the time we sat down for our meal, we were already full! For our meal we made some tacos to start, and tortilla soup, meatballs in a chipotle sauce, a sweet guava dessert, and margaritas and it was all so delicious and comforting. Sitting down and chatting with Lucia at the end was the true highlight - we really bonded over some shared life experiences and made a new friend. Lucia also helped us with restaurant recommendations and activities for the remainder of our trip! If you're lucky enough to have the opportunity to book this experience with Lucia, please don't pass it up. Your bellies will be full, and you hearts will be fuller.

If you are on the fence about doing a cooking class in Mexico let us put your mind at ease. Vault that fence as fast as you can! As two non Spanish speakers who’d spent the last 24 hours struggling to order as many tacos and beers as we needed (Australians can’t roll their “r”) it was a huge relief to be met by a smiling face and perfect English. We had the most amazing time exploring the San Juan markets with Alex and Ale, going back to their wonderful flat that’s in an amazing historic building right in the mix of downtown. Alex and Ale were so welcoming, informative and extremely generous with the information they shared about their lives. We found out so much about Mexico that we were completely ignorant of. Then there’s the food. Oh my word, that food. Coming from Australia, we have seriously no idea about Mexican food. We both love cooking and often will cook “Mexican for dinner” but after seeing the amazing fresh produce and simple seasoning that Alex and Ale showed us, we won’t be bothering with any of those Tex Mex recipes again. The beer and mezcal flowed, we learned knew skills and had a once in a lifetime meal with two genuinely interesting, funny and generous people. Close the other tabs you have open. You won’t find a better experience than this for your visit to Mexico City to get a feel for modern Mexico. We’re hoping to come back and visit for one of Ale’s taco tours as well as her Puebla tours.

Excellent experience. Farid was prompt in replying to emails, very kind and considerate. His apartment is lovely and we felt comfortable and welcome. The food was delicious with lots of opportunities to try different food. Farid speaks fluent English and we had many interesting conversations, was great to learn about his family. He had some excellent tips for places to visit and explore in the city

<p>This was such a special experience. Alex and Ale have a lovely home. Ale was not able to attend but Alex made me feel like a welcome friend. The tour of the San Juan market was both informative and delicious. The cooking, the meal and the dinner conversation were all first rate. Highly recommend!</p>

<p>The best, most memorable part of our trip! What an awesome experience exploring and shopping at the beautiful market, cooking wonderful food and enjoying an incredible meal with Alex and Ale. They made us feel so welcome, like we were enjoying a meal with old friends. Don’t miss this experience!!</p>

<p>An excellent experience. My friend and I had the best day with the charming young couple in their apartment in Mexico City.<br/> They were both so knowledgable and warm and friendly.<br/> We visited the San Juan market, which was so interesting. We saw fresh tacos being made, and were allowed to sample them along with other samples as we wandered around the market.<br/> The chicken flautas we all cooked along with all the accompaniments were all delicious.<br/> Cannot praise our experience enough. Many thanks to Alex and Ale, our hosts.</p>