Corso di cucina di pintxos e tapas a Bilbao

We had a wonderful time last night. We spent the evening learning how to make (and eat!) pinxos. Michal gives detailed instruction on how to make 4-5 different dishes, from how to use the knife to how long to know something is fully cooked. And, of course we drank wine and laughed a lot. To enjoy our hard work, we ate and were stuffed.

Chef Mikel gave us an opportunity to be involved in every aspect of the food preparation; the class was held in chef teaching facility located in a wine bar. The latest kitchen setup for a class of eight and a large table for serving guests. We had a great slicing, dicing, and cooking. Preparing different types of pinxtos to taste with a white wine. The group agreed that the steamed cod mixed with mashed potatoes was not well liked. We enjoyed the taste of all of the others that we made. The wine bar had music and many wines by the glass that were excellent to sip.

Unforgettable night full of stories, fun relaxed cooking experience. For us as mother and daughter who both love to cook a very good choice

My husband and I thoroughly recommend this course. Really enjoyed learning how to make pintxos, drinking a range of wines and listening to stories about the history and culture of Bilbao. Really fun, lots of information and chat. Mikel really knows his stuff and is very enthusiastic. Would do another course here.

Chef Mikel's impressive culinary background and agreeable conversation made the class informative, valuable, and exciting—not to mention the feast we prepared and enjoyed! I took his pintxos, paella, and immersive courses. The newcomer and the expert found something interesting in all three of them. His conversation about the beautiful Basque Country involved not only Basque cuisine but also traditions and history, and he invited similar exciting discussions with international attendees. Good food, good people, and an enjoyable afternoon where you get to know people with similar desires to learn and share. Thank you Chef Mikel

It was great. The people nice and everything was well organised and arranged. Thank you! We learned a lot and enjoyed the evening.

Great experience in a wonderful setting. Easy walking distance from our hotel. Right on the river. Kitchen is beautiful. Mikel was an amazing tutor and an excellent storyteller. We had a most enjoyable evening. Left with full bellies and the recipes. Definitely don’t need dinner afterwards. Very good value. Highly recommend.

Booked this last minute, and was glad we did. This has only recently opened, but the wine bar looks as though it will be really good in a short while. The cooking class is held in a completely new kitchen, and Chef Mikel was brilliant. He has cooked to 3star Michelin standard in Spain and the UK, and his knowledge of food and wine is superb. He also relates really well to all the class participants. From my point of view, I would have preferred some more complexity to the dishes, but this has to be something which can be done by someone with minimal cooking experience, so I can forgive that. The wine flowed freely from start to finish which may have enhanced the convivial atmosphere. Recommended

My family (husband, wife, daughters 13 and 14) were so fortunate to have the opportunity to experience a night cooking and eating with Irene and David at their lovely home outside of Castro Urdiales. Irene and David welcomed us like members of their own family, and customized a meal plan that accommodated our limitations (no shellfish) while still offering a series of dishes that were distinctly basque. They took the time to explain the source of ingredients used in each dish (some of which came from their own garden) and the origin of their creation (e.g. the Gilda pintxo and the Tarta de Santiago). My daughters can sometimes be picky eaters, but they so enjoyed the process of making and learning about each dish that were inspired to test the boundaries of their comfort zones. As an added bonus, Irene has WSET Level 3 sommelier certification and provided the perfect wine to pair with each dish (again with an explanation of the unique characteristics of each wine and why she selected it). In many ways, it was a combination of a cooking class, wine tasting class, and history class. All of this was great, but what made the night so special was getting to know Irene and David as people and how warmly they welcomed my family into their home.

My wife, two friends and I shared an incredible experience with Irene and David. After Irene picked us up in Bilbao, she took us to Castro Urdíales which is a village on the coast with a rich fishing history, a beautiful church and stopping point for pilgrims on their what to Santiago. Our next spot was her home which is an oasis to be cherished. She mentioned that people don't always want to leave after party and it is easy to imagine why. We prepared three pinchos and a delicious fish stew. This was clearly an experience that will remain in our memories forever. I have no doubt we will do this again when we return to Northern Spain.