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Host: Nicole

Barcelona, Spain

USD
$146-$201 per person

Market Tour & Paella or Fideua Cooking Class in Barcelona

Host offerings
  • Apartment
  • Professional cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Nicole

Nicole is an American chef who has called Spain home since 2007. A graduate of the Michelin-accredited Hofmann Culinary School, she blends her 15 years of teaching experience with her passion for Spanish cuisine to offer warm, informative, and hands-on cooking classes. She guides guests through a delicious culinary journey—discovering local ingredients, learning authentic techniques, and preparing traditional Spanish and Catalan dishes. Nicole first learned to cook paella and fideuà when she moved to Spain, later refining her skills at Hofmann and returning in 2022 for an intensive three-month course dedicated entirely to rice. Today, she loves welcoming travelers from around the world into her kitchen and showing them how food connects people across cultures. Nicole is excited to share the tips, tricks, and traditions behind making the perfect paella and fideuà so guests can recreate these iconic dishes at home.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

Cooking experience: (1-8 guests) Join Nicole for a 3–4 hour Barcelona cooking class on her rooftop terrace in Sants Badal, where she teaches travelers how to make authentic paella or fideuà from scratch. Begin with a welcome spread of olives, cheese, and cured meats before heading upstairs to her sunny rooftop terrace overlooking Barcelona. In her hands-on paella cooking class, Nicole guides you step-by-step through essential Spanish cooking techniques—preparing the sofrito, making homemade stock, prepping the proteins, and cooking the rice or noodles the traditional way. After the paella is underway, learn how to make Crema Catalana, the iconic Catalan dessert, torching the caramelized sugar top for the perfect finish. Along the way, Nicole shares the history and flavors behind classic Spanish and Catalan dishes. Sit down to enjoy the paella or fideuà you helped create, accompanied by local wine (optional add-on) and great conversation. This immersive Barcelona cooking experience is the perfect way to learn, cook, and eat like a local.

Market visit: (1-5 guests) Meet Nicole at her apartment and enjoy a short 10-minute walk together to Mercat de Sants for your guided Barcelona market tour. This lively covered market is where she sources her fresh, seasonal, and local ingredients—from olives and seafood to meats, grains, fruits, and vegetables. As you explore the stalls, Nicole will introduce you to essential ingredients used in traditional Spanish cooking and introduce you to some of her favorite vendors. Pick up a few items for your class before returning to her penthouse apartment for your hands-on cooking and dining experience.

Notes: Nicole can accommodate lactose free, vegetarian and vegan diets, on request. Please let her know if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies in advance, while booking your Barcelona cooking class online.

Languages spoken: English, Spanish

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Pica Pica | platter of olives, cheeses, and cured meat or brined fish
  • Fideua or Paella
  • Crema Catalana

Traveler reviews

5.0 (7)
We spent an unforgettable day with Chef Nicole Hooks through Traveling Spoon, learning to make traditional paella and Crema Catalana on her sunny rooftop terrace overlooking Barcelona. Nicole met us at a nearby café before leading us on a short walk through the Jardins de la Rambla de Sants, an elevated park full of murals and local life. At the Mercat de Sants, she shopped like a true local, explaining ingredients and sharing stories of the neighborhood. We loved the personal touches and storytelling along the way. Back at her apartment, we enjoyed wine, cheese, and olives before moving to her rooftop kitchen, complete with a double-ring paella burner and sweeping city views. Nicole guided us step-by-step through every stage—from chopping and browning to building the sofrito and achieving that perfect socarrat crust. The finished paella was incredible—rich, smoky, and perfectly balanced—and our Crema Catalana dessert was the ideal sweet finish. Nicole’s warmth, humor, and deep knowledge made the afternoon fly by. If you’re looking for an authentic, hands-on cooking class in Barcelona that blends culture, history, and great food, this is it. Highly recommended for anyone arriving by cruise or staying in the city—five stars all the way!
- Cam November 05, 2025
Cooking with Nicole will leave a lasting impression on my husband Greg and me . Not only was our food amazing , but it was an incredible experience. We felt like we were at home hanging out with a friend . We can not wait to go home and cook our new dish for our family ! Highly recommend cooking with Nicole!
- Becky October 05, 2025
This review is overdue! My friend and I decided to book a paella cooking class with Nicole and it was by far one of the biggest highlights of the trip! To start, Nicole’s flat and rooftop setup is the authentic setting we were looking for. It was the perfect balance of a cooking classroom (you can tell Nicole was a former teacher and details like a map of Spain that Nicole referenced throughout was a great, unexpected value add to the cooking classroom) /entertaining environment. Nicole herself was a delight. Not only was she a great instructor, but she is genuinely a kind, cool person who entertained our questions even if they weren’t entirely related to cooking. She really made the extensive process of cooking paella seem relatively easy. The paella and dessert were both beyond delicious and Nicole provided wine that paired perfectly with the dish. 10/10 - I highly recommend booking with Nicole if you’re seeking a fun, laid back, authentic and educational paella making experience. Also noting, while Nicole never rushed us, she was very good about staying on schedule to ensure we finished our session on time as not to impact other plans we had for the day. I greatly appreciated this as my friend and I both have ADD and needed someone to keep us on track. Thanks, Nicole for a great experience!
- Gaby September 21, 2025
Our visit with Nicole to learn how to cook Fideua was truly a joyful experience. Fideua is similar to paella but with short thin noodles instead of rice. Better tasting and considerably faster to make, what is not to love. Being invited into her home was special. We talked Barcelona, cooking, living in Spain, and educational differences while cooking, learning, eat, and drinking wine. Highly recommend it!
- Blair September 16, 2025
Nicole is a wonderful cultural guide and culinary teacher. We so enjoyed going to the market with her, buying the ingredients for Paella and learning how to create each step. She is a great teacher and also someone able to share the experience of being an American overseas. It was a great afternoon! Highly reccomend.
- Carrie September 06, 2025
We had an amazing time at our paella making class with our family. It was great to learn more about Barcelona and eat fantastic dishes. Highly recommend!!
- Anna July 30, 2025
Nicole was wonderful! She is so gracious and welcoming and had everything ready and nicely displayed for our cooking class. It was very fun to go through all the steps of making Paella and getting to eat it at the end of the class. We made dessert too! It was also nice to be in her home and hearing some about life in Spain and experiencing a bit of it at the same time! Thank you so much!
- Durna April 26, 2025
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Nicole

$146-$201 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Credit card is not charged until the host confirms your booking
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
$164 $155 $146
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
$201 $191 $182
Alcohol
$15 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
$164 $155 $146
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
$201 $191 $182
Alcohol
$15 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
11:00am-3:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
10:00am-3:00pm

Meet Nicole

Nicole is an American chef who has called Spain home since 2007. A graduate of the Michelin-accredited Hofmann Culinary School, she blends her 15 years of teaching experience with her passion for Spanish cuisine to offer warm, informative, and hands-on cooking classes. She guides guests through a delicious culinary journey—discovering local ingredients, learning authentic techniques, and preparing traditional Spanish and Catalan dishes. Nicole first learned to cook paella and fideuà when she moved to Spain, later refining her skills at Hofmann and returning in 2022 for an intensive three-month course dedicated entirely to rice. Today, she loves welcoming travelers from around the world into her kitchen and showing them how food connects people across cultures. Nicole is excited to share the tips, tricks, and traditions behind making the perfect paella and fideuà so guests can recreate these iconic dishes at home.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

Cooking experience: (1-8 guests) Join Nicole for a 3–4 hour Barcelona cooking class on her rooftop terrace in Sants Badal, where she teaches travelers how to make authentic paella or fideuà from scratch. Begin with a welcome spread of olives, cheese, and cured meats before heading upstairs to her sunny rooftop terrace overlooking Barcelona. In her hands-on paella cooking class, Nicole guides you step-by-step through essential Spanish cooking techniques—preparing the sofrito, making homemade stock, prepping the proteins, and cooking the rice or noodles the traditional way. After the paella is underway, learn how to make Crema Catalana, the iconic Catalan dessert, torching the caramelized sugar top for the perfect finish. Along the way, Nicole shares the history and flavors behind classic Spanish and Catalan dishes. Sit down to enjoy the paella or fideuà you helped create, accompanied by local wine (optional add-on) and great conversation. This immersive Barcelona cooking experience is the perfect way to learn, cook, and eat like a local.

Market visit: (1-5 guests) Meet Nicole at her apartment and enjoy a short 10-minute walk together to Mercat de Sants for your guided Barcelona market tour. This lively covered market is where she sources her fresh, seasonal, and local ingredients—from olives and seafood to meats, grains, fruits, and vegetables. As you explore the stalls, Nicole will introduce you to essential ingredients used in traditional Spanish cooking and introduce you to some of her favorite vendors. Pick up a few items for your class before returning to her penthouse apartment for your hands-on cooking and dining experience.

Notes: Nicole can accommodate lactose free, vegetarian and vegan diets, on request. Please let her know if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies in advance, while booking your Barcelona cooking class online.

Languages spoken: English, Spanish

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Pica Pica | platter of olives, cheeses, and cured meat or brined fish
  • Fideua or Paella
  • Crema Catalana

Traveler reviews

5.0 (7)
We spent an unforgettable day with Chef Nicole Hooks through Traveling Spoon, learning to make traditional paella and Crema Catalana on her sunny rooftop terrace overlooking Barcelona. Nicole met us at a nearby café before leading us on a short walk through the Jardins de la Rambla de Sants, an elevated park full of murals and local life. At the Mercat de Sants, she shopped like a true local, explaining ingredients and sharing stories of the neighborhood. We loved the personal touches and storytelling along the way. Back at her apartment, we enjoyed wine, cheese, and olives before moving to her rooftop kitchen, complete with a double-ring paella burner and sweeping city views. Nicole guided us step-by-step through every stage—from chopping and browning to building the sofrito and achieving that perfect socarrat crust. The finished paella was incredible—rich, smoky, and perfectly balanced—and our Crema Catalana dessert was the ideal sweet finish. Nicole’s warmth, humor, and deep knowledge made the afternoon fly by. If you’re looking for an authentic, hands-on cooking class in Barcelona that blends culture, history, and great food, this is it. Highly recommended for anyone arriving by cruise or staying in the city—five stars all the way!
- Cam November 05, 2025
Cooking with Nicole will leave a lasting impression on my husband Greg and me . Not only was our food amazing , but it was an incredible experience. We felt like we were at home hanging out with a friend . We can not wait to go home and cook our new dish for our family ! Highly recommend cooking with Nicole!
- Becky October 05, 2025
This review is overdue! My friend and I decided to book a paella cooking class with Nicole and it was by far one of the biggest highlights of the trip! To start, Nicole’s flat and rooftop setup is the authentic setting we were looking for. It was the perfect balance of a cooking classroom (you can tell Nicole was a former teacher and details like a map of Spain that Nicole referenced throughout was a great, unexpected value add to the cooking classroom) /entertaining environment. Nicole herself was a delight. Not only was she a great instructor, but she is genuinely a kind, cool person who entertained our questions even if they weren’t entirely related to cooking. She really made the extensive process of cooking paella seem relatively easy. The paella and dessert were both beyond delicious and Nicole provided wine that paired perfectly with the dish. 10/10 - I highly recommend booking with Nicole if you’re seeking a fun, laid back, authentic and educational paella making experience. Also noting, while Nicole never rushed us, she was very good about staying on schedule to ensure we finished our session on time as not to impact other plans we had for the day. I greatly appreciated this as my friend and I both have ADD and needed someone to keep us on track. Thanks, Nicole for a great experience!
- Gaby September 21, 2025
Our visit with Nicole to learn how to cook Fideua was truly a joyful experience. Fideua is similar to paella but with short thin noodles instead of rice. Better tasting and considerably faster to make, what is not to love. Being invited into her home was special. We talked Barcelona, cooking, living in Spain, and educational differences while cooking, learning, eat, and drinking wine. Highly recommend it!
- Blair September 16, 2025
Nicole is a wonderful cultural guide and culinary teacher. We so enjoyed going to the market with her, buying the ingredients for Paella and learning how to create each step. She is a great teacher and also someone able to share the experience of being an American overseas. It was a great afternoon! Highly reccomend.
- Carrie September 06, 2025
We had an amazing time at our paella making class with our family. It was great to learn more about Barcelona and eat fantastic dishes. Highly recommend!!
- Anna July 30, 2025
Nicole was wonderful! She is so gracious and welcoming and had everything ready and nicely displayed for our cooking class. It was very fun to go through all the steps of making Paella and getting to eat it at the end of the class. We made dessert too! It was also nice to be in her home and hearing some about life in Spain and experiencing a bit of it at the same time! Thank you so much!
- Durna April 26, 2025
Read More
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
$164 $155 $146
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
$201 $191 $182
Alcohol
$15 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
$164 $155 $146
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
$201 $191 $182
Alcohol
$15 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
11:00am-3:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
10:00am-3:00pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.

FAQ

    You can cancel your reservation up until 48 hours before your experience for a full refund minus a 3% processing fee. Experiences within 48 hours are not refundable.

    If you have a question for your host, you can include a note in the field "Write a note to your host" during the booking process. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be emailed your host's direct contact information and you will also be able to message the host through your profile. You can always cancel your booking and receive a full refund 48 hours or more before your experience. If you have other questions you can also email us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Most of our hosts are able to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, including vegetarian and gluten free options. For vegetarian travelers, we have an icon on each host profile to indicate whether that host can also offer a fully vegetarian menu. There is a section in the booking form to note any allergies or dietary restrictions which will be sent directly to your host.

    Some hosts offer alcohol as an optional add-on for travelers who are of legal drinking age. Pricing for alcohol is visible on the host profile page and includes one to two glasses of wine, beer or local alcohol.

    Have a flight or other tour planned and can’t make the timing provided? If the timing listed on the host’s profile doesn’t work for you, our hosts can often accommodate timing changes. Because all of our experiences are private our hosts are happy to tailor experiences to meet your travel needs. Simply note your request in the booking process.

    Your card will not be charged until your host accepts your booking. Typically hosts respond to bookings within 72 hours. In the event your host is unavailable on your selected date and your host rejects your booking your credit card will not be charged.

    Your host's detailed contact information, including their phone number, address, and direction notes, will all be provided immediately upon successful confirmation of your experience (after your hosts accepts your booking and your credit card is successfully processed). This information will be emailed to you to the email address you used to sign up, and will also be visible on your Traveling Spoon profile.

    All prices are noted per person prices unless otherwise specified. Transportation is typically charged on a per car basis. Children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free. Hosts set their own prices and Traveling Spoon marks up the experiences; on average hosts receive over 70% of the price paid by the traveler.

    100% of Traveling Spoon experiences are private! Just you and your host and host’s family.

    Hosts typically respond to booking inquiries within 72 hours. If for some reason you have not heard from your host or if you have any questions you can always contact us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Your safety and security are our top priority. To ensure this, Traveling Spoon personally vets 100% of all hosts, including an in-person host visit, to ensure each host and experience meets our strict quality requirements.

    Some hosts offer transportation as an optional add-on for travelers. Typically this is round trip transportation with pick up and drop off at your hotel. Pricing is quoted per car. Specific instructions for transportation will be provided in your confirmation details when your booking is confirmed.

    Many of our hosts accommodate solo travelers. You can see if a host accepts solo travelers by looking at the traveler range found next to the experience descriptions on the host profile (indicated by the numbers in parentheses next to "In-home meal", "Cooking experience" and "Market visit").

    Most of our Traveling Spoon experiences are incredibly family friendly and can accommodate infants and children. If a host is unable to accommodate children that will be noted in the “Notes” section of their profile. Our child pricing policy is children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free.