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Host: Yves

Girona, Spain

USD
$300-$416 per person

Modern, inventive Catalan cooking class in Girona

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

Meet Yves

Yves was born in Switzerland and moved to Catalonia with his mom in 1984. He embodies the word “host” to the fullest. He is warm, professional, and extremely knowledgeable about the cuisine of the Catalan region. A self-taught chef, Yves has a background in Internet marketing. He left the marketing field to pursue his passion of “social cooking” nearly ten years ago, when his first son was born. Yves' greatest passion is cooking and using food to bring people together. Enjoy modern, inventive, farm-to-table Catalan cuisine during this special experience with Yves.

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.

In-home meal: (2-10 guests) Join your host Yves in his welcoming, stone fortified house. Enjoy a delicious Catalan menu highlighting fresh and seasonal ingredients. Dishes might include pan con tomate, fideua, paella, bacalao, clams or Catalan-style mussels and your meal will conclude with a sweet dessert that might be crema catalana or strawberries dipped in a layer of chocolate. Depending on the time of day, you might be joined by Yves's wife and two young sons.

Cooking experience: (2-10 guests) Join your host Yves at his kitchen equipped in his welcoming, Catalan-style home. His home is beautifully lit and has a kitchen with all the appliances of any modern kitchen lover’s dreams. Here Yves will teach you recipes he has created himself, highlighting fresh and seasonal ingredients picked from the market the same day. Yves is excited to share his culture through food and offer a traditional cooking class in Girona. He can accommodate a vegetarian diet (on request) in his Catalan cooking class. Your cooking demo will last about two hours and you will assist Yves as he prepares several dishes from scratch. Enjoy learning about the tips and star ingredients before you sit down at the table to share the meal you helped prepare with Yves.

Market visit: (2-10 guests) Meet your host Yves at the concierge desk of your hotel in the Girona province, and then go to a market in the region, or decide to visit a local producer - who sells organic fruits and vegetables, a cow farm or a fish auction. Yves will take you to any two places of your choosing - organic fruit and vegetable farm, a place where cheese is made from sheep milk, a cow farm or a fish auction. Watch Yves interact with all the vendors and you can discuss with Yves which ingredients you are most excited about whether it be jamón, a vegetable or fish. Based off your preferences, Yves will custom design a menu to include your favorite ingredients! Your market tour will last about an hour, after which you will drive to Yves home for your cooking and meal experience.

Notes: You're welcome to bring your pet along for this experience! Also, please note that alcohol is included in the price.

Languages spoken: English, German, Spanish, Catalan, French

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.
  • Appetizer: Pan con tomate (Spanish-style toast with tomato, olive oil, garlic and salt)
  • First course/vegetable: Alcachofas a la brasa (fresh whole artichokes cooked over the grill)
  • Main course: Bacalao or fiedeuà (a dish similar to paella but with noodles instead of rice)
  • Side: Catalan-style mussels
  • Dessert: Crema Catalana (a Spanish custard dessert very similar to crème brulee)
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

My favorite part of the experience was going to Yves’ home. The welcome glass of wine on the rooftop overlooking the Barcelona skyline was a huge highlight. Also, chatting with Yves as he cooked in his stunning kitchen was amazing as well. He really is so knowledgeable about ingredients and a master entertainer.

Ashton, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Traveler reviews

5.0 (4)
Wonderful market visit, cooking experience, and the food was fabulous! This was our third Traveling Spoon experience, and the best one yet. We met Yves at La Boqueria market, and he whisked us around from seafood counters to meat counters and finally to the fresh vegetables. We learned so much, especially about all the different fish. He drove us to his house, which is situated in the foothills of North Barcelona. After a welcome drink on his rooftop, with all of Barcelona at our feet, we headed to the kitchen to cook. Of the four of us (we had two friends with us), Carol is the best cook, but Yves involved all four of us in preparing and cooking the food. As someone who sticks to the grill, it was a blast searing the presa on the stove, and then toasting and prepping the pan con tomato. Carol made the gazpacho, and cooked the hake as well. Then, we all sat down to a great meal at his table on the screened-in porch. It was a beautiful meal, and we enjoyed Yves' company.
- Glen1125 September 30, 2019
We were a group of 13, ages 28 to 89, visiting Barcelona most of us for the first time. Yves led us on a delightful hands-on culinary tour from his welcoming home with a rooftop view over the entire city. Yves had made wine recommendations for us (red wine from Montsant and Priorat regions), to bring along to have with the meal; he had recommended a particular wine shop, which was also recommended to us independently by a friend living for some years in Barcelona, so we were confident in his recommendation, and the confidence was rewarded. Yves had us help with a number of preparation steps along the way, teaching us not only new foods but new techniques, which were very much appreciated. Convivial atmosphere, interesting and inspiring foods, terrific views. Yves helped arranged cabs for our return to our hotel, and the transfers went without a hitch. Yves has both Barcelona and Swiss backgrounds. We hope we were able to extend his network connections a bit, with an American ex-pat living in Barcelona whom we thought would appreciate Yves, and with a Swiss winemaker located in Napa, who is a consulting winemaker at Pernet Vineyards, not far from Barcelona. All-in-all a highly successful evening, to kick off our two-week journey through Mediterranean Spain and southern Portugal.
- Albert K Henning June 13, 2018
We love Yves! He was so kind and gracious to our large family group, and educated us about some of the more traditional Catalonia dishes that we enjoyed.
- June 13, 2018
My family was so happy with Yves and enjoyed the welcoming experience. We'll be writing great reviews in the near future!
- Kaethe May 28, 2018
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Yves

$300-$416 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+ ppl
Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $332 $300
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $416 $366
Alcohol
$0 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $332 $300
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $416 $366
Alcohol
$0 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
10:00am-3:00pm 6:00pm-11:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
10:00am-3:00pm 3:00pm-8:00pm

Meet Yves

Yves was born in Switzerland and moved to Catalonia with his mom in 1984. He embodies the word “host” to the fullest. He is warm, professional, and extremely knowledgeable about the cuisine of the Catalan region. A self-taught chef, Yves has a background in Internet marketing. He left the marketing field to pursue his passion of “social cooking” nearly ten years ago, when his first son was born. Yves' greatest passion is cooking and using food to bring people together. Enjoy modern, inventive, farm-to-table Catalan cuisine during this special experience with Yves.

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.

In-home meal: (2-10 guests) Join your host Yves in his welcoming, stone fortified house. Enjoy a delicious Catalan menu highlighting fresh and seasonal ingredients. Dishes might include pan con tomate, fideua, paella, bacalao, clams or Catalan-style mussels and your meal will conclude with a sweet dessert that might be crema catalana or strawberries dipped in a layer of chocolate. Depending on the time of day, you might be joined by Yves's wife and two young sons.

Cooking experience: (2-10 guests) Join your host Yves at his kitchen equipped in his welcoming, Catalan-style home. His home is beautifully lit and has a kitchen with all the appliances of any modern kitchen lover’s dreams. Here Yves will teach you recipes he has created himself, highlighting fresh and seasonal ingredients picked from the market the same day. Yves is excited to share his culture through food and offer a traditional cooking class in Girona. He can accommodate a vegetarian diet (on request) in his Catalan cooking class. Your cooking demo will last about two hours and you will assist Yves as he prepares several dishes from scratch. Enjoy learning about the tips and star ingredients before you sit down at the table to share the meal you helped prepare with Yves.

Market visit: (2-10 guests) Meet your host Yves at the concierge desk of your hotel in the Girona province, and then go to a market in the region, or decide to visit a local producer - who sells organic fruits and vegetables, a cow farm or a fish auction. Yves will take you to any two places of your choosing - organic fruit and vegetable farm, a place where cheese is made from sheep milk, a cow farm or a fish auction. Watch Yves interact with all the vendors and you can discuss with Yves which ingredients you are most excited about whether it be jamón, a vegetable or fish. Based off your preferences, Yves will custom design a menu to include your favorite ingredients! Your market tour will last about an hour, after which you will drive to Yves home for your cooking and meal experience.

Notes: You're welcome to bring your pet along for this experience! Also, please note that alcohol is included in the price.

Languages spoken: English, German, Spanish, Catalan, French

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.
  • Appetizer: Pan con tomate (Spanish-style toast with tomato, olive oil, garlic and salt)
  • First course/vegetable: Alcachofas a la brasa (fresh whole artichokes cooked over the grill)
  • Main course: Bacalao or fiedeuà (a dish similar to paella but with noodles instead of rice)
  • Side: Catalan-style mussels
  • Dessert: Crema Catalana (a Spanish custard dessert very similar to crème brulee)
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

My favorite part of the experience was going to Yves’ home. The welcome glass of wine on the rooftop overlooking the Barcelona skyline was a huge highlight. Also, chatting with Yves as he cooked in his stunning kitchen was amazing as well. He really is so knowledgeable about ingredients and a master entertainer.

Ashton, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Traveler reviews

5.0 (4)
Wonderful market visit, cooking experience, and the food was fabulous! This was our third Traveling Spoon experience, and the best one yet. We met Yves at La Boqueria market, and he whisked us around from seafood counters to meat counters and finally to the fresh vegetables. We learned so much, especially about all the different fish. He drove us to his house, which is situated in the foothills of North Barcelona. After a welcome drink on his rooftop, with all of Barcelona at our feet, we headed to the kitchen to cook. Of the four of us (we had two friends with us), Carol is the best cook, but Yves involved all four of us in preparing and cooking the food. As someone who sticks to the grill, it was a blast searing the presa on the stove, and then toasting and prepping the pan con tomato. Carol made the gazpacho, and cooked the hake as well. Then, we all sat down to a great meal at his table on the screened-in porch. It was a beautiful meal, and we enjoyed Yves' company.
- Glen1125 September 30, 2019
We were a group of 13, ages 28 to 89, visiting Barcelona most of us for the first time. Yves led us on a delightful hands-on culinary tour from his welcoming home with a rooftop view over the entire city. Yves had made wine recommendations for us (red wine from Montsant and Priorat regions), to bring along to have with the meal; he had recommended a particular wine shop, which was also recommended to us independently by a friend living for some years in Barcelona, so we were confident in his recommendation, and the confidence was rewarded. Yves had us help with a number of preparation steps along the way, teaching us not only new foods but new techniques, which were very much appreciated. Convivial atmosphere, interesting and inspiring foods, terrific views. Yves helped arranged cabs for our return to our hotel, and the transfers went without a hitch. Yves has both Barcelona and Swiss backgrounds. We hope we were able to extend his network connections a bit, with an American ex-pat living in Barcelona whom we thought would appreciate Yves, and with a Swiss winemaker located in Napa, who is a consulting winemaker at Pernet Vineyards, not far from Barcelona. All-in-all a highly successful evening, to kick off our two-week journey through Mediterranean Spain and southern Portugal.
- Albert K Henning June 13, 2018
We love Yves! He was so kind and gracious to our large family group, and educated us about some of the more traditional Catalonia dishes that we enjoyed.
- June 13, 2018
My family was so happy with Yves and enjoyed the welcoming experience. We'll be writing great reviews in the near future!
- Kaethe May 28, 2018
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $332 $300
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $416 $366
Alcohol
$0 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $332 $300
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $416 $366
Alcohol
$0 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
10:00am-3:00pm 6:00pm-11:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
10:00am-3:00pm 3:00pm-8:00pm
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.