Paulo and his wife, Susana, share a lifelong love of Portuguese food, cooking, and hospitality. A hotel management graduate with many years of experience in the hospitality industry, Paulo believes that authentic local cuisine is at the heart of every memorable travel experience. Susana is an elementary school teacher who loves spending her free time cooking, experimenting with recipes, and exploring new culinary traditions. Both Paulo and Susana learned to cook at an early age from their mothers, who passed down their love of traditional Portuguese cuisine and family recipes. Over the years, they have honed their skills as passionate home cooks and enjoy bringing people together around the table. They look forward to welcoming travelers into their home in Apelação, near Lisbon, to share the flavors, stories, and traditions of Portuguese home cooking.
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:
(2-12 guests)
Experience authentic Portuguese home cooking with Paulo and Susana in Apelação, a quiet residential neighborhood just outside Lisbon. During this private Lisbon cooking class, you'll be welcomed into their traditional Portuguese family home, where Paulo, Susana, and their two children will greet you with homemade Portuguese appetizers and a glass of local wine. Enjoy a warm, relaxed family atmosphere as you learn about Lisbon's history, culture, food traditions, and everyday life from your local hosts.
After your welcome drink and appetizers, join Paulo and Susana in their home kitchen for a hands-on Portuguese cooking class lasting approximately two hours. Learn to prepare two traditional Portuguese dishes from scratch, using local ingredients and family recipes passed down through generations. Your hosts will guide you through the techniques and flavors that make Portuguese cuisine so special, sharing cooking tips and family stories along the way.
Once the cooking is complete, gather around the family dining table to enjoy the delicious homemade Portuguese meal you helped prepare. Your experience includes a selection of traditional appetizers, main dishes, and a Portuguese dessert. Unless you have specific preferences, Paulo and Susana will surprise you with some of their favorite local specialties.
More than just a cooking class in Lisbon, this is an opportunity to connect with a local Portuguese family, experience their culinary traditions firsthand, and enjoy an authentic home-cooked meal together.
Notes:
A glass of local Portuguese wine is included in the price of your experience.
Lunch experiences are available on weekends only. On weekdays, Paulo and Susana offer dinner experiences, as they both work during the day.
Languages spoken: English, Spanish, Portuguese
We had such a wonderful evening with Paulo and his lovely wife. It felt like we were dining with old friends. It was one of the best experiences we had on our trip. The food was amazing, and we left content and full. We plan to make the dishes we helped prepare at home. I highly recommend this experience for anyone who enjoys great food and getting out of the touristy fray to experience an authentic Portuguese evening.- omi July 03, 2026
Paulo and Susana were incredibly welcoming and gracious inviting us into their home and sharing a wonderful Portuguese meal with us. It was a lot of fun helping to prepare the dishes and even more fun sitting down to enjoy them. We couldn’t recommend this experience more and it was a true highlight of our trip.- Alan May 17, 2025
This was perfect. There's always a small degree of risk with things like this because our family and the host family might not click. That said, I was pretty confident because of previous reviews. It turned out perfect for our Sunday lunch. The home is about 25 minutes from the tourist centre of Lisbon, which makes it feel like you are in the countryside but still quick to get to. The family totally got it in terms of making it work for our two kids (11 and 7). They were a delightful family (husband, wife and adult son) and we all had a great time. It was cool to cook and eat as we went. Couldn't recommend more highly.- MalTorress July 15, 2024
It’s hard to express how much we enjoyed the experience Paulo and Susanna were so welcoming and we loved chatting and cooking with them. The food was delicious and the experience was so wonderful. We highly recommend it- Leslie_A March 24, 2023
Paulo and Susannah (and their lovely son) welcomed us into their home and made a memorable evening for us. They are wonderful hosts, chefs, teachers, and now friends. We enjoyed every second and felt at home, abroad. Highly recommend this service and these folks. Don’t forget to ask for rice pudding.- Julie July 24, 2022
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