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Host: Paulo

Lisbon, Portugal

USD
$249-$259 per person

Lisbon Cooking Class and Traditional Portuguese Meal with a Local Family

Host offerings
  • House
  • Home cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Round-Trip Transfers
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food Tour

Meet Paulo

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.

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: (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

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.
  • Appetizers: Baked mushrooms, Portuguese-style clams in garlic and cilantro sauce (Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato), crispy fried green beans (Peixinhos da Horta), warm sausage pâté served in traditional Portuguese bread, Avillez-style shrimp, flambéed smoked sausage, or Portuguese carrot salad with vinaigrette.
  • Main Courses: Traditional Portuguese baby fava beans with pork spare ribs, piri-piri chicken, Portuguese-style chicken with cabbage, Bacalhau à Brás (shredded salted cod with potatoes and eggs), Portuguese fish and seafood cataplana (seafood stew), traditional Portuguese codfish cakes (Pastéis de Bacalhau), roasted pork with rosemary potatoes, or slow-cooked chicken gizzards in a savory sauce.
  • Desserts: Homemade cinnamon apple pie, Portuguese-style baked apples, moist carrot cake with chocolate, or traditional Portuguese rice pudding (Arroz Doce).

Traveler reviews

5.0 (7)
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
Read More

Paulo

$249-$259 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
Not offered $259 $249
Alcohol
$0 per person
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $259 $249
Alcohol
$0 per person
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
12:00pm-4:00pm 6:30pm-10:30pm

Meet Paulo

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.

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: (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

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.
  • Appetizers: Baked mushrooms, Portuguese-style clams in garlic and cilantro sauce (Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato), crispy fried green beans (Peixinhos da Horta), warm sausage pâté served in traditional Portuguese bread, Avillez-style shrimp, flambéed smoked sausage, or Portuguese carrot salad with vinaigrette.
  • Main Courses: Traditional Portuguese baby fava beans with pork spare ribs, piri-piri chicken, Portuguese-style chicken with cabbage, Bacalhau à Brás (shredded salted cod with potatoes and eggs), Portuguese fish and seafood cataplana (seafood stew), traditional Portuguese codfish cakes (Pastéis de Bacalhau), roasted pork with rosemary potatoes, or slow-cooked chicken gizzards in a savory sauce.
  • Desserts: Homemade cinnamon apple pie, Portuguese-style baked apples, moist carrot cake with chocolate, or traditional Portuguese rice pudding (Arroz Doce).

Traveler reviews

5.0 (7)
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
Read More
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $259 $249
Alcohol
$0 per person
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $259 $249
Alcohol
$0 per person
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
12:00pm-4:00pm 6:30pm-10:30pm
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 4% 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. Transfers are typically charged on a per car basis, not per person. 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 round-trip transfers as an optional add-on. A driver collects you from your hotel or residence, takes you to the experience, and brings you back at the end. Pricing is quoted per car, not per person, so a group shares one fare. Your host's exact pickup instructions come with your confirmation details once the booking is accepted. A few hosts arrange transfers differently — a one-way ride, or a pickup from a central meeting point — and where that is the case their profile says so in place of the round-trip wording.

    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.