Private Traditional Portuguese Cooking Class in Lisbon with Paula

Recommended by 96% of travelers

Lisbon, Portugal

Great choice

10+ bookings last month.

3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Live like the locals with this private and authentic Portuguese cooking class. Taught in a local home, learn family-inspired recipes shared by your host, Paula. Relax with Portuguese wine and appetizers before learning two or three distinct dishes. Potential recipes include appetizers like traditional cod fritters and mains such as bacalhau a-braz. Afterwards, enjoy your meal with a cup of tea followed by dessert.

Experience is offered in English and Portuguese
Visit a local's home and apartment
Cooking studio available on request to accommodate larger groups
Vegetarian options easily catered for

Sample Menu

Starter

Pataniscas de bacalhau

Traditional Portuguese cod fritters

Starter

Goan bojas

Goan gram flour fritters made with onion and cumin seeds

Main

Bacalhau a braz or a Goan curry

What's Included

Private cooking class and meal with your host Paula
Alcoholic Beverages

Portuguese wine
Pick up from Cacilhas ferry terminal

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Dá Cacilhas
LG Alfredo Dinis, 2800-252 Almada, Portugal
Meet your host at Da Cacilhas, a red kiosk located at the exit of the ferry in Cacilhas. To get here, take a 7-min ferry from Cais do Sodre in Lisbon and get off at the Cacilhas stop. Paula will meet you at the red kiosk in Cacilhas and together you will walk 5 min to get to her apartment.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed

Near public transportation
Please communicate directly with Paula via WhatsApp if you have questions about the menu or meeting location.
Please note this is not a professional cooking class in a cooking school but rather an in-home cooking and cultural experience with a local in her home kitchen
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

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Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Margaret_S

Paula is super friendly. She is very welcoming. Her cooking class was enjoyable and we learned many many cooking tips that were new to us even though we are experienced cooks 😊. She also ave us lots of fun information about Lisbon in general. I highly recommend her class as an experience in Lisbon 💕

Reviews

4.9

based on 56 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Great cooking experience

Janice_A, Apr 2026

Took ferry over to Cacilhas from Lisbon. Lovely neighboorhood. Was escorted to Paula's apartment, cooked a mix of Goan and Portuguese dishes, learned some new techniques and shared stories and good company. Delicious!

Great experience with...

Kent_P, Jan 2026

Great experience with Paula. Food was fantastic and authentic! We would encourage anyone to spend some time with her.

Great host great food!

Ashley_C, Nov 2025

Paula was an amazing host! My daughter and I had a great time and cooked an great meal!!! I would definitely recommend this class for everyone!!!

Not just Natas! Cook a full meal with an amazing person!

isabelle_h, Sep 2025

My daughter was looking for a cooking class that was all about Natas! For the same price, we got to spend few hours with Paula! It was a heartwarming experience! We went to the market, we cooked a full meal and NATAS at her house which made this experience absolutely unforgettable! We had fresh homemade lemonade! Paula took the time to write to us prior to our meeting to ask us what we would prefer to cook. She gave us so many fun facts and cooking tips! At the end the table was filled with good food, good wine and a new friendship! Paula is a sweetheart. She took the time to bring my daughter shopping afterwards to buy the special natas plates! Thank you so much Paula for welcoming us into your home. This was wonderful experience that we aren’t going to forget! On top of that Paula is located not far from the bridge and the statue! She ordered a Tuk tuk for us right after our meal! For food lovers : Paula is the answer!

We were so pleased to...

Tami_L, Jun 2025

We were so pleased to have Paula to ourselves. She is serious about teaching you the nuances of the Portuguese cooking process. Opening her home & experience with us a wonderful experience. The ONLY complaint we have is the walk back to the ferry took too long, because she knows everyone in the village and had to give each a greeting!!! 🥰

Hands on local cuisine and culture learning.

Liz_S, Nov 2024

We really enjoyed the experience of cooking a Portuguese meal in Paulas's home. She told us stories relating to her life and culture and gave us cooking tips. She proivded the recipes following our experience and told me where to find the tins to make pastel de nata. It was a fantastic way to spend a part of our day. As an added bonus you ride the ferry across the river and see another charming piece of Portugal. We find that cooking with a local is an amazing way to appreciate another country's culture.

Wonderful experience

Robert_H, Sep 2024

Wonderful experience and fantastic meal. Would highly recommend to foodies. Chef is fluent in English.

Take This Course

Ashley_M, Sep 2024

Paula was an amazing host! She was so warm and welcoming, offered a personalized menu, and an intimate experience! The food was delicious and Paula offered so many great cooking tips. Her expertise was appreciated.

Culinary Delight with Paula!

Monica_M, May 2024

My husband and I took a cooking class with Paula on the second day of our two-week trip to Portugal, and we're thrilled we got to experience the introduction to Portuguese and Goan cuisine. The food was phenomenal, and the company was even better. Paula is a skilled chef and an incredible host; spending time getting to know her was delightful. She perfectly represented the kind and fun Portuguese culture we experienced throughout our tour. We highly recommend booking this for anyone who loves food, authenticity, and genuine human connection while traveling.

Event and Paula were wonderful!

Jon_R, Apr 2024

This was even more/better than we hoped! Our host, Paula was fun, sweet, gracious, and really knew her stuff. We were given a choice of dishes and we prepped/cooked and ate them all. It was the loveliest of events on our trip, and memories we will remember and chare forever - thanks Paula!!

Great overall experience

Margaret_S, Apr 2024

Paula the chef from Mozambique

Mark_W, Mar 2024

We missed the ferry and we were 10 minutes late. No problem, she said. That comment set the stage for an incredible evening. It was a casual evening, she showed us simple meal preparation like how to cut an onion without crying, how to mix, how to fill pastries. It was all good and we had fun doing it. She really knows how to move around in the kitchen. I would do this class again, if for no other reason, just to spend another evening with Paula, such a wonderful hostess. Such a wonderful person. I feel incredibly lucky to have experienced it.

Enjoyable experience with a lot of personal touches

Zachary_S, Mar 2024

Had such a nice time with Paulinha. Got a lot of hands on with the dishes and got to make Pastel de Nata. It was very nice to learn and have the recipes for the future. We had a lovely time chatting, eating, and drinking wine. She even told me a few times to contact her if I was having trouble recreating the dishes. It was a really great experience to learn these dishes and a few techniques to make my time in the kitchen easier.

Unforgettable experience!!

Emma_D, Mar 2024

Our evening with Paula is one we’ll be reminiscing for years to come. She was the most welcoming host, excellent instructor, and an immediate friend. We cannot wait to show off the recipes to family and friends! I’d highly recommend her to anyone looking for a great evening and introduction to Portuguese culture.

Uniquely Portuguese experience with a new friend.

Alejandro_O, Jul 2023

This experience was everything I had hoped it would be. Paula treated me like an old friend. The food was delicious and the experience was special. I felt so comfortable in her home and learned several cooking techniques. Thank you Paula, for a uniquely Portuguese experience and a day I will never forget. Jamie O.

Cooking with Paula

Debbi_F, May 2023

What a beautiful day with a lovely hostess! She was knowledgeable and so fun! We enjoyed her company as much as the cooking! Awesome class! Don’t miss this opportunity for a beautiful day! We LOVE Paula! ❤️

Exceptional Portuguese Cooking Class

Wendy_B, May 2023

Paula’s cooking class was great. We like to cook and learned new tips and specific Portuguese recipes. Truly enjoyed meeting her, preparing and eating a meal in her home. It was a nice ending to a fabulous week in Portugal. It’s more than a cooking class…you will discover her way of life too.

Amazing Time!

Briana_M, Apr 2023

Paulinha was absolutely amazing the the food was delicious! I enjoyed hearing her stories about her family and learning more about Portugal. Best Pastel de Nata in the city!

Not what we were hoping for

Claire_P, Sep 2022

Paula the lady who hosted us was amazing and very informative and I have nothing negative to say about her at all. However the cooking experience was seriously lacking in cooking! Paula did cook a 3 course meal, which we basically stood and watched, whilst measuring out the odd ingredient and stirring a pan, whilst stood in her vey small, untidy and slightly unhygienic kitchen (2 people literally stood next to the cat litter tray). The food was very bland with little taste or flavour. We paid over £60 each and I do not feel we got value for money. I was expecting a far more interactive experience and we as a group came away feeling very disappointed,

The cooking class with Paula...

Franziska_R, Mar 2026

The cooking class with Paula was really great! She has given us many tips on preparation that will definitely make our work in the kitchen easier at home. The dishes were very delicious and easy to recook! Thanks to Paula's hospitality, you felt at home ! Thanks for the great lunch!

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