Experience the best of
Valencia with Withlocals

"This was without a doubt the best experience we have had in our travels. Jose is welcoming, and together (mostly Jose lol) we prepared a feast. He explained every step so you get a great understanding of how to prepare paella and all of its components. My husband can’t wait to try his hand at it when we return to California. Definitely an amazing experience!"

"Jose welcomed us into his home and taught us how to make a seafood paella and it was fantastic. The whole experience lasted four hours and included a welcome appetiser, plenty of alcohol, two tapas plates, the paella and a dessert We learnt so much and I can't wait to try and make paella on our return home. I would highly recommend this experience. It was the favourite part of the trip. "

"We had such a wonderful afternoon with Jose, who had so much passion and knowledge to share with us about Valencia, Valencian cuisine, and how to make the most beautiful (perfect) paella. Cooking in his home kitchen was really special. This experience will stay with us for a long time and we hope to make paella at home. "

"Jose is wonderful. You can feel his passion. If you are interested in creating your own paella this class is perfect. Is it fun and informative."

"Our afternoon with Jose was truly a fantastic, trip-defining experience of our visit to Valencia. From the first moments where Jose walked us around his neighborhood a bit, told us about the city, his connection to it, how he got started in cooking to doing the entire class in his charming kitchen, every moment made us feel more immersed in the city. Jose is both a talented cook and a gifted teacher, explaining how and why things are done and then happily offering each person in your group of a chance to play a part in putting the meal together. His hospitality is superlative, thoughtfully having a local aperitif, wines to any taste, and a full stocked and prepared fridge. And the food: Jose is a FANTASTIC cook. Easily one of the best meals we had in Spain, and his list of recipes he provided as a parting gift leave us excited to see more of his talent and culinary vision. Cannot recommend highly enough, if you're going to Valencia and enjoy cooking, you owe it to yourself to spend an afternoon with Jose."

"Johnny is an amazing host and guide with so much passion and knowledge about olive oil and more. We started off in his wife’s cozy cafe with a cafe latte and a few shots of different oils and then we took off in his comfortable van about an hour inland to a small local olive oil production/farm. Had a tour where owner explained all the different stages that goes into production/bottling etc and then a sit down where we had a chance to taste all their different oils and characteristics. After that we drove to a medieval town where we had the most amazing meal in an ancient grotto, wine tasting and more of Johnny’s private collection of oils. It was a wonderful day and so convenient with a “private chauffeur “ and Johnny is a very easy going, agreeable, sweet guy."

"My partner and I took a private cooking class with Jose and it was just amazing! We've learned so much about the food, the cooking process including chefs tricks and tipps and the history of the food. The food cooking was really fun and informative. We had very creative tapas to start with Vermouth and then cooked a paella de marisco step by step ourselves from scratch which was super cool. We had cava and wine while cooking - Jose not only provides great food but also a great selection of local wines that go with cooking. We ended with a desert and also got a cooking book with many recipes. A 20/10 review - can highly recommend. "

"We had so much fun with Jose and a one-on-one cooking experience. We highly recommend you do this. You'll learn some history, taste some great food and be pleasantly entertained by Jose. "

"We arrived in Valencia and met Jose for our paella cookery class Jose is a great host and so knowledgeable we learned a lot in our class The food and drink was excellent and he also gave us some good ideas of other dishes to try when we went exploring the area "

"Yesterday we had the cooking class with José. And to be honest, it was a wonderful experience. We didn't feel like a customer. It quickly felt like friends cooking together. José is a very warmhearted, patient teacher who always shows his love for food, creativity, quality and his beloved profession. Besides the amazing food, the enriching conversations and the wonderful atmosphere, this event was truly one of the best things during our vacation in Spain. We wish José all the best and can just recommend it for everybody."