My First Paella — Attraction in Valencia

Went here last week with my wife as part of our ‘staycation’. After 16 years in Spain, the last of which living in Valencia, we had our first stab at making paella at home last year, using the ‘how hard can it be?’ approach. Seriously bad idea. Now we wanted to learn the right way to do it, and honestly we couldn’t have made a better choice than going to one of My First Paella’s classes.

Note: if your Spanish is a bit ropey or nonexistent and you’re worried that you’ll struggle to understand, fear not: it turned out on the day that our class of 20 was 100% international, so the entire thing was conducted by the My First Paella team in fluent English.

We started off at the delightful Mercat de Russafa where we were shown the right ingredients we would need for one seafood and two Valencian paellas. Then, shopping bags in hand, we headed over to the kitchen (a 12 minute walk away), where, after a warm welcome, we were kitted out with aprons, invited to wash our hands and then handed delicious glasses of sangria (cold beer/soft drinks/water etc were also available) - the correct preparation of which was also part of the day’s instruction.

Then we got down to business, prepping and cooking - and the “we” here is important, because the students did everything while our instructors talked us through each step, enlightened us about the myths and urban legends surrounding paella, gave us advice and answered the endless stream of questions.

It was a complete hoot, with fascinating anecdotes and a lot of laughter, and some time later we were tucking in to the fruits of our collective labour. Dee.Lish.Us.

All in all, then, I can’t praise the staff at My First Paella too highly for making it a day to remember, and for equipping us with the knowledge and confidence to have another go at making a paella at...

The experience we had at My First Paella was top notch. This is in part to the wonderful chefs that take you through the entire immersive cooking experience. By first starting out with some general history of Ruzafa, we then headed on to Mercat Ruzafa for an understanding of the culture and significance of Paella (the entree and the pan), and the ingredients that make up Valencian Paella. The cooking experience started out with various Tapas and Sangria, all which were very good and hit the spot before the cooking adventure began. Cooking is hands on with the chef's working to ensure everyone in the group has an experience to participate in the meal to be shared. Some tasks such as being in charge of the salt may seem small, but paella without salt would not be the same. Word of caution though, if you are not looking for an intense workout then do not volunteer to grind the saffron, much harder than it seems. Beside the cooking experience, this is a great time to meet others from the around the world which is made much easier when food, sangria, or wine is around. Once the paella is finished, offers a great opportunity for a photo shoot of the masterpiece that you helped to create before sitting down and being served a plate of fantastic Valencian paella. The meal is finished off with "un chupito", desert, and cafe. Again, the experience is made by the chefs working so hard to ensure you have a memorable experience and take back with you the importance of paella as a social gathering of...

We loved it so much that we came back again in March 2024 with some other friends. I have to thank the whole team for being so great as I have a food sensitivity they were willing to accommodate. Highly recommend these folks!

We had the BEST time at the paella class! We are from the USA and have lived in Spain for the past 15 months. This year, we set a goal to really learn more about the food and culture here so this was a great start! We have had paella a number of times. We knew that paella Valenciana is considered the most authentic in Spain but we didn't really know how to make it. We do now!

We took this class with 4 of our friends (as well as about 8 other people who had signed up). What a fabulous times we had together! We met some great folks in the class and really just had a blast!

The class starts at the Mercado Ruzafa where we shopped for some key ingredients. Then, we walked to the cooking school about 10 minutes away. They started us off by teaching us how to make sangria (and drink, it, too) and we also had jamon, patatas bravas, olives, and some great cheese! No one should start making a paella on an empty stomach.

Then, the real fun began when we learned to make the paella. This class is totally hands on, not just watching. We chopped, sauteed, and stirred with great guidance and insight along the way. This class is one of the best ways to spend 4 hours in...