Culinary Tour in Barcelona

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Barcelona, alongside San Sebastian, is Spain’s most interesting city for “foodies” and globetrotting gourmets. This elegant and exuberant cosmopolitan city boasts an array of creative restaurants, many with Michelin stars, along with innovative tapas bars and stylish winebars. The cuisine of Barcelona (and greater Catalonia, or Catalunya as it is known in Catalan) is wholeheartedly Mediterranean, with an emphasis on fish, Olive Oil, fresh produce and wine. The Mediterranean Diet has long been championed as the healthiest in the world, and on this gourmet cooking tour in Barcelona you will gain a solid introduction to the culinary secrets of the Med. Some of the world’s most famous chefs work here in Catalonia including Carmen Ruscadella (San Pau) and the Roca brothers at El Celler de Can Roca. You will enjoy some of Barcelona’s most exciting and glamorous restaurants on this tour, such as Michelin starred Abac, spectacular Celler de Can Roca and newly Michelin minted stars Dos Palillos.

Over the course of this food focused vacation, you'll enjoy private cooking classes in downtown Barcelona with a charming and knowledgeable chef, learning about the pleasures and benefits of Spanish olive oil, local vegetables, pristine seafood, hearty nuts and wine. An introduction to Catalonia's four main sauces (sofrito, samfaina, picada and ali-oli) will also be made. A guided market tour of the colorful Boqueria market will give you the inside scoop as to where Barcelona chefs buy their truffles, their local cheeses, their fresh fish, etc. You’ll also see smaller markets like Santa Caterina, enjoy a foodie tour of historic Girona, and taste Spain´s famed cava wines in situ in the Penedes wine country. Sleep in a gorgeous converted listed art nouveau mansion in a chic part of town. This tour is the perfect introduction to food and wine lovers looking to deepen their culinary knowledge on a fun and luxurious break in Barcelona!

Tour Highlights:

• Chef´s tour of the spectacular Boqueria Market
• Catalan Cooking classes
• Cooking class and lunch with the charming Jaume Brichs
• Michelin Starred Dinners at Can Fabes & Abac
• Chocolate and Cheese Tastings in Barcelona

For Your Personalized Quote!

Day One - Private Cooking Experience in Barcelona

Your private chef, Candido

Arrive to Barcelona airport, where your private driver and elegant Mercedes will be waiting. You'll transfer to your elegant & historic hotel for check in, located in the glamorous Eixample quarter. Free time to settle in and then this afternoon meet your charming personal chef at a cheery, professional and elegant cooking space in downtown Barcelona. Crack open some vino with your chef while you get to work on the first course.

Today you will learn how to re-create some classic Catalan dishes such as Escalivada (gorgeous roast vegetables like eggplant, red peppers, tomatoes and onions), Suquet (a soup seafood dish), and Menjar Blanc (an almond and cinnamon based pudding whose recipe dates back to medieval times). Or you might like to learn how to make paella? Always a fun dish to have a handle on, crowd pleaser. Spend the day and evening with your chef and after the class, sit down to taste the dinner you created, with your chef and some great Catalan wines. Benvinguts a Barcelona!

Overnight: 5* Luxury Hotel

Meals Included in Price: Cooking class dinner with wines

Transfers: Barcelona airport- hotel- dinner transfers

Day Two - Explore Barcelona´s Food Markets and Michelin starred dining

Shopping for your ingredients

The morning your private chef will meet you in the lobby of your hotel and today you will visit two of Barcelona´s famed markets, Santa Caterina and of course, the Boqueria. Start with the small but ultra gourmet Santa Caterina market to select some smoked cod, farmhouse Catalan cheeses, marinated olives, and some of the ingredients for a three course meal that you will cook today. Then head to the breathtaking Boqueria market, without a doubt Spain’s best food market. You will begin your market tour with a glass of bubbly served at El Quim de la Boqueria, one of the cutest bars in the market, frequented by locals and gourmets, or perhaps with Joan at Pinotxo. And now to explore the Boqueria!

You’ll see stall after stall of neatly stacked exotic fruits, nuts, and chocolates; every vegetable conceivable on the planet in every shade of the rainbow; fresh fruit juices made with mangos, papayas, Lychee, Passion Fruit and African cucumber; Atlantic and Mediterranean seafood including monkfish, hake, cod, fresh anchovies, red tuna and dozens more; artichokes, ripe figs, fresh herbs, luscious dates, wild fennel, wild mushrooms and truffles from Catalonia; amphora and collectors bottles of olive oils and wine vinegars and about one hundred different types of cured Spanish Ham and “embutidos”. Your chef will take you to meet the most charming and famous vendors, and you´ll select the other missing ingredients for your class. Today you will cook more Catalan” specialties such as Cocas (something between a flatbread and a pizza, the best recipes for it come from Mallorca), or if you are more adventurous, an octopus dish, and a delicious dessert like Hazelnut Mousse or Crema Catalana with figs or peaches.

Then hit the cooking studio and create your lunch, so much fun, don´t forget the camera. After lunch, head back to the hotel and the rest of the late afternoon is yours to enjoy in Barcelona. This evening your private driver will arrive to collect you at your hotel and take you to the hills just outside central downtown to a very special gourmet dinner at the Michelin starred Abac, glamorously designed and with impeccable service and cuisine. You can look forward to the chef´s tasting menu tonight paired with excellent local Catalan wines from Alella and Priorat.

Overnight: 5* Luxury Hotel

Meals Included in Price: Full Breakfast, Cooking class lunch with wines, Michelin starred dinner with wines

Transfers: None

Day Three - Cava wine tasting and Dinner at Dos Palillos

Bottles of cava stored in pupitres

Switch gears today and enjoy some fresh air in the vineyards, exploring the Penedes wine country just under an hour south of Barcelona. Your private driver will take you to a top vineyard such as Gramona or Agusti Torello where you on a private and special tour, you´ll enjoy an extensive tasting of Cava sparkling wines and learn about the intriguing winemaking process, which differs from still wines. Lunch will be a relaxed and easy going paella spot overlooking the coast in Sitges.

Then head into Barcelona so you can have some free time for shopping and sightseeing before dinner. Dos Palillos is on the menu tonight, an inspired, informal Michelin starred eatery that successful fuses the best of Asian and Mediterranean cuisine. The chef Albert Raurich previously worked with Ferran Adria at the world´s best (and now closed) El Bulli before opening his own spot in Barcelona. Great food and buzz, enjoy!

Overnight: 5* Luxury Hotel

Meals Included in Price:Breakfast, lunch with wine, Michelin starred dinner with wines

Transfers: Barcelona- Penedes- Barcelona

Day Four - Girona Foodie Tour and Lunch at El Celler de Can Roca

Fine dining in Catalunya

Today, discover Girona, one of Catalunya´s lesser known gems with striking architecture and a fascinating Jewish heritage. Located about an hour and 15 minutes drive from Barcelona, spend the morning in Girona with your own private art guide who will take you on a guided tour of the city, with a focus on food and wine. You will begin the tour with a thick Spanish hot chocolate at one of the oldest patisseries in town. Carry on to an array of olive oil, wine, and pastry shops and pop into an ancient butter mill for a cheese tasting of four Spanish farmhouse cheeses paired with fun, local wines.

After this morning of walking and light snacking, your guide will take you into El Celler de Can Roca, with Three Michelin stars where you have a sublime long and unforgettable feast in store, their epic tasting menu. The food is divine, as is the atmosphere, and this is a lunch you will remember forever. Your driver will take you back to your hotel when you finish, take your time and enjoy the meal! This evening, head back into Barcelona for free time at leisure. You won´t be hungry!

Overnight: 5* Luxury Hotel

Meals Included in Price: Breakfast, Michelin starred lunch with wines

Transfers: Barcelona- Girona- Barcelona

Day Five - Fins aviat, Barcelona!

Gaudi´s creative architecture in Barcelona

This morning at your preferred time, your private driver will take you to the Barcelona airport for your outbound flight. And this concludes your fabulous culinary break in Barcelona. Hope you had a great time!

Meals Included in Price: Full breakfast

Transfers: Barcelona- airport

Customer Testimonial:

“Thank you for organising everything for us, we had a lovely time. The market tour and cooking class with the chef was very enjoyable. We not only cooked 3 dishes, but he showed us a number of other Catalan specialties! Thank you once again for organising everything. I will definitely recommend Cellar Tours.”

Caroline Wright, Australia

What's Included:

• Accommodation for 4 nights in luxurious 5* Hotel
• Private Airport Transfers and all transfers as per the itinerary by luxury Mercedes E and English speaking chauffeur
• Bottle of Spanish wine in your room upon arrival
• 4 Full breakfasts
• Two lunches with wines
• Two extraordinary Michelin starred dinners- tasting menus with paired wines
• 2 Private Cooking Classes with personal chef
• 1 Private guided gourmet walking tour of Barcelona
• 1 keepsake itinerary with maps and ample information on Spain, food and wine, and all locations visited
• Gourmet Gift
• All Local taxes

What's Not Included:

• Flights
• Meals and Drinks not Specified
• Personal Expenses such as Telephone, Minibar, etc
• Tips and Gratuities (Guides, Restaurants, etc)
• Travel Insurance (Strongly recommended)
• Cancellation Insurance

Prices:

This is a SAMPLE TOUR ITINERARY. Please note that our private chauffeured luxury tours are totally customized to your needs and price varies according to the number of people in your group (please note tours require minimum 2 guests), specific suppliers included, number of services included,specific dates, transport type etc. Contact us today for more information and we would be delighted to get started on a tailor made detailed itinerary with pricing for you.

• Final price depends on chosen style of accommodation and dining. Please contact us with your group size (minimum 2 guests, no maximum group size), travel dates and preferences and we will send you custom pricing.
• Discounts available for larger groups
• Please note that our tours are available upon demand for PRIVATE GROUPS and are not scheduled tours for mixed groups.

More Information:

All of our tours are available year round upon request for your private group of minimum 2 people. If you would like us to customize a luxury tour of Spain for you, contact us with your requirements, and we can send you a free itinerary and quote with no obligations. We organize packages from 1 day, to weekends to longer food and wine discoveries throughout Spain.

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