Jose is a passionate, native Valencian chef with over a decade of experience in Michelin-starred restaurants in London and Valencia. After exploring cuisines from around the world, he returned to his roots to share the rich culinary traditions of Valencia. Jose’s specialty is rice dishes, a staple introduced to Valencia by the Arabs centuries ago. He loves showing guests the many ways Valencians have adapted rice into their cuisine. While paella is traditionally enjoyed with family and friends on Sundays, Jose believes every day is a Sunday and is eager to teach you how to prepare authentic Valencian paella during your experience. Jose’s goal is to create unforgettable gastronomic experiences that delight the senses, evoke emotions, and leave lasting memories. He looks forward to sharing traditional Valencian cooking techniques, teaching culinary tips, and learning about his guests’ cultures, making every cooking class a warm and immersive journey into Valencia’s food heritage.
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:
(2-6 guests)
Meet your host, Chef Jose, a Michelin-star trained Valencian chef, at the entrance to the IVAM Museum. Begin your experience with a 10-minute guided walk through Valencia’s old town, past the Turia River before your immersive Valencia cooking class.
Start your culinary journey with a traditional vermouth, Valencian beer, or soft drink, paired with a Gilda spherification, an innovative twist on this classic pintxo. Next, create a refreshing sangria with Jose and learn about the rich history, culture, and traditions behind Valencian rice dishes and paella. While paella is traditionally eaten with family and friends on Sundays, Jose believes every day is a Sunday and will teach you how to prepare authentic Valencian paella, a delicious combination of rice and meat.
Alternatively, choose from three other traditional paella options: vegetarian paella, seafood paella, or paella with duck, asparagus, and mushrooms. While your paella cooks, enjoy hands-on tapas preparation, including skewering a classic Gilda and making two other traditional dishes from scratch.
After cooking, sit down to enjoy the meal you helped prepare, followed by a creamy mousse dessert and cremaet, a must-try Valencian coffee-based drink. Take home a personalized recipe book from Chef Jose, featuring authentic paellas, tapas, and traditional Spanish drinks, so you can recreate the experience at home.
Notes:
1. Dietary Restrictions: Jose can accommodate vegan, vegetarian, lactose-free, and gluten-free diets. Please share your dietary preferences when making your booking.
2. Alternative Valencian Dishes: If you’d like to try something other than paella, let Jose know in advance. You can learn to cook arroz al horno (oven-baked rice with pork ribs, sausages, potatoes, and tomatoes) or arroz negro (black rice with seafood and squid ink).
3. Group Size & Timing: For groups of 2–3 guests, please book a lunch experience. Dinner experiences are available for groups of 4 or more.
Languages spoken: English, Spanish, French
Jose's passion for Valencian cuisine is simply wonderful! It is a unique opportunity to learn to cook from a fun and native Valencian trained at the Michelin-starred restaurant El Poblet in Valencia.
AV, Traveling Spoon Ambassador
Valencia is a beautiful city and our paella cooking class with Jose was one of the highlights of our visit. An amazing chef, teacher and host. Jose brilliantly mixed stories and history with an incredible afternoon of making tapas and paella. Gracias Jose for such a wonderful experience.- brian October 14, 2026
We had a wonderful private session with Chef Jose. Whether you are a casual cook or a culinary enthusiast, this is the experience for you. Everything about the space was amazing, but we especially loved his ability to weave a narrative that showed how paella ties the culture and history of Valencia, and Spain, all together. Chef Jose is passionate about his craft, a fantastic host, and a truly delightful human being. It is very rare for an experience to balance being professional, intimate, and educational, but he wove those threads perfectly to create a true core memory for our trip.We want to hang hang out with chef Jose more! Thank you Jose! We are so excited to go home and share paella with your friends and family.- cedric October 01, 2026
Going to Chef Jose's home to learn how to properly prepare paella was a treat. We've done other paella cooking classes but they were like going to Kindergarten rather than taking the master class that Chef Jose offers. We had a wonderful time learning the finer points of paella. Chef was full of helpful hints that we will incorporate into our kitchen. He was passionate about his craft and that really showed. The food he prepared was amazing. We've had paella at numerous restaurants in Valencia and Barcelona but none were as flavorful as what we had with Chef Jose. The tapas were amazing as well. He gave us the recipes before we left and I know I will attempt to make several of the dishes at home.- archana September 26, 2026
This was a great experience. Chef Jose was very cordial and explained every step in great detail. I enjoyed his hospitality and felt very comfortable in his home. I highly recommend this experience.- wendy September 13, 2026
Jose was wonderful, great stories and amazing food. it will be a memorable cooking experience for sure. now Paella does not seem so daunting to make!! love that he sheared a recipe book as well.- joelene August 17, 2026
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