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Host: Mariela

Buenos Aires, Argentina

USD
$90-$150 per person

Traditional Argentinean home-cooked meal and cooking class in Buenos Aires

Host offerings
  • Apartment
  • Home cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Mariela

Mariela has worked as a tour guide for the past eight years and has a degree in tourism. Mariela, speaks Spanish and English and loves that her job has allows her to travel around the world. You can expect an authentic, fresh, and delicious meal at Mariela’s home while sharing stories, food, and music!

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (2-5 guests) Mariela lives in the hip neighborhood of Palermo, home of eclectic restaurants, chic cocktail haunts and quirky fashion stores. As Mariela worked as a tour guide for many years, she has a wealth of information about the best sites to visits and a lot of stories to share. While you sip on your welcome drink, she will introduce you to her country, its history, cuisine, people and culture! For the meal, first you will be served a picada, a selection of finger foods such as different types of cheese, homemade sauces, spiced butter, and bread. This will be followed by tapa de asado (a meat roast with onions, peppers and red Argentinean wine) served with a side of mashed carrots, potatoes, pumpkins and sweet potatoes. Your meal will end with a sweet dessert such as banana pancake with dulce de leche and vanilla ice cream or quince and sweet potato jam.

Cooking experience: (2-4 guests) Join Mariela for a Buenos Aires cooking class, a hands-on experience where you will get to cook along with her in her home kitchen. Her kitchen is a small kitchen, so you might use the dining area for demonstrations and to prepare the ingredients for your meal. The cooking portion of the experience will last for approximately one hour, during which you will learn to make an appetizer, a main dish and also learn to prepare a local drink like fernet.

Market visit: (2-4 guests) You will meet Mariela at her home and then go to visit a selection of her favorite local shops. First visit her local bakery followed by a delicatessen shop where you will buy some favorite cheeses. Then take a bus together to their local butcher and a greengrocer shop to buy the meat and vegetables for your meal. After purchasing ingredients for your meal, take the bus back to Mariela's home for your cooking lesson and meal.

Notes: Please note Mariela can serve a vegetarian meal on request.

Languages spoken: Spanish, English

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Picada and empanadas
  • Tapa de asado con puré mixto (papa, batata, calabaza y zanahoria)
  • Queso y Dulce

Traveler reviews

5.0 (6)
A lovely place with very pleasant staff. Mel's cooking is simply delicious and made with love. Local and fresh products that make the difference in the plate. Unique dish every lunchtime. In short, a marvel that I recommend with eyes closed. (translated by Google)
- 518maria April 17, 2023
Home Cooked Dinner at Marielas house. Mariela and Pablo were amazing hosts! They served us an incredible meal and were filled with information about Buenos Aires and Argentina. We had a blast and highly recommend!
- michellehM4314TE December 15, 2019
Our Traveling Spoon experience in Buenos Aires with Juan and Marina was one of the highlights of our trip. They are both excellent hosts and instructors. The food was so delicious, that I even want to add some of their recipes to our Thanksgiving Dinner! Thank you for making our trip that much more memorable!
- nholden711 November 25, 2019
We had a terrific evening with Mariela and Pablo. Mariela speaks excellent English so we learned a lot about the food culture, local customs, Argentinian politics, different parts of the country and more. Pablo did the cooking and the meal was terrific. We started with Fernet and Coke, a typical Argentinian cocktail. We had an appetizer plate of different cheeses, olives and salami, then we helped make the empanadas. Pablo made grilled veggies (eggplant, zucchini, tomato and asparagus), roasted red peppers, an Argentinian squash (smashed, mixed with cheese and spices), a salad AND a skirt steak. AMAZING! We finished (how did we ever have room for it?) with a typical dessert: sweet potato pie-type of thing topped with a soft cheese. The combination was something neither of us ever had but it was yummy! It was a really fun evening but if you want a truly hands-on cooking, where you're doing 90% of the work, this is not that, but we enjoyed ourselves very much! The name of our experience is: Meal + Cooking Experience + Market Tour with Mariela Cavallo. Highly recommend!
- ladycheetah November 08, 2019
* JUAN AND MARINA *Without a doubt, this was the best night that we spent in Buenos Aires. These two are the most warm, gorgeous couple to spend an evening with. Juan and Marina are so kind and welcoming - we felt instantly at home as soon as we walked into their lovely house and were offered a drink. We spent a whole evening with them learning about traditional Argentinian cooking (especially the magic of the BBQ). One of us was gluten-free and both of them had gone above and beyond to accommodate that.  Excellent wine, fantastic food and even better company! Would come back and visit them in a heartbeat - thanks both x
- rozzim639 March 21, 2019
Mariela greeted us warmly and welcomed us into her home, which already smelled delicious. We had a traditional Argentinian beverage before heading out for a neighborhood walk to the local bakery, deli and Mercado to purchase items for our lunch. The meat and vegetables were prepared very well and plated in an appealing manner. Dessert and traditional mate made for an enjoyable end to a lingering lunch. One BA experience not to miss. Being in a home and not in a cooking school made all the difference to a unique experience.
- Anne R September 24, 2018
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Mariela

$90-$150 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Credit card is not charged until the host confirms your booking
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 Not offered $98 $90
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $120 Not offered
Market Tour + Meal
 Not offered $128 Not offered
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $150 Not offered
Alcohol
 $12 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 Not offered $98 $90
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $120 Not offered
Market Tour + Meal
 Not offered $128 Not offered
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $150 Not offered
Alcohol
 $12 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 12:00pm-2:00pm 7:00pm-9:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 11:00am-2:00pm 6:00pm-9:00pm
Market Tour+ Meal
 10:00am-2:00pm 5:00pm-9:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 10:00am-2:00pm 4:00pm-8:00pm

Meet Mariela

Mariela has worked as a tour guide for the past eight years and has a degree in tourism. Mariela, speaks Spanish and English and loves that her job has allows her to travel around the world. You can expect an authentic, fresh, and delicious meal at Mariela’s home while sharing stories, food, and music!

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (2-5 guests) Mariela lives in the hip neighborhood of Palermo, home of eclectic restaurants, chic cocktail haunts and quirky fashion stores. As Mariela worked as a tour guide for many years, she has a wealth of information about the best sites to visits and a lot of stories to share. While you sip on your welcome drink, she will introduce you to her country, its history, cuisine, people and culture! For the meal, first you will be served a picada, a selection of finger foods such as different types of cheese, homemade sauces, spiced butter, and bread. This will be followed by tapa de asado (a meat roast with onions, peppers and red Argentinean wine) served with a side of mashed carrots, potatoes, pumpkins and sweet potatoes. Your meal will end with a sweet dessert such as banana pancake with dulce de leche and vanilla ice cream or quince and sweet potato jam.

Cooking experience: (2-4 guests) Join Mariela for a Buenos Aires cooking class, a hands-on experience where you will get to cook along with her in her home kitchen. Her kitchen is a small kitchen, so you might use the dining area for demonstrations and to prepare the ingredients for your meal. The cooking portion of the experience will last for approximately one hour, during which you will learn to make an appetizer, a main dish and also learn to prepare a local drink like fernet.

Market visit: (2-4 guests) You will meet Mariela at her home and then go to visit a selection of her favorite local shops. First visit her local bakery followed by a delicatessen shop where you will buy some favorite cheeses. Then take a bus together to their local butcher and a greengrocer shop to buy the meat and vegetables for your meal. After purchasing ingredients for your meal, take the bus back to Mariela's home for your cooking lesson and meal.

Notes: Please note Mariela can serve a vegetarian meal on request.

Languages spoken: Spanish, English

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Picada and empanadas
  • Tapa de asado con puré mixto (papa, batata, calabaza y zanahoria)
  • Queso y Dulce

Traveler reviews

5.0 (6)
A lovely place with very pleasant staff. Mel's cooking is simply delicious and made with love. Local and fresh products that make the difference in the plate. Unique dish every lunchtime. In short, a marvel that I recommend with eyes closed. (translated by Google)
- 518maria April 17, 2023
Home Cooked Dinner at Marielas house. Mariela and Pablo were amazing hosts! They served us an incredible meal and were filled with information about Buenos Aires and Argentina. We had a blast and highly recommend!
- michellehM4314TE December 15, 2019
Our Traveling Spoon experience in Buenos Aires with Juan and Marina was one of the highlights of our trip. They are both excellent hosts and instructors. The food was so delicious, that I even want to add some of their recipes to our Thanksgiving Dinner! Thank you for making our trip that much more memorable!
- nholden711 November 25, 2019
We had a terrific evening with Mariela and Pablo. Mariela speaks excellent English so we learned a lot about the food culture, local customs, Argentinian politics, different parts of the country and more. Pablo did the cooking and the meal was terrific. We started with Fernet and Coke, a typical Argentinian cocktail. We had an appetizer plate of different cheeses, olives and salami, then we helped make the empanadas. Pablo made grilled veggies (eggplant, zucchini, tomato and asparagus), roasted red peppers, an Argentinian squash (smashed, mixed with cheese and spices), a salad AND a skirt steak. AMAZING! We finished (how did we ever have room for it?) with a typical dessert: sweet potato pie-type of thing topped with a soft cheese. The combination was something neither of us ever had but it was yummy! It was a really fun evening but if you want a truly hands-on cooking, where you're doing 90% of the work, this is not that, but we enjoyed ourselves very much! The name of our experience is: Meal + Cooking Experience + Market Tour with Mariela Cavallo. Highly recommend!
- ladycheetah November 08, 2019
* JUAN AND MARINA *Without a doubt, this was the best night that we spent in Buenos Aires. These two are the most warm, gorgeous couple to spend an evening with. Juan and Marina are so kind and welcoming - we felt instantly at home as soon as we walked into their lovely house and were offered a drink. We spent a whole evening with them learning about traditional Argentinian cooking (especially the magic of the BBQ). One of us was gluten-free and both of them had gone above and beyond to accommodate that.  Excellent wine, fantastic food and even better company! Would come back and visit them in a heartbeat - thanks both x
- rozzim639 March 21, 2019
Mariela greeted us warmly and welcomed us into her home, which already smelled delicious. We had a traditional Argentinian beverage before heading out for a neighborhood walk to the local bakery, deli and Mercado to purchase items for our lunch. The meat and vegetables were prepared very well and plated in an appealing manner. Dessert and traditional mate made for an enjoyable end to a lingering lunch. One BA experience not to miss. Being in a home and not in a cooking school made all the difference to a unique experience.
- Anne R September 24, 2018
Read More
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 Not offered $98 $90
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $120 Not offered
Market Tour + Meal
 Not offered $128 Not offered
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $150 Not offered
Alcohol
 $12 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 Not offered $98 $90
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $120 Not offered
Market Tour + Meal
 Not offered $128 Not offered
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $150 Not offered
Alcohol
 $12 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 12:00pm-2:00pm 7:00pm-9:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 11:00am-2:00pm 6:00pm-9:00pm
Market Tour+ Meal
 10:00am-2:00pm 5:00pm-9:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 10:00am-2:00pm 4:00pm-8:00pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.

FAQ

    You can cancel your reservation up until 48 hours before your experience for a full refund minus a 3% processing fee. Experiences within 48 hours are not refundable.

    If you have a question for your host, you can include a note in the field "Write a note to your host" during the booking process. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be emailed your host's direct contact information and you will also be able to message the host through your profile. You can always cancel your booking and receive a full refund 48 hours or more before your experience. If you have other questions you can also email us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Most of our hosts are able to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, including vegetarian and gluten free options. For vegetarian travelers, we have an icon on each host profile to indicate whether that host can also offer a fully vegetarian menu. There is a section in the booking form to note any allergies or dietary restrictions which will be sent directly to your host.

    Some hosts offer alcohol as an optional add-on for travelers who are of legal drinking age. Pricing for alcohol is visible on the host profile page and includes one to two glasses of wine, beer or local alcohol.

    Have a flight or other tour planned and can’t make the timing provided? If the timing listed on the host’s profile doesn’t work for you, our hosts can often accommodate timing changes. Because all of our experiences are private our hosts are happy to tailor experiences to meet your travel needs. Simply note your request in the booking process.

    Your card will not be charged until your host accepts your booking. Typically hosts respond to bookings within 72 hours. In the event your host is unavailable on your selected date and your host rejects your booking your credit card will not be charged.

    Your host's detailed contact information, including their phone number, address, and direction notes, will all be provided immediately upon successful confirmation of your experience (after your hosts accepts your booking and your credit card is successfully processed). This information will be emailed to you to the email address you used to sign up, and will also be visible on your Traveling Spoon profile.

    All prices are noted per person prices unless otherwise specified. Transportation is typically charged on a per car basis. Children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free. Hosts set their own prices and Traveling Spoon marks up the experiences; on average hosts receive over 70% of the price paid by the traveler.

    100% of Traveling Spoon experiences are private! Just you and your host and host’s family.

    Hosts typically respond to booking inquiries within 72 hours. If for some reason you have not heard from your host or if you have any questions you can always contact us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Your safety and security are our top priority. To ensure this, Traveling Spoon personally vets 100% of all hosts, including an in-person host visit, to ensure each host and experience meets our strict quality requirements.

    Some hosts offer transportation as an optional add-on for travelers. Typically this is round trip transportation with pick up and drop off at your hotel. Pricing is quoted per car. Specific instructions for transportation will be provided in your confirmation details when your booking is confirmed.

    Many of our hosts accommodate solo travelers. You can see if a host accepts solo travelers by looking at the traveler range found next to the experience descriptions on the host profile (indicated by the numbers in parentheses next to "In-home meal", "Cooking experience" and "Market visit").

    Most of our Traveling Spoon experiences are incredibly family friendly and can accommodate infants and children. If a host is unable to accommodate children that will be noted in the “Notes” section of their profile. Our child pricing policy is children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free.