Great fun - Mikel was fantastic. Welcoming, full of stories and very knowledgeable. We not only learnt how to make paella, but lots of other useful cooking tips too. We had a really fun and memorable time as a family!

Outstanding Basque Cooking Class - My husband and I wanted to take a Basque cooking class while in Balboa in August (traveling from Canada), and we chose this one based on the many positive reviews we found online. We are so very glad we did, and we would highly recommend it for many reasons. First, the instructor, Mikel. He’s the chef at the restaurant, and he is an excellent instructor (whose English is very strong, for those who need it). He is clearly very knowledgeable and experienced, having studied and worked in various countries. He explains things well, and is both fun and entertaining. Second, the food. We made two types of tapas (Padron Peppers and Chorizo in Cider), two types of traditional Basque paella (seafood and meat), alioli, sangría, and a dessert (his award-winning Torrijas). Everything was made from scratch with fresh ingredients, and we had hands-on involvement in most of the preparation. In the end Mikel served us all of the items we helped prepare, and it was all so delicious! Third, the cooking facilities. They were spotless, well equipped, and beautifully designed and decorated. The wine bar looked lovely as well, though we didn’t take the time to enjoy it. There’s also a small store where you can buy some local food and cooking ingredients as souvenirs. We enjoyed every minute of the session, which seemed to go so quickly, yet took the full 3.5 hours. This was the highlight of our day in Balboa. Oh and the Guggenheim was just across the street! Thanks Mikel!

Delicious food, great chef, beautiful kitchen! - While in Bilbao, Spain we got to attend a paella cooking class at Gastronomia Bistro. Our chef was fantastic and you all know I love making some delicious food! Now I can add a new dish to my arsenal! We made two different kinds, seafood and rabbit and chicken. I preferred the seafood. Our chef, Mikel, was amazing! His knowledge is expansive and he is a wonderful teacher. We would definitely recommend this cooking class! Just a quick note to those traveling with Princess Cruises that the ship will provide a shuttle to the main bus terminal in Bilbao, then it’s a short 1.4 mile walk to the bistro from there. Very doable if you are curious if you would have enough time to do this activity and return, the answer is yes!

Best paella in all of Spain. - Mikel our chef was amazing. His knowledge of the basque culture and history and his knowledge of the traditional basque paella made our time together extra special.

Excellent class - Very good and interesting class. Chef Mikel super attentive and friendly. Very good chef. This cooking class is highly recommended.

A great learning experience for any Foodie. - Such a fantastic experience. I highly recommend this for anyone who loves food and cooking (or even if you don't, a great place to learn!) Such a treat to meet Mikel, a Michelin trained chef, he was so friendly and encouraging, teaching in English in a fully equipped professional kitchen. We were hands-on helping prepare 2 types of paella and all the sides, along with delicious sangria. Learning lots of professional tips, like making stock, alioli and basque bread dessert, the time flew!! Without a doubt one of the best classes I've ever done, and my favourite part sitting down to eat, all at the end!!! Amazing experience and I'll be sure to tell everyone. (Thank you so much to Irene, for fitting me in after there was a complication with my booking. You made my trip!! :)x )

A brilliant experience! - This entire experience was magnificent! From the moment we were greeted by the owner David and Irina, and their master chef, Mikel, we had a most wonderful afternoon! Fortunately, we were the only guests for this cooking class, but I know that Chef Mikel would have treated a larger group with equal respect and professionalism. he realized that we both had a lot of experience in the kitchen, and never talked down to us, or treated us as beginners. We learned a number of new techniques was we made our two paellas, two appetizers, sangria and dessert, and as we moved along, there was no wastage of time or energy. Mikel is so incredibly warm and friendly, and invited us both to participate fully in the processes. The Gastronomia Bilbao concept is brilliant - a wine bar, wine tasting/dining room and retail shop are all extremely inviting and modern, and the demonstration kitchen is out of this world - clean, bright and airy, with state of the art equipment and everything needed to enjoy a truly great experience. As we sat down to enjoy the fruits of our labors, Chef Mikel sat with us and gave us some great recommendations as to where to eat and visit during our stay here in Bilbao and San Sebastian. This is the kind of service that one does not find very often. Thank you to the entire Gastronomia team! Toby and Amalia

Fabulous - LOVED the whole experience. The venue, so new! The chef and assistant, so helpful, the other people, lovely, And the food, EXTRAORDINARY!!!!

Amazing Experience! - This was so much fun!!! Highly recommend. Enjoyed the class with chef Mikel! He’s funny, friendly, and very knowledgeable of the Basque cuisine. Very thorough and showed us step by step process in cooking paella. We cooked 2 different kinds, seafood and meat. Both delicious. Also learned how to make aioli, pardon peppers and Gambas Al pil-pil. He taught us how to make sangria the proper way. Enjoyed rhe txakoli (Basque wine) while we were cooking! He also gave us recommendations on which vineyards to visit in Rioja.

All about Paella - Proper cooking experience with good tips and tricks. Mikel was very helpful, had a great time and great food. Highly recommended