Barcelona: Catalan Cuisine cooking course 100% vegan

Barcelona’s Catalan cooking traditions get a plant-based makeover in this hands-on class at In Bloom Cooking School, just behind Plaza España and the Arenas mall. You may prepare vegan fricandó, cannelloni, ocean stew, or almond cream, then eat the food together at the end.

I like the clear connection to Catalan culture, and I like that this is a real cooking session rather than a demonstration where you only watch. Laura, the cook praised in one detailed account, keeps the group moving and has the ingredients, equipment, and recipes ready. The main drawback is that the exact menu and number of recipes depend on group size, so you cannot count on preparing every dish listed.

Key points to know before booking

• Catalan classics without animal products: Learn plant-based versions of fricandó, suquet de mar, butifarra, cannelloni, and menjar blanc.
• Four hours of cooking and eating: Allow 20 to 30 minutes for the introduction, 1.5 to 2 hours in the kitchen, and 1.5 to 2 hours at the table.
• A small-group format: The class requires at least four participants, and one detailed account describes a maximum of eight people.
• A meal as well as a lesson: You cook the food, taste it together, and receive a welcome drink.
• Useful take-home material: Recipes arrive by email as a PDF the following Monday, and you are encouraged to bring a Tupperware for leftovers.
• Convenient central meeting point: In Bloom Cooking School is behind Plaza España, close to the Arenas mall.

Catalan cooking with a plant-based point of view

This class is not simply a generic vegan workshop held in Barcelona. Its focus is the food of Catalonia, a region with its own sauces, stews, pastries, sausages, seafood dishes, and desserts. The lesson keeps those local roots while replacing meat, fish, and dairy with plant-based ingredients.

That distinction matters. You are not just learning how to roast vegetables or assemble a salad. Depending on the day and the number of people in your group, you might work on a mushroom-based fricandó, a Catalan ocean stew made with daikon, or a vegan butifarra based on white beans.

I like this approach because it gives you something to look for on menus after the class. You begin to understand how a dish is built, not just what it tastes like. The recipes also give you a way to carry a piece of Catalan food culture home, even if your everyday cooking is not vegan.

The class is fully plant based, which makes it a good pick for vegans and for anyone who wants to see how familiar regional dishes change when prepared without animal products. It is also useful for mixed groups, since the food is designed around a shared meal rather than a separate vegan plate added at the last minute.

Arriving behind Plaza España

The meeting point is In Bloom Cooking School, behind Plaza España and behind the Arenas mall. This is a practical location for a Barcelona day because Plaza España is a well-known point on the city map and the Arenas building is easy to recognize.

You should plan to arrive with enough time to find the school without rushing. The activity lasts four hours, and the opening presentation begins the class on a set schedule. The supplied information does not give a precise street address or a specific arrival time, so check the booking details before you leave your hotel.

The school is wheelchair accessible. Food and drinks from outside are not allowed, and smoking is not permitted indoors. You should also leave sharp objects, alcohol, and other prohibited items at home.

The first 20 to 30 minutes, setting the table

The class begins with a presentation lasting about 20 to 30 minutes. This opening gives you a description of the activity and a chance to understand how the cooking and tasting portions will work.

That short introduction is valuable in a small cooking class. You learn what the group will prepare, how the work will be divided, and what to expect before everyone starts chopping and mixing. It also gives you a little context for the Catalan dishes, especially if names such as fricandó or suquet de mar are new to you.

A welcome drink is included for each person. Additional drinks are available at the school, but they cost extra and are paid for at the end. If you want to keep your final bill simple, stick with the included drink or ask about prices before ordering more.

The course is taught in Catalan, Spanish, English, or German. That language range makes the activity workable for a mixed international group, though you should select or confirm your preferred language when booking.

One and a half to two hours at the cooking stations

The cooking portion lasts about 1.5 to 2 hours. This is the heart of the activity. You are not only watching a chef prepare food at the front of the room. You take part in making the recipes, with the ingredients, cooking equipment, and recipes provided.

A detailed account of the class describes Laura managing a group of up to eight people while keeping the dishes on track. That is useful information for anyone who worries about being lost in a cooking class. The group is small enough for the instructor to guide the work, but large enough to create a social meal afterward.

The exact work depends on the final menu and the number of participants. The more people in the group, the more recipes may be prepared, according to the activity information. That is worth understanding before you book: the menu below is a selection of possible dishes, not a promise that every item will appear in one four-hour session.

Possible starters include:

• Sobrasada pastries, using a cured smoked paprika paste in a plant-based form
• Ocean fritters served with allioli

The sobrasada pastries offer a useful example of what the class is trying to do. Sobrasada is strongly associated with the food of the Spanish Mediterranean, and the smoky paprika flavor can carry much of the character of the original preparation. The ocean fritters take the same idea in another direction, using plant-based ingredients to suggest a seafood-style dish.

For the main course, you might prepare seasonal cannelloni with béchamel. The seasonal element means the contents can change, so you should expect a dish shaped by what is available rather than one fixed filling every time.

You might also make vegan fricandó, described here as a mountain seitan stew with mushrooms. Traditional fricandó is a substantial Catalan preparation, and the combination of seitan, mushrooms, and sauce gives the plant-based version a hearty center. This is likely to appeal most to you if you enjoy slow-cooked, savory dishes rather than delicate food.

Another possible main is suquet de mar, a Catalan ocean stew made with daikon. It is an interesting choice because it aims to suggest the character of a seafood stew without using fish. The dish gives the class a chance to show how texture, seasoning, and a familiar regional format can do much of the work.

The list also includes vegan butifarra, a white-bean sausage. Butifarra is a classic Catalan sausage, so this plant-based version is another direct link between local food culture and modern dietary choices.

You should expect to help with preparation, but the supplied details do not promise that every person makes every component from start to finish. In a shared class, tasks are divided. If you want intensive one-on-one instruction, this may feel less personal than a private lesson.

Sitting down to taste what you made

The final 1.5 to 2 hours are set aside for tasting and enjoying the cooked recipes. This is not a quick bite eaten while standing around the kitchen. The group sits down together after the work is finished, turning the lesson into a shared meal.

I like this format because the food has a clear payoff. You see how the ingredients come together, then taste the finished dishes while the steps are still fresh in your mind. One account also highlights the conversation as a major part of the afternoon, which makes sense in a class built around a common table.

Dessert may be menjar blanc, a Catalan almond cream. It is a simple, regional finish that keeps the menu tied to Catalan cooking rather than turning the meal into a standard vegan dessert course.

The shared table also helps explain the four-hour length. You are not paying only for a recipe handout or a short demonstration. The price covers the introduction, cooking time, food, welcome drink, and a long tasting period in a cooking-school setting.

Bring a Tupperware container. Leftovers may be available, and the class specifically advises you to bring one so you can take food home rather than waste it. That small tip is especially useful if you have a late dinner planned or are already full after the tasting.

What the $93 price really covers

At $93 per person, this is not the cheapest meal you can find in Barcelona. You can eat well for less in the city. The value here comes from combining a guided lesson, a substantial meal, plant-based ingredients, a welcome drink, and recipes for future use.

The four-hour duration helps make the cost easier to assess. You receive roughly two hours of active cooking and up to two hours of eating and conversation, plus the introduction. If you would otherwise book a restaurant meal and a separate food activity, the combined value becomes stronger.

The recipes arriving by email as a PDF the following Monday are also useful. You do not have to scribble notes while handling ingredients, and you can try the dishes again at home. The recipes turn the class into something more lasting than a one-time meal.

Still, you should book for the activity, not simply for lunch. If you are not interested in cooking, the price will feel high. The class works best when you want to learn, take part, and share the result with other people.

Group size and the social side

The course starts with a group size of four people. One detailed account describes a maximum of eight, so you can expect a small-group setting rather than a large commercial workshop. The exact group size may affect how many recipes are prepared.

A small group has clear benefits. You have more room to ask questions, take part in the preparation, and speak with the instructor. It also makes the meal feel more like a shared table than a show.

The tradeoff is that the social tone depends on the people who book that day. You may find the conversation becomes one of the best parts, as one couple specifically valued. But if you want a quiet, private meal or prefer to work alone, a group class may not suit you.

The experience is not suitable for children under 10. Unaccompanied minors are not allowed. For older children, the supplied information does not confirm whether they can join, so ask before booking rather than assuming.

Who will get the most from this class

I would choose this activity for a vegan who wants more than a restaurant recommendation. The class gives you a practical way to understand Catalan food and shows how regional dishes can be reworked without animal products.

It also suits a couple or small group of friends looking for an indoor Barcelona activity with food and conversation. The four-hour schedule makes it a major part of your day, not a quick stop between sights.

Food lovers who eat everything can enjoy it too. The point is not that you must already be vegan. The point is seeing how seitan, daikon, beans, mushrooms, nuts, and plant-based sauces can take on roles usually filled by meat, fish, or dairy.

I would be less likely to recommend it to someone with a tight sightseeing schedule. Four hours is a serious commitment, and the class is behind Plaza España rather than in the old center. It is also not the right choice if you want to know the exact menu in advance, since the recipes depend on the group and the day.

Practical booking advice

The price is $93 per person, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before the activity for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later, which helps if your Barcelona schedule is still changing.

Check the starting time before booking because the activity has several possible start times. Confirm the teaching language you want, especially if you are joining a mixed-language group.

Wear clothes suitable for a kitchen, though no special equipment is listed as necessary. Bring your Tupperware, and do not bring outside food or drinks. Extra drinks can be purchased at the school and paid for at the end.

The class is wheelchair accessible. Since no detailed information is provided about the kitchen layout or individual workstations, anyone with specific access needs should confirm the arrangements before reserving.

Should you book this Catalan vegan cooking class?

Book it if you want a hands-on introduction to Catalan food, you enjoy shared meals, and you like the idea of learning recipes you can repeat at home. The best parts are the regional focus, the fully plant-based menu, the small group, and the long sit-down meal after cooking.

Skip it if you only want a quick tasting, need a guaranteed list of dishes, or have no interest in preparing food yourself. At $93, the value depends on using the whole four hours, not just eating the finished plates.

For the right person, this is a thoughtful way to spend part of a Barcelona day. You learn the food, make the food, eat the food, and leave with recipes that can bring a little Catalan cooking into your own kitchen.

FAQ

Where does the cooking class take place?

It takes place at In Bloom Cooking School, behind Plaza España and the Arenas mall in Barcelona.

How long does the experience last?

The experience lasts four hours. It includes a 20 to 30 minute introduction, about 1.5 to 2 hours of cooking, and about 1.5 to 2 hours of tasting and enjoying the food.

Is all of the food vegan?

Yes. The cooking school uses 100 percent plant-based products, and the class teaches plant-based versions of traditional Catalan dishes.

What dishes might be prepared?

Possible dishes include sobrasada pastries, ocean fritters with allioli, seasonal cannelloni with béchamel, vegan fricandó with mushrooms, suquet de mar with daikon, vegan butifarra made with white beans, and menjar blanc almond cream. The number and selection of recipes depend on the group size.

Is a drink included?

One welcome drink per person is included. You can buy additional drinks at the location and pay for them at the end.

Can I take food home?

You should bring a Tupperware container to take leftover food home. The recipes are also sent by email as a PDF the following Monday.