Highly Recommend - Great experience in a wonderful setting. Easy walking distance from our hotel. Right on the river. Kitchen is beautiful. Mikel was an amazing tutor and an excellent storyteller. We had a most enjoyable evening. Left with full bellies and the recipes. Definitely don’t need dinner afterwards. Very good value. Highly recommend.

Excellent cookery class - Booked this last minute, and was glad we did. This has only recently opened, but the wine bar looks as though it will be really good in a short while. The cooking class is held in a completely new kitchen, and Chef Mikel was brilliant. He has cooked to 3star Michelin standard in Spain and the UK, and his knowledge of food and wine is superb. He also relates really well to all the class participants. From my point of view, I would have preferred some more complexity to the dishes, but this has to be something which can be done by someone with minimal cooking experience, so I can forgive that. The wine flowed freely from start to finish which may have enhanced the convivial atmosphere. Recommended

If You Have a Chance, Take This Class - My family (husband, wife, daughters 13 and 14) were so fortunate to have the opportunity to experience a night cooking and eating with Irene and David at their lovely home outside of Castro Urdiales. Irene and David welcomed us like members of their own family, and customized a meal plan that accommodated our limitations (no shellfish) while still offering a series of dishes that were distinctly basque. They took the time to explain the source of ingredients used in each dish (some of which came from their own garden) and the origin of their creation (e.g. the Gilda pintxo and the Tarta de Santiago). My daughters can sometimes be picky eaters, but they so enjoyed the process of making and learning about each dish that were inspired to test the boundaries of their comfort zones. As an added bonus, Irene has WSET Level 3 sommelier certification and provided the perfect wine to pair with each dish (again with an explanation of the unique characteristics of each wine and why she selected it). In many ways, it was a combination of a cooking class, wine tasting class, and history class. All of this was great, but what made the night so special was getting to know Irene and David as people and how warmly they welcomed my family into their home.

Unforgettable Experience!!!! - My wife, two friends and I shared an incredible experience with Irene and David. After Irene picked us up in Bilbao, she took us to Castro Urdíales which is a village on the coast with a rich fishing history, a beautiful church and stopping point for pilgrims on their what to Santiago. Our next spot was her home which is an oasis to be cherished. She mentioned that people don't always want to leave after party and it is easy to imagine why. We prepared three pinchos and a delicious fish stew. This was clearly an experience that will remain in our memories forever. I have no doubt we will do this again when we return to Northern Spain.

Amazing, authentic cooking class - My husband and I did a cooking class with Irene during our honeymoon to northern Spain, and it was by far one of the highlights of the trip. Irene is so personable, fun, and knowledgeable and made us feel so special during our time with her. I can't recommend enough doing any of her tours if you're in the area. We left feeling like we had made a friend.

Amazing Culinary Experience - My wife and I took a cooking class with Irene as part of our honeymoon, and it so far has been the highlight of our trip. Irene, and her partner David, are some of the most charming, nice, and personable people we have ever met. Our tour of Castro-Urdiales was beautiful and very personable. Irene showed us the town and made sure we felt welcome! Her cooking class was the most insightful and inspiring class I have ever taken. I am not much of a cook, but her step by step direction was both fun and appreciative all that went into Basque culinary experiences. If there is one thing you do while visiting Bilbao, I would recommend this. You'll walk away having made and ate good food, and with two amazing friends!

Amazing! - My nephew and his girlfriend are living in Bilbao for a year. He is a wonderful cook with an intense curiosity about gastronomy and travel and culture. I made the arrangements with Irene from afar and she was incredibly accommodating as I asked questions and requested a flexible booking and gift certificate that we could present to my nephew upon his college graduation. After the tour, my nephew and his girlfriend sent a letter thanking us for "one of the most amazing experiences" of their lives and raving about the cooking, the wine, the village and Irene's incredible home and surrounding spaces. In short, they loved the experience and we could not be more thrilled with the outcome. I highly recommend Northern Spain Gastronomy and look forward to someday experiencing it firsthand (and meeting the amazing Irene in person). Until then, I'll look forward to my nephew recreating some of the pintxos when he returns to the US.

Way beyond the typical! - What an incredible day. My friend and I lucked out in that we were the only guests for the day so the day was very personalized. Irene picked us up and drove us to the most beautiful village. On our way to the village Irene talked about the history, culture, and food of the Basque people. What a rich heritage! At the village we met David, Irene’s “boy”, who had gone shopping for the day’s supplies. From the village we went to Irene and David’s home, which is stunningly located up a small canyon. The rest of the day was cooking and learning more about Basque food and culture. This was an amazing day - skip the 2 hour cooking classes located in the city - do this because it is an experience. We were able to experience things that we probably would not have had we not done this. When I return to Bilbao I will definitely reconnect with Irene and David because they offer something beyond the typical.

The best way to explore the Basque culture ! - If I could give this tour 6 stars, I would. Undoubtedly, a must-do while in northern Spain ! Irene and David went above and beyond for us and truly made our Bilbao experience unique and memorable. We cooked and shared over some wine learning everything there is to appreciate the Basque Country! Truly an unforgettable experience. Would recommend 11/10!!!

A ‘must-do’ experience - We didn’t only make fabulous pinxo’s- we made other wonderful Basque food as well. Irene and David’s home is warm and welcoming and they are fabulous hosts. Our food and wine was totally delicious. We loved our tour of the seaside village where Irene grew up and even though it wasn’t included....David treated us to beautiful music on the piano too. Remarkable hosts, beautiful home and an experience we’ll never forget.