You’ll be warmly welcomed by Maggie, Romain, and their two adorable cats, Newton and Penny, into their apartment in Sintra, just a short walk from the Portela de Sintra train station. In this 2-hour hands-on Portuguese cooking class in Sintra, you’ll have the option to learn how to make the iconic Pastel de Nata from scratch or choose a traditional Portuguese meal.
If you select the Pastel de Nata experience (default menu option), Maggie and Romain will guide you through making these beloved custard tarts the traditional way - starting with homemade puff pastry and finishing with perfectly caramelized tops. Roll up your sleeves to help Romain knead and fold the puff pastry dough, then join Maggie in preparing the creamy custard filling. As the tarts bake, enjoy lighthearted stories about how Maggie and Romain met, their adventures in learning to bake, and fascinating insights into Portuguese food and culture. Once your tarts are ready, sit down to enjoy them along with a few additional pre-prepared dishes.
Prefer a savory meal? Opt for the Traditional Portuguese Menu, and learn to cook a comforting home-style dish such as bacalhau à brás (salt cod with eggs, onion, and matchstick potatoes) or arroz de polvo (octopus rice), guided step-by-step by your hosts. Please let them know your menu preference when booking your Sintra cooking class.
Maggie and Romain can accommodate a vegetarian and lactose free diet on request. So please let them know if you have any dietary restrictions in advance, while booking your Portuguese cooking class in Sintra online. Please note Maggie and Romain prefer not to host children below 12 years of age, for safety reasons.
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.
Please choose ONE menu from the below options:Experience 2: Appetizer: Chouriço + Choice of Main: Bacalhau à Brás, Arroz de Polvo, or Pastéis de Bacalhau Experience 1: Pastel de Nata Workshop Maggie and Romain are a lovely food-loving couple, who not surprisingly met over food! They are also the perfect duo - as one is the expert at making the custard and the other is the puff pastry expert, together they can whip out delicious pasteis de nata (Portuguese custard tarts)! Maggie, a Portuguese native, is an IT product manager, who was born and brought up in Sintra. While Romain is French and works as a tourist guide in Lisbon, he leads bike tours teaching tourists about the rich history of Portugal. Together they will be bringing the French touch to the Portuguese pastry world! Maggie learned to make pastel de nata at a workshop while Romain was taught by a French baker. They are excited to share the Portuguese culture and traditions in a fun and engaging way. Also, this will be an insightful experience that they get to host together as a couple, sharing their love for food, cooking and Sintra!
