Spanish Cooking Class: Cooking and Conversation

Experience tasty Spanish cuisine at this San Francisco cooking class!



3 hours Location Haight-Ashbury Class size 1 to 15 guests   $185
SF Activities
•
Food & Drink
•
Cooking Experience Gifts
⁠*Please note:* All classes require a minimum of 4 guests to run. Book with friends or colleagues to guarantee your date! If the minimum isn't met, we'll work with you to reschedule or issue a full refund — no stress, no hassle.
Looking for fun things to do in San Francisco? Be transported to Spain for a day with Chef James and learn how to cook a beautiful paella!
Gather your friends or colleagues and try out this exciting cooking class in Chef James' home kitchen. Great for birthday party ideas or team building activities, this interactive class will give you an understanding and deeper appreciation for classic Spanish flavors and ingredients.
On the menu is a series of Spanish tapas, a beautiful paella, a salad, and a dessert. This cooking experience is interactive and during the class Chef James will share his knowledge and recipes so you can recreate everything from the comfort of your own home!
You will participate in creating elements of the meal but some dishes and ingredients will be prepped before the class to save time. Due to the nature of paella this is not a hands-on experience such as pasta making but is highly interactive.
At the end of your Spanish cooking class, sit down and taste your delicious meals. You are more than welcome to bring along your own wine or beer to enjoy throughout the class.

Please note: Public dates for this class require at least 4 guests to run. In the unlikely event that we don't reach this number, we may cancel the session; if that happens, we'll inform you and let you choose between a refund or reschedule, so please watch your email/SMS one day prior to the class.

Upcoming dates for Spanish Cooking Class: Cooking and Conversation

Times are Los Angeles time. Dates and prices as of 14 Nov 2026, 4:57pm; availability and price are confirmed live when booking on this page.

327 upcoming dates between 8 Feb 2027 and 31 Dec 2027.

  • Mon, Feb 8 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, Feb 9 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, Feb 10 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, Feb 11 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, Feb 12 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, Feb 13 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, Feb 14 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, Feb 15 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, Feb 16 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, Feb 17 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, Feb 18 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, Feb 19 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, Feb 20 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, Feb 21 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, Feb 22 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, Feb 23 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, Feb 24 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, Feb 25 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, Feb 26 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, Feb 27 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, Feb 28 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, Mar 1 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, Mar 2 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, Mar 3 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, Mar 4 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, Mar 5 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, Mar 6 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, Mar 7 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, Mar 8 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, Mar 9 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, Mar 10 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, Mar 11 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, Mar 12 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, Mar 13 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, Mar 14 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, Mar 15 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, Mar 16 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, Mar 17 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, Mar 18 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, Mar 19 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, Mar 20 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, Mar 21 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, Mar 22 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, Mar 23 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, Mar 24 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, Mar 25 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, Mar 26 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, Mar 27 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, Mar 28 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, Mar 29 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, Mar 30 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, Mar 31 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, Apr 1 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, Apr 2 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, Apr 3 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, Apr 4 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, Apr 5 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, Apr 6 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, Apr 7 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, Apr 8 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, Apr 9 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, Apr 10 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, Apr 11 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, Apr 12 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, Apr 13 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, Apr 14 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, Apr 15 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, Apr 16 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, Apr 17 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, Apr 18 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, Apr 19 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, Apr 20 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, Apr 21 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, Apr 22 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, Apr 23 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, Apr 24 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, Apr 25 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, Apr 26 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, Apr 27 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, Apr 28 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, Apr 29 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, Apr 30 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, May 1 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, May 2 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, May 3 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, May 4 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, May 5 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, May 6 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, May 7 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, May 8 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, May 9 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, May 10 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, May 11 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, May 12 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, May 13 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, May 14 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, May 15 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, May 16 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, May 17 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, May 18 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, May 19 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, May 20 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, May 21 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, May 22 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, May 23 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, May 24 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, May 25 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, May 26 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, May 27 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, May 28 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, May 29 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, May 30 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, May 31 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, Jun 1 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, Jun 2 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, Jun 3 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, Jun 4 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, Jun 5 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, Jun 6 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, Jun 7 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, Jun 8 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, Jun 9 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, Jun 10 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, Jun 11 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, Jun 12 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, Jun 13 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, Jun 14 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, Jun 15 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, Jun 16 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, Jun 17 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, Jun 18 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, Jun 19 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, Jun 20 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, Jun 21 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, Jun 22 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, Jun 23 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, Jun 24 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, Jun 25 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, Jun 26 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, Jun 27 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, Jun 28 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, Jun 29 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, Jun 30 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, Jul 1 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, Jul 2 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, Jul 3 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, Jul 4 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, Jul 5 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, Jul 6 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, Jul 7 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, Jul 8 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, Jul 9 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, Jul 10 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, Jul 11 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, Jul 12 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, Jul 13 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, Jul 14 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, Jul 15 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, Jul 16 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, Jul 17 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, Jul 18 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, Jul 19 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, Jul 20 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, Jul 21 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, Jul 22 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, Jul 23 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, Jul 24 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, Jul 25 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, Jul 26 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, Jul 27 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, Jul 28 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, Jul 29 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, Jul 30 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, Jul 31 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, Aug 1 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, Aug 2 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, Aug 3 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, Aug 4 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, Aug 5 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, Aug 6 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, Aug 7 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, Aug 8 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, Aug 9 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, Aug 10 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, Aug 11 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, Aug 12 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, Aug 13 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, Aug 14 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, Aug 15 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, Aug 16 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, Aug 17 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, Aug 18 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, Aug 19 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Fri, Aug 20 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sat, Aug 21 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Sun, Aug 22 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Mon, Aug 23 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Tue, Aug 24 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Wed, Aug 25 2027, 6pm-9pm
  • Thu, Aug 26 2027, 6pm-9pm

Plus 127 more dates after these. See and book every date at https://classbento.com/spanish-cooking-class-cooking-and-conversation-san-francisco

  • August 2027: 5 more dates
  • September 2027: 30 more dates
  • October 2027: 31 more dates
  • November 2027: 30 more dates
  • December 2027: 31 more dates
What you'll get
  • All ingredients and equipment needed for the class.
  • A delicious Spanish meal to enjoy.
Read more details   
Knowledge required
Beginner-friendly.
What to bring
Guests are welcome to bring wine and beer to enjoy during the class.
Suitable for

This class is great for individuals and couples as well as for a date idea, team building activity, Christmas party, birthday or bachelorette party.

This experience would also be a creative gift for her, gift for mom, Xmas gift or gift for couples.

Location

1373 Masonic Avenue, San Francisco, CA

Spanish Cooking Class: Cooking and Conversation location
Verified reviews

ClassBento loader icon

Recent reviews of Spanish Cooking Class: Cooking and Conversation

  • 5/5 from Katrina Lavitoria, attended Nov 2026: James was such a delight to be around. Very insightful and knowledgeable about his food and cooking. It exceeded way more of our expectations and he goes above and beyond. Thank you for hosting and for having us in your cozy / classy SF home! 12 out of 10 experience
  • 5/5 from Myra Sutanto Shen, attended Oct 2026: Loved it! Super fun for a team building event, and the food was so delicious.
  • 5/5 from Olga Prakapenkava, attended Oct 2026: James is amazing! This was our second event with him, and we loved it yet again. His stories are very entertaining, the house is very beautiful, and his cooking is superb! We were very happy to be back and highly recommend James's events.
  • 5/5 from Ryan McMichael, attended Feb 2026: Great cooking class!
  • 5/5 from Joyce Martha, attended Jan 2026: James' does a wonderful job hosting and teaching this class. It is in his lovely home and from beginning to end it was cozy and fun!
  • 5/5 from Narcisse Bakhsh, attended Oct 2025: What an amazing evening - surpassed my expectations: I know James, but had not taken his class. Booked his Paella class for a Saturday night w my girlfriends and aunt - 4 of us. We all had such a great time: sharing stories, listening to James Paella history & other interesting Spanish experiences. The cooking was clear, fun & informative (which ingredients to use). And dinner was amazing including desert!
  • 5/5 from Tina Williams, attended Sep 2025: The vibe of the house was intimate and inviting. We enjoyed the hospitality the gourmet cheeses olives and especially the olive oil infused chips. I loved hearing about the chefs background and why he loves to cook paella. As well as the origin. I learned alot and how to make a quick aïoli. We will definitely do another class
  • 5/5 from Sophie Eisele, attended May 2025: Had great food and great conversation. He was very open to our questions and had in depth insight on the history of the dish and the regions it comes from. Was also very receptive to little requests like someone asking to see a grocery list. Had some good laughs with the people in our group and he was great at keeping the momentum going when there was a lull in the conversation. He was also occasionally taking pictures for the party so we could focus more on the food conversation and take a break from our phones if we wanted to.
  • 5/5 from Eileen Malley, attended Apr 2025: Our Spanish cooking class with James was a great way to share a fun evening with a group of friends. All of the food was delicious, we learned lots of helpful tips for cooking paella and we didn’t have to wash a single dish! When we arrived at James’ beautiful Victorian home in Ashbury Heights, we were greeted with a delicious spread of almonds, olives, cheeses, bread and other treats. James gave us plenty of time to enjoy the tapas and catch up with each other before we moved into the kitchen. James provided interesting information regarding Spain and the origin of paella and then it was time to start cooking. Paella is a relatively simple dish but there are lots of tips and techniques that you won’t learn from a recipe. James walked us through the steps in real time and the result was one of the best paellas we’d ever eaten. The delicious paella was followed with a super fresh salad of farmers market greens and a lovely traditional Spanish dessert (la quesada). The next day, James shared recipes from our wonderful evening and we can’t wait to recreate the experience at home.
  • 5/5 from Nadia Echeandia, attended Mar 2025: James was a great host! Took his time to explain the process of a paella and details of its history. We all had a family style diner and interacted with like minded stranger. Lots of fun!
  • 5/5 from Edward Faso, attended Mar 2025: James was great! We were greeted at the door and welcomed into his home. James had light appetizers ready for the guests, the olives were amazing. After enjoying the appetizers and chatting with the other particpants, we were invited into the kitchen to learn more about paella and its ingredients. James was knowledgeable about the dish and gave a detailed explanation of its origin. From there, we collaborated in cooking the meal. All the while, James explained what to do and why. We first enjoyed the paella as a group and followed it up with salad. It all was so delicious and we are looking forward to another class with James.
  • 5/5 from Robert Caruso, attended Mar 2025: James is a great host. Prepared an excellent meal. Made everyone feel comfortable. We had a wonderful time.
  • 5/5 from Jaideep Joshi, attended Feb 2025: Amazing class. James is genuine.
  • 5/5 from Catherine Laureano, attended Jul 2024: I learned how to make paella with chef James. It was such an amazing class and informative up to the small details. It was worth it. I like that it was a small group of class. We were able to take turns on doing hands on work. The food that we prepared was really good. We were also served with salad and dessert.
  • 5/5 from Courtney Lopez, attended May 2024: We had a great time! Best paella I’ve ever eaten! Thank you so much for a fun time!
  • 5/5 from Marissa Rea, attended Feb 2024: Had such a great time with James! The food, new friends, experience…unforgettable! Definitely doing it again!
  • 5/5 from Anita Gormley, attended Jul 2023: James was a great host and we had so much fun making paella with him. He has a beautiful home and is so informative. We will definitely come back!
  • 5/5 from Johna Seo, attended Jun 2023: We learned how to cook paella with James for our team offsite and it was a great experience! The atmosphere was casual and welcoming. We enjoyed a charcuterie board that James prepared before we started cooking. Then we learned how to cook paella and also had some delicious dessert afterwards. I would definitely recommend this experience with others who are looking for an interactive way to spend time with a group of people.
  • 5/5 from Jessica Galicia, attended May 2023: It was a great class and time to meet other people I want to do it again.
  • 5/5 from Priscilla Farrugia, attended Feb 2023: This was my second time with James. I love the cozy and intimate cooking class. It makes it a lot of fun. In addition, James is the perfect host. One can tell he just loves hosting and creates a relax environment. Thank you James for putting up with our shenanigans and our craziness. Already looking forward to my next class.
  • 5/5 from Brent Stapleton, attended Nov 2022: James was great, he was very knowledgeable, friendly, and had a beautiful kitchen. The paella we made was a very accessible recipe, and the resulting meal was delicious.
  • 5/5 from Anne Gamino, attended Nov 2022: We absolutely enjoyed this cooking class with Chef James! He was personable, professional, and he gave us lots of tips and answered all our questions. The class format was relaxed and intimate. The entire experience exceeded our expectations, and we look forward to signing up for another class with Chef James again soon!
  • 5/5 from Michael Cott, attended Sep 2022: James did a great job! Friendly, informative and knowledgeable. He made everyone feel at home and we all really enjoyed the paella
  • 5/5 from Daniella Schepps, attended Jul 2022: Our evening with Chef James was unforgettable! His house is stunning and the most perfect vibe for an evening of cooking and fine food. James was informative, interesting, and it was the best paella any of us have had. He made for a really special for me family and me.
  • 5/5 from Kelly Fitzpatrick, attended Jul 2022: We had a great time with James! The food was delicious, wonderful Spanish wines. Very homey & in a fun part of San Francisco.
  • 5/5 from Luke Taylor, attended Jun 2022: James was great, very hospitable and welcoming us into his home to cook an amazing meal. Raw ingredients were excellent and led to the best paella I've ever had. I think the class could be improved slightly if the students were able to be more hands on and take the lead cooking with guidance by James, but we still learned a lot and will be trying to make our own paella at home soon. Thank you!
  • 5/5 from Suvita Viswanathan, attended May 2022: It was a great class. We absolutely enjoyed our evening of learning and eating great food!
  • 5/5 from Mark Ciopyk, attended May 2022: James was unbelievably kind, fun to talk to, and very informative. I look forward to not only trying the recipe at home, but reserving our next time with him.
  • 5/5 from Claudia Guerra, attended Apr 2022: Great experience with chef James. We were a small group of 4 people and we felt at home during the class and experience. We learned how to cook paella over great conversation amongst friends. If you would like to have an amazing intimate evening immersing in the Spanish food and culture, I absolutely recommend it.
  • 4/5 from Christina Vailas, attended Feb 2022: This was a super fun evening in a beautiful setting. The food was delicious and Chef James was very welcoming and a great host!
  • 5/5 from Marissa Pardini, attended Jan 2022: This experience was great! James was extremely knowledgeable. I went with my Dad and we had a blast. The food was delicious and it was really interesting to learn about the background and history of the food.
Your teacher

Cook With James
Cook With James

5.0 (132)

James grew up on a 50 acre horse farm near the Salinas Valley. His great grandfather emigrated from Yugoslavia into the Central Valley and started an apple farm. His grandfather later moved to the very fertile Salinas Valley and started one of the first produce companies. It was called Sun Harvest. My mother raised us mostly on local fruits and vegetables though there was still the occasional cooking “out of a can” given the generation. Canned beets! The one thing we always had was a bowl of fresh fruit, cut up and put into a bowl for us before we went to bed.
James earned a masters in Spanish literature and linguistics through Middlebury College and lived in Spain for two years. He later entered into the technology business and worked at various advertising agencies in San Francisco over a 12 year period. Along the way he started cooking as "therapy" for his corporate day job. CookWithJames was created 15 years ago as an underground supper club. James would prepare multiple course regional Italian and Spanish dinners in his home for guests and friends. James staged at Quince restaurant after they opened in 2004, and has also lived and cooked in both Italy and Spain. After leaving his day job in advertising in 2009 James launched CookWithJames as a full-time business, offering private sit-down dinners as well as cooking class parties for all occasions.

Gift this class

With our gift card, they can book this class at a time that suits them.

They can also choose from our 9,000+ other classes.

redeem Gifting options

Book on ClassBento and enjoy exclusive perks:


  • Earn loyalty points
  • Money-back guarantee* for peace of mind
  • Local support from our US-based team, rated 5 stars by customers
  • ClassBento donates $1 to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) with every paid booking
class 0 4FHB8OR140 b96a490f1dd90bcefdba5812d2d1076a 1 production san-francisco San Francisco CA US san-francisco