What a BIG disappointment. My wife and I scheduled our entire day around this event, spent $40 in roundtrip transportation and nobody showed up. I got ahold of Lily and she discovered that she had missed our reservation booking through Trip Advisor. Her apology was sincere, but there was no offer to discount the class for us if we wanted to go the following day. No offer of compensation in any form at all. She became inaccessible through dropped phone calls, did not bother to call me back (after call dropped) and has not responded to direct emails. Despite all the positive reviews, this is no way to run a business. It has occurred with a few other travelers as well. BEWARE! My recommendation is that you book directly through Lily and not go through TripAdvisor and maybe she won’t leave you holding the bag. Good luck!

My wife and I bought a place a couple years ago to retire there in the near future. We love all we have done and wish to know more. The food of Mexico is an amazing experience and each state has a regional dish that they specialize in. I made a local friend who is a chef and cooks for us as fiends and it is amazing. I wanted more! I reached out to Lily and she responded in a day or so and we went back and forth. Finally settled in on a date and we were set. Well, we first met her very polite and welcoming son who guided us to Lily, Upon arrival we were met my Lily and I here this “ Mr Robert- so nice to finally met you “ Hooked!! We all went in and washed up ( I wont go over this again but Lily really makes sure your hands are clean!. Since I have been to Mexico and know some of the dishes and even how they are made- Lily went over that and gave a history along with how you properly shop for the ingredients. She will make you do hands on in preparing a meal to eat with your new friends around the table. Lily will give you history- culture- and humor. She will give you a mezcal lesson ( PS -I’m know my tequila). You will listen- you will laugh- you will walk away from this knowing a couple things. One is the amazing food and how to make it yourself. More important you since see a person with a deep understanding and true love of her heritage. Simply out Lily is the star. A treasure. Thank you so much for the wonderful experience. Can’t wait to get Ñ back

Lily welcomed us into her home and made us feel like friends. We learned how to cook authentic Mexican dishes (including guacamole the old Aztec way!) that were DELICIOUS and we had so much fun. She was a great teacher and gave us the recipes (and more) to take home with us. The techniques she shows can be applied to many Mexican dishes. This was such a unique experience and would recommend it to anyone visiting the area!

I surprised my girlfriend with this cooking class during our trip to Tulum. We both had a great time and Lily made us feel like part of the family. We both highly recommend this experience if you enjoy cooking and eating Mexican food. Nothing is better than getting away from the usual tourist traps and doing something so authentic. The food we made was absolutely delicious!

We booked this cooking experience whilst in the UK. It was totally hassle free and we were excited at the prospect of cooking some authentic Mexican dishes. The day did not disappoint! We met Lily's son in Tulum who then arranged for taxis to take us to his Mum's house to do some cooking. After a welcome drink and introductions to our fellow "chefs" (4 of them) we got straight into the cooking. Everyone was involved in the preparation and cooking - even our 18 year old son donned an apron and got involved in some chopping!. We made piquo de gallo (chunky due to said 18 year old's chopping skills), guacamole, Mexican rice, blue corn tortillas and ordinary corn tortillas, quesadillas and a pork dish - all washed down with nice cold Corona. Whilst our lunch was cooking we also had the opportunity to indulge in a little Mezcal tasting on Lily's veranda.. Lily was a lovely host - very warm and friendly and very knowledgeable on Mexican cuisine and its history. We went as strangers but very much felt like we'd made a friend by the time we left. If you are looking for a bit of time away from the beach/pool and the crowds, give Rivera's Kitchen a try - you won't be disappointed.

We went on a full day market tour and cooking class with Lily. It was an amazing adventure! First we drove to Valladolid and went to the busy market. As we walked around buying the ingredients for our meal, Lily answered our questions about unfamiliar produce. We stopped for a snack at a market stand -- polcanes, panuchos, fresh watermelon water, it was delicious! Then we walked around the town square, visiting the lovely Iglesia de San Servacio and the beautiful Plaza Casa de la Cultura. By this time we had worked up a sweat, so taking a dip at Cenote Zaci felt amazing! On the way back to Lily's place we stopped to buy delicious smoked meat. Then Lily showed us how to prepare a yummy meal, complete with handmade tortillas. It was truly an unforgettable experience and one of my favorite times from our trip to Mexico. Thank you to Lily and friends for sharing your knowledge and experiences with us.

My wife and my in laws spent a morning with Lily and her family. We found her whilst looking for an authentic cooking experience in or around Tulum and I have to say you don’t get more authentic. Cooking at their home added to the fun of the day and learning about Mexican food and listening to Lily’s knowledge and passion for food was great. We couldn’t recommend Lily highly enough to anyone travelling and looking for a days experience. It helped clear the holiday blues when we came home as we got straight on with trying out our new found cooking knowledge.

Best meal of our vacation! Lily is so fun & welcoming. Learning about authentic Mexican cuisine while meeting wonderful people from different parts of the world. My family loves it. We recommend it to everyone. Thank you Lily for such a great night & for allowing us into your home.

What a great way to begin our time in Tulum. Lily's son met us and brought us to their home where Lily greeted us like beloved friends! The whole experience from Lily's extensive, Mexican food and history knowledge to the cuisine we prepared together were really above our expectations. All made even more special by Lily's kind, and humorous personality. I would do this over and over again! Muchas Gracias!

If you’re looking for a taste of REAL Mexico then this is your ticket. Everything was sorted for us, from the ride with her son to the house, the drinks and the family love! The food was sensational and so fun to make. Can’t wait to try and impress my family back home with these new recipes.

We contacted Lily about a week before we took the class, explaining we were looking for a vegetarian cooking class. She very quickly responded that she would be happy to adapt the course, asking us about food we already tried, liked,... so she could prepare the course just right. When we got to her lovely home, we were made to feel very welcome. We prepared tortillas from scratch, two salsas and four other dishes with Lily explaining every step and telling us which ingredients we could substitute when items are hard to find in Europe. Along with her extensive knowledge about the history and background of the food in such a warm atmosphere, this quickly became the highlight of our three week trip through the Yucatan Peninsula. When we told her we already promised our friends a Mexican Fiësta upon our return, she insisted we Skype her if we would have any problems with the recipes. Thanks again dear Lily and Alex!

We enjoyed our cooking class so much! Can defiantly recommend it! We learned a lot about different Mexican spices, chilies, mezcal and tortillas and so on. Cooking with the welcoming Lilly was just so much fun and you felt like cooking with friends! Lilly was very helpful in giving tips how to substitute different ingredients if we can’t find them in germany. We are really looking forward to receiving all the recipes! One little downside was the spooky meeting point and ride to her place. You should not be scared getting into the taxi that takes you to the house in the jungle ;)

Lily abounds in joy. Her love of people and enthusiasm for inviting them into an appreciation of local cuisine are obvious. The food is wonderful, as is the experience. Do yourself a favor and take one of her classes!

Me, my husband and our 12 year old twins thoroughly enjoyed Lily's wonderful class. It was one of the very best experiences of our 10 day trip to Tulum. Lily is wonderful, and so knowledgeable. She has a great way of sharing her knowledge, and makes you feel so at-home and at ease in her lovely home. The class is much more than just a mere cooking class. She started by talking with us about Mexican food and cooking, and ingredients, and we learned so much (even though we are from California and thought we knew a lot about Mexican food). She even explained how to pick out quality ingredients, and what we would likely be able to find back home. Lily then took us into her garden and showed us various ingredients she uses, and even explained how ingredients balance each other out in dishes, assist with digestion, etc. It was wonderful. We then began our cooking lesson. We made a whole menu, and she explained everything so we learned the whole process of making each dish. However, there were plenty of breaks, and snacks. We still felt like we were on vacation, and were not overworked. The timing of everything was truly wonderful. All of the food was delicious and totally doable, even for the kids. We sat down at the end of cooking, and ate the meal with Lily. She is wonderful company and we felt like friends by the time we left. Lily followed up afterwards with an email containing recipes for everything we made, and even offered to assist with cooking techniques over skype. She obviously loves what she does, and her love is contagious. Thank you Lily for such a wonderful time! I hope to refer others to you.

This is an absolute must. We had SO much fun. The meal was incredible, Lily is laugh-out-loud funny and is a very gracious host. You would think it may feel uncomfortable going to a stranger's house to cook and eat, but it was like you were visiting your aunt (your goofy, free-spirited, fun aunt). We have since made our own green salsa and homemade tortillas at home and think of this great night.