A Taste of Spain
A Taste of Spain
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About
Experience the foods and cuisines of Spain with the local culinary travel experts: private cooking classes, market visits, tapas sessions, customized food & wine tours... in the Basque Country and across Spain. Since 1999, we specialize in organizing genuine culinary experiences for international foodie travelers willing to savor the authentic Taste of Spain. Small - private groups, starting from 2 people. A Taste of Spain is recommended by National Geographic on "Food Journeys of a lifetime" as local tour operator providing expert knowledge in the Spanish culinary scene; and is a member of the IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) and Slow Food.
Donostia - San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
104 reviews
Excellent
102
Very good
1
Average
0
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Kathleen B
1 contribution
May 2022 • Friends
Wow. What a wonderful experience! I can’t say enough good things about this company. Everything thing was of the highest quality, from our experience with staff, the guides, the hotels, and the tours themselves. They modified the itinerary to meet our requests, made restaurant reservations for us, and personally stayed in touch with us everyday. This was really a high value trip. I would highly recommend A Taste of Spain.
Written May 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beatriz N
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Business
Few weeks ago we enjoyed a full day trip organised by “A taste of Spain” and I have to say that it was really fantastic.
The plan included a local tourist guide who accompanied us throughout the different sites we visited. We visited the “Albaola Museum” located in the area of Pasaia (Guipuzkoa, Spain), enjoyed a boat ride on the estuary, walked around San Pedro and San Juan villages and finally we visited the “Saizar” cider house where we the chance of going inside the factory and taste their menu.
I fully recommend to contact “A taste of Spain” for organizing any type of event you have!
The plan included a local tourist guide who accompanied us throughout the different sites we visited. We visited the “Albaola Museum” located in the area of Pasaia (Guipuzkoa, Spain), enjoyed a boat ride on the estuary, walked around San Pedro and San Juan villages and finally we visited the “Saizar” cider house where we the chance of going inside the factory and taste their menu.
I fully recommend to contact “A taste of Spain” for organizing any type of event you have!
Written December 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Neal R
5 contributions
Jan 2022
Fatima with A Taste of Spain thought of everything. The custom itinerary for San Sebastian and Bilbao was fantastic, and her recommendations made the best of every moment of a limited time from Michelin 3-star experiences, casual seaside villages and wineries, and the private tour of the Guggenheim.
It was evident that she had called ahead to the guides who met us, and double checked all the transportation and arrangements. Her deep knowledge of the experience and personal touch made all the difference.
It was evident that she had called ahead to the guides who met us, and double checked all the transportation and arrangements. Her deep knowledge of the experience and personal touch made all the difference.
Written January 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stella F
Samut Prakan, Thailand6 contributions
Oct 2022
This is the second time A Taste of Spain has planned an culinary experience for me. Although I had traveled to Bilbao and San Sebastian with a friend in 2014, I wanted to return with my husband and another friend! Staying in Bilbao for a couple of days was well worth the time. Before we visited the Guggenheim Museum and went on to San Sebastian. This time we dedicated three full days there and again worth the visit. A Taste of Spain made the reservations for several Michelin star restaurants and took care of all the fine details including transportation. Mostly, the guides A Taste of Spain have enlisted are all knowledgeable as we had amazing pintxos, cider, and wine tours accompanied with delicious food. My husband wanted to visit the boat building school and this experience exceeded our expectations. Our trip ended in Madrid where we went to a flamenco performance and then to a deli where A Taste of Spain arranged for us to sit right by the front window fully indicating their experience in the business!!!! I could write volumes lauding A Taste of Spain for once again showing us an amazing time in Spain. Muchas gracias. Eskerrik Asko.
Written October 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Neal R
5 contributions
Jun 2022
Fatima was the perfect planning partner for our customized week-long experience in San Sebastian, La Rioja, and Bilbao. We were a large group of 16 people with complex requirements and high expectations and she exceeded them all. Her insights were invaluable, her communication was flawless and the experiences she accessed we could not have done on our own. It was truly a once in a lifetime event that could not have been planned or managed any better. Fatima made me look like a hero!
Written June 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Veronica M
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Business
Our tour guide was Maddalen, she did everything to make sure our time was great. She shared lots of stories about the culture and history, but adding some really interesting anecdotes, of the four villages of Pasajes. After visiting the great Albaola Museum, Maddalen was ahead of the events making sure we all had available some warm broth, that prove to be a great asset for the boat ride. Being in a small group makes the tour highly personalized, and Maddalen delves into the most interesting topics, going in-depth on the things that interest you the most. We had a great meal and a lot of fun at sidrería Saizar. It's a tour I wholeheartedly recommend for getting to know this area of Gipuzkoa!
Written November 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emília M
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Business
For quite a long time I wanted to experience one of the Tours organized by "A Taste of Spain". It was a very enriching experiencing combining cultural aspects with local gastronomy and Basque traditions. We had the chance to visit the Albaola museum (highly recommended), to take a boat trip through the Basque coast (San Juan and San Pedro villages) and to do a sider tasting at a typical “sidrería”.
The local guide who carried out the tour was amazing. She combined deep knowledge about the different parts of the tour with really fun facts. She was extremely nice and thoughtful.
The organization of the tour was also perfect. Everything was perfectly on time.
I strongly recommend to organize a business or leisure tour with “A Taste of Spain”.
The local guide who carried out the tour was amazing. She combined deep knowledge about the different parts of the tour with really fun facts. She was extremely nice and thoughtful.
The organization of the tour was also perfect. Everything was perfectly on time.
I strongly recommend to organize a business or leisure tour with “A Taste of Spain”.
Written November 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lauren O
8 contributions
Nov 2022 • Friends
10/10 recommend taking a cooking class with Ben and María through A Taste of Spain. The whole experience from start to finish was nothing but perfect. The food was amazing and they shared so much knowledge, history, and pride of their region. The class was a great balance of hands on cooking and getting to just enjoy the food. Leading up to the trip, Miguel was very communicative and ensured we had a smooth night. They also tailored our menus to the needs of our group making it Pescatarian. Highly recommend incorporating this into your trip!
Written November 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jonathan K
Silverthorne, CO10 contributions
Sep 2022
Fatima was an outstanding trip planner for our two-week Taste of Spain vacation. My wife and I wanted to experience the Basque Region with special emphasis on food and wine. Our itinerary was flawless and Fatima thought of every detail. She also stayed in touch to make sure everything was going as to plan.
We stared in Madrid on our own to adjust to the trans-Atlantic flight and see the sites. We then flew to Bilbao to start our Taste of Spain vacation. Our driver Ibai greeted us at the Bilbao Airport and showed us some of the city before taking us to our hotel.
Our guides in Bilbao...Maria and Susanna were terrific. Maria took us on a walking tour of the city and shared her knowledge of Pintxos. Susanna expertly guided us through the exciting Guggenheim Museum. We then met Inaki, our main guide for the remaining ten days. Inaki, is extremely knowledgeable and engaging. He took special care to make sure we experienced the flavor and the history of the Basque region in Spain and southern France. His love of the Basque Region, his home, was clear. Our drivers were prompt and attentive. Their vehicles were always clean and comfortable.
The cooking experience with Chef Ben was fun, instructive and delicious. We shopped, we cooked and we ate. We enjoyed visiting a variety of vineyards and tasting their delicious local wines. We enjoyed visiting a farm that produces goat milk cheese and learning how cider is produced. Even visiting an historic farm with its ancient cider press. Crossing the border into France was a great day. Inaki even added an extra stop in Biarritz.
In all, we would highly recommend Taste of Spain for the Basque experience of a lifetime.
We stared in Madrid on our own to adjust to the trans-Atlantic flight and see the sites. We then flew to Bilbao to start our Taste of Spain vacation. Our driver Ibai greeted us at the Bilbao Airport and showed us some of the city before taking us to our hotel.
Our guides in Bilbao...Maria and Susanna were terrific. Maria took us on a walking tour of the city and shared her knowledge of Pintxos. Susanna expertly guided us through the exciting Guggenheim Museum. We then met Inaki, our main guide for the remaining ten days. Inaki, is extremely knowledgeable and engaging. He took special care to make sure we experienced the flavor and the history of the Basque region in Spain and southern France. His love of the Basque Region, his home, was clear. Our drivers were prompt and attentive. Their vehicles were always clean and comfortable.
The cooking experience with Chef Ben was fun, instructive and delicious. We shopped, we cooked and we ate. We enjoyed visiting a variety of vineyards and tasting their delicious local wines. We enjoyed visiting a farm that produces goat milk cheese and learning how cider is produced. Even visiting an historic farm with its ancient cider press. Crossing the border into France was a great day. Inaki even added an extra stop in Biarritz.
In all, we would highly recommend Taste of Spain for the Basque experience of a lifetime.
Written October 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Loomy
8 contributions
May 2023 • Friends
I visited San Sebastián with my sister and my partner. This is my first experience with A Taste of Spain. Whenever I am in Spain, I will go on one of their tours because they are best in class! We were met at the apartment we stayed in by a chef who took us to one of the principal food markets in the city. We visited many of the growers that our chef purchases food from both personally and professionally. All of them featured hyper local/organic products. We then walked to his cooking studio where he showed us how to prepare traditional Basque pinxtos, entrees and deserts. The chef described the relationship that the Basque people enjoy with the land and gave us an overview of his experience in the restaurant business (he has worked for some of the top restaurants in Europe and the United States). Any person who enjoys food and likes to actively participate in cooking will be thrilled with this experience! If one also enjoys learning about the culinary practices of the places one is visiting then search no further: great food, great wine and excellent company! 5 hours of complete enjoyment!
Written June 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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