Cooking in Évora

At my place, a very small farm just outside of the historic walls of Évora, following the traditional recipes we will prepare together a great meal that includes starters, fish and meat dishes and dessert. Tell us your preferences or food restrictions and we will be glad to offer you a unique experience.  Bring your family or group of friends (min 2 persons). It will take around 2.5 hours, where we cook and eat, and drink. It can start around 11 am for lunch or 6 Pm for dinner. We use local ingredients (some from my garden) are selected according to each season.

Prices per person:

Groups 2 – 4 persons: € 150.00

Groups 5 – 9 persons: € 130.00

Groups bigger than 10 persons, on request

Price includes all ingredients and utensils, the meal with drinks (local wine) included

WhatsApp / Phone: +351 927 500 244 (Portuguese mobile carrier call) evora@portuguesecookingschool.com portuguesecookingschool.com

FOOD – WINE – CULTURE
4 days program

Day 1 – Monday (usually we start on a Monday, but it can be flexible)

• Transfer from Lisbon to the small town of Évora, designated the European Cultural City in 2027, where your cooking program is located. This town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site full of Roman vestiges, as well as medieval churches and palaces. Every street in Évora’s center retains a historic charm;
• Lunch in a local traditional restaurant;
• After lunch a short orientation walk in Évora allow you to better enjoy this lovely town;
• In the afternoon, around 6 PM, experience your first cooking class in Sofia’s renovated but traditional kitchen, located in a family house, an old farm with a beautiful vegetable garden with orange, walnut, pears and lemon trees;
• The class will be an introduction to the Portuguese gastronomy, and a study in influences and seasonings;
• Dinner to follow based on your efforts;
• Overnight at the hotel chosen by you.

Day 2 – Tuesday

• After breakfast, begin your second cooking class. During your lesson you will focus on the importance of fish and olive oil in Portuguese cuisine;
• Lunch to follow based on your efforts, wine included;
• This afternoon enjoy a visit to a local wine estate, blending ancient and modern winemaking techniques. The grapes of this wine region include Periquita, Trincadeira, Tinta Roriz and Moreto reds and Roupeiro, Manteudo, Perrum, Rabo de Ovelha for the whites – all Portuguese varieties, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz;
• Stop in the nearby village of S. Pedro do Corval, a popular local pottery place full of small factories;
• Next, visit the 13th century castle built by King Afonso III in the thousand-year-old village of Monsaraz, close to the border of Spain. You will have dinner in the shadow of this picturesque fortress;
• Return to the hotel and overnight. 

Day 3 – Wednesday

• Today’s culinary class will concentrate on local produce, an abundance from local farms and ranches. This is the last cooking class, let’s be sue you get all recipes to reproduce at home;
• Lunch to follow based on your efforts;
• This afternoon, tour Évora and visit the famous cathedral, Chapel of Bones from the 16th century, and the Roman Baths and Temple from the 1st century aD;
• After a walking tour, time at leisure to explore and shop on your own. The town is rich in jewelry, items made from cork (hats, shoes, aprons, purses, bracelets, etc.), tiles, and much more;
• Dinner on your own (Sofia will make suggestions).

Day 4 – Thursday

• Cooks, this is your day off! Today you will drive into the northern Alentejo and before lunch at Vila Viçosa, visit its Renaissance Ducal Palace and the historical Sanctuary of Vila Vicosa, where John IV, King of Portugal, gave his crown to the Virgin Mary and named her Queen of Portugal;
• Passing through part of Alentejo known for its marble, stop in the historical and white town of Estremoz, enclosed within its ramparts and overlooking a vast plain of gnarled olive trees and wheat fields. Wine is very popular here too, so, another wine tasting is a must! we will also stop at a cork factory, where you will better learn about this fantastic product. Once back in Évora, your transfer to Lisbon is available. If you prefer to stay another night in Évora we can provide the transfer next day. We are very excited to live this 4 day cultural experience with you.

Prices per person:

€ 2135.00 Possible with the minimum of 2 people

The four days program includes: This was built to allow you to get the maximum of our culture and landscape in a short period. 

1. Transfers:
   • Transfer from Lisbon (meeting point to be told) to Évora
   • Transfer from Évora to Lisbon
2. Cooking classes:
   • Three cooking classes with the following meals, wines included. All supplies included
3. Other meals included:
   • Three lunches: Évora, Monsaraz and Vila Viçosa
4. Wine tastings:
   • Two wine tastings included
5. Guided tours (all tickets included):
   • Évora (Cathedral, Bones Chapel)
   • Monsaraz (Castle and Pottery)
   • Vila Viçosa and Estremoz (with the Royal Palace, Tiles Museum and Cork factory)

WhatsApp / Phone: +351 927 500 244 (Portuguese mobile carrier call) evora@portuguesecookingschool.com portuguesecookingschool.com

FOOD – WINE – CULTURE
6 days program

Day 1 – Monday

This morning (I will call you in advance and we organize the transfer), we pick you up at your hotel and drive you to Évora. This is a charming UNESCO (world heritage patrimony) small town, rich in Roman vestiges, medieval churches and palaces. Each street keeps the charm of the past, as a secret for you! After lunch in a local traditional restaurant, we have the first orientation walk before the 1st cooking class, in a renovated but traditional kitchen. Than (around 6.pm) we have our 1st cooking class (followed by dinner): Introduction to Portuguese Gastronomy, a study in influences and seasonings. For logistic reasons, we can switch lunch to dinner. Overnight in Évora at your chosen hotel.

Day 2 – Tuesday

After breakfast (around 11.am) our second cooking class begins: the importance of fish and olive oil in Portuguese Cuisine. Lunch is a chance to sample your own cooking. Non-cooking partners join at the table. This afternoon we travel towards the Spanish border. In the way we’ll visit one of the local wineries, blending ancient and modern winemaking techniques. The grapes of this wine region include Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira, tinta Roriz, and Moreto for red wines;  Roupeiro, Manteudo, Perrum, Antão Vaz for the whites – as Portuguese varieties, as well  Cabernet Sauvignon and Shyraz. This is a rich clay region, as we will see at the village of S. Pedro do Corval, a good example of the best potteries of the region. Here you can buy really authentic pottery at a really good price.  A few kms after, we have Monsaraz, a medieval hilltop village, where we will have dinner after visiting, under the shadow of the 13th century castle built by king Afonso III. Here you will understand why we have so many castles, and what a medieval castle is. This is a magic place, just like travel into an ancient period of History!  

We will return back to Évora after dinner (included), so please take a sweatshirt and comfortable shoes. 

Day 3 – Wednesday

Today’s focus is on local produce: The abundance from local Farms and Ranches. This afternoon, we’ll tour through Évora, visiting the Cathedral (13th century), Chapel of Bones (16th century), Roman Baths and Roman Temple (1st century AD).

Évora is also a nice place for shopping. There you find jewelry, cork articles (hats, shoes, aprons, purses, bracelets, etc.), tiles, wines and much more. Dinner is free, by your own. We will provide you a map of the town and suggest restaurants, shops, ice cream factories, coffee shops you shouldn’t miss!

Day 4 – Thursday

Cooks, this is your day off! Today we’ll drive into the Northern Alentejo, and you will understand in a short version, the History of Portugal, special what happened to our last king. Before lunch at Vila Viçosa, we will visit its Renaissance Ducal Palace, visiting the place where King Charles spent his last night before being shot in 1908. Wine is a big part of the local economy, so we can’t miss another wine taste. Passing through the marble area we visit the historical and white town of Estremoz, enclosed within its ramparts and overlook a vast plain of gnarled olive trees and wheat fields.  Then we return back to Évora, in time for dinner, passing through a cork farm. Dinner in Évora, by your own. 

Day 5 – Friday

This region is known for its Aromatic Herbs and wild Flowers. This morning we’ll use them in the dishes that the locals have passed on through generations.

Enjoy an afternoon excursion to visit the fabulous pre-historical megalithic “cromeleque dos almendros”, from 6.000 years BC. This evening, sit down to a farewell Dinner at traditional restaurant (included).

Day 6 – Saturday

Today’s cooking class focuses on the flavours of the South, in fact our Mediterranean face in the kitchen! After lunch we drive you back to Lisbon, so please do all checkout procedures before coming to the last cooking class. Then we will pick up your luggage at the hotel.

Note: the order of the days can be changed according to the changes of wineries, monuments or other local’s programs. We also try to adapt this program all year round according to the  weather and local special events, to offer you all authenticity, the real Portugal. Anyway if we  do any changes, you won’t miss any detail. 

Prices per person:

€ 2550.00 Possible with the minimum of 2 people

What is INCLUDED:

1. Transfers:
   • From Lisbon (airport or hotel in Lisbon) to Évora This allows you to choose the hotel you want. We suggest you to come some days before and visit Lisbon and Sintra. 3-4 days will be a nice experience
   • From Évora to Lisbon 
2. Five COOKING CLASSES with the following meals (wine included):
3. Other meals included (always with wine): 
   • 1st day’s lunch at a local restaurant in Évora
   • 2nd day’s dinner at the medieval village of Monsaraz
   • 4th day’s lunch at Vila Viçosa
   • 5th day’s farewell dinner in Évora
4. Wine tastings:
   • One in Reguengos de Monsaraz or Redondo 
   • One in Estremoz
5. Tours with fees included
   • Évora (Roman Temple 1st C ad, Roman baths 1st C ad , Cathedral 13th C, Bones  Chapel 15th C, all the Roman, Moorish, Jewish and Medieval period)
   • Monsaraz (pottery village of S. Pedro do Corval and walking tour in the Medieval Village)
     The towns of Estremoz and Vila Viçosa Palace, passing though the marble area and cork factory d) Megalithic tour into the fabulous prehistoric area from 6.000 BC 

ACCOMODATION

Recommended hotels according the walking distance into the cooking classes place:

• (www.mardearhotels.com) – M’Ar De Ar
  M’Ar De Ar Aqueduto 5 * (10 min)  
  M’Ar De Ar Muralhas 4 * (20 min)
• (www.adcevora.com.pt) – Hotel Albergaria do Calvário (10 min) 
• (www.pocinho.pt) CASA DO POCINHO (20 min)
  If you prefer to stay in a charming medieval house 
• (www.pousadas.pt) – Pousada Convento de Évora (15 min)
  Taxi is required (10 minutes, around 10 euros each way for 2 persons)
• (www.conventodoespinheiro.com) Hotel Convento do Espinheiro, the luxuary 5 stars  of Évora 
  About 4 kms distant, taxi is required.

WhatsApp / Phone: +351 927 500 244 (Portuguese mobile carrier call) evora@portuguesecookingschool.com portuguesecookingschool.com