Porto · WORKSHOPS
The 15 best workshops & classes you can book today, with what each costs, how long it runs and who it suits. Number one is top for a reason, so start there.
At Boiler Studio beside Porto Cathedral, an English-speaking host such as Maria, Sara, Patricia, or Ana guides you through rolling pastry and making custard for pastel de nata. You will taste a warm tart, enjoy a drink, receive the recipe, and take at least two pastries home.
“MARIA AND SARA ARE AMAZING! we loved this soooooo much!”
At Domus Arte, instructors such as Teresa, Luis, Sofia, and Filipe guide you through the custard, baking, and story of Portugal’s famous pastel de nata. The pastry is pre-prepared, but you make the filling, bake several tarts, enjoy Port wine and snacks, and take home the recipe.
“Felipe was great! It was a fun class and the pastel de natas turned out really yummy. Would recommend!”
Learn the basics of surfing at Matosinhos with Fish Surf School. In groups of eight or fewer, instructors such as Ricardo, Ivan, and Nono teach safety, paddling, standing, and wave timing. Your $34 fee includes a wetsuit, board, insurance, storage, and a 1.5-hour lesson.
“We really liked it, instructor was super friendly and helpful. We had a great time”
Meet your van near Aliados and let the instructor choose the best beach for the day’s waves. Pura Vida Surfing School provides transport, wetsuit, board, insurance, and practical coaching in English, Portuguese, or Spanish. Igor, Bernardo, Katerina, Kata, and Jorge are among the instructors you may meet.
“Such a fantastic surf lesson! I had the best afternoon ever enjoying the water and the sunshine with such great instructors.”
At Domus Arte in Porto, an English-speaking instructor such as Fernanda or Beatriz guides you through Portuguese tile painting. Choose a traditional design or create your own, enjoy port and biscuits, then return for your finished tile after two hours.
“Everything was lovely. The guide, Beatrice, was very patient and gave us all the advice we needed. I would definitely recommend!”
In Porto’s arts district, Berta Faria leads a 90-minute, small-group workshop on making pastéis de nata from homemade puff pastry. You’ll help prepare the pastry and custard, enjoy three finished tarts with Port, and take home a traditional recipe. Classes are offered in English, Spanish, or Portuguese.
“Lovely activity to do with an engaging teacher. Warm and friendly”
In a 2.5-hour English-language workshop, you make the dough, filling, and finished pastel de nata with guidance from instructors such as Clara, Ana, Mariah, Vanessa, and Maria. The group works in turns, shares Portuguese food stories, drinks regional wine, and enjoys warm pastries at the end.
“Absolutely loved this course! Mariah was an absolutely brilliant instructor, so engaging and funny. It was also really great that making the pasteis was a group activity, which we all got to contribute to and which made it feel much less daunting. From a practical perspective, I feel much more confident in baking these now I have returned home but almost more importantly, we had so much fun on the day! I would 100% recommend this course to anyone visiting Porto.”
At this 2.5-hour Porto workshop, you make pastel de nata from scratch, including the pastry dough and custard. Instructors such as Vanessa, Ana, Clara, Mariah, and Anna guide you through the process, with local wine, coffee, or tea included. Groups can reach 12 people, so expect shared hands-on work.
“This was a delightful cooking class! It’s definitely hands-on. Ana knows her way around pastry and is a fun, easy-going instructor. She gave great tips on the recipe and a great nearby restaurant! …and our warm Pastel de Nata tasted FANTASTIC! Pro tip: eat them quick unless you have an oven to reheat them!”
Meet at the shop opposite Porto’s Palácio da Bolsa for an English language Port class led by hosts such as Rui or João. Learn how Port developed, then taste three or five styles with olives, fruit, cheese, chocolate, and brownie. Groups are limited to 10.
“We enjoyed the port tasting with a small group. We were grateful that the tasting involved more than one type/brand of port. Food pairings were a lovely addition and the air-conditioned space provided a lovely reprieve from the sunny afternoon in Porto and Rui was an amiable and knowledgeable host. It was a great way to spend our last afternoon in beautiful Portugal.”
Join a small workshop near Sé do Porto, where instructors such as Ana, Luis, Filipe, or Anita guide you through custard-making and baking. The puff pastry is prepared in advance, but you shape, fill, bake, taste, and take home several warm pastéis de nata with a recipe and transport box.
“Loved the class and the staff. One caution, we wanted to buy the small tins to make these at home. They charged us 1 euro each. We found 12 for 7.50 euro at a nearby kitchen shop.”
Meet guides such as Nuno, Ana, or Joseph at Mercado do Bolhão for a food-focused market tour, then ride to a clean kitchen in Gaia for a Portuguese showcooking lunch with wine. Expect demonstrations and small hands-on tasks rather than a full cooking class.
“Had a great time. Very professional and exceeded our expectations. Great experience. Highly recommended. Cheers”
At a restored 19th-century building on Rua de Miguel Bombarda, Berta leads a hands-on 90-minute pastel de nata class for up to eight people. You will prepare the cream and pastry step by step, enjoy Port wine and music, and leave with pastries to share or save.
“Such a fun experience. Great tips for making the pastries. Highly recommend! Looking forward to going back home and using our new skills.”
At Cook in Ribeira, chef instructors Jorge, Vitor, and Andre guide you through a hands-on Portuguese meal at 6 pm. Prepare codfish, mussels or clams, and an almond dessert, then sit down with Portuguese wines, port, and your finished four-course meal.
“We had an excellent time! The venue was very professional and Victor was an excellent chef to learn from. Along with the others who attended, Victor made our evening totally awesome! We would highly recommend this to anyone who is visiting Porto and wants to take a cooking class.”
At Domus Arte near Porto Cathedral, an English-speaking artist guides you through painting a ceramic azulejo. Choose a traditional pattern or create your own, enjoy coffee, snacks, and Port wine, then return later to collect the fired tile.
“We spent 2+ hours learning how to make a hand painted Portuguese ceramic tile. It was a wonderful experience! The class was well organized and small enough that everyone was able to get individual attention and guidance. The gentleman overseeing the class, teaching the process of how to transfer your chosen design to the tile and then paint the tile was extremely patient and a true artist. He gave suggestions when asked and guidance that was much appreciated by everyone. Our tiles came out lovely. We picked them up the next day and we were all extremely make with their appearance. A must do activity, both to learn about tile…”
At OKNAR studio in Cedofeita, artist Eglė guides you through Portuguese tile design, color, and technique. Paint one tile using traditional glaze for later kiln firing, or choose acrylics and take it home the same day. Stencils help beginners, while confident artists can create a personal design.
“This was one of the my favorite things to do on this trip!!! We could draw anything we wanted and with no time limit. She also gave us so many recs on the city and showed us her art which was REALLY cool. This was such a fun experience and highly recommend!!”
Pick a bank, a valley or a kitchen.
