Barcelona: Vegan Paella and traditional rice dishes

Barcelona’s best idea here is simple: you learn the techniques behind Spanish rice classics, then eat a full spread that is 100% vegan. I love how hands-on it is, you actually cook and taste the recipes together, not just watch. I also love that the menu leans into real paella ingredients like bomba rice and classic Catalan favorites.

One thing to consider is the pace and format are built for a small group, courses run with a group size that starts at 4 people, so you will want to be comfortable cooking in close quarters. Also, it is not suitable for children under 10, so plan accordingly if you are traveling with kids.

Key highlights you should know before you go

• A real vegan paella setup: you cook and eat multiple rice dishes, all plant-based.
• Bomba rice and signature add-ins: expect the right rice texture plus toppings like garrofó fava beans.
• Black sea rice and allioli: arròs negre includes seaweed broth and a garlic sauce made for dipping.
• Heura and konjak seafood styles: you will grill marinated plant proteins and konjak “prawns” and “squid.”
• Small group, full buffet: once dishes are ready, everyone shares a buffet so you can taste the full range.
• Practical take-home option: bring a Tupperware so you can pack leftovers.

Why a vegan paella class at In Bloom feels different in Barcelona

If you have only had paella as a restaurant dish, this course changes the way you think about it. You learn how the rice works, how broth builds flavor, and how toppings and sauces land on the plate. It is not a gimmick, it is a focused cooking class centered on traditional Spanish rice comfort.

I like that the food is not watered down to fit a theme. The menu leans into distinct regional styles, like Paella Valenciana and arròs negre, plus a Catalan-influenced twist with fideuà. You get to compare textures and flavors across dishes instead of eating the same thing three times.

You also get a cozy, school-style atmosphere near Plaza España, at In Bloom Cooking School. That matters in Barcelona, where the “where do we go” question can steal energy from your first day. Here, you have a clear meeting point and a clear schedule.

Meeting at In Bloom Cooking School, behind Arenas Mall, Plaza España

You meet at In Bloom Cooking School, behind Arenas mall, near Plaza España. If you are coming from the metro or the main tram area, you can make it work easily on foot, then settle in without a long transfer.

In Bloom keeps the class accessible and international. The instructor teaches in Catalan, English, German, and Spanish, which helps if you want to understand the why behind each step. The venue is wheelchair accessible, which is a real plus if you are planning around mobility needs.

One small practical note: the class is designed for food prep and tasting, so wear something comfortable and bring your appetite. You will be standing and moving more than you might expect from a “cooking demo.”

The 4-hour format with group size starting at 4 people

This is a 4-hour experience, and the course runs in groups starting at 4 people. The big advantage of a smaller group is that you are not watching a performance from the back row. You are part of the work, and you take part in preparing the recipes that everyone then eats.

The number of dishes depends on how many people join. That is good news for you, because it usually means the kitchen time is paced so the group can actually finish what it starts. By the end, everyone tastes everything at a shared buffet style meal.

Plan your day around the full cooking and eating block. If you are rushing to another reservation right after, you may feel rushed at the end because you will likely want a little time to pack leftovers and settle your stomach.

Paella Valenciana with bomba rice, garrofó, and vegan heura style

Paella Valenciana is the headline for many people, so it is smart that this course starts there. You use bomba rice, a short-grain rice known for soaking up broth while keeping a tender bite. It is the backbone of good paella, because the rice holds onto flavor instead of turning mushy.

The recipe pairing is where this class gets interesting. You make paella Valenciana with green beans, garrofó (Valencian fava beans), and a vegetable broth. Then you add marinated and grilled heura “chicken style,” bringing a smoky, savory element that mimics the satisfying role of classic meat toppings.

What you learn here is more than one dish. You get a sense of how a paella depends on balance: broth strength, rice type, and timing for the final texture. Even if you never cook paella at home, you will understand why “paella rice” and good broth matter so much.

If you like trying recognizable regional flavors, this is the part to focus on. Garrofó can be a taste you do not get often in Barcelona, even when you eat Valencian-style food.

Arròs al forn, oven rice with tomatoes, potatoes, chickpeas, and black bean sausage

Arròs al forn is the kind of dish that feels like comfort food even when it is plant-based. In this class, it uses bomba rice again, but the flavor profile shifts into something deeper and more baked. You cook it with tomatoes, potatoes, and chickpeas, so it has both richness and heartiness.

The “vegan sausage” component is black bean based, and you also add marinated mushrooms in a bacon style preparation. That gives you savory, roasted notes that help the oven rice feel complete, not just veggie-heavy.

You also cook with vegetable broth, so the whole dish stays cohesive. This is where I think you get real value from the class format: it is not just paella. It is learning the Spanish idea of rice as a base for different cooking styles, from pan to oven.

If you are the type of traveler who orders one rice dish and then spends the rest of the meal thinking about dessert, this may surprise you. Arròs al forn is satisfying enough that you will want to linger over it during the buffet.

Arròs negre with black sea rice, grilled vegan prawns, seaweed broth, and allioli

Arròs negre is one of those dishes people either love right away or only understand after the first bite. Here, it is built with black rice, seaweed, peas, and green and red pepper, plus a wine element described as rancid wine. The dish is completed with seaweed broth, so it leans into a deeper ocean-like flavor.

Then you add grilled vegan prawns made from konjak, which gives a seafood-style texture without using shellfish. This is the moment where you see how plant proteins can be used to achieve a role, not just a substitute.

You will also make allioli, a garlic sauce that works perfectly for dunking and balancing. That sauce matters, because arròs negre can be intense from the seaweed and black rice. Allioli adds a creamy garlic bite that makes the whole plate feel less heavy.

If you want to experience something that feels very Spanish and a little dramatic, this is the dish. Black rice looks cool, but the real payoff is the broth flavor and how the toppings play against it.

Fideuà with vegan konjak squid style, pasta, and seaweed broth

Fideuà is often described as paella’s cousin, but in practice it feels like its own comfort dish. Instead of rice, you use pasta, and in this class you cook it with aubergine, red pepper, and white wine. It is another example of how Spanish rice traditions can move into a pasta format without losing the same flavor logic.

The vegan “squid” here is made from konjak, marinated and grilled in a style that fits the theme. You pair it with seaweed broth, tying it back to the ocean flavor you get in arròs negre, just with a different base.

This dish is a good pick if you want variety within the same meal. Paella and oven rice can already fill you up, and fideuà gives you a different texture to pay attention to. You will likely notice how pasta absorbs flavor differently than rice, and how that changes the bite.

Buffet tasting, drinks at the school, and packing leftovers

After the cooking, the group eats together. The meal is served as a buffet style spread, so everyone can taste all the dishes prepared for the class. This part is important because it lets you compare each dish while your cooking intuition is still fresh.

The price includes one drink, served after the welcome drink. After that, you can purchase a variety of drinks at the location and pay at the end. That setup is nice because you can keep things simple if you just want one beverage, but you are not locked in if you want to try something else.

Bring a Tupperware to take home leftovers. This is the kind of practical tip that can save you a meal later, especially in a city where dinners can add up. If you end up with an extra portion you like, packing it turns the class into two meals worth of value.

Price and value for $93 per person in Barcelona

At $93 per person for a 4-hour experience, the value comes from three things you actually get your hands on: cooking, tasting, and variety. You are not paying just for a plate of food. You are paying for instruction, the time to prepare multiple recipes, and a buffet where you taste everything.

The small-group format helps too, because it naturally limits how many people share one cooking workspace and one instructor attention. The “recipes depend on the number of participants” detail also matters, because it hints the course is paced to stay workable.

The included one drink also sweetens the deal a bit. Even if you are not a heavy drinker, it means you can budget without guessing how much you will spend on beverages.

When you compare it to eating out, this can also feel like a bargain if you were already planning a rice-focused meal. A typical dinner might give you one dish, here you get multiple rice classics plus sauces and seafood-style plant toppings.

Who should book this vegan paella cooking class

This experience is ideal if you want a hands-on Barcelona food activity that feels connected to real Spanish technique. It is also a strong choice if you eat vegan or want to understand how plant-based cooking can replicate specific textures and cooking roles.

I think it works especially well for:

• Foodies who want to learn the “how,” not just the “what”
• Travelers who like rice dishes and want to compare styles
• Couples and friends who enjoy cooking together in a small group

It is not a fit if you are traveling with kids under 10, since it is not suitable for that age group. If you want a quick photo stop or a casual walk-through, you will be happier with a different type of food tour.

Should you book this Barcelona vegan paella class?

Yes, if you want a guided, hands-on way to learn Spanish rice cooking while eating a full vegan spread. The combination of bomba rice, distinct styles like Paella Valenciana and arròs negre, and the buffet tasting format makes it feel like a complete experience rather than a single dish lesson.

Book it if you like practical food skills and you want something more meaningful than a normal meal. Skip it if you are expecting a kid-friendly activity, or if you dislike cooking in a small-group format for the duration.