Cooking Classes in CBD, Southbank & Docklands

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Category: Cooking ClassesLocation: CBD, Southbank & DocklandsListing: 1

Find the Right Cooking Class in CBD, Southbank & Docklands

Cooking with Lola - cooking classes in Melbourne

Cooking with Lola (Melbourne CBD)4.8 (243)

From $190pp

Groups start by mixing a jug of sangria, then turn up the Latin music and get stuck into a pan of paella under the chef's guidance.

Getting Cooking Classes Right

Spanish rice, Latin American street food and sangria by the jug are what this region's group cooking class is built around. Cooking with Lola works from 546 Collins St, within Mercato Centrale in the middle of the CBD grid, where chef Lola Migliore – raised in Buenos Aires by a family with Italian and Spanish roots, and a trained musician before she turned to food – teaches with music playing and a few Spanish words along the way.

For groups spread across the CBD, Southbank and Docklands, a class here turns a dinner out into a meal the whole table makes together.

Pick from five private-group menus:

Paella night – the rice dish cooked from scratch, sangria in a jug and churros afterwards.
Tapas spread – pintxos and other Spanish small plates, with a black squid ink paella as the finale.
Street food from Argentina – choripán with chimichurri, chocotorta to finish and a veal schnitzel sandwich; meat-heavy, so it isn't suitable for anyone vegan, vegetarian or pescatarian.
Peruvian – a menu for groups keen on South American flavours.
Mexican – a further Latin American choice.

Expect around three hours at the bench before the group sits down to its own cooking. Ingredients, utensils and drinks are part of the price, which starts From $190 per person.

CBD, Southbank & Docklands Cooking Classes

Birthdays – the group cooks the celebration dinner itself, sangria in hand.
Work Christmas parties and team days – no kitchen know-how is required, and shared benches keep a mixed team chatting.
Client entertaining – a hosted menu in Mercato Centrale is a change of pace from a restaurant table.
Large teams – once the group passes 12, ask Lola about a date that isn't on the public calendar.

Kids' classes and paella catering

A monthly kids class is held on the final Saturday, open to cooks aged 5 to 15.
The young cooks make tacos with guacamole.
Staff on the kids class carry working with children checks.
Prefer your own venue? Lola caters paella for events held elsewhere.

Answers to Common Cooking Class Questions

Do we need any cooking experience for a class with Lola?

None at all. The private group classes are pitched at people who have never cooked a paella, and Lola steers the group through each dish – the session is as much about music and conversation as technique.

Which Cooking with Lola menu won't work for vegetarians?

Skip the Argentinian street food menu: it is mostly meat and isn't suitable for anyone vegan, vegetarian or pescatarian. Mixed groups usually do better with paella, tapas, Peruvian or Mexican.

What does the per-person price at Cooking with Lola cover?

Classes start From $190 per person, with ingredients, utensils and drinks included. You cook for about three hours and finish seated at the table, eating what the group made.

Can a large work team get a date of its own?

Yes. Teams of more than 12 can ask for a date outside the public calendar, which suits a Christmas party or a team day that needs a particular weeknight.