About the school
Learn to cook delicious and authentic Portuguese dishes in the Alentejo wine region of Portugal, close to the border of Spain, that stretches from the Tagus River near Lisbon all the way south to the Algarve.
Stay in a beautifully restored traditional villa manor house that was built in 1834 and used to belong to an aristocratic Portuguese family. Retaining its rustic charm, this elegant villa boasts a traditional Portuguese kitchen with large marble topped work surfaces where guests can overlook the adjoining courtyard and the surrounding countryside as they learn to cook.
The manor also has its own garden within the estate growing products typical of the region such as figs, pomegranates, laurel, oranges, persimmons, as well as a variety of herbs. You will be able to select vegetables and herbs from the villa’s gardens to use in your dishes when cooking.
The garden also features a swimming pool ideal for sunbathing or cooling off, as well as a large terrace leading to the games lounge which boasts a pool table amongst other entertainment.
The manor house is located in the small medieval town of Portel, though the celebrated and historic larger medieval town of Évora is less than 50km away and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which makes for an excellent day trip.
For cooking holidays including accommodation, you’ll stay in one of the 30 luxury rooms of the villa. All rooms are equipped with air conditioning, telephone, mini-bar, and satellite TV and many have stunning views of the castle of Portel.
In your free time you can unwind by the pool, in the gardens under the shade of the fruit trees, or in the reading room. The villa is excellently located for exploring the Alenntejo region and many historic sights and towns are within driving distance.
Relax and enjoy discovering this wonderful region of Portugal through its culinary traditions, cultural heritage, and celebrated local sights for a cooking holiday to remember.
Features
- Stay in a well–restored former aristocratic villa manor house
- Well equipped traditional Portuguese kitchen for cooking lessons with large marble top surfaces
- Hands on cookery lessons taught by dedicated cooks
- Use ingredients picked fresh from the hotel's herb garden
- Well-appointed luxury style rooms with en suite bathrooms
- All rooms are equipped with satellite TV, air conditioning, telephone, and mini bar
- Free internet available
- Swimming pool
- Courtyard, patio and terrace
- Pretty gardens with fruit trees and herb garden
- Lounge with fireplace
- Restaurant and bar
- Reading room to take to unwind and relax with a good book
- Pool table room
- Cycle hire available to explore the local countryside
- Ideally located to explore the Alentejo region