Pamplona Market & Pintxos Cooking Class

The Pamplona Market & Pintxos Cooking Class is operated by Navarrese Kitchen Workshop, a culinary school based near the Mercado Central in central Pamplona. The school has run hands-on cooking classes from its premises since the early 2010s, developing a programme that blends supervised market visits with professional kitchen instruction for visitors and locals alike. The 3.5-hour class format was designed specifically to teach the craft behind one of northern Spain's most beloved culinary forms — the pintxo — through direct engagement with the ingredients and techniques that define Navarrese bar culture. The experience begins with a guided visit to the Mercado Central de Pamplona, a covered market in the old town. The chef instructor selects seasonal ingredients while explaining provenance and quality criteria: fresh anchovies from the Cantabrian coast, locally produced morcilla and chistorra, Roncal cheese aged in the Pyrenean valleys, piquillo peppers from Lodosa, and whatever seasonal vegetable is at peak quality that morning. Participants are encouraged to engage with market vendors directly, with the instructor facilitating introductions and providing context. The group then moves to the Navarrese Kitchen Workshop teaching kitchen for a two-hour pintxos making session. Participants prepare five distinct pintxos varieties, typically two traditional — such as jamón on bread with aged cheese, or anchovy on piquillo pepper — and three more creative interpretations devised by the chef. Each pintxo requires different knife skills, heat management, and plating technique. The instructor circulates to each station to demonstrate and correct in real time. Completed pintxos are tasted throughout the session alongside wine from the Navarra DO appellation, with commentary on how acidity, tannin, and residual sugar interact with the salt and fat profiles typical of pintxos. Participants leave with recipe cards for all five preparations. Group sizes are capped at twelve. The class is conducted primarily in English with Spanish culinary terminology introduced throughout. Vegetarian and gluten-free substitutions are available with advance notice.