Vegetarian Mediterranean Lifestyle Cooking - Workshop

About this workshop

Mediterranean vegetarian cooking Algarve — join us at Figs on the Funcho for a hands-on workshop that blends vibrant Mediterranean dishes with Middle Eastern flavour. Inspired by chefs such as Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, you’ll learn how to cook wholesome vegetarian food that feels generous, fresh, and full of colour.

Whether you’re a keen foodie or simply curious to try something new, you’ll enjoy a relaxed, interactive experience built around seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. Then, we sit down together to share what we’ve made — often under the carob trees, with a glass of Portuguese wine — so the day feels as much about connection as it does about cooking.

Your experience highlights

• Cook Ottolenghi-inspired vegetarian dishes in a peaceful Algarve countryside setting.
• Learn Mediterranean cooking techniques that help you build flavour with herbs, citrus, spices, and good olive oil.
• Understand ingredients and combinations so you can recreate the dishes confidently at home.
• Share a long lunch beneath the carob trees, finishing with a light Mediterranean dessert.

About your hosts

Your hosts, Graham and Cheryl, are passionate home cooks who turn seasonal produce into memorable, flavour-led meals in the Algarve. At Figs on the Funcho, they design every menu around vegetarian and vegan cooking, influenced by Ottolenghi-style recipes and modern Mediterranean food.

Because we cook with what’s best right now — from Algarve markets and local suppliers — every workshop feels rooted in place. Most importantly, we keep the atmosphere warm and unhurried, so you can learn, laugh, and eat well together.

Your schedule

11:00 — Arrive and settle in with coffee or tea. After that, we begin our vegetarian Mediterranean cooking workshop in the Algarve with a friendly introduction and a quick run-through of the menu.

Next, we cook side-by-side, using practical techniques you can take home (from balancing acidity to building depth with spices). Along the way, we share the story behind the dishes and how Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavours naturally complement each other.

Then, we enjoy a leisurely lunch together with a glass of Portuguese wine, followed by a light Mediterranean dessert.

15:00 — We usually finish around 3:00pm, so you leave with new skills, fresh ideas, and delicious memories.

Our cooking workshop reviews

“Cheryl & Graham were the perfect hosts… cooking lunch was an enjoyable experience… delicious food & company in very relaxed atmosphere, highly recommend.” — Maureen 🇮🇪

“We had a super fun day on this Ottolenghi inspired workshop… meeting other like-minded cooks and sharing a lunch together.”

“The food was delicious. And, the beautiful premises completed the whole picture. We can definitely recommend this cooking class.”