The Virtuoso Life: Sohla El-Waylly’s Guide to Spain

Nov 10, 20233 min read

Interview by Sallie Lewis/Virtuoso

Jingyu Lin/Contour RA/Getty Images

The multi-hyphenate chef travels map-free.

For Sohla El-Waylly, the L.A.-born, NYC-based culinary creator, writer, video producer, and judge on Max’s The Big Brunch, a career in cooking once felt more like a pipe dream than a professional reality. “I went to school for economics – I was planning on having a corporate job,” she says. A backpacking trip through Europe galvanized her culinary aspirations. “Travel actually inspired me to get into cooking,” she says. “I met a lot of people and ate at a lot of cool places.” Today, the Culinary Institute of America graduate enjoys traveling in her own way, free of itineraries, guidebooks, and even Google Maps. “I don’t like to travel with a phone because it’s too easy,” she explains. “It’s more fun to get lost – and sometimes, you end up in a cooler place.” In September El-Waylly and her husband, Ham, welcomed their first child, and this month she’ll release her debut cookbook, Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook. “I wanted to write the book that I wish I had when I started cooking,” she says. “It’s not just recipes but answering questions and explaining the whys and hows behind things so people feel more confident in the kitchen.”

Madrid stalwart: Sobrino de Botín.

Berk Ozdemir

Sohla El-Waylly’s Guide to Spain

I don’t get a lot of time to go places, but Spain is really the only place I want to go. What’s great about the triangle formed by Barcelona, Valencia, and Madrid is that, within a very small area, you get to see three distinct facets of Spanish life. Barcelona is metropolitan, while Valencia is very chill, and with its partying, Madrid almost feels like a college town. The best thing is to fly into Barcelona. Once you get there, you’ll of course want to see landmarks like La Sagrada Família. My recommendation is to visit before sunrise because there’s no one around but street cleaners. You’re going to be jet-lagged anyway, so you’ll probably be awake. While touring the city, be sure to stop for tapas and a glass of house vermut at Quimet & Quimet, a historic, standing-room-only bar in Poble Sec.

From Barcelona, you can easily take the train west to Madrid. Snag a seat, along with some clams and suckling pig, at Sobrino de Botín in La Latina – it’s the oldest continuously running restaurant in the world. What’s great about Madrid is there’s lots of nightlife and flamenco. For drinks and dancing until the wee hours, go to a fun nightclub, like the seven-story Club Kapital on Atocha. Before heading back to your hotel, walk around the grounds of the city’s Royal Palace. It’s magical in the early-morning hours and feels like you have the place to yourself.

For the last leg of the journey, head back east to Valencia, which is one of my favorite places. The best paella is in Valencia – on my first trip, I went just for that. When you get off the train, head to Paseo Neptuno; years ago, I had an unforgettable arroz negro made with squid ink and cuttlefish there at a place called La Pepica. I only found it because I talked to a stranger, and it blew my mind how delicious it was. If you have any wine left, do as I did and take the rest to nearby Malvarrosa Beach, and enjoy it there – it’s an amazing experience.

Sohla El-Waylly's Travel Essentials

1. Moleskine journals, for taking lots of notes. When I ask people for recommendations, I like them to write it in the Moleskine. It’s nice to look back at everyone’s handwriting.

2. A disposable camera, so you don’t care if you drink too much and lose it.

3. A travel cutlery set so I don’t have to eat with plastic if I’m having something to go or from a market.

4. A pair of Comrad compression socks keep me really comfy, whether I’m sitting on a plane or train, or walking.

5. Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF50 is nongreasy sun protection.