Many of you have asked me about culinary classes in Paris so I've compiled a list of cooking programs offered around town. Some are professional-level classes lasting a week or several months, while others are for dedicated home cooks where you can prepare a meal with a local cook in their Parisian kitchen. Click on the links to find their scheduled classes and what language they're taught in.
You should be able to find something whether you're a dedicated professional or just a visitor seeking tips from a knowledgeable French cuisinière!
Daniel Rose of Spring restaurant
Atelier Gastronomique de Alain Ducasse
The cooking school of super-chef Alain Ducasse.
Paris' school for professionals who want to cook. Also featured are week-long courses by Pierre Hermé. Special long-term professional program offered for English-speaking students.
The Paris Pavilion of Ecole Lenôtre offers one-day classes for home cooks, while professional bakers and pastry chefs come from around the world to attend their school outside of Paris. I've attended several classes at the Ecole Lenôtre and recommend them highly.
Leçon Gourmande Gaggenau: 7 rue de Tilsit (17th) Tel: 01 58 05 20 20
No website, but chef demonstrations, with tastings, are given monthly in this designer kitchen.
Gourmet Promenades with Paule Caillat (in English)
Ecole Escoffier at the Ritz Carlton
On Rue Tatin with Susan Loomis
Cookbook author Susan Loomis teaches week-long classes at her home in Normandy as well as classes in Paris.
Patricia Wells, author of The Food Lover's Guide to Paris, is a popular instructor of classes at her Left Bank kitchen.
Pam Williams offers an online course in chocolate-making, with the option of coming to France (and Italy) and learning with selected professionals.
Chocolate Academy of Barry-Callebaut
Learn chocolate making with pastry chefs from one of the largest chocolate makers in the world, Barry-Callebaut. Most classes are 2-day offerings.
Ecole du Grand Chocolat at Valrhona
Located well outside of Paris, Valhrona's chocolate programs are available at their factory.
Paris' wine museum offers classes in their 14th century cellars.
Jacques Vivet's Centre de Désgustation
Wine tastings at this enormous wine emporium just off the Place Madeleine.
Wine tasting and appreciation classes in English, with sommelier Oliver Magny. Highly-recommended!
And if you'd like to explore Paris with me as your guide, you can find more information my own Paris Tours here.
Excellent list -- it will be printed a filed for future Paris trips! Thank you.
What a great list. When my husband and I were in Paris this summer we took the wine class at
O-Chateau and had a really good time. We also used your reccomendations from your chocolate book and visited a lot of the pastry and chocolate shops you suggested. They were great!
-Holly (David, my husband just gave me one of my birhtday gifts-i'm coming to cooking class at Sur la Table in Los Gatos. See you there.)
Your blog is very interesting and beautiful ! I love your macarons !
About 'L'Ecole du grand chocolat', you can have a course even if you are not a professional !
You can see the description of the courses on my blog in the part : Stage à thème
I went to O Chateau on your recommendation last night. It was great. If given the opportunity, I could be a walking testimonial for Mr. Olivier - but that might make me seem just a bit "touched"!
This list represents a lot of work, merci beaucoup David!
Perfect! Exactly what I have been seeking. Thank you so much for compiling the recommends.
I am a chef in Scottsdale Arizona and would like to take a cooking course given in English, preferably in Paris during the summer of 2009.
i am sending a couple to Paris May 26th for 5 nights. the husband will attend the French Open and the wife wants to attend a French cooking school on May 27th. We have not selected a hotel. would like a 4 star hotel - do any the hotels provide a French cooking school. budget less that $200 for a day. We have not selected a hotel yet, do you have any suggestions - safe for wife and walking ditance to many of the aris sites? Each access to metro for husband to get to Roland Garros.
HI Carlos: The only hotel I know that has cooking classes is The Ritz, which is higher than your budget. On the My Paris page, here at the site, you'll find a link to a list of hotels I recommend as well as other information for visitors to Paris.
Hi! Thanks so much for the links above, but do you know of any baking/pastry vacations in France? Like a one or two week course?
Thanks!
Hi Hiliary: I don't know any specific one-week baking vacation classes (I assume you mean for non-professionals). There might be some, but I'm not aware of any. I'll think you'll have to poke around the internet to hopefully uncover one.
I had looked around but couldn't find any, so I was hoping you had maybe heard of one. I'll keep looking. Thanks again!
Hi,
Merci for compiling such a great list. I'm interested in taking a macaron class while I'm in Paris in October. Do you know of any good ones? I know there are good classes at Lenotre, but I'm not fluent in French so I think that may present a bit of a problem. Thanks for you wonderful blog.
David, thanks for the info. I am looking to take a 2-3 week cooking class in Paris or elesewhere. I have some professional experience cooking french food and my skills are pretty good. Do you have any ideas for a fit?
Thanks,
Steve
Steve: I went to Ecole Lenotre, which was great. Classes are for professionals and each lasts one week so you can create your own curriculum. But there are others, listed in the post, that might be suited for you since everyone is looking for something different, so I would check the others out as well.