Cooking Classes for the Culinary Traveler in Paris

  

April has made me nostalgic for Paris.  I'm dreaming of walking along the Seine, the parks and flowers in bloom, sitting at outdoor cafes, the food markets, the chocolatiers, croissants, baguettes, and pastries - I’m particularly partial to Paris pastries.

  

  

One can certainly spend a lot of time eating your way through Paris. For those interested in learning more, or even learning how to recreate those French delicacies, there are many classes and tours available for the food lover visiting Paris.  You can get your hands dirty and create a classic French dish, learn the secrets to creating perfectly footed macarons, baguettes, or even croissants. And, if you'd prefer to stay clean and full, you can just eat your way through a guided walking (and eating) tour.  There's something for every taste and every budget. 

  

  

  

Here are some classes and tours available for the traveling foodie in Paris:

 

 

   

Ecole LeNotre - Macaron making classes, a wide selection of both savory and pastry classes and classes for teens 12 to 17 years old.

 

 

  

Le Cordon Bleu - My alma mater has both savory and pastry courses that vary in length from 2 1/2 hours to 4 days.  They also have classes where parents can bring children, a special class brought about by the movie, Julie and Julia, which is dedicated to Julia Child, and they will customize classes for private groups.

 

  

Ecole de Cuisine of Alain Ducasse - Sweet, savory, and wine classes are offered at the cooking school of the world-famous chef Alain Ducasse.

  

Ecole Escoffier at the Ritz Carlton in Paris - The swanky hotel offers courses that last 1 hour to advanced courses that last 6 weeks.  They also have courses for children, teenagers, and group and tailor-made courses.

 

 

  

   

Meeting the French - Gourmet, pastry and chocolate walks, dinners in Parisian homes, and in-home cooking classes are all available.

  

Context Tours Paris - Along with several themed walking tours, they offer a wide variety of culinary walking tours from chocolate-themed to a "Trends in Parisian Gastronomy" tour.

 

  

Paris Walks - This is the most budget-friendly of all the tours.  They offer a chocolate tour or a taste of Paris tour for only 25 euros.

 

  

O Chateau - A variety of wine tasting classes, wine and food pairings and tastings, and day trips to Champagne are available.

 

 

  

 

  

David Lebovitz - The renowned food blogger, cookbook author, and former Chez Panisse pastry chef offers behind-the-scenes gourmet tours and chocolate tours.  The tours sell out quickly, so book well in advance.

 

  

Patricia Wells - The prolific cookbook author offers week-long courses that combine market tours with hands-on cooking in Paris, and also in Provence.  Tours for 2010 are sold out, but she still has openings for 2011.

 

  

Susan Loomis - The author of On Rue Tatin offers one and three-day cooking classes in Paris along with many courses in Normandy, France.

  

  

  

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Have you taken a cooking class while traveling? What was it? What type of cooking class/culinary walk would you like to take and where? 

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Related Posts:

Paris Walks for the Food Lover: Rue de Seine and Rue Bonaparte

Paris Pastry Binge - Pierre Herme

Journey Through the Pastries of Paris - Part 1

French Pastries and 10 Top Patisseries in Paris

L'Epicuriste - Dining in Paris

Easter Chocolates in Paris Windows

The Dish from Paris: Macarons with Ice Cream from LaDuree

Dining at the Hidden Kitchen in Paris

Chocolate Shops in the 6th Arrondissement

A Night at L'Atelier Joel Robuchon

Favorite Parks in Paris to Picnic

 

 

Comments

[Daydreamer Desserts]

They all sound amazing... perhaps one day I'll make it over!

[Julia]

Gosh, I dream of being able to go to Paris...And all these great classes, now I MUST make it over; one day, one day.

[Jen Laceda]

Hi Kathy,
Ahhh...me too, me too! April makes me nostalgic about Paris! By the way, do I need to know how to speak French to take some of these cooking classes?

[food lover kathy]

Jen: That's a great question, thanks for asking! You only need to speak French for classes at Ecole LeNotre and Ecole de Cuisine Alain Ducasse. At Le Cordon Bleu the chef speaks in French and there is a native English speaker who translates. (This is great because you hear terms/words in both languages.) The other classes and tours are conducted in English.

I'm waiting to hear back from Ecoles LeNotre and Alain Ducasse to see if they have any classes in English or with an English translation.

[Mardi@eatlivetravelwrite]

I went to Lenôtre at Christmas:

http://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com/2009/12/graine-de-macarons-ecole-de-patisserie/

and Ô Chateau:

http://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com/2009/12/o-chateau-wine-tasting-paris/

Both FAB experiences but yes, you need French for Lenôtre.

Also there is the wonderful ArtHome workshops in the Nomiya instillation at the Palais de Tokyo until the end of June:

http://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com/2009/12/arthome-paris-prononcer-arome-latelier/

(again - French is a requirement)

We also recently took a wonderful class in New Orleans:

http://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com/2010/03/new-orleans-school-of-cooking/

and a fabulous market visit and cooking class in Luang Prabang, Laos:

http://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com/2009/08/tamarind-restaurant-cooking-school/

We LOVE taking classes all around the world!!

[Healthy Foods Blog]

Nice images! Thank making me stunned... again. :D More power to Food Lover's Odyssey!

- Tera

[food lover kathy]

Mardi: Thank you so much for the great links to your posts, especially the LeNotre and O Chateau.

Tera: Thank you so much for the kind comments!

[Kathy Gori]

friends of ours are visiting Paris right now and the pictures they are texting back to us of the food are just insane!!!!Those pastries look amazing.

[bunkycooks]

Thanks for the great list. I knew of some, but not of others. Now I want to go back to Paris!

[Jozee Pizzurro]

Ah, Paris. Looking at the pictures and reading your comments gives me many nostalgic memories. You did a great job in providing the links to the classes.

[Gourmantic]

Every month makes me nostalgic for Paris!

I haven't taken any culinary classes and would probably only consider it if I was on an extended stay (2-3 months) in either Italy or France. As for walks, I would consider something that combines regional food and wine.

[Leslie Uhl]

Oh, I miss Paris, too!
Great ideas for both my husband AND our little chefs next visit! Thanks!