La Cuisine Paris is a French cooking school offering a variety of different cooking classes in Paris. We would be pleased for you to join us for Paris cooking classes in English. We have a variety of French cuisine classes, from Croissant Classes, Macaron Classes, Traditional French Pastry Classes, Technical Skills Classes, French Cheese Workshop, to even Food Tours in Paris ! We have a small international team (French and non-French), with different backgrounds and experiences, whom all share a common value: the desire to share their "savoir faire" and passion with you.
What are the formats of each class?
All of the classes differ, but one thing that is consistent in each of our experiences is that we want you to have fun whilst learning something new. We believe that a cooking class in Paris is just as much about learning something new, as it is having a fun and enjoyable time doing so. In order to enjoy yourself whilst with us, you should be comfortable sharing tasks and efforts with others to produce the end result. We have kitchens that resemble your home kitchen, purposefully, so you are able to replicate the dishes at home - this includes the equipment (we are not a professional school with islands and burns and kitchen aids for each individual). We also aim to make all of our cooking classes as hands-on as possible - some will naturally be more so than others….we are always pleased to hear ideas from clients as to how we can improve them even more.
We are lucky to have La Cuisine Paris family members that have visited us from all over the world - and they have loved the chance to learn something new whilst meeting other great visitors. If you are not one of those people that is comfortable to work and share with others, then we are not the right place for you!
How do I register for a class?
You are able to register for a class using the ‘Calendar’ section of the website, this area allows you to register and confirm your place for the class. Please note that all individuals who would like to be in the cuisine area should be registered participants for the class (see below 'Can I observe a class').
I only see classes on line up to a certain date!
We update our calendar on a ‘rolling’ basis. We aim to have the details of the classes on line for the following 1 1/5 months.
How many people are there in each class?
We usually have a maximum of 12 people in each of our kitchens. Depending on the type of class, the group may be a bit smaller. We have two kitchens in which we host our classes, one in a typical Parisian Cave, the other on the second floor of the school.
Can I observe a class?
In our experience, cooking is not a spectator sport – it is best when you get your hands in! Whilst we try to accommodate everyone, we have found that for the comfort, interaction and participation of the attendees, only those who are registered participants for the class should be in the kitchen area. If you are a family member waiting for someone, you are welcome in the waiting area. To put it clearly, only those who are registered for the class should be in the cuisine area. Please note that this also pertains to very young children. For the comfort of all the participants, we do not allow very young children being watched by their parents, in to the classroom areas.
What is the age requirement for the class?
We are pleased to accept all new La Cuisine Paris family members that are above the age of 13 and have a keen interest in cuisine! For those that are over the age of 13 and would like to participate in our cooking classes, but still considered a minor, please understand that we are not equipped to take responsibility for minors and they should be accompanied by an adult registered for the class. In our experience, we have found that our younger clients have enjoyed the Pastry Classes more so than the meal classes. Our meal classes tend to be adult experiences and include wine with the meal. Our younger clientele must be accompanied by an adult registered to participate in the class with them (as above; for the comfort of all the participants we do not allow ‘observers’ in the class). We are pleased for our cooking classes to be a family activity – if you have a younger family member, we can certainly welcome you on a private class basis.
What if I want to come, but have a dietary constraint?
We do try to stick fairly close to the menus listed on line for the class, however, if you do have a problem with one of the dishes, please let us know in advance and we will try to find a substitute for you if possible! Please keep in mind that whilst we would be pleased to have you, there may be occasions where the menu is not easily amended.
Is there a ‘Dine Only’ option?
As we express in our ‘Can I observe’, for a variety of reasons (comfort of the participants, comfort of the chef, dynamics of the group, etc), we only have registered customers participating in our classes from start to finish. We therefore do not have an option for guests to join just for the dining portion of the class.
Do I need to bring anything?
NO! Just bring yourself. We have everything on site you will need for the class, aprons, recipes, pencils (to take notes of course!), and fun.
Will the class be in English?
Yes. All classes found on this portion of the website are in English. We have a team of chefs that we work with, those which give our English speaking classes will be fluent in English!
Is the class hands on?
Yes. We don’t force you of course, but you should expect to get involved in the preparation during the class. We do not believe cooking is a spectator sport! Depending on the nature of the menu, some classes may be more hands-on than others, and there will be times when the tasks of the production are divided and shared amongst the group to create the dishes - particularly for the two hour experiences. If you are not comfortable sharing with others, then we are not the best school for you. If you need and want a more hands on experience where you work on your product from start to finish, then take a look at the three hour technical classes.
Do I get to eat?
Of course! The focus of La Cuisine Paris is providing cooking classes, but naturally you get to eat your hard work! After preparation, you enjoy your meal with a glass of wine which is included. We are pleased for you to enjoy the creations you make with us, please however do keep in mind, that we are not a restaurant, and for the sake of all of our team members, still try to work within the schedule of time we have indicated on our website. For the meal based classes, we serve a white wine which we have found to be a nice multi-palette wine that works with many dishes! For the dessert classes, you are welcome to eat here on site, but we also have boxes for you to take away and show off your hard work!
How many of my ‘creations’ can I take away?
We do anticipate that all participants should leave with a sample and/or tasting, particularly from the pastry classes. Whilst parting with your treat bag is always the intention, the main focus of the class is having an instructor there to teach the preparation, rather than the number of items the students walk away with. However, when the ‘final product’ is out and you are ready to collect a few, we ask all students to please be considerate of one another, and share the feast!
Do I get the recipes?
All students get the recipes and pencils for notes during the class. We ask (in fact we beg!) you to make the recipes at home after the class – send us photos!! We love to see what you are up to in the kitchen! The one exception to this is the Market Class. On the Market we take advantage of purchasing the freshest products available and because of this it is not easy to have predetermined menus and recipes….we do however give you a few basic recipes to take away with you!
Does La Cuisine Paris take photos?
We do from time to time take photos during the classes and do post some of them on our Facebook page and on our website. Our photos are really for the purpose of allowing others to see what we are up to (we do not ‘tag’ photos on Facebook)! If you do not want your photo taken, we will certainly respect that, just tell us.
What if I am very late?
We work very hard to respect the schedules of our clients and do aim to start our classes on time. Certainly occasions do arise when you may get turned around, or are running late for a particular reason – but please let us know. A late entry to the class can be very distracting to the other participants, so we ask that you be here 5 to 10 minutes before the start of the class to ensure you are ready for a timely start. Our classes are relatively short experiences, and lateness can result in missing critical parts of the class. If you are very late, please keep the following in mind : you may have missed critical steps that unfortunatly the chef cannot repeat, we will ask that you enter the kitchen in a manner that is not distracting to the other group members, we ask that you be patient until there is a point that the chef can integrate you in to the flow of the class, and the chef will be pleased to chat with you after the class about the elements that you missed, but will not be able to restart the class . If you are very, very late, and at a point where it may be difficult to integrate you in to the class without a distraction to the other participants, then we may respectfully decline your entrance.
What if I miss my class?
A missed class is treated as a non-refundable cancellation. When you reserve a class with us and do not show for the class, please keep in mind that we have of held a place for you, made preparations for your participation in the class, and in a number of occasions turned away others who would have liked your seat. Similar to theater tickets, if you miss the activity, it is none-refundable, nor rescheduled. If you are beyond our cancellation policy and know that you will not be able to join us, please do give us the courtesy of letting us know not to expect you.
What if I have a small group and we want to do a private class?
Outside of our regularly listed classes, we do often welcome private groups for cooking classes and Foodie Walks tailored to them. Feel free to contact us at contact 'at' lacuisineparis 'dot' com for further information. We do ask clients to be sensitive to the point that if they are more than 5 people, it may not be appropriate to register for a class that is open to the public, but rather consider a private class. Please be respectful of an keep in mind that there will be other participants in the class, so it is not appropriate to use classes open to the public in order to arrange a private event. If you are a larger group of people, please contact us before hand to discuss options that will make the experience the best possible!
I received my credit card bill and the amount is different?
The La Cuisine Paris prices are in quoted and charged in EUROs. When one uses an international credit card, the bank of that credit card then converts the amount in to the local currency of the credit card -- therefore, if your credit card is a US credit card, your bank will likely have applied an exchange rate to convert the amount of EUROs in to your local curreny of USD. If you have questions regarding the final amount on your credit card statement, you should contact your credit card company as this is not something La Cuisine Paris is involved with.
Where is La Cuisine Paris located?
We are in the center of Paris – just minutes away from Paris's famous landmark : Hotel de Ville! You will find us at 80 Quai de l’Hôtel de Ville, just in front of the Seine !
What is the easiest way to get to La Cuisine Paris?
You many choices…the public train transport closest to us is via line 1 and line 11 in to metro station ‘Hôtel de Ville’, or line 7 in to metro station ‘Pont Marie’. We are also just one stop away from the main metro hub, Chatlet. If you are a fan of the bus, bus number 72 and number 67 will get you here!
What if I want to offer a cooking class in Paris as a Gift?
You are able to offer Gift Certificates via our website, simply take a look at our gift certificate page. The barer of the certificate has 1 year from the date of issuance to use the certificate towards any of the classes they wish! The amount of the certificate is non-refundable, but is transferrable.
Does La Cuisine Paris do catering events in peoples’ homes?
We do not cater in home for private events. We do however have a team of chefs that also work with catering and ‘cuisine a domicile’ (cooking for private dinner parties, etc) and we are happy to share references.
What is the cancellation policy?
We are a small cooking school and try to be as flexible as possible with our clients! When you purchase a cooking class, you are purchasing an experience on a specific date and time, and very much like tickets to the theater, a non-showing or a late cancellation is non-refundable. Please keep in mind that we rely on confirmed class bookings for making sure that we have the right chef in place, as well as ensuring that we have fresh ingredients for each participant attending. As such, when someone cancels at the last minute, unlike a restaurant, we are not likely to fill their space. We ask clients to give us a minimum of 4 working days notice of cancellation for full refund, or rescheduling for another class. We understand there are occasions when medical emergencies arise, which make it difficult to notify us in within our cancelation policy. Above all, we try to be as flexible as possible with our clients, and certainly do try to make exceptions in this case, we simply ask for a medical certification.
Is La Cuisine Paris right for me?
We would love for you to join us – but most importantly, we want you to be happy when you are here. In order to make the decision as to what style might be the best for you – there are a couple of things you should keep in mind :
We believe in sharing and group effort – we think it is best to share the load, share ideas, share experience, and share the fun. In general our classes do involve group effort with tasks for each participant - we work hard to ensure that all of the classes are hands on, naturally some of the classes are more hands on than others depending on the subject matter - for the cooking/cuisine classes this is certainly the case. If you need to have your own cooking island and do not feel comfortable sharing the production process with others, then you may want to consider a private class – our regularly scheduled classes will probably not be the best fit.
We have never believed the cooking is an elitist activity – gone are the days of severe formal teaching. We believe that you can learn and do so in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. If you believe that you can only learn in a clinical, extremely serious environment, then we are probably not the best fit.
We have a number of participants in the class with varying degrees of experience – but we still try to keep it as hands on as possible - and ask that the participants be active and take responsibility for helping to ensure they are getting the experience they want. The chefs rely on feedback from their group, particularly in expressing how much or how little they would like to participate. Please do not assume that the chef will be able to know your interest level by looking at you. They love when you speak up and jump in, so please do not be afraid to do so!
We do try to be realistic and manage the class in way (and in a cost) that is reasonable for the participants. As an example, the Macaron classes : as you can image, one batch of Macaron mix can make more than 60 Macarons. Whilst the class makes sufficient batches to ensure that everyone gets a chance to work with the batter, and take home a number of macarons produced - the practicalities of having each participant make and cook one batch each is just not possible. The Macaron cookie itself is the same recipe no matter - the colour may differ - so whilst the group will be divided and work in a team, they work the same cookie recipes. The garnishes we use for the Macarons are usually of the same base with slightly different take, so the groups are again divided to create them and debrief on the differences.
We try to offer something for everyone and hope that our new family members look carefully and consider before joining us – if you want to have a formal training experience that is heavily technical, we would not mislead you and tell you to take our two hour class…or our three hour class….or even the half day class – training that is pertinent, rigorous, and meaningful will take much longer than 1 day, and we do not offer that – but we think we offer plenty of other great things to enjoy!
Most important to us - we work very hard to keep our pricing accessible to all – yet and still hands on. Until now, we think we have the right balance. For those that absolutely do not want to share the work and want a full experience with the benefit of working from start to finish on an individual bases, then we are happy to have you as well – but would recommend you consider a private class with us.