Top 10 Culinary Schools in Paris
High on the wish list for many travelers to Paris is taking a cooking class. What a great idea: learning to cook (or honing your skills) in this world culinary capital! Either book a course, or drop a large hint that this is what you really, really want for a birthday or anniversary gift. To avoid disappointment try to book well in advance; there’s often only room on the wait lists. Here are some of our top picks for culinary schools in Paris. This list was updated in summer 2025 to reflect the city’s current foodscape.
École de Cuisine Alain Ducasse
Originally launched in 1999. “We must open our doors to all cooking enthusiasts and let them get to know, try and understand where the delicious food served to them comes from,” explains Alain Ducasse. In a beautiful private townhouse, near Passy, with wine cellar, boutique, Miele and Perene state-of-the-art equipped kitchens and sunny patio, ECAD offers courses for the whole family– there’s even classes for families to cook together. Other programs include pastry, cooking like a three-star chef, healthy cooking, and so much more. Gift certificates make a great gift for your nearest and dearest. Note that all classes are in French except for a special category of “Cooking Classes in English,” which include “Bistro Cuisine” and a one-day “Market & Cooking.”
Wine tasting sessions from around 129€, classes start at 159€. 64 rue Ranelagh, 75016. Tel:+ 33 1 44 90 91 00.
École de Cuisine Alain Ducasse/ Photographer Pierre Monetta
Created in 1895, this prestigious culinary school now offers a network of more than 50 schools on five continents enrolling 20,000 students annually. Each school offers its own list of culinary short courses and demonstrations. Facing the Seine in the 15th arrondissement, the Paris headquarters is housed in a state-of-the art building with a rooftop herb gardens and Le Café Cordon Bleu. Since November 2023, Le Cordon Bleu has offered additional courses inside the Hotel de la Marine, the magnificent historic monument-museum on the Place de la Concorde.
Short-term workshop options include: Choux Pastry (€180, 2.5 hours), From Market to Plate: A Taste of Paris (€290, 5.5 hours), Make Your Own Bread (€290, 5.5 hours), The Art of Sauces (€270, 5.5 hours), Les Petits Cordon Bleu for 8-12 years (€99, 2.5 hours) etc. Most classes/demonstrations include English translations and gift vouchers are available. Workshops are planned to give students as much exposure as possible to the working environment of a professional kitchen, all necessary ingredients and equipment are provided, including aprons and tea towels.
3-15 Quai Andé Citroën, 75015. Tel: + 33 1 85 65 15 00
Le Cordon Bleu
On Rue Tatin with Susan Herrmann Loomis
Recommended by culinary icon Patricia Wells, who retired from teaching Paris cooking classes a few years ago, Loomis is a beloved culinary author and educator who taught classes out of her Normandy home. Since its sale, she’s transplanted her school to her Paris cooking studio. She offers hands-on, small group classes over one or three days that get rave reviews. Private classes are also available. Dishes are authentic and traditional, with recipes changing based on the season.
Relaunched when The Ritz, Paris, reopened after a fab, four-year, $220 million refurbishment in 2016. Escoffier helped transform 19th-century kitchens into respectable places to work. He banned smoking and drinking and even asking a French doctor to develop a healthy barley drink to relieve the unbearable heat of the kitchen. “The toque/hat and neckerchief were introduced to prevent sweat from dropping into the preparations,” explained former executive chef Nicolas Sale. (The head chef at the Espadon restaurant in the Ritz Paris is now Eugénie Béziat.) Most importantly, Escoffier brought a sense of calm and order to the kitchen; his cookbook, Le Guide Culinaire, is still considered the go-to cookery manual for many chefs today. Whichever course you choose or offer a gift certificate, there’s no doubt some of The Ritz magic will rub off. Escoffier left a legacy of culinary writings and recipes that are indispensable to modern cooks. And, here’s a tip, when you’re piping – don’t be afraid to hold your breath!
15, place Vendôme, 75001. Tel: +33 1 43 16 30 50. Email: [email protected]
Established by the late Gaston Lenôtre, this culinary school boasts a star-studded cast of professionals such as ex-Ritz chef Michel Roth, Sommelier Oliver Poussier and Guy Krenzer (Double MOF – Meilleur Ouvrier de France). Located since 2021 in Rungis (the world’s largest wholesale market outside Paris), the school offers classes and longer formations for both amateurs and trained chefs. One of the most popular is “Cooking from Rungis Market to Table,” a day-long class that costs 370 euros.
9 rue de Villeneuve, 94150 Rungis. Tel: + 33 (0)1 86 93 04 00
La Cuisine Paris
La Cuisine Paris doesn’t just offer fabulous cooking classes; they also escort city food tours introducing students to various city districts and their foodie-adored addresses. The “market tour and cooking class” (€189) offers you the opportunity to discover the secrets of the local street markets (Maubert, Monge or Bastille Markets) then cook a mouthwatering multi-course meal back at the school. Croissant and macaron classes also fill up fast. The gift voucher makes a fabulous present. English spoken.
80, Quai de l’Hôtel de Ville, 75004. Tel: + 33 1 40 51 78 18
La Cuisine Paris
This Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF) has worked with the greats (Le Royal Monceau, Lucas Carton, Le Crillon) but he loves to teach, share, pass on his knowledge. His kitchen is near the picturesque Place des Vosges in the heart of the Marais. The team are most welcoming and will plan courses, in English, to suit you; call them to discuss. Buy products at the nearby Marché des Enfants-Rouges and then transform them into a delicious three course meal; pop in for a Saturday morning brunch; there are so many possibilities that take place around chef Martial’s wide wooden table. “Change the world while eating a delicious dish,” is his mantra. Chef Martial arranges courses on request as the office stays open year-round. “The world is your lobster!” he says.
80 rue des Tournelles, 75003. Tel: + 33 1 44 54 02 18
ChefsSquare Haussmann
Natacha Burtinovic founded Chefsquare to allow professional chefs to share their know-how in an environment close to everyday life. The concept grew, expanded to Lyon, and is now known as ChefsSquare. Notably Chefsquare was the first cooking school to become part of Ecotable, utilizing organic produce from local producers, prioritizing zero-waste solutions, and incorporating vegetarianism and veganism in their classes. It’s now B Corp certified. Choose from multiple locations in Paris, including a former artist’s studio at 40 rue Sedaine in the 11th, and a spot near Les Halles (the “belly of Paris”); Atelier Beaubourg is situated at 10 rue du Bourg l’Abbé in the 3rd. There’s a wide array of classes and immersive culinary experiences, including Korean cuisine (€72) and Pizza Party (€72).
Les Coulisses du Chef
An incredibly popular option for English speakers in Paris, Le Foodist offers hands-on culinary experiences at its culinary school on the Left Bank. There are pastry and baking classes but perhaps the most talked-about is the morning market class, where you get to browse a Latin Quarter market before bringing the ingredients back to cook, followed by lunch paired with wine. The max is 12 people for that experience, priced at 229 euros per person.
59 rue du Cardinal Lemoine, 75005. Tel+ (+33) 6-71-70-95-22
The Ritz-Escoffier school
Created by chef Olivier Berté, this cooking workshop takes place in a handsome hôtel particulier. Groups are limited to eight-10 people and menus are themed by season, with market visits, pastry workshops, etc. Learn how to construct a full dinner– with starter, main and dessert– and then eat it with the chef, washed down with lots of wine! Want to learn the mysteries of molecular cuisine? It’s here (€100). If you love cooking and traveling, chef Berté also organizes unique three-day trips for up to 10, to, say, southern Morocco or Krakow, Poland, with visits to the market, restaurants, Chopin’s house, and more. Contact the office for details or e-mail: [email protected]
English spoken. 7 rue Paul Lelong, 75002. Tel: + 33 1 40 26 1400.
BONUS
Chef Guy Martin
Chef tells us: “I sold my school but I’m still offering private lessons, depending on requests. The prices are based on where I cook and also the number of people and number of days. I have requests from Asia, USA, and of course in France.” Who wouldn’t want to cook like superchef Guy Martin, behind the magical Le Grand Véfour in central Paris? Contact him by email on: [email protected]
Want to be inspired by more French foodie experiences and enjoy classic French food, wine and recipes? Head to our sister website on Taste of France here.
Portrait of Guy Martin/ ©Jérôme Mondière
Lead photo credit : École de Cuisine Alain Ducasse/ Photographer Pierre Monetta
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