What I Learned Taking Pastry Courses in Paris

August 23, 2019

I was super excited about going to Paris to take pastry courses. Taking pastry courses in Paris was the main driver for my travel there. Surprisingly to me, Paris turned out to deliver way more than just pastry courses.

pastry courses in Paris, Paris, France, Eiffel Tower

When considering taking pastry courses in Paris, I looked at a lot of different options both in Paris and outside of Paris. There were short school workshop, individual classes, and a more intimate setting of staying and cooking at the house/chateau of a chef.

I ended up doing individual classes in Paris. The school was out of my price range. I was going to do the live-in classes but the dates just did not line up with mine. This way I was able to coordinate all the different types of classes I wanted to take and intertwine them with exploring Paris. I ended up going with three different companies. In my opinion it was better as I could see the difference. I looked through all their calendars, and my decisions were based on price, location, experience I thought I would have, menus and the types of things we were learning.

The classes I took:

Croissants
Macarons
Choux pastry
Chocolate making
Bread making
Dinner party
Sauces and au Jus

I took classes from:

I enjoyed all of the classes. The relaxed atmosphere and the other people at La Cuisine Paris and Cook’n With Class were very enjoyable. You get to try your hand at everything and it is not just a sit and watch type class.

Everyone there wanted a great experience and to learn something new. At the end of each class we got to eat what we had made and take home extras for later. It is a delicious way to feed yourself in Paris, even though you are spoiled for choice in the food department here. I did appreciate having real aprons at Cook’n with Class compared to La Cuisine Paris you were given horrible plastic throw away aprons to use. It’s the little things that stand out…

pastry courses in Paris, Paris Cooking Class, pastry class, Paris France, chocolate making, Cook'n With Class Paris

The dinner party was a great way to spend an evening having a wonderful dinner that everyone had a hand in making. We made a full three course meal with wine, of course. Meeting new friends, learning new techniques and eating a delicious meal in the heart of Paris was a great experience.

pastry courses in Paris, Paris, France, cooking class, dinner party, La Cuisine Paris

I knew the class I took at Le Cordon Bleu, sauces and au jus, was going to be an experience. The types of people who attended this one were very different to the ones at the other two cooking schools. I found some to be much more pretentious and trying to one up everyone at how good they are at cooking etc. The state of the art kitchen you get to work in is AMAZING. The food that you cook with is AMAZING. The swag you get here is AMAZING.

pastry courses in Paris, Paris, France, Le Cordon Bleu Paris, Paris cooking class

What I was not thrilled with was that it was translated into English, as the chef spoke in French. The translator was slow on translating which made it hard when timing was of the essence. We were told that the chef doesn’t speak any English and that was why a translator was used…but I found out that this was not true. When he came around to check on people he ended up chatting with my partner and I in very good English.

It seems Le Cordon Bleu Paris wants to keep an air about itself, where I just found it more frustrating. I think if the translator was better it probably would have been fine, but I guess it is all on par with the experience of such a prestigious school.

Here are some things I would highly recommend when taking a cooking class to get the most out of it:

Take notes!

Yes, you will usually come away with the recipes but you need to really write down all the little tidbits that the chef’s tell you. These are the golden nuggets as you can get recipes anywhere on the Internet. These little chef secrets are what will make you more masterful in making what you are learning. These tidbits are also things that are easily forgotten once you have left the class and back home trying to recreate it.

Take Video

When you take some videos of the processes, it is much easier to watch how something is made or how it should look when recreating at home. If video is not your thing, take photos of each step along the way so you have a visual when you get home.

pastry courses in Paris, Paris, France, Paris Cooking Class, Cook'n With Class Paris

Get photos of yourself in the class creating

Everyone wants a similar experience and they are more than happy to take photos of you creating with your camera. Be sure to ask if they want the favour returned so they can get remember their experience as well.

pastry courses in Paris, Paris France, Paris Pastry Class, Paris cooking class, La Cuisine Paris

Make sure they are in English

When you are looking for classes to take make sure you look up cooking classes done in English. Many are just done in French so you want to make sure you’ll be able to understand.

Don’t take it too seriously

This is suppose to be a fun experience while learning and eating your delicious end product! It is OK if something gets messed up. Laugh it off and the chef will be able to help you along the way.

pastry courses in Paris, Paris France, Paris cooking class, Paris Pastry class, La Cuisine Paris

There are many classes you can take and all sorts of things to learn in Paris. I would recommend all of the places I went to. You can also look up Airbnb Experiences as there are a number of cooking classes as well. Make sure to watch the costs, location, and if it is a sit and watch or a hands on class. You want to make sure you get the experience you want.

Want help finding experiences like pastry classes for your next trip but don’t know where to start?

There are many classes that can enrich your travel experience but the amount of choice can be overwhelming. Contact us today for a Personalized Trip Consultation and let us take to stress out of picking the perfect class.