Nothing is more French than fine wine and gourmet cuisine. Enjoy a bit of hands-on cooking classes to perfect your croissant rolling skills or master the art of the soufflé, then enjoy a wine tasting to discover the perfect pairing. Or explore Paris with stops at the market, wine bars and specialty food shops around town with an expert guide.
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There are many options for cooking classes, from full-day courses with a market tour to quick lunch lessons with the locals where everyone dines together afterwards on the results. There are also food tours for those who would rather taste than cook. I haven’t tested all of these personally unless stated, but they are all well regarded and highly rated.
Scroll down for the wine tasting, wine festivals, and wine fair information. Appreciation for wine is greatly enhanced when you know what you’re drinking and where it came from. Wine tasting classes range from fun and casual lessons in English for absolute beginners to more formal dégustations of the finest vintages by seasoned sommeliers.
COOKING CLASSES & FOOD TOURS
La Cuisine Paris
80 Quai de l’Hôtel de Ville, 4th
Tel 01 40 51 78 18
www.lacuisineparis.com
La Cuisine Paris is a hands-on cooking and baking school in the heart of Paris founded by a Franco-American team Jane and Olivier. I’ve taken many of the classes here myself over the years, from French pastries to classical bistro dishes and even cocktail-making! They have a fully-packed schedule but the baking classes tend to fill up fast so book in advance. Classes are available in both French or English (most ranging from €75 per person to €165). They offer everything from short sessions and three-day master classes to French market visits (followed by a cooking class and lunch). Food tours without classes are also available. All materials are provided and wine is included with the meal. Just minutes away from Notre Dame, the Marais and the famous Hôtel de Ville, La Cuisine is in a spacious, three-floor facility including a top floor kitchen with views of the Seine. If you are looking for something special for your group, ask about creating a private event!
Le Foodist
59 rue Cardinal Lemoine, 5th
Tel 06 71 70 95 22
www.lefoodist.com
Fred, Amanda and Stéphane offer market-to-table cooking classes, pastry making courses, and food tours of Paris. Learn how to cook regional classics or pastries like macarons, check out a Latin Quarter food market, and discover their French Cooking Vacations in Provence and the Loire Valley. I learned how to make macarons with just the right texture, the origins of “cuisine nouveau” and why the French are so enamored with their sauces. They also have a vegetarian cooking class, a rarity in Paris!
Le Cordon Bleu
Food & Wine Workshops for Visitors: Hôtel de la Marine, 2 place de la Concorde, 8th
www.cordonbleu.edu/paris-hoteldelamarine/home/en
High-end cooking courses: 13-15 Quai André Citroën, 15th
www.cordonbleu.edu
Want to take cooking classes in the same legendary French cooking school as Audrey Hepburn’s character in the film Sabrina? Le Cordon Bleu offers both professional classes (in the original 15th arrondissement location) as well as casual classes (in the fancy new school at Place de la Concorde) from two hours to two days long with names like “The Art of Making Sauces and Jus”, “The Secrets of Eclairs”, “Traditional Bread Baking”, “The Secrets of Chocolate” and a demonstration, “The Art of Cooking like a Chef”. There are kids classes, wine tasting classes, and Master classes by renowned chefs, as well. Prices at Concorde range from €35 for demonstrations (with tastings) to €180 for gastronomic dinner with wine pairings. The day classes in the 15th start at €260, or €900 to €1800 for multi-day classes. Note that all classes are taught in French with an English interpreter. Class size is limited to 16 participants.
Pâtisserie à la Carte
9 rue Thimonnier, 9th
Tel 06 65 40 44 15
www.patisseriealacarte.com
This small French pastry work shop offers classes in croissants, macarons, tartes à la française, éclairs and pâte à choux. Open since 2013, their classes are taught exclusively in English by professional pastry chefs Séverine and Julie, with a maximum of six students per class. They also have a full day (€375) and 5-day Pastry Week workshop (€1500) with a maximum of four students per class, available once per month.
Cook’n with Class
6 rue Baudelique, 18th
Tel: 01 42 57 22 84
https://cooknwithclass.com
Eric Fraudeau’s school near Montmartre in the 18th arrondissement offers French cooking classes in English for all levels (even beginners) including baking, cooking, wine tasting and market tours. They also offer private cooking lessons on request.
Ecole de Cuisine Alain Ducasse
64, rue du Ranelagh, 16th
Tel: 01 44 90 91 00
www.ecolecuisine-alainducasse.com
Chef Alain Ducasse is one of the most famous French chefs in the world, with several Michelin-starred restaurants bearing his name. He has a professional cooking school in Paris, but for those looking to take more “leisurely” classes in English, he currently has a four-hour bistro cuisine course is €195, and a full day market and cooking workshop for €365. The selection of classes available is much larger if you can understand French — classes for healthy cooking, for kids and teens, and even wine tasting and coffee brewing (note that descriptions are ALL in English, but the classes are only in English if you click the “Classes in English” option under “themes).
Atéliers des Chefs
Four addresses in Paris
www.atelierdeschefs.fr
In French Only
Want to join “the locals”? Since 2005, the Atéliers des Chefs offers à la carte cooking classes of 30, 60, 90 or 120 minutes in a stylish, contemporary setting. Conveniently located in four locations around the city, including the Champs-Elysées, Hôtel de Ville and the Opéra, these ateliers have become the trendy place for 30-something professionals — as many men as women — to gather in a fun and informal atmosphere. All of the classes are hands on, so even if your French is rusty, all you have to do is copy what the chef if demonstrating. I can’t always follow French when it’s fast and in a noisy setting, but the other participants gave me a hand. Afterwards the group eats the meal together. The ateliers are also cookware shops, selling all of the latest kitchen gadgets. Reserve online as early as possible; the 30-minute lunch classes, at just €17, fill up fast! The two-hour classes are €76.
Lenôtre Ecole de Cuisine et Pâtisserie
10bis Quai Henri IV, 5th
Tel 08 11 65 66 56
lenotre.com
In French Only
The well-known gourmet caterer Lenôtre moved its cooking school onto a péniche on the Seine right across from Notre Dame Cathedral, offering a regular schedule of high-end cooking and pastry classes for experienced “amateurs” (€120-180), but only in French at the moment (check their schedule, it changes).
Paris Vegan Tours
Vegan Tourist Map: https://www.instagram.com/vegantouristparis
For tours, book online using these links: https://vegantourist.fr/fr/
Bringing fun and enthusiasm to the rapidly-evolving Paris vegan scene, your guide Franck is best known as the creator of the Vegan Tourist Map (in French and English), an old-school printed map that wonderfully guides you to the best vegan spots, categorized from bakeries to gourmet dining. He conducts three-hours tours of vegan Paris, one focusing on street food, the other on pastries. The tours are bilingual English and French, so you can also practice your French without worrying about getting totally lost (they can also be privatized on request). Franck hosts regular social events as well, from game nights to vegan disco fest, which you can find listed on his Instagram feed.
Allison Zinder – Gastronomy Guide & Culinary Edicator
Email: contact@allisonzinder.com
www.allisonzinder.com
Allison, an American living in France since 1995, trained in Angers to become a professional chef, then worked in restaurants throughout the country before landing in Paris in 2007, where she began teaching students in culinary arts and food hospitality in both the French and American universities. A born storyteller, she started her own company giving private tours to share her love and knowledge of French gastronomy and wine through market tours, behind-the-scenes visits to Rungis, and presentations on French food history — perfect for demanding foodies who want to really take a culinary deep dive!
Chez Loulou Cheese Workshops
Email: louloufrance@gmail.com
www.chezlouloufrance.blogspot.com
Jennifer Greco arrived in Paris in 2015 after spending nearly a decade living in the southwest region of Languedoc-Roussillon and then the Calvados department in lower Normandy, where she blogged about regional foods and wines, especially cheese! She now shares her vast knowledge through her cheese and wine workshops. Comfortably seated in a Parisian wine shop, these 2.5-3 hour tastings include 10-12 French cheeses paired with 4-5 wines (and/or other drinks). You’ll learn everything from how to choose the your cheese with confidence, how to pair it, and even the proper way to cut it. You can either join one of the weekly workshops for up to eight participants, or book a private group tasting.
WINE TASTING & TOURS
Learning about and enjoying fine wine is a hobby in most countries; in France it’s a way of life. Those with a limited knowledge of wine tasting will find no better place than Paris to pick up a few essential lessons, while seasoned wine connoisseurs will find unlimited opportunities for enjoying the finest vintages from France and all over the world. In addition to wine classes, many wine shops hold regular dégustations (wine tasting) on Saturdays, often with the grower present if it’s from a small or independent domain.
O-Château
01 44 73 97 80 or from France toll-free 0 800 801 148
www.o-chateau.com
The irreverent sommelier Olivier Magny is no wine snob. That’s not to say he doesn’t take his wine seriously; he simply refuses to believe that wine tasting has to be a solemn, boring affair. His team conducts tastings with three or seven wines – a mix of reds and whites – in his wine bar in the center of Paris, as well as wine tasting dinners, Champagne cruises on the Seine, and vineyard tours outside Paris. All of O-Château’s events are conducted in English for a predominantly international clientele, from €25 – €325.
Paris Wine Walks
Email pariswinewalks@gmail.com
Tel 06 69 22 33 87
www.paris-wine-walks.com
Geoffrey S. Finch is an expat wine expert, author and teacher, with extensive experience in guiding wine and gastronomic tours throughout Europe. His Paris Wine Walks is about “sharing personal stories, sharing wine, sharing bread, sharing food. It’s about Paris, its vineyards, its wine history, its medieval quarters, its people, its wines.” He offers many options throughout Paris from €65-€95/person, a three-vineyard cycling tour for €105, and private tours on request.
Secret Wine Door
3 Rue Bouchut, 15th
Tel 06 73 85 11 50
www.secretwinedoor.com
Erwan opened his Secret Wine Door in 2019 to host casual, small-group tastings with never more than 10 people in the 15th arrondissement. The 2-hour wine, Champagne, and cheese tastings are just €65. All tastings in English (other languages possible).
Wine Tasting In Paris
14 rue des Boulangers, 5th
Tel: 06 76 93 32 88
www.wine-tasting-in-paris.com
Wine tasting in Paris is located on the Left Bank in the Latin Quarter near the Jardin des Plantes. They offer wine tastings for €72, walk and wine tours for €95, and wine & cheese pairings from €59, all in English. They can also arrange for connoisseur tastings for those who are looking for something exceptional (budget according to the wines chosen).
Legrand Filles & Fils
Tel 01 42 60 07 12 12
Galerie Vivienne or 1 Rue de la Banque, 2nd
www.caves-legrand.com
Generally in French
Legrand opened in 1919 as a spice shop, and expanded into the wine industry in the 1960s, specializing in hard-to-find wines from small domains. The original shop and its 1880 façade on Rue de la Banque still carries gourmet food products, but through the back passageway visitors will see the wine shop has taken over both sides of the lovely Galerie Vivienne (one of Paris’s historic covered shopping passages) with an accessories and gift boutique across from the Espace Dégustation (don’t call it a wine bar). Stop by anytime for a selection of wines by the glass with plates of cheese and cold meats, or sign up for one of their many events, tastings, wine dinners or classes (€65-€190 depending on the vintage). Most of the tastings can also be explained in English, but call or stop by to confirm if you don’t understand any French.
Le M. Musée du Vin
5 square Dickens, Rue des Eaux, 16th, M° Passy
Tel 01 45 25 70 89
https://www.lemparis.com
Located in an exceptional setting near the Eiffel Tower, the Musée du Vin was built in the ancient limestone quarries mined between the 13th and 18th centuries to provide the stone to build Paris. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Friars of the Minimes Monastery used the location to store the wine they made in the vineyards that used to occupy the land surrounding the museum. Today it’s a museum (see my writeup here), with exhibits creatively set up in the maze of tunnels, and a restaurant. The “dégustation” wine-tasting classes are €75 (or €140 for two people), and there are also pairing classes (like wine and chocolate) open to individuals on weekends, but only in English on request.
WINE FESTIVALS
Vineyards in Paris may be few and far in between, but they sure know how to celebrate the annual Grape Harvest Festival. The best-known is the Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre, which takes place for several days with parades, grape stomping, live music and more around the Clos Montmartre vineyard (corner of Rue des Saules and Rue St-Vincent, 18th) on the second weekend in October. You can purchase a bottle of the Clos Montmartre only at the Syndicate d’Initiative de Montmartre (21 Place du Tertre, 18th) or from the wine cellar of the Mairie of the 18th (Place Jules Joffrin), with the funds going to community organizations.
The annual Beaujolais Nouveau Festival, on the third Thursday of November, is a celebration welcoming the first wine of the year, Beaujolais Nouveau. Since the 1960s it’s been celebrated around the world with much fanfare as everyone races to serve the new wine first. A wise man once said that the arrival of the Beaujolais Nouveau is like the arrival of a new baby. When it comes, you don’t worry about whether it’s smart or good looking, you celebrate because it’s arrived.
The point is to enjoy the Beaujolais Nouveau and wait until the morning to decide whether it was worth it or not. If you’re lucky enough to be in Paris, park yourself at the nearest wine bar and you’ll be guaranteed a good time (if not a good wine)! My favorite place to celebrate is in the heart of Montmartre at the Auberge de La Bonne Franquette (corner of 2 rue de Saules and 18 rue Rustique, 18th). The video below is from a 2010 Beaujolais Nouveau evening of good food, good wine, and good company (Secrets of Paris Correspondent Bryan Pirolli, Paris by Mouth Editor Meg Zimbeck, Food Writer Barbra Austin, and Bonjour Paris editor Sadie Nachtigal). Okay, maybe we had a bit too much wine…
WINE FAIRS
Wine fairs (foires and salons) are the ideal places to test and purchase wines direct from growers from around the world. After paying a small entrance fee (and sometimes even receiving your own personal wine glass), you’re free to browse the stands to sample different wines. Some stands are simple affairs run by the growers themselves, others are big and flashy stands sponsored by familiar names like Moët-Chandon.
There are often food stands and entertainment as well, making it a nice day out. There are many events throughout the year, but the two biggest ones for wine open to the general public are the Foire de Paris (the largest fair in Paris , not just for wine; www.foiredeparis.fr) for two weeks end of April/beginning of May, and the Salon des Vins des Vignerons Indépendants (Independent Wine Growers, www.vigneron-independant.com), which takes place twice yearly at the end of November and end of March.
Warning: If you’re there to shop, use those buckets (to spit out the wine), or else you may find by the end of the day that you can hardly tell the difference between a glass of Cabernet and a glass of grape juice!