Paris Cooking Class with Ferrandi chef at Galeries Lafayette

The best part of this Galeries Lafayette class is that you do not simply watch a chef cook. You work in a professional kitchen, prepare a classic French dish, and then eat it at the end. Depending on the date, you might make duck breast, sea bream, risotto, chicken cordon bleu, or poultry blanquette.

I like the small six-person group, which gives you a clear view of the chef and room to ask questions. I also like the practical finish: you plate the food, sit down with the chef, and enjoy the meal with a glass of wine. The main drawback is the price, about $156 per person, which is high for a two-hour class, even with lunch included.

Key points at a glance

• Hands-on cooking at Galeries Lafayette: You prepare the dish instead of sitting through a simple demonstration.
• Seasonal French menus: Recipes change, with duck, fish, risotto, poultry, and other dishes appearing at different times of year.
• Only six participants: The small group makes it easier to see the work and get personal help.
• A meal and wine included: You eat the food you prepared in classic French fashion.
• English and French instruction: The class works well for English speakers, including mixed-language groups.
• Useful take-home skills: You receive recipes and, according to class details, an apron used during the session.

Cooking French food inside Galeries Lafayette Haussmann

This is a city-center cooking class with an unusual setting. You meet at 35 Boulevard Haussmann, inside the famous Galeries Lafayette department store. The location makes the class easy to combine with shopping, sightseeing, or a visit to the grand department store’s famous interior.

The class begins at 11:30 a.m. and lasts about two hours. You should arrive 5 to 10 minutes early. If you arrive more than 10 minutes late, you can be refused entry, so this is not an activity to schedule tightly between two distant Paris appointments.

The kitchen is a proper training space rather than a makeshift counter in a shop. One class member described it as a well-appointed, beautiful windowed kitchen. That matters because you can see the chef’s work, move through the steps, and focus on cooking without the cramped feel of a casual food demonstration.

You will be part of a maximum six-person group. That limit is one of the strongest reasons to consider this class. In a larger group, a chef may prepare most of the dish while you watch from the back. Here, you have a better chance to handle ingredients, ask about technique, and get help when something looks uncertain.

A seasonal menu, not a fixed recipe

The menu changes with the season, so you choose the date partly by choosing the dish. The published examples give you a useful idea of the class style.

On Wednesdays at 11:30 a.m., the menu may feature chicken cordon bleu with mushrooms. From April through June, Wednesday and Saturday sessions may instead focus on poultry blanquette with green beans, carrots, and mushrooms. This is traditional French home cooking with a polished finish, and it gives you practice with a white sauce, vegetables, and careful cooking of poultry.

From July through September, Friday classes may center on sea bream fillet with potatoes and turnips. Fish requires a different touch from chicken or duck. You will likely pay closer attention to cooking time, seasoning, and keeping the fillet tender. The menu also includes a spring risotto with green asparagus and peas on Fridays from April through June.

Duck breast and other seasonal dishes are also part of the class program. One duck-focused session covered how to make the most of every ingredient and how to emphasize flavor. The cooking style is not just about following a recipe. You learn why the ingredients are treated in a particular way.

Since the menu may change, check the dish attached to your chosen date before booking. A person hoping for fish may not want a poultry class, while a home cook eager to learn a French sauce may prefer the blanquette or cordon bleu session.

What the two hours are really like

The class is organized around one emblematic French dish. The chef explains the recipe, demonstrates techniques, and has you work through the preparation. The exact tasks depend on the menu, but the focus is on the methods that make the dish work.

Expect instruction on seasoning, timing, sauces, vegetables, and presentation. One particularly useful lesson involved preparing a white sauce, a basic French technique that many home cooks have never attempted. Another session included advice on capturing flavor from all the ingredients rather than treating them as background parts of the plate.

You will also get guidance on plating. This is a worthwhile touch because presentation changes how a simple dish feels when it reaches the table. The class does not stop when the food is cooked. You learn how to arrange it in a restaurant-style manner, then sit down and eat what you made.

The teaching style seems friendly and encouraging. Chefs named in class feedback include Gerard, Gerald, Eric, Elisa, and Elise. The names vary by session, so you should not assume a particular instructor will teach your date. The consistent point is that the chef takes questions, explains the small details, and helps you recover if a step does not go as planned.

One family described the chef as supportive and engaging, while another participant appreciated clear help with dietary needs. That does not mean every possible dietary request can be met, so you should raise your needs when booking or before the class begins.

Bilingual instruction and a comfortable pace

The class is offered in English and French. This is useful for an English-speaking visitor, but it also allows mixed-language groups to cook together. In one small class, the chef comfortably taught in both languages while French-speaking participants worked alongside English speakers.

You should still be ready for some natural back-and-forth between languages. A bilingual class may not feel like a private English lesson from start to finish. The six-person limit helps, since the chef can repeat or clarify a technique without losing too much time.

The class suits a broad range of ability. You do not need to be an experienced cook. At the same time, it should not feel too basic if you already cook at home. The menu gives you useful French techniques, and the chef can explain why a step matters rather than simply telling you what to do.

I would especially recommend it to couples, parents with older children, and friends who want an activity more memorable than a standard restaurant meal. It also works for solo participants, though the social feel depends on who else books the date.

Children must be at least 12 years old, and anyone under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. The class is not designed as a young children’s activity, but a food-loving teenager could get real value from it.

The meal at the end is part of the appeal

After the preparation, you taste the finished dish on the spot. A glass of wine is included, creating the rhythm of a French lunch rather than a class that ends as soon as the stove is turned off. Soda is not included.

The meal is also a useful test of what you learned. You can see if the seasoning is balanced, if the meat is cooked as intended, and if the sauce has the right texture. One participant felt the duck was cooked less than preferred, which is a fair reminder that French cooking may use different expectations for meat than you do at home.

That point is worth considering before you book a duck class. The teaching may emphasize flavor and the proper technique rather than cooking meat to every diner’s personal preference. If you prefer well-done meat, mention it to the chef, but the final preparation may follow the dish’s intended style.

The dining portion is not a separate restaurant lunch with a long menu. It is the meal you prepared, served with wine and shared with the chef and the small group. I see that as a strength if you want a complete experience. If you mainly want a leisurely meal, a Paris restaurant will give you more time and choice for less money.

What you take home

The most useful souvenir is the recipe. You can recreate the dish at home without needing a restaurant kitchen or rare equipment. Several participants valued the fact that the finished food was sophisticated but not too complicated to make again.

You may also receive the apron used during the class. That is a pleasant extra, though the real value is the technique. The chef’s advice on sauces, flavor, cooking times, and plating can carry over to many other meals.

If you plan to cook for friends after returning home, bring a way to note small tips. The printed recipe should guide you, but the best details may be the chef’s comments about when to season, how to judge doneness, or how to arrange the food on the plate.

Is $156 a fair price?

At about $156 per person, this is not a budget lunch. You are paying for the chef, the professional kitchen, the ingredients, the small group, instruction, wine, and the meal itself. The experience lasts only around two hours, so the price per hour is high.

The value improves if you would otherwise spend money on both a good lunch and a separate cooking activity. One participant considered the class a good bargain compared with the cost of a pleasant Paris restaurant meal for two. That calculation will depend on your restaurant plans, but it is a sensible way to assess the price.

The small group is important to the value. Six people gives you far more contact with the chef than a large workshop. The class also offers something a restaurant cannot: you learn how to make the dish and take the method home.

Still, you should not book this expecting a full culinary school course. Two hours is enough for one focused recipe, a meal, and several useful techniques. It is not enough for a broad survey of French cuisine or extensive practice with several dishes.

One French participant felt similar classes could be found for less money. That is a reasonable warning. You pay a premium for the central Galeries Lafayette location, the compact class, the professional kitchen, and the Ferrandi connection. If your main goal is the cheapest possible cooking lesson, this is not the obvious choice.

Planning your visit

The class meets at 35 Boulevard Haussmann and is near public transportation. Give yourself extra time to find the correct area inside the large department store. The meeting point is also the end point, so you do not need to arrange a separate return journey.

The 11:30 a.m. start makes this a lunchtime activity. You should avoid eating a large breakfast, since you will cook and then sit down to a substantial dish. The guidance also asks participants to avoid too much fat, sugar, and salt for health reasons.

Book ahead if your schedule depends on a certain menu. The class is often reserved well in advance, with an average booking lead time of about 54 days. The small capacity and seasonal schedule make last-minute availability less certain.

The organizer can cancel if the minimum number of participants is not reached. If that happens, you receive a full refund or may be offered another date or experience. You can cancel for a full refund if you do so at least 24 hours before the start time. Later cancellations and changes are not accepted.

Who should book this class?

I would choose this experience if you want to learn one French dish well, enjoy a small group, and value instruction as much as the meal. It is a particularly good fit for someone who collects recipes, wants to improve basic technique, or hopes to recreate a Paris meal at home.

It is also a strong choice for a parent and teenager, since the minimum age is 12 and under-16 participants must have an adult with them. Couples and families can work together without committing to a full-day cooking school.

I would hesitate if you dislike scheduled activities, need a guaranteed menu, or find $156 too much for a short class. I would also check the date carefully if you have strict dietary limits or strong preferences about meat being fully cooked.

Should you book it?

Book this class if you want a polished, hands-on introduction to French cooking with a chef, a small group, and lunch included. The strongest features are the personal instruction, the professional kitchen, the bilingual format, and the chance to eat the dish you prepared.

Skip it if your priority is low cost or a long, wide-ranging culinary course. For the right person, though, the class gives you more than a meal. You leave with a recipe, a few solid French techniques, and a practical souvenir you can use in your own kitchen.

FAQ

Where does the cooking class meet?

The class begins at 35 Boulevard Haussmann, 75009 Paris, France, at Galeries Lafayette Haussmann. The activity ends at the same meeting point.

What time does the class start?

The class starts at 11:30 a.m. You should arrive 5 to 10 minutes early, since entry may be refused after a delay of more than 10 minutes.

How long does the class last?

The experience lasts approximately two hours.

Is the cooking class taught in English?

Yes. The class is offered in English and French. It can include bilingual instruction when English-speaking and French-speaking participants attend together.

What dishes might I prepare?

Menus vary by season and date. Examples include chicken cordon bleu with mushrooms, poultry blanquette with green beans, carrots, and mushrooms, sea bream with potatoes and turnips, and risotto with green asparagus and peas. Duck dishes and other seasonal recipes may also be offered.

Is wine included?

Yes. Alcoholic beverages are included, including a glass of wine to enjoy while cooking and eating. Soda is not included.

Can children take the class?

The minimum age is 12. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start are not accepted for a refund. If the organizer cancels because the minimum number is not reached, you can receive a full refund or choose another offered option.