Hands-On Cooking Class in the Heart of Les Batignolles, Paris

This is a rare Paris experience where you do not just watch a chef work. You enter Catalina and Brian’s home in Les Batignolles, learn useful French cooking methods, prepare a three-course meal, and then sit down with your hosts to eat it. The menu centers on dishes such as ratatouille, seasonal chicken cordon bleu, and chocolate fondant.

I like the small group size, capped at six, because it gives you real time at the counter rather than a distant view of a demonstration. I also like the personal touch: Catalina brings Colombian roots and international experience to classic French cooking, while Brian helps with conversation and local Paris suggestions.

The main consideration is the setting. This is a home-based class, not a polished cooking school, so you should be comfortable sharing a private space with other diners and with dogs in the house. At $193.50 per person, it is a significant meal expense, but it includes instruction, food, coffee, and a social evening.

Key Points at a Glance

• Cook in Les Batignolles: Meet Catalina and Brian in their Paris home, in a neighborhood with cafés, shops, a church, and a park nearby.
• Learn before you cook: The class begins with knife skills and French culinary techniques that you use during the meal preparation.
• Prepare three courses: The planned menu includes a starter, main course, and dessert, with seasonal changes to the main dish.
• Keep the group intimate: No more than six people take part, making this a hands-on class rather than a watch-and-wait demonstration.
• Eat with your hosts: Once cooking ends, you share the meal around the table and finish with Colombian coffee.
• Bring your questions about Paris: Catalina and Brian offer tips on places to eat, visit, and explore during your stay.

Why This Paris Cooking Class Feels Personal

Many cooking classes in Paris take place in a commercial kitchen with a larger group and a set script. This one takes a different path. You arrive at a local home near 15 Rue Lamandé, receive a coffee and a welcome, then spend the afternoon cooking with the people who live there.

That setting changes the tone. You are not only learning how to make French food. You are also getting a look at how a Parisian household welcomes people from abroad. Conversations may range from food and family to neighborhoods, schools, cycling, and places to visit.

Catalina is the chef and instructor. Brian serves as host and sous chef, helping create the easygoing social side of the meal. Their combined role matters because the experience is designed as both a class and a shared table. If you want a quiet lesson with little conversation, this may feel too social. If you want to meet people and ask practical questions about Paris, it is a strong fit.

The maximum of six participants is one of the best features. A small group means you should have room to practice knife cuts, handle ingredients, ask questions, and take part in the actual cooking. You are not simply watching Catalina prepare everything while you hold a glass of wine.

Arriving in Les Batignolles at 11:00

The meeting point is listed at the Polish National School in Paris, at 15 Rue Lamandé in the 17th arrondissement. The activity begins at 11:00 a.m. and finishes back at the meeting point.

You may want to arrive a little early. Les Batignolles has the feel of a local neighborhood rather than a major sightseeing zone, with cafés, shops, a church, and a park close to the home. That makes the area useful for a short walk before class. One practical tip is to avoid scheduling a major museum or timed attraction immediately afterward. The stated duration is about three hours and 30 minutes, and a friendly meal can run on its own natural clock.

The location is near public transportation, which helps if you are staying elsewhere in Paris. The exact transport route is not specified, so check your route before leaving and allow enough time to find the meeting point.

Once inside, Catalina welcomes you with coffee and a friendly introduction. This opening is simple but important. It gives you time to settle in, meet the other participants, and understand how the afternoon will work before knives and pans appear.

Starting with Knife Skills and French Methods

The class begins with instruction rather than immediate cooking. Catalina covers knife skills and French culinary techniques, then puts those lessons to work in the dishes you prepare.

That order is useful for beginners. You learn the reason behind a cut or method before being asked to perform it. It also gives confident home cooks something practical to take away. The goal is not just to eat a good meal in Paris, but to return home with techniques you can use in your own kitchen.

The class is hands-on, so expect to participate in preparing all three courses. You may be chopping, assembling, cooking, and helping with presentation. The exact division of tasks can change with the group and the menu, but the format is active by design.

Do not expect a formal culinary diploma or a long technical lecture. This is a compact class tied to one meal. The value comes from learning within a real cooking session, where you can see how the ingredients come together and ask questions as you work.

The Starter: Catalina’s Ratatouille

The sample starter is Catalina’s ratatouille, a French classic that she has made a signature part of the class. Ratatouille is familiar to many people, but it is also a good teaching dish because it depends on careful preparation, seasoning, and handling of vegetables.

The dish gives Catalina room to explain French kitchen habits without turning the class into a lecture. You can watch how ingredients are cut, how flavors are built, and how a simple vegetable dish gains character through technique.

The menu description notes that this ratatouille is a student favorite and particularly photogenic. That is a small detail, but it tells you something about the class: presentation matters, and you will likely be encouraged to notice how the finished dish looks as well as how it tastes.

Menus can change, especially with the seasons. The ratatouille is presented as a reliable example rather than a guarantee that every visit will follow the same menu in every detail.

The Main Course: Seasonal Chicken Cordon Bleu

The main course is a seasonal version of chicken cordon bleu. Catalina keeps the classical French techniques but changes the flavor combination with the season.

That approach makes this more interesting than preparing a fixed recipe without context. You see how a familiar French dish can change while its basic method remains intact. It also means you should not assume the exact ingredients will be identical to the sample menu on your date.

The hands-on format is especially helpful here. Chicken cordon bleu involves several steps, and Catalina can show you how to manage them in the right order. The class gives you the chance to learn technique while preparing a dish substantial enough to serve as the center of the meal.

Some private dining experiences hosted by Catalina have included longer menus and dishes influenced by Colombia and Asia. For this particular experience, the published structure is a starter, main, and dessert, so you should treat those additional courses as examples of the hosts’ broader cooking style, not promised parts of every class.

Ending with Chocolate Fondant and Colombian Coffee

Dessert is fondant au chocolat, a classic French chocolate dessert. It is a fitting finish for a lesson that focuses on recognizable French dishes with a personal twist.

You prepare the dessert as part of the three-course meal, then sit down to eat once everything is ready. This shared meal is not a rushed tasting. The design allows time for conversation and for you to enjoy the food you helped make.

The final touch is coffee from Catalina’s native Colombia. It gives the afternoon a clear personal signature and adds a small cultural note beyond standard French cuisine. The experience begins with coffee and ends with coffee, but the closing cup is meant to be savored after the cooking and meal.

If you are hoping to learn enough to recreate the dishes at home, ask for the recipes and make notes during class. One particularly useful feature is that Catalina provides recipes for the dishes prepared. That makes the experience more than a pleasant meal that disappears from memory once you leave Paris.

French Technique with Colombian and International Influences

Catalina’s cooking reflects more than one culinary tradition. She is Colombian and has lived in Malaysia and France, and her cooking can include French methods alongside Colombian and Asian flavors.

That mix gives the class a broader personality. You may learn a French classic, then hear about ingredients or techniques from another part of the world. Past meals hosted in the home have included arepas, yuca, hogao, guacamole, Colombian coffee, Asian lettuce wraps, duck, and French-style desserts.

Again, those dishes are not the promised menu for this class. They do show the range of food Catalina and Brian enjoy serving, and they explain why dietary conversations and menu planning matter. Catalina has adapted meals for vegetarian diners, and she communicates about food choices before the event. If you have allergies, restrictions, or strong preferences, contact her in advance rather than waiting until the class begins.

The experience is especially appealing if you enjoy food as a way to understand people. You are not only learning a French recipe. You are hearing how a Colombian chef’s life in different countries shapes the food on the table.

The Social Side: A Meal with Catalina and Brian

The cooking ends with everyone sitting down to eat together. Catalina and Brian share the table, answer questions, and talk about Paris. That personal contact is one of the strongest reasons to book this instead of a standard group cooking lesson.

Brian has offered practical suggestions based on where diners were staying, including places to eat, see, and explore. He has also helped visitors shape a Paris itinerary, with suggestions ranging from a hilltop church and city views to a jazz club.

You should see this advice as a useful bonus, not a formal sightseeing tour. The hosts can point you toward ideas that fit your interests and location, but the activity does not include transport around Paris or guided visits to those places.

The social format also makes this a good choice for a first day in Paris. A relaxed meal in a local neighborhood can help you get oriented before you tackle the major sights. It will not replace seeing the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, or Montmartre, but it can give your trip a more personal beginning.

Families can enjoy the experience, including older children and teenagers who are willing to take part. It has also worked well for birthday celebrations, couples, friends, and solo diners. The small group means the mood depends partly on the other people booked that day, so keep that in mind if you prefer complete privacy.

Is $193.50 a Fair Price?

At $193.50 per person, this is not a budget cooking lesson. You are paying for more than ingredients and a recipe. The price covers about three and a half hours, professional instruction, a prepared three-course meal, coffee, and the chance to spend time in a private Paris home with a very small group.

For comparison, the value improves if you would otherwise book a separate cooking class and a good meal. You get both in one experience, plus recipes and local suggestions. The price is harder to justify if your main goal is simply to eat cheaply or if you already have several high-end meals planned.

The group limit helps support the cost. Six people is small enough for hands-on instruction and conversation, rather than a large class where your role may be limited. Couples and families may also appreciate the relaxed setting more than a busy restaurant.

I would treat this as a special occasion experience, a first-day activity, or a food-focused highlight. It is not the best choice for someone counting every euro, but it offers solid value if you care about personal contact and actually learning to cook.

Practical Details Before You Book

The experience is offered in English and uses a mobile ticket. Confirmation is sent at the time of booking. It starts at 11:00 a.m., lasts approximately three hours and 30 minutes, and ends at the starting point.

The group is limited to six people. Service animals are allowed, but there are dogs in the house, so this is not a good choice if you have a dog allergy or are uncomfortable around household pets.

Food preferences deserve advance attention. Catalina has worked with vegetarian diets, and she communicates with participants about food choices. Send clear information about your needs before the class so the menu can be planned properly.

Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time. Changes or cancellations made inside that window are not accepted for a refund.

Who Should Book This Experience?

I would recommend it most strongly to:

• Couples who want a shared food activity rather than another restaurant meal
• Families with teenagers who enjoy active, social experiences
• Solo diners who like meeting people in a small group
• Home cooks who want French techniques and recipes to take back home
• Visitors beginning a Paris stay who want local tips and a gentle introduction to the city
• Anyone interested in French food with Colombian and international influences

I would be more cautious if you want a private class just for your own group, dislike dogs, need a highly controlled cooking-school environment, or are mainly looking for the lowest possible meal price.

Should You Book the Les Batignolles Cooking Class?

Book it if you want to cook, eat, and talk with real people in a residential Paris setting. The combination of a six-person limit, Catalina’s instruction, Brian’s local advice, seasonal French dishes, and Colombian coffee gives the afternoon a clear personal character.

The strongest reason to choose it is the balance between learning and hospitality. You are not just watching a chef prepare food, and you are not just sitting through a private dinner. You take part in the meal, then enjoy it with the people who taught you.

At $193.50, it is a splurge. Still, for a three-and-a-half-hour experience that includes a meal, cooking instruction, recipes, and neighborhood insight, I think it can earn its place in a Paris itinerary, especially for a birthday, a first day in town, or a food-loving family.

FAQ

Where does the cooking class take place?

The meeting point is at the Polish National School in Paris, 15 Rue Lamandé, 75017 Paris. The cooking experience takes place in Catalina’s home in the Les Batignolles neighborhood.

What time does the activity begin?

The class starts at 11:00 a.m.

How long does the cooking experience last?

It lasts approximately three hours and 30 minutes.

What language is the class offered in?

The experience is offered in English.

How many people can join the class?

The activity has a maximum of six participants.

What food will be prepared?

The sample three-course menu includes ratatouille as the starter, a seasonal chicken cordon bleu as the main course, and fondant au chocolat for dessert. Menus may vary by season.

Is the class hands-on?

Yes. You learn knife skills and French culinary techniques, then take part in preparing the starter, main course, and dessert.

Are dietary preferences accommodated?

Catalina has worked with vegetarian diets and communicates about food choices before the experience. Contact her in advance with your requirements.

Are pets present, and are service animals allowed?

There are dogs in the house. Service animals are allowed, but people with dog allergies should be aware of the home setting.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start are not accepted for a refund.