Has anyone taken any of the cooking classes at the Ecole Ritz Escoffier in Paris.
I have looked at their website and cannot determine if the workshops are hands on or if they are demonstrations by the chefs. They are priced quite reasonably and I was hoping that they allow the attendees to do the cooking.

I knew a woman a few years ago who took a sabbatical between finishing law school and taking the bar exam and spent 7 months studying at Escoffier Ritz. She is now qualified as a sous chef.

"Participants cook a complete menu with a Chef including an appetizer, a main dish, and a dessert (the menu is chosen in advance)"

From their site, under "Culinary Workshop Formula 'Gourmet' 4 hours."

Sounds pretty hands on. Now I'm hungry after looking at their pictures.

I did one of their 1-hr. lunchtime cooking classes. The class was hands-on, although the cooking was divided among the 10 participants. Everything was extremely well-organized and lots of fun. Then, everybody eats (and drinks wine) together afterwards.

Even though the instruction only lasted an hour, we were surprised how much we learned. The kitchen we worked in was gorgeous (the kind of French kitchen you dream about)& the chef was very professional, but also good-natured with a great sense of humor. It was a real thrill to be a part of such a prestigious school, even if just for a few hours.

Thank you Magster2005-this info really helps make the decision.

I have, and it was fabulous! It's a bit of a moot point right now since the Ritz is closed for two years for renovations, but if you want to read about my experience, I blogged about it here: http://culinaryhopscotch.com/2010/02...ritz-escoffier. I would definitely recommend it when they open back up again, and I'm miffed I won't be able to take another class when I'm there in two weeks. Oh well...c'est la vie!