TDudette

What StCirq said. But I do understand what you mean, annhig. Lord knows what I would have purchased with my fractured French or Italian! Not to mention setting fire to the apartment trying to work unfamiliar appliances.

To each....

Michel_Paris

Location of markets

http://marches.equipements.paris.fr/

annhig

quod erat...

Tdudette - I've bought food in lots of places where I don't speak the language. pointing and smiling get you long way, and so what if you get it wrong occasionally. it's way cheaper than €160 pp!

kwren

another bookmark!

TDudette

Am not sure what was demonstrandum'ed, annhig, but I still think it would be great fun to shopm, cook and eat with someone local (and not so hugely expensive).

annhig

Am not sure what was demonstrandum'ed, annhig, but I still think it would be great fun to shopm, cook and eat with someone local (and not so hugely expensive).>>

>

tdudtette - i agree that it wold be fun to do these things, and i did them in Florence, but it was €30, not €130+++ if you can find a tour for a more reasonable price, then fine, but I think that a lot of them are rip-offs.

TPaxe

There is also Paris Greeters who are volunteers who live in Paris and know their neighborhoods very well. They show visitors around markets and gourmet shops for free! but it's nice to give them gratuity. They do an excellent job, very passionate, speak very good English and also we have had the pleasure of being invited back to the homes with the goodies we bought from the markets.

www.parisiendunjour.fr

We in turn, then had the pleasure of inviting them to their local secret neighborhood restauant for a meal later in our stay.

Excellent service!

TPaxe

Just to add to our experince with Paris Greeters, the local person was very knowledgeable with food laws, seasonal produce, knew the vendors very well (like their family) as they shop there frequently so we were welcomed very warmly. They explained the history of foods, cheeses, regulations of the food industry in France and plenty of tastings along the way which would have amounted to E25 per person, plus a bottle of wine! and left over for our apartment rental later.

annhig

thanks, TPaxe, for reminding me about the Paris Greeters. I had read about them before [here, possibly] but had forgotten.

Gekko

Wendy Lyn's culinary tour was fantastic! We met two M.O.F. chefs and learned more than we'll ever remember.

The Wall Street Journal named Ms. Lyn as one of the top ten culinary guides in Europe, and for good reason.

I'm sure because of her success she has made some enemies, and one certainly can't please every tourist on a budget.

http://www.thepariskitchen.com/

toupary6

I am sorry, but I have to agree with StCirq and annhig (and taking into consideration the experience of TPaxe's friend). I have a strong feeling that WendyLyn has mastered the major movement of the century -- self-promotion! Five years of living in Paris, meeting lots of tourists, and this is the first I've ever heard of her.

I'm willing to be proven wrong.

Gekko

Hearsay ignored, I did not find Ms. Lyn to be a self-promoter.

Prior to starting her business in Paris, she worked with the best chefs in the world. She is personal friends with Eric Ripert, Guy Savoy, and just about every recognized chef in Paris. She made a quick phone call to Daniel Rose and secured a reservation for my wife & myself at Spring for the next night.

At Spring, Chef Rose spoke very highly of Ms. Lyn.

During our Paris Kitchen tour, we met Le Comptoir's Yves Camdeborde and he told us multiple times how much he respected Ms. Lyn. He joined us for a glass of wine.

Finally, we met Chef Thierry Breton of Chez Michel later during our stay in Paris. We mentioned Wendy Lyn to him and he said he is good friends with her and loves her work at The Paris Kitchen.

Like I said, I suspect there is some professional jealousy amongst all the various food "experts" in Paris. Wendy Lyn is the rare real deal.

http://www.thepariskitchen.com/categ...nd-food-walks/

Strawberry_fields

I may be a bit too late here, but just wanted to add one more option for you: Ooh La La Foods -which offer both Cooking Classes (going to the market, preparing the different dishes with the chef, and enjoying a traditional full meal) and French food tasting, if you're more interested in learning about French cuisine and trying different dishes rather than learning how to cook them.

http://www.paris-cooking-class.com/french-food-tasting/

I hope you have a great time in Paris!

DebitNM

ttt

celini67

Travelers beware ... Regarding Wendy Lyn's (The Paris Kitchen) walking tour: I booked her tour for my husband and myself. It was our first day in Paris and we stood in the designated spot waiting for Wendy Lyn to arrive. After 45 minutes of waiting, I started to cry. I sent her an email telling her how cruel I thought that was. "Wendy Lyn" responded to my messages stating that she had fallen ill and had sent me a message notifying me - I just had not received it. She seemed sincere and promised to refund my payment of $496.85. That was October 31 and it is now December 7 - she has not refunded my money and has not responded to my 2 recent emails requesting my refund. I feel taken advantage of and the victim of a scam.

janisj

Welcome to Fodors. It isn't going to help you posting that here -- post it on her facebook page . . .

(Crying - really? Maybe it was the jetlag?)

Christina

I think you can be on edge a lot when you have paid a lot for something, have anticipated it, and then are exhausted after a long flight, etc. Do you think she is lying, Janis, about crying? People post comments about things, same as reviews, I don't know why it wouldn't help as much here as anywhere, someone else might read this thread and about that person, so now this is another comment.

annhig

That was October 31 and it is now December 7 - she has not refunded my money and has not responded to my 2 recent emails requesting my refund. I feel taken advantage of and the victim of a scam.>>

did you pay by credit card? ask your c/c company to refund you. You have the evidence from your text/e-mail trail re her being ill so there should be no problem. We had this happen to us on our last day in Oz when we booked a day's sailing that didn't happen for some specious reason. Despite my numerous texts and e-mails the promised refund never materialised until I complained to the c/c company, then hey presto, the money magically arrived in my account from the trader.

it may not remove the feelings of being taking advantage of but your bank account will feel healthier.

pariswat

Bank.
Cc opposition
Promise you'll write a bad review everywhere.

fuzzbucket

Wendy Lyn might be too busy to answer your emails or phone calls. She is very strict about how her clients should behave while on the tours (including what they should eat and how their food should be cooked) and her website includes info about her policy on refunds, which isn't generous. I know 4 people who have gone on her tours, and just chalked it up to a less-than-wonderful experience.

It is possible that she intends to refund your money, but many times with French banks, this could take a couple of months.
In the meantime, I suggest you go directly to your credit card company and report fraud. Give them all the pertinent information and let them handle it. You might have enough grounds to get your money back.

If you write reviews, it is best to be objective and leave out the part about the crying or how tired you were, etc. To say you were not met as planned, did not receive the tour you paid for, and have not been reimbursed would be enough. Otherwise, your review might be taken as vindictive and might not be allowed on most websites.

As far as why some people don't like to do their own research and make up their own tours - many don't speak French, don't know anything about French products, are overwhelmed by the choices and intimidated by salesmen, even if they do speak English. In addition, some people just enjoy the added entertainment value if the guide is a good one, as well as meeting other people in the group and discussing and sharing the products that were bought during the tour. Some people think this is a nice way to spend several hours, and think that the average fee of 75 EU is money well-spent for a light lunch and the chance to learn more about French food and culture.