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The 7 Best New York City Cooking Classes of 2021
- Best Overall: International Culinary Center
- Best for Beginners: City Cooking West End
- Best for Pizza Lovers: Pizza School NYC
- Best for Entertaining: Murray’s Cheese
- Best for Date Night: Eataly
- Best for Cultural Exploration: League of Kitchens
- Best for Dessert Lovers: Mille-Feuille Bakery
Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), in-person classes may be limited or unavailable. It’s best to call ahead to ensure the availability of classes. For concerns about safety, please consult your primary care physician.
Best Overall : International Culinary Center
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International Culinary Center
If you're seriously looking to raise your cooking game, the International Culinary Center's one-day classes are an ideal choice. Not only will you learn in the space where Bobby Flay, David Chang, and Christina Tosi graduated, but you'll gain an in-depth knowledge of different types of cuisine in hands-on classes.
Under the guidance of successful chefs, you’ll learn to make multiple dishes from start to finish on your own. There’s a class for whatever you desire, including Mexican seafood dishes, handmade pasta, the basics of sushi, handmade doughnuts and fritters, chocolate truffles and treats, and even one on how to make your own New York-style bagels. The International Culinary Center even offers a gluten-free baking course catered to your needs if you have dietary restrictions.
Not in the mood for food? The International Culinary Center has wine classes where you can learn how to describe its flavors accurately.
Whether you’re a beginner or more advanced, you’ll walk away from these classes with some excellent new skills. Each lesson typically costs $195 per person and is four hours long.
Best for Beginners : City Cooking West End
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City Cooking West End
Does it ever feel like cooking is a chore? Do you skip over recipes that require you to cut up multiple vegetables just because that step alone will take you an hour? One of the most essential skills in cooking is learning how to wield a knife properly. Knowing how to chop, dice, and julienne with confidence will cut your prep time in half.
City Cooking West End offers a two-hour Knife Skills 101 class taught by professional chefs with years of restaurant experience. You’ll learn about different types of knives and proper cutting techniques, all while you help prepare a mouthwatering meal to enjoy at the end of class.
Once you've practiced and mastered the techniques learned in the 101 course, the school also offers a 102 class for more advanced cutting techniques, so you can continue your journey in conquering the kitchen. Classes for Knife Skills 101 start at $95.
Best for Pizza Lovers : Pizza School NYC
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Pizza School NYC
There’s nothing like a cheesy, saucy slice of pizza in New York City. The expert pizzaiolo at Pizza School NYC will teach you everything you need to know to make pizza from scratch.
In the four-hour workshop, you'll learn how to make homemade dough, homemade sauce, and how to prep toppings—with both meat and vegetarian options. You'll also gain the proper technique for mixing and stretching the dough so that you can make the perfect, even crust. The instructors (who are passionate about all things pizza) will even show you how to get the most out of your home oven for that restaurant-quality crunch.
The great thing about this class is that you have the option to work with a partner as a team, so it’s a fun opportunity to bond—and an excuse to make pizza at home with friends. You’ll be able to prep four pizzas, eat some at the end of the class, and take the rest home with you.
While drinks aren’t included, you can buy soda, wine, and beer onsite to pair with your finished pies.
There's also the option to buy reasonably priced pizza kits that contain everything you need to continue honing your skills at home.
Best for Entertaining : Murray’s Cheese
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Murray's Cheese
If your goal is to become the ultimate host, you've got to get your cheese plate game on point. A stop at the mecca of delicious food, Murray's Cheese, is an absolute must. Cheese enthusiasts will adore the array of classes at Murray's, with options for entertaining, as well as learning how to make your own cheese at home.
For entertaining, the hour-and-a-half cheese pairing classes are a standout. You’ll sample red, white, and dessert wines from around the world and learn how to pair them with the right cheeses so that the flavors are enhanced. The class also teaches the fundamentals of serving different types of cheeses.
In addition to their general wine and cheese pairing class, Murray's also offers more specific, regional classes on Italian, French, and Mediterranean wine and cheese. And if you're not a fan of wine? No worries. They've got you covered with a class on beer and cheese pairings.
For those looking for more of an intensive learning experience, Murray's offers a Boot Camp for cheese lovers where they can spend a weekend learning about cheese. Class prices start at $60 and increase from there. Here’s to being a great host without getting your hands—or kitchen—dirty.
Best for Date Night : Eataly
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Eataly
Looking for a special night on the town? Eataly's classes are a great option for a date night that includes a luxurious evening of dinner and wine. In the food chain's two-hour classes, you'll learn how to make fresh pasta dough and fillings for each pillow of perfection. Choose from courses like hands-on Italian desserts, baked winter pastas, a Neopolitan pizza workshop, and more.
With Eataly being the home of all things Italian, you’ll get expert instruction that will help you continue making fresh pasta at home. Much of the restaurant chain's classes are demonstration-based, so you’ll get to relax and observe while the instructor does the hard work—which also means no chance for disagreements between you and your date.
Then comes the fun part: You get to shape and fill the pasta you handcrafted. The class will end with you both enjoying two courses that are expertly paired with complimentary wine. It’s a stress-free, useful class that’s sure to leave you with a full belly and a nice buzz. Classes start at $65 per person and increase from there.
Best for Cultural Exploration : League of Kitchens
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League of Kitchens
Nothing beats eating grandma’s food, so why not learn to cook with grandmas from around the world? At League of Kitchens, that’s precisely what you get to do.
Grandmas from Iraq, Iran, Uzbekistan, Greece, Japan, and more teach you how to make authentic dishes from their countries of origin. It's not only a great way to learn about different cultures, but an exciting opportunity to add new dishes to your home-cooking routine. Plus, you'll get to learn from grandmas in their own homes.
There are four- to five-hour immersion workshops that include a small lunch, three hours of hands-on instruction, a beverage, a final meal, recipes, and a shopping list that you get to take home. There are also shorter classes with one-and-a-half-hour hands-on instruction and one light meal.
On the League of Kitchens' website, you'll find information about the grandmas teaching each course. It's an excellent chance to get to know and support grandmas from different cultures—or maybe get a taste of your own roots. Not to mention, it's also the perfect place to meet other students who share your taste for world cuisine. Classes start at $135 per person and increase from there.
Best for Dessert Lovers : Mille-Feuille Bakery
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Mille-Feuille Bakery
Owned by a Paris-trained pastry chef, this Greenwich Village bakery serves up a slew of decadent sweet treats. Since 2012, Mille-Feuille Bakery has been sharing its secrets with students who take its macaron classes. The bakery makes it easy to learn how to create stunning, colorful cookie-like pastries.
Classes are two- to two-and-a-half hours-long and taught by a French-born pastry chef. The best part? You'll be making your own macarons with only eight people in each class, so you'll get plenty of personal attention from the chef instructor. By the end, you'll be able to ensure your technique is on-point thanks to the one-on-one nature of the course.
Mille-Feuille Bakery also encourages you to take the class with a friend for social types, offering discounts on two-seat bookings. You’ll each leave the course with two dozen macarons—though they can't guarantee they'll all be there past the subway ride home. Classes start at $135 per person.
FAQs
What Is a Cooking Class?
A cooking class is an in-person event where you can learn various cooking techniques or regional cooking styles from a professional chef. You may choose a cooking class specific to a region, such as French or Italian cooking, or choose one based on a particular technique you'd like to learn, such as desserts, baking, or making items such as pizza or pasta.
How Long Are Cooking Classes?
Most cooking classes have a prep period, followed by the actual cooking process led by a chef. After, you'll sit down and enjoy the meal as a class. Many classes allow you to bring a drink of your choice to enjoy with the meal. Classes last two to four hours, depending on the topic area.
Are There Virtual Options for Cooking Classes?
While the options in this article are focused on in-person classes, some of the companies, such as City Cooking West End and Eataly, offer online classes as well.
How We Chose the Best New York City Cooking Classes
We chose the best cooking classes based on a variety of criteria, including those that offer dessert cooking, entertaining at home options, and even vegan cooking classes.
For example, we chose Mille-Feuille for its pastry cooking classes and chose Murray's Cheese for entertaining at home classes.