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ONE-DAY PROGRAMS IN PARIS Cooking and Baking Classes, Wine Tastings, Gourmet Tours, Cultural Visits |
Versailles is one of the most beautiful and elegant city in Paris surburbs, only 30mn distance from the Eiffel Tower station by direct train. Your holidays in Paris must include a one-day excursion to the site, reputed for its 17th century royal chateau which is France largest. Versailles is also reputed for its amazing lifestyle, and the gastronomy is a part of it. Aside to a cultural afternoon visit, book now our exclusive culinary program that includes the food market tour with our chef, the hands-on cooking class, and the tasting lunch. Program starts at 9:30am, and it ends at 2:30pm. Our cooking school is 10mn distance from the train station and to the chateau by foot. It faces the indoor and open-air market in Notre-Dame historic district. Program starts by a one-hour market tour and shopping with Chef Patricia. She takes time explaining the varieties of products such as fish, meat, vegetables and fruits, cheese, bread, oils and spices... while providing her personal cooking tips. Back to the school at 10:30am, you wash hands, wear your apron, and you are ready to prepare a three-course meal celebrating the delightful French cuisine and following the seasonal fresh produces. Patricia’s cuisine i s reputed to be refined and very creative while choosing easy recipes. Also she pays attention to the decoration in the plate. Her specialities celebrate the delightful French cuisine such as: girolles (wild mushrooms) velouté creamy soup with smoked salmon, orange-flavored duck pie, foie gras raviolis with a chive-flavored cream, fillet of sole with a tapenade flavored mashed potatoes purée, chocolate soufflé, pink pralines tart and its orange blossom flavored custard, and more. Three-course tasting lunch accompanied by wine and coffee espresso follows the class and ends your gourmet program. Program price: US$ 250 per person. Children under 12 are granted a 50% discount. Availability : Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, year-round except in August and on Legal Holidays.
>> TOP Welcome to our cooking school, conveniently located in Paris residential 17th district, steps to Les Batignolles food market. The school is at the ground floor of a classic Parisian building. It was a old and dusty grocery store before… Entirely renovated, the space is today a beautifully decorated cooking school with modern equipments and kitchen appliances.
Classes we offer are hands-on only, and it’s taught in English by our talented woman chef Noemie, a young lady who has been cooking since the age of 12, sharing her mother and grand’ma passion for the good food, fresh fruits and vegetables picked from the kitchen garden nearby Nantes. Today, Noemie is a professional chef, graduated from Lenôtre Culinary French Institute, and trained by “Meilleur Ouvrier de France” chefs. Aside to her knowledge in French cuisine, Noemie is also a good teacher who takes time to explain, and to provide tips to succeed in the techniques. More than this, she simplifies master
>> TOP Laetitia and the French cooking : a real love story ! She first likes the ingredients, and the unlimited possibilities to combine produces for creating new recipes or for revisiting the classics. Her playground is the food market in the morning, a joy for the eyes and smells where fresh fruits, vegetables and spices match colors and flavors. Happy to talk to merchants, happy to buy the fresh seasonal produces, Laetitia will bring it home to cook.
At 10:30am, the participants arrive to Laetitia’s home, a large typical Parisian building located steps to the theater district that we call in Paris “Les Grands Boulevards”. She run cooking classes in her apartment, and she accommodates up to 8 persons in her spacious home cook kitchen. Participants can chop, cut, slice, dice around the table. Then, they go to the superb La Cornue large stove to cook or to bake.
Laetitia is a very good cook and a generous person. She speaks English very well as she lived abroad thanks to her husband business. She is graduated from Paris professional cooking school. Aside to her skills, she is a good teacher, explaining all techniques in detail.
>> TOP Who haven’t dreamt of baking at home a delightful French pastry, or preparing an exquisite French-style dessert ? You will be in Paris for holidays ? You love to bake, and you are interested in experiencing the French patisseries ? This class is for you !
Designed for amateurs, beginners or advanced, our pastry classes are scheduled on Wednesdays, at 10:30am. The class lasts 2 hours, and it’s followed by a tasting accompanied tea or coffee. Class is hands-on, and it’s run by our woman Chef Noemie. Baking takes time, especially as it concerns the French patisserie where the attention to details is important and delicate. If your class celebrates pastries, you will work on a theme such as : puff pastries, tiny tarts, choux pastry, etc. Within a two-hour class you learn to prepare and to bake one or two pastries and/or desserts from scratch such as: Millefeuille, delightful fruits tart, chocolate éclairs, entremets, and more. This class is limited to 6 participants, and is confirmed for 2 persons. Classes are taught in English, and recipes are translated in English as well. Our pastry school is conveniently located in Paris 17th district, steps to Les Batignolles market. Program price: US$155 per person Availability : Year-round on Wednesdays at 10:30am, except in August and on Legal Holidays.
>> TOP Once upon a time, the macarons…
At the Renaissance (16th century), almonds were imported to France and biscuits were served at the Court. Three centuries later, Chef Claude Gerbet in Paris had the brilliant idea to redesign the cracky almond biscuit with two deflate and shining shells linked with ganache or fruits purée or cream. The success was immediate, and Pierre Desfontaines, Louis-Ernest Ladurée grand-child decided to offer this new macaron to elegant Parisian clients that came to his pastry shop on rue Royale, it was Ladurée !
Today, celebrity pastry chefs in Paris like Pierre Hermé, Gérard Mulot, Philippe Andrieu (Ladurée), Hugues Pouget (Hugo & Victor) or Christophe Michalak (Plaza Athénée) compete to offer ever more exquisite macarons with surprising and perfectly combined flavors. A small macaron costs almost 2 € each piece…why don’t you experience it at home and bake it in your kitchen ? It’s delicate to prepare, and a class is necessary to get the chefs tips. Macarons classes we offer are scheduled on a 2 or 3-hour basis depending on your level. A two-hour class is fine for a beginner, as advanced participants would prefer intensive courses. This class is confirmed with 2 participants, and it is limited to 6 persons.
 >> TOP This is the perfect class for a beginner, a foody person who is curious to learn how to prepare bread and brioche doughs from scratch, and especially to bake it in a home oven.
This class is operated in our cooking school conveniently located in the 18th district, steps to the metro station, and it is taught in English by Chef Pinault, a talented baker and pastry expert. Bread and brioche class is scheduled twice a week, Wednesday at 9:00am, and Friday at 2:00pm.
>> TOP French patisserie is a work of art, the result of a precise and meticulous work that gifts the eyes and taste buds. Some creations as well as French classics like Millefeuille, Opera, Éclair, Paris Brest, and tarts of all kind are not so difficult to make. The secret is time, patience and savoir-faire. Our key is a hands-on, small group or private class run by a professional pastry chef.
Lifestyle Vacations exclusive pastry program is operated at Le Grenier à Pain bread and patisserie laboratory in Sèvres (metro Pont de Sevres on line 9). It’s designed for advanced participants, but customized classes are offered to beginners upon request. Classes are run by 39-year experienced chef Patrick Morin, it’s coordinated in English by Corinne Preteur. Classes are scheduled in the afternoon only, starting at 2:30pm for 3 to 4 hours. This class is limited to 6 participants, and is confirmed for 2 persons. Private classes are also offered upon request
Please remind that the Opera or the Chocolate Feuilletine is a long process that needs a 3-hour teaching per pastry. However if you decide to sign up for a choux pastry class, you will bake Chocolate Eclairs, Paris Brest and Chouquettes with the satisfaction to learn the techniques of dough and cream fillings, and to succeed in it. If you are a chocolate addict, you will learn the ganache for the “choco” tart, the dark or milk chocolate exquisite “fondant” cake, and Mendiants (nuts and chocolate bites) that are traditionally served at Christmas. Another topic can be the fruits tarts. Within a 3-hour teaching, you will learn the doughs techniques from scratch, as well as custards and glaze…without forgetting the most important : the decoration with fresh fruits. PLEASE CHOOSE ONE OF THE THEMES BELOW :
Availability : Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, starting at 2:30pm. Year-round except January 1-15, July 20-August 20, December, and on Legal Holidays
>> TOP Bread is an institution in France…a part of our country’s history, traditions and culture. Making bread at home is an easy process, and you can do it if you have time and if you respect the steps while following the advices of our French baker Ken Dansart. Ken is a baker at Le Grenier à Pain, a well-known Parisian bakery that won the award of “the best baguette in Paris” two years ago.
Lifestyle Vacations opens the doors of Le Grenier à Pain laboratory in Sèvres for you. It’s a unique experience that learning the secrets of our chef in small groups, limited to 4 participants. A class can be confirmed for only 2 people without supplement.
>> TOP French croissant !... a puffy delight which is like bread, a tradition, and the “hero” of Sunday family breakfasts. In Paris, the croissant is paired with the morning coffee/espresso that people enjoy before working, to start the day on the best way. The chocolate croissant is so appreciated at 4:00pm for the French goûter if you feel hungry. Brioche is our favorite…less buttery and so delicious ! When you know the technique, easy to flavor your brioche with the ingredient of your choice, such as candied oranges, pink pralines, orange water, and more.
Croissants and brioche class is operated at Le Grenier à Pain laboratory in Sèvres, taught by 39-year experienced pastry chef Patrick Morin, and coordinated in English by Corinne Preteur. It’s scheduled in the afternoon, starting at 2:30pm for 3 hours. The right time to learn how to prepare and to bake croissants, chocolate croissants, raisin croissants and brioches. The class starts by the brioche dough preparation, and it continues by the long-process of croissants that must be rolled out like puff pastry to get the layers. You will shape all croissants, and also learn how to prepare crème patissiere which is added to raisin rolls. This class is hands-on, confirmed with 2 people without supplement, and limited to 6 people. Program price : US$210 per person Availability : Monday, Tuesday and Friday, starting at 2:30pm. Year-round except January 1-15, May 14-28, July 23-August 15, December 10-31, and on Legal Holidays
>> TOP This is our best-seller program !
Paris is certainly one of the most beautiful city in the world that has to be explored and visited by walking. The gourmet tour is not an exception to this rule. Wear comfortable walking shoes and casual clothes, and do not take a heavy breakfast as our gourmet tour is a fest.This program is exclusive to Lifestyle Vacations France, designed by Corinne Preteur, and escorted by her personally. And when it’s the time to talk about food, wine, French cooking and baking, Corinne is always there, happy to share her 25-year experience with the Epicurians that you are ! The tours are guided in English, scheduled in the morning only, Tuesday through Saturday, and year-round except in August as Paris is “on holidays”. Itineraries change depending on open-air food markets which are located in different districts such as: Latin Quarter, Saint Germain des Prés, Les Halles, Quartier Saint Georges, Bastille.
The tour starts at 8:45am or 9:00am by the open-air food market visit. Corinne provides her personal tips and recipes with fresh seasonal produces, and she explains how to combine and cook ingredients on a more healthy way in keeping the flavors that make the French cuisine unique. The trail continues through top-ranked food and wine small gourmet shops where you have connection with artisans. It’s also the right place to find the best breads, brioches, patisseries, macarons, chocolates, olive oils, charcuteries (sausages, patés, etc), and wines. Tastings can be offered in the shops, but it’s not really in the French culture to eat in the stores or on the streets. French people take time to enjoy a meal or a delicacy at home, or at a café or restaurant. Corinne buys the products and bring it in her basket. If the 10:00am break with a coffee and croissant (that we call “La Pause”) is an institution, the lunch is always respected. At around noon, you will sit down and enjoy a terrific food and wine pairing lunch break at a tiny wine bar and shop. If we are in Saint Germain, it will be at Georges’. When regular tours count participants by dozens, Corinne’s unique gourmet tours are intimate, confirmed for 2 persons and limited to 4 people. Each tour lasts 4 and 5 hours. Program price : US$185 per person. US$690 for a group of 4 participants booked together. Availability : Year-round except in August. Tours are scheduled Tuesday through Saturday, in the morning only starting at 8:45am or 9:00am for 4 to 5 hours depending on the itineraries.
>> TOP You have chosen Paris, France as your holiday destination…
Our tour guides are all graduated in history of art and archeology, members of the journalists of heritage association. They speak English, but also Spanish, Italian, and German. Through a 2h30 or 3-hour private walking guided tour, you will visit Paris as you have never seen the city before. Our cultural tours are designed by topics. We can customize the program of your choice in combining the thematics, according to your personal interests. Our best-seller tours are: PROGRAM PRICE : AVAILABILITIES :
>> TOP Paris, city of arts and history, symbol of elegance and glamour, is THE destination for gourmet lovers. In Paris, chocolate is everywhere, almost like the voice of passion and love. Same for boulangeries and patisseries displaying crusty baguettes, croissants, éclairs, and more. However if you look for exceptional delicacies, better to enroll a guided tour with an expert.
Corinne, the creator and owner of Lifestyle Vacations France, has designed a half-day unique pastry and chocolate walking tour. As a food critic for French magazines, no doubt she knows the best spots and the top-ranked gourmet stores to visit ! Lifestyle Vacations pastry and chocolate tour is scheduled in the afternoon only, starting at 2:00pm for 4 hours, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. This tour will give you the opportunity to share the secrets of the most talented chocolate makers and Parisian pastry chefs. Along the trail, you will explore their boutiques-ateliers where these artists make exceptional work of arts. Corinne will explain the techniques in chocolate baking, and the new trends that chefs follow to always offer more creative pastries that reach the perfection in the balance of colors, flavors and presentations. She will also provide her personal tips to make exquisite pastries and cakes not so difficult to bake at home. Each step of this pastry and chocolate tour is a unique moment to discover surprising and exquisite delicacies. You will enjoy tastings in the spots visited, and the tour ends by a pastry and tea or coffee break in an elegant salon de thé. Tour is limited to 4 participants and is confirmed with 2 persons. Tour is guided in English. Availability : January-June and September-November (except on Legal Holidays), Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
>> TOP  Cruising on the river Seine to admire the beauties of Paris while enjoying a unique Champagne tasting : so elegant, so romantic, so delightful ! During the time you are delighted with the finest Champagne wines (brut, demi-sec and rosé), Paris scrolls its breathtaking sights and its elegant monuments which borders the river Seine. Approaching Le Louvre, the Orsay Museum, the Concorde Square, La Conciergerie, the beautiful bridges, and of course the Eiffel Tower by the river is a unique experience. In addition to the cruise and the Champagne tasting, you are granted the expertise of an English-speaking sommelier to improve your knowledge on the Champagne wines. He will also tell you about the history of Paris and the meanings of the monuments you will admire throughout the cruise. The Champagne tasting takes place in the private room at the front of the boat. Champagne cruise is available year-round, scheduled Thursday, Friday and Saturday in winter, and Monday through Saturday in Spring, Summer and Fall. The cruise starts at 6:00pm from the Eiffel Tower based-company “Vedettes de Paris”, and lasts an hour. You are back to the same place you boarded from. Program price : US$ 75 per person (cruise and Champagne tasting class included) Scheduled Thursday, Friday and Saturday in winter, Monday through Saturday in Spring, Summer and Fall, starting at 6:00pm for one hour
France is internationally reputed for its finest wines, delightful cheeses, and outstanding cuisine. You have planned to visit Paris in the future ? Sign up for a wine tasting class, a wine & cheese pairing course, a champagne cruise on the romantic Seine river !
Lifestyle Vacations offers different programs designed for epicureans to indulge in the great world of French wines through a “Tour de France” of wines and food. From Bordeaux to Burgundy, Champagne, Alsace, Loire Valley, Côtes de Provence, Côtes du Rhône, Beaujolais and much more, you will experience different wines between sweet whites, dry whites with fruits or intriguing mixture of floral, honey and mineral aromas, light reds, full-body reds, and sparkling whites (better known as Crémants or Champagne). All our classes are taught in English by wine experts and sommeliers. Our wine school is centrally located in Paris 1st district, walking distance to Le Louvre Museum, Palais Royal and the Opera. The school is set in a historic building, and now offers 3 large air-conditioned tasting rooms, and a wine bar where participants can relax before or after the class.
>> Wine Tasting Class Choose a two-hour class for improving your knowledge in French wines and appellations. With a unique and refreshing approach, our sommelier will explain how to read a French label, how to navigate a wine list, how to store and age the wines in your cellar, how to order the wine tasting, how to pair the wines with the food. This class includes a tasting of 7 wines representing the best value regions such as Alsace, Bordeaux, Rhone Valley, Burgundy, Loire. Program price : US$105 per person Scheduled 7 days a week, year-round, starting at 5:00pm >> Wine Tasting Class “Grands Crus” Choose a two-hour class celebrating the French Grands Crus, these wines of exception that you serve for special occasions and that represent the excellence. The class is taught in English by our wine expert, and includes a 6 outstanding wines tasting by the class, accompanied by French bread. Only 5 regions of France produce grands crus wines : Alsace, Bordeaux, Champagne and Languedoc-Roussillon with only one appellation : AOC Banuyls Grand Cru which is a sweet red wine (terrific on chocolate !!). This class will be the opportunity for you to learn the AOC (Appellation Origine Contrôlée), as the wines must be AOC to be Grand Crus. French Grand Crus are rare, produced in small quantities. In Burgundy it only represents 7% of the total production, with for example Clos Vougeot, Clos de Tart, Romanée-Conti, Richebourg, Echezeaux, etc. In Bordeaux, you will dream with a Margaux, a Léoville Las Cases Saint-Julien or a Calon-Ségur Saint-Estèphe... Program price : US$199 per person Scheduled Monday and Friday, year-round, starting at 5:30pm >> Wine & Cheese Tasting Class and Lunch France is a gourmet destination and surprisingly, the regions which produce cheeses also produces wines, and when you pair the cheeses and the wines from the same region, it’s simply fantastic ! That’s the secrets of “Terroirs”… a term that has no translation in English but that includes notions of climate, soil and savoir-faire. Take time to experience our cheese & wine tasting class and lunch. The class focus on the wines and provide information on the French cheeses and the regions of France where both are produced. The lunch includes cheeses, charcuterie (patés and sausages) and bread. Try to pair a goat cheese Crottin de Chavignol with a fine dry white from Sancerre… or a Munster cheese from Alsace with a sweet white Gewurtztraminer from the same region, or a Roquefort blue cheese with a Jurançon sweet white !! The class lasts 1hr 30mn, and it includes the tasting of 5 wines by the glass including Champagne. Program price : US$130 per person Scheduled 7 days a week, year-round, starting at noon.
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