The best cooking classes in Los Angeles

Helmed by Chef Eric Crowley who cut his teeth at kitchens around the world, from Barcelona's five-star Via Veneto to Munich's Hotel Kempinski and L.A.'s Patina Catering, his namesake culinary classroom will give you all the insights of a professional chef. Opt for virtual courses (knife skills, dessert how-tos), recreational lessons for adults and kids spanning authentic Spanish, French, Italian and Thai cuisines, team building events or a four-week cooking series at his kitchen on the Westside near Cheviot Hills. Here, you'll learn how to properly use a knife, sauté, make handmade pasta and more essential cooking techniques. 

Learning the basics of home cooking can be daunting, especially if you aren’t entirely sure where to begin. In this four-week program, you’ll get a crash course on the basis of home cooking and learn everything you need to know to start making delicious, nutritious meals at home. Your lessons begin with an overview of basic cutting and food preparation techniques, designed to help you feel comfortable working in the kitchen and being efficient as you work. Then, students will learn a handful of basic recipes, including pastas, homemade sauces, and beef, fish and shellfish meals. By the end of this course, you’ll be ready to wow your friends and family with unforgettable home cooked meals.

Learning to cook isn’t all about knowing how to combine and heat ingredients. Perhaps one of the most intimidating aspects of cooking is the process of mincing, dicing, chopping and otherwise cutting vegetables, meats and starches. In this class, you’ll learn your way around a set of kitchen knives, including learning what each knife is most commonly used for and strategies for making cutting and chopping a breeze. Since this is a practical skills course, you’ll learn how to cut vegetables and debone chicken as you work to prepare a real meal.

While there is no shortage of excellent sushi restaurants in LA, eating restaurant sushi can be expensive (and grocery store or gas station sushi is out of the question). In this CocuSocial course, you’ll learn the techniques you need to make your own restaurant-quality sushi rolls at home. You’ll get hands-on experience making sushi rice, preparing the raw ingredients and rolling them together by hand. You’ll learn how to make a spicy tuna roll, a California roll and a vegetable roll, but the skills you learn are versatile enough that you can start preparing a whole range of different rolls.

To master authentic Neapolitan pizza, go straight to the source. If a trip to Italy isn't in the cards, a course at the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana classroom in Los Angeles is the next best thing. This international organization of master pizzaiolos offers a six-hour workshop that’s ideal for beginners. Learn the theory of pizza before trying your hand at preparing, leavening, stretching and cooking the dough. $590

Few things are as heavily associated with the glitz and glamor of LA like a professionally crafted cocktail, and unfortunately, so is the price tag for these luxurious libations. If you want to learn how to make classic cocktails without paying LA club prices, consider enrolling in a mixology course. In this course, you’ll learn the science of mixology and the reason that techniques developed in the 1860s are still in use today. You’ll learn mixology at a full-service bar where you’ll make two classic cocktails and one custom mixed drink.

There are few foods as universally loved as pizza. It doesn’t matter the occasion, sharing a pizza is a good way to bring people together to create memories (or just enjoy a pizza, you don’t really need an excuse). In this class, you’ll get hands-on pizza making experience and you’ll get a chance to explore how versatile pizza really is. In addition to learning how to make traditional  pizza dough and Tomato Sauce for a classic Pepperoni Cheese Pizza, you’ll also learn how to make specialty pizzas, like an Herb-Grilled Chicken Alfredo Pizza and a Margherita Pizza. You’ll leave this class ready to start making your very own personalized pizza at home.

Among the many exquisite regional cuisines you can sample in Los Angeles, there is no shortage of Indian food and Indian fusion. In this Indian cuisine course, you can learn the secret to creating Chicken Murgh Tikka, Deep-Fried Samosas with Quick Keema, Aloo Gohbi Masala and homemade sauces to compliment the meal. You’ll learn about the techniques and spices most commonly associated with Indian cooking and you’ll learn how to give all of your meals a south Asian flair.

It has become more convenient and easier than ever to order food online, but with that ease comes a cost (literally, take-out gets real expensive real quick). If you want to save on the cost of take-out without sacrificing the quality and diversity of the food, consider enrolling in a course like this Pad Thai workshop. In this class, you’ll learn how to recreate the streets of Thailand in your own kitchen as you get hands-on experience preparing an authentic Pad Thai dinner from scratch, including noodles and sauces. You can even choose your own protein to make the dish vegan-friendly.

Arguably America’s most famous chef, Julia Child was invested in introducing Americans to French cooking techniques and helping them realize that they too could cook like the finest chefs of Paris and Lyons. You’ll learn to make beef bourguignon, chicken breasts in paprika cream sauce, and more in this accessible and fun cooking class. By the end of the course, you’ll be ready to continue your journey through France in more advanced Parisian cooking classes.

Pasta and noodles are arguably among the most versatile kinds of food and virtually every culture has, independently, invented a multitude of ways to cook them. In this class, you’ll learn how to make Wild Mushroom Ricotta Raviolis, Marinara Angel Hair, Garlic Mushroom Bowties, Homemade Ricotta Cheese and an assortment of meat and wine sauces by hand. By the end of this course, you’ll have the skills you need to start making exciting pasta dishes at home and you’ll be able to expand your repertoire with other shapes and sauces.

Bread might be the most essential element of cuisine and one of the oldest foods, with bread making traditions spanning all across the globe. Bread can complement virtually any meal and there is no shortage of different ways to prepare and accentuate bread, making it an incredibly versatile thing to learn how to make. In this course, you’ll learn how to make warm, fresh bread in your home oven. You’ll learn how to prepare Pain de Ménage, Brioche bread, baguettes and Focaccia bread and you’ll get to sample some fine jams and spreads that can take your bread up a notch.

Few things are more heavily associated with the LA food scene than authentic Mexican food. If you want to learn how to make your own authentic Mexican food, consider enrolling in this tamale-making course. You’ll learn how to prepare the masa and the meat, how to roll the tamale into shape and how to prepare it for cooking in the corn husk. You’ll prepare a few different kinds of tamales and you’ll leave the class with a half-dozen hot and fresh tamales to enjoy on your own or to share.

As tapas and paella become more popular stateside, there is a real resurgent interest in Spanish cuisine (as opposed to the far more common Spanish-inspired Mexican and Latin American culinary traditions). In this class, you’ll learn about the history and common food preparation methods of the Iberan Peninsula and you’ll get hands-on experience making a complete meal, including Chorizo Puff Pastry Bites, Chicken simmered in Sherry Garlic Sauce with Almonds, a Paella of Mixed Vegetable and Chicken and Beef Skewers with Rosemary Garlic Red Wine Reduction Sauce.

While the main course is important, dessert is often the star of the show in a meal, especially if you are entertaining or celebrating a holiday or special occasion. In this baking class, you’ll learn how to prepare scrumptious pies and tarts that are perfect for concluding a meal with friends and enjoying a nice cup of coffee (or fancy port). You’ll learn how to make classic flaky pie dough and how to prepare pumpkin, apple and cherry pies, alongside Pâte Sucrée tart dough and either Macadamia Nut or Chocolate Banana Cream Tarts. This class is a great introduction to baking and a good way to learn a versatile set of recipes that can be crafted to fit whatever the occasion calls for.

Whether you're a beginner or professional chef, the Gourmandise School of Sweets and Savories has the resources and tantalizing recipes to bring you to the next level (and impress your dinner guests). Hands-on cooking classes and series are offered mornings, afternoons and evenings at their kitchen on the third floor of Santa Monica Place shopping center. Chinese dumplings, sushi 101, croissant workshops, gluten-free cakes, Spanish tapas and Thai favorites all make appearances on the class calendar, along with baking fundamentals, knife skills workshops and cooking 101. Be sure to check out the live, interactive online classes, business of food/consulting workshops and classes for kids and teens.

Throw on your apron in the comfort of your own kitchen and gather amidst fellow gourmands for a virtual class from L.A.'s beloved cooking school, HipCooks. Though its two venues on the westside and eastside are temporarily closed to the public, you can find a calendar full of tempting step-by-step lessons online , from an Argentine dinner (complete with steaks and chimichurri) to a homemade pasta night. You can, however, throw a private party with up to 20 people at Hipcooks, which includes food, drinks and a meal at their communal dining table. Most popular? A tapas-themed dinner party. 

Whether you're looking for virtual classes, private in-home lessons, mixology workshops or collaborative in-person cooking events, BLVD Kitchen has plenty of options to tempt your palette. Throw a dinner party where BLVD provides the recipes, ingredients, and chef to guide your way through a memorable meal. If you'd rather cook from the comfort of your kitchen, sign up to access the BLVD Class Library which includes a year's worth of tutorials covering everything from artisan breadmaking to Indian cuisine. You can also sign up for cook-along events for a step-by-step virtual guide to dim sum dumplings, Parisian macarons, artisan pizzas and more.

Now offering interactive virtual classes, Hancock Park's EATZ has been showing Angelenos how to prep, cut, sauté and bake since 2008. Chef and owner Niki Tehranchi and culinary instructor Marita De La Torre have curated a wide variety of courses to suit your fancy. Often a two-hour course, you can learn how to whip up handmade ravioli, chocolate panna cotta, French macarons, pad thai and so much more. (Be on the lookout for themed online cooking events like "An Italian Christmas Dinner.") For classes focused on technique, sign up for the Virtual Condensed Culinary School series where you can learn how to cook like a pro, ask questions and interact with the chefs. Once you book, you'll get a list of ingredients and tools to have on hand.

Looking for fun ways to get your kids involved in the kitchen? From cupcake wars-themed private parties to hands-on courses on all the basics, this Studio City cooking school has all the tools to teach your tiny chefs. But the fun isn't just for kids, adults can take classes on everything from world cuisine to preparing foods that help heal our bodies. Cook LA also offers personalized meal planning, budgeting, and recipe options for a wide range of diets like gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, etc. You can also book virtual classes, cooking-themed birthday parties, private events and summer cooking camps for kids and teens.

L.A.’s own Eataly is one stunning ode to Italian cuisine, occupying more that 60,000 square feet at the corner of the Westfield Century City. Cooking classes vary from intensive pasta making, a Neapolitan-style pizza party, comforting winter risotto, a focus on gnocchi, the Italian secondi Milanese style and classic dishes from North to South. Learn about the cultural origins of each dish, picking the perfect ingredients and cooking and flavoring techniques, all while sipping on a complimentary glass of wine. Go forth and mangiare.

Looking for cooking classes that fit your vegan lifestyle? Sisters and co-owners Heather and Jenny Engel founded gourmet vegan food company Spork Foods in West Hollywood over a decade ago and have been bringing fun, tasty recipes to plant-loving Angelenos ever since. Sautéed kale benedict, sesame ginger miso soup and lemon cheesecake are just some of the recipes that prove organic, vegan living can be simple and delicious. Sign up for one-hour virtual classes via Zoom for $30, including holiday-themed cooking lessons.