Cooking Workshop With An Exceptional Chef In Avignon

Outstanding value. Entertaining chef, good experience. What more is there to say. St the end a great meal.

My husband and I truly enjoyed our cooking class at Les Halles with Chef Jonathan. The walk around the market before the class was such a nice touch. Chef Jonathan sources many of his ingredients directly from the market stalls, and we were able to pick up a few spices that were used in our menu at a stall afterwards. The menu itself was a wonderful introduction to local Provençal specialties, and we came away with some great new ideas and techniques to use at home. And how have I gone all these years without knowing how to cut an onion properly?! 😊 Thank you, Chef Jonathan, for such a fun, delicious, and memorable experience!

The cooking class with Jonathan in Les Halles in Avignon was superb. The class was excellent, food was perfect and the recipes were great. We really enjoyed the class.

The chef, Jon, was great. We learned a lot about local food as well as the techniques to prepare it. Highly recommend.

Love that the class takes place right in the Les Halles Avignon Market. The chef did the class in both English and French

Shalee was very good, helpful and the experience here in Adu Dhabi was breathing taking. The presidential palace and the mosque was lovely.

Great experience to learn all about the local food and sustainability in Provence. This is a group class, but still very hands on. Very fun to walk around to the various stalls, learn about local products, and get to enjoy a wonderful meal with wine at the end. Highly recommend.

Had a lot of fun. Cooked a lot of food. Busy atmosphere of Les Halles was a plus. Great team in the kitchen. Lunch was a highlight, with wine!!

We had the most incredible time with Chef John! We took the class as a family of 4 with a 12 year old and 16 year old. The whole family agreed it was one of our favorite experiences of our entire trip to France! John is personable, knowledgeable, funny, and an exceptional chef. We appreciated his explanation of cooking processes and skills! We loved walking through Centr-Halles and meeting other vendors with him as we purchased food to cook. Our son will never forget his love for breakfast garlic thanks to Chef John!!!

This is the second time I have done this experience. Jonathan is informative on food knowledge and preparation. It seems a lot of locals eat here which says a lot. A walk around the market then into the kitchen to prepare. The first time we did pork fillets with a mustard sauce and I used that recipe at home many times. This time I will go home and cook duck, farro risotto and oven roasted ratatouille for everyone 😊

Chef John is an exceptional chef and teacher. The workshop exceeded my expectations. We started with a cheese tasting, and quickly moved to preparing the meal. We made roasted mushroom salad, unconventional ratatouille, Farro risotto, and panacotta. As someone who hasn’t mastered timing and organization, it was fascinating to see the calmness and precision of a chef who is juggling so much at once and also able to pass along advice I will take home with me.

It shows 9:30 on my ticket but started at 9am. No one even trying to contact me telling me the time changed. The course itself was great, the food was amazing.

We had a wonderful experience. The recipes were delicious. We learned many new techniques. I highly recommend this class

From the first moment to the last, we had a terrific time. Our chef is extremely knowledgeable and personable, and he had so many tips and techniques to share. We had one other couple joining us for the class, and the time we all spent together was warm and welcoming. I think any skill level would find the morning equally rewarding. The meal we prepared, (with a lot of guidance and help, of course) was delicious from the goat cheese entree to the creme brulee dessert. We highly recommend this experience. [By the way, when you're checking in at the beginning of class, follow the directions exactly, but look for a cute little restaurant, not a person.]

John is a wonderfully entertaining and knowledgeable cook. All 3 couples had a great time, learned a lot and ate well.

I highly recommend this experience, it was well worth our time! We learned about French cheeses, unique garlic preparation, and the proper way to cut an onion. We picked out fish from a market fishmonger, prepped the fish, roasted vegetables, prepared a cheesy leek appetizer, prepped a well-seasoned polenta, and observed the baking of a unique sweetbread for our dessert. Our chef was very experienced, yet sociable and funny, while constantly explaining in English and French. There were few, if any, empty chairs at the restaurant, leaving the impression it was quite popular with the locals and tourists alike.

Loved the whole experience. The cooking lesson , learning new techniques, and getting new ideas for meals. Food was fresh and delicious ( included going to get some of the ingredients needed in the market) and the chef was awesome. Lunch was delicious.. One can eat there for lunch without taking the cooking class as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed this class! Johnathan was fantastic and I am traveling alone and this was a great social day for me as well as learning so much. I do not speak any French and he was great at translating it all for me. U like other cooking classes I took I actually learned techniques with not only cooking but with knife skills as well. The market was fabulous also. I highly recommend his class!

We loved this cooking class! Our chef Jon Chiri started by taking us on a little tour of the Avignon Les Halles (the market) and explaining some of the unique ingredients available there. He did a great job explaining everything and making it a fun, interactive experience. The cooking space is not terribly large, so the number of participants is limited, which is actually nice because it makes it more intimate. We made a number of dishes including Seared scallops gratin with cauliflower, leeks and new potatoes as the main course. I really enjoyed the Roasted Mushroom Salad with Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette, and he had an interesting Provencal take on Black Forest Cake (normally a German dessert!). We are so glad we included this during our time in Avignon.

The cooking class was very nice . The market where it is located is wonderful. The downside is that there was not enough hands on activities. I felt like the instructor did all the work. We did nothing on the dessert but watch . The main course we each got some cutting and chopping activity. The smells were fantastic. The instructor was great. Nice man and provided good information. For the space and a better amount of activity I think the class needs to be just 4 people . I would recommend this class.

Jonathan is a fantastic chef instructor. I’ve taken a few classes, and his warm demeanor + knowledge base far surpassed the others. We also loved the setting. Learning in a historic place like Les Halles was super cool. Also, J helped us find things in the market we would not have otherwise thought were available there. The group vibe was excellent. I’m socializing with a fellow student next week. XOXOOX — Sally

Amazing class with Chef John. I am so grateful for the experience and all of the information learned. The food was delicious. We made gazpacho, risotto and a yummy cake with fruits. The class was intimate and hands on the entire time. I am so glad we booked this class. I can’t wait to use the skills I learned when I get home to my kitchen!

My partner and I have experienced a number of different cooking experiences during our travels and without hesitation I recommend Chef Jonathan Chiri’s class. From his welcoming demeanor to his vast knowledge on farm to table preparation. Originally from California, Chef Chiri has called France home for over two decades. He offers his classes in both English and French. We began today’s class with a short walk around Les Halles learning about the variety of fresh seafood and produce available. Also, where and more importantly when to purchase patisseries and the all important baguette. During our cooking demonstration, Chef Chiri provided numerous opportunities for the class to assist with our lunch preparation, while giving great pointers on what he was working on. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how accommodating Chef Chiri was in choosing the protein to be served as we preferred seafood rather than anything else. When we finished the majority of the food preparation, we were asked to find a seat where we were given the choice of wine or juice with our lunch. What a great way to spend a morning to early afternoon in Avignon.

Chef Jonathan was amazing. He was funny, full of knowledge and shared many helpful tips to help us level up in the kitchen. We made a delicious lunch with monkfish and roasted vegetables. We learned how to make the best potatoes ever. And of course, the tastiest chocolate lava cake with a roasted pineapple and passion fruit medley. It was fun to pick out the ingredients at the market there too. We appreciated his expertise and his friendly demeanor. Highly recommend!

Chef Jon was incredible. He was. Originally from California who traveled as a chef before landing in .Avignon. The entire experience was a fun day filled with learning and ultimately some incredible food. We shopped in the delightful market, purchasing all the food for our meal. Chef Jon taught us many cooking techniques that at 60 I was unaware of. The entire experience was interactive and well worth the $$ spent. And the food was amazing

Not the experience I expected. We had an American chef cooking with us, who seemed distracted. Everything was a bit haphazard, and recipes not particularly from Provence or seasonal, like panna cotta with plums. We we given a box of mushrooms to clean that probably should have been disposed. The meal was not exceptional as we ate at the market counter. Some ingredients in the dishes would not be available to a home cook, like gelatin leaves. We never received the recipes as promised. I’ve done similar classes in Italy and Portugal and had a more informative and regionally based experiences. Usually we can’t wait to try what we made at home, not this time.

We thoroughly enjoyed our class with Chef Jon and eating a fabulous meal was a wonderful finale. Jon was helpful in teaching techniques as well as comparing notes on our experiences. We enjoyed getting to know him a little and appreciated his sense of humor. 3 hours on our feet was a little too long; we would have preferred a break in the middle or a somewhat shorter class.

This was a second class with Chef Jonathan and once again the food and experience were fun, entertaining, delicious and educational. There were four in our party and, unfortunately 10 more in the class, too many for the small space. But we all could participate and we learned more from the talented chef. Although it took some prompting to receive the recipes, they have now arrived they will be easy to follow to try our hand at the meal. Recommend giving this class a try and enjoy being in the wonderful food hall.

A very pleasant experience inside the Halles Market, which has an awe-inspiring array of food vendors and is located just steps from the heart of the city. We learned cooking techniques and a lot about the food while we helped the chef prepare our own lunch, and we had the pleasure to have lunch served to us by helpful and courteous staff. Chef John lived in California and his English first-language good. I would recommend doing this early in your stay in Avignon so you gain some comfort in shopping the market and know what to look for.

We absolutely enjoyed our class with Chef Jonathan. He was entertaining, personable and shared techniques. Ours was a class of 8 and any more than that would have been unreasonable. The reason for the 3 star rating is we were promised the recipes, and nearly a month later, we have not received them and have not even received responses to emails. This was a disappointment, as we had hoped to make two of the items while we were here with the fresh ingredients from the market. We leave Avignon tomorrow, sadly, without that opportunity.

This is an exceptional workshop. People of any skill level can enjoy and participate. Chef Jon is a wealth of knowledge and entertaining. Highly recommended. It was actually one of the highlights of our trip.

The cooking class was great, I learnt a lot of new tips to get the most success when cooking the dishes. The chef made it fun.

The chef did a very good job at managing the cooking experience. He was a great multi-tasked and gave us quite a lot of interesting information. There were probably too many people in the group and also the space being limited made things somewhat awkward. Perhaps 8 would be a more manageable number. The price seemed on the high side for the number of people involved and quality of ingredients. (we booked two sessions of 7 per session) . There is nowhere to put in 3 1/2 stars but that is where we would rate it. We were grateful to receive the wonderful recipes and they were all things that we would very likely make at home.

The instruction is very high quality and engaging. Ideal location in the market itself. Delicious food.

We loved attending the cooking class, the whole family tried everything offered including the kids. Getting to work with the group to make an amazing meal was a blast. Can’t wait to try the recipes at home. Made sure to pick up some of chef’s recommendations to take home.

Aside from the difficult parking garage, the workshop presenter (chef) was quite friendly and entertaining. He was familiar with American food culture and did a great job of comparing and contrasting with the culture and food traditions of Provence. The location in the marketplace was also beneficial. The workshop was well organized, the assistant was helpful and friendly. Most of all, the food was scrumptious and we look forward to replicating these recipes at home.

Learning to cook duck, tour of market and tasting of cheeses. Jonathan was very entertaining. We were staying just around the corner from the market.

Chef Jonathan (Jon) was very professional and fun. We learned a lot about cooking and the meal we all prepared was delicious!

Chef Jonathan was personable and knowledgeable. We participated in cooking many dishes under his expert guidance. He made the whole experience fun, interesting and entertaining. We are so glad we were part of this class. The food was delicious and the wine abundant. We would highly recommend this experience for anyone who loves food and cooking.

I enjoyed meeting other food enthusiasts. The class was different than previous cooking classes. We were not given the recipes for the food we created. We did get to eat it but I’d like to eat it again some time.

We had an absolute blast learning from chef Jon. He was patient with us and shared many useful tips that we will be able to replicate back at home. He is very friendly and knows everyone in the market. We hope to return with more of our family during our next trip to France.

Loved the market shopping experience with Chef Jonathan. He has great tips for picking out anything. We tried a variety of locally grown/produced olives and cheeses with him. The class was wonderful -there were just 6 of us. Food was great and will be looking forward to returning next week!

Love all the cooking /shopping tips from Chef Jonathan. The food was wonderful. With 14 people in the class it was a little crowded.

This cooking class surpassed our wildest imaginations! Chef Jonathan is a delight and an exceptionally talented teacher. He explained, demonstrated and then had us try it ourselves. He has a very encouraging manner. His style of cooking leaves you with all kinds of tips and tricks to take home. He goes way beyond tiny chop, chop, chopping which is typical in other French classes. We learned about making two different tapenades, methods of cooking vegetables and fruit, and how to dress and cook fish. Our finished meal was exquisite! And best of all, I left ready to make this meal when I home. This experience with Jonathan was a highlight of our week in Avignon.

AMAZING class. I was worried it may be too simple since I love cooking at home. Not all all. Great for beginners and more experienced cooks alike. My class even had some folks who had been before and intended to come a third time after this class. The menu changes based on what’s fresh in the market that day, the season, and food restrictions of classmates. Definitely more complex recipes but the technique was broken down very clearly. I really appreciated being able to take these lessons home to my own kitchen.

Great tips, great food, Jonathan was entertaining, welcoming and fun. Could not have had a better time!

This was absolutely fantastic! Learned a lot about different foods, chef is really good. And at the end we got to eat everything we made! Don’t pass this up!

We had a party of seven friends and family. It was great fun, the location was perfect, the food was delicious, and chef Jon was wonderful. We would highly recommend this cooking class.

Pros: We cook often, but we learned many great new tips that we will keep with us The food we made was excellent! Particularly loved the potato puree and almond cake with peach compote Market hall setting is cool to walk around Cons: Chef John was... pretty rude. Not sure if he was having an off day because he was simultaneously babysitting his kids during the class, but he often came across arrogant and impatient which was awkward for everyone The class was booked for 12 people and only had 6 cutting boards and a small space. Luckily 4 people didn't show up or we would have been watching most of the time instead of doing anything. Class should definitely be capped at 8.