Learn French cooking and pastry at Cuisine Mood in Auxerre. Hands-on workshops in the city center—techniques, seasonal recipes, gourmet fun.
Nestled in the historic heart of Auxerre, just steps from the Cathédrale Saint-Étienne, Cuisine Mood invites culinary travelers and local food lovers to take part in French cooking lessons and pastry workshops in an intimate, creative space. Whether you are a curious beginner or a passionate home cook seeking to deepen your technique, these classes offer a culinary experience in France built on seasonal ingredients and chef guidance. Choose a 2-hour lesson to take home your creations or extend to 3 hours with a shared tasting. Workshops span savory dishes—meats, fish, sauces, fresh pasta—to sweet treats like pastries and desserts. You’ll leave not only with new skills, but recipe handouts, confidence to learn French cuisine at home, and fresh connections to French gastronomy in Burgundy.
- City: Auxerre
- Region: Bourgogne–Franche-Comté (Burgundy)
- Price: from ~ €49 for a 2h class (higher tariffs for 3h or full menu)
- Duration: 2 to 3 hours (depending on format)
- Conditions / Restrictions: adult classes, courses held Tuesday evenings and Saturdays, bilingual (French/English) teaching, small groups (atelier scale)
- Provider: Cuisine Mood, Auxerre (Cours de cuisine & pâtisserie)
The Chef & Founding Vision
The driving force behind Cuisine Mood is Marie Gilot, who inaugurated the atelier in December 2024 in Auxerre. Initially trained in sociology and criminology, she pivoted toward her culinary passion, retraining in baking and gastronomy before launching this resident cooking studio. She designed the space at 6-8 rue Dampierre to feel warm, functional, and inviting—an atmospheric kitchen rather than a sterile teaching lab.
Marie’s mission is to open the world of French gastronomy to everyone—beginners, hobbyists, families, professionals. Her pedagogical style is inclusive and attentive: she reveals professional tricks (knife cuts, sauce balance, plating) without pretension, enabling participants to replicate techniques at home. She organizes solidarity workshops, collaborates with local producers, and seeks to root her classes in regional specialties and seasonal produce.
While Marie leads many sessions herself, Cuisine Mood may call on guest chefs or instructors specialized in pastry, foreign cuisine, or vegetarian techniques. Regardless of who leads, every class reflects the same signature: clarity, conviviality, and respect for ingredient integrity.
What Happens in the Workshop (Course Format)
When you arrive, you are greeted in the warmly outfitted kitchen space at Cuisine Mood, just off Auxerre’s central streets. The workshop begins with a short introduction: explanation of the day’s menu, ingredient sourcing, and key techniques. The chef walks through mise en place, important theory (e.g., emulsions, timing, temperature) and then you begin.
In the 2-hour “classic” format, participants may work on one or two recipes—for example, a filet mignon with mustard sauce or an oven-baked fish with beurre blanc and leek fondue. You follow the chef step by step: trimming, seasoning, cooking, and plating. The class may not include on-site tasting; instead participants take home their preparations along with recipe sheets and technical notes.
In the 3-hour format, the workshop proceeds through a fuller menu (entrée, main, sometimes sauce or side) and concludes with a shared dégustation on site. The chef guides participants to taste, comment, adjust seasoning, and plate together. The social moment is integral—eating alongside the instructor reinforces learning and fosters exchange.
Across both formats, techniques taught may include sauce making (emulsification, reductions), knife skills, timing and temperature control, plating, and ingredient pairing. For international participants, bilingual explanations (French/English) are often provided. Once the hands-on portion concludes, you depart with printed recipe sheets, tasting memory, and confidence to replicate at home.
What Makes This Class Unique
This Auxerre cooking class distinguishes itself by its authenticity, locality, and heart. It is not conducted in a generic teaching kitchen, but in a boutique atelier conceived as a living space. The proximity to central Auxerre and connection to local producers allow the chef to source fresh, seasonal ingredients— anchoring each class in French food culture and regional specialties of Burgundy.
Unlike large chain cooking schools, Cuisine Mood maintains small group sizes, ensuring personal supervision and ample opportunity to ask questions. The dual format (take-home vs. tasting) makes it flexible for travelers with limited time or those who want to linger. The emphasis is on technique, not showmanship, which means you gain durable skills rather than one-off recipes.
Marie Gilot’s entrepreneurial journey—from sociology to chef entrepreneur—imbues the place with a narrative of passion and authenticity. Her commitment to solidarity and local engagement means that many workshops have deeper meaning beyond technique: exchanging stories, bridging cultures, and fostering community.
For travelers seeking a culinary experience in France, this class offers more than meals: it offers connection. You touch local ingredients, learn real technique, taste your creation (in the 3h formats), and leave inspired. It complements cooking holidays and deeper explorations of learn French cuisine by grounding your palate and confidence before broader adventures.
Back to find your Cooking Class in France