http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/education/1i0639s/l-atelier-des-chefs L'atelier des Chefs - London, 19 Wigmore St, W1U 1PH, United Kingdom en http://cdn.trustedplaces.com/i/uploads/placepics/AtelierDesChefs_9dc3d060.140.jpg http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/education/1i0639s/l-atelier-des-chefs http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/education/1i0639s/l-atelier-des-chefs/1s6qx7
Review by Cedric

Rating: 4.00
Tags: mediterranean, brand bargains, exclusive boutique, healthy food, delicatessen
I knew l'atelier from its Paris ventures and my wife attended some classes back there. I had the chance to attend a Cook, eat & run session on a lunchtime, and were delighted.

Lesson went well with precious details. The sales part of the lecture, i.e. when the chef demonstrates how great the knives which happen to be on sale cut was fine and not too heavyhanded. Food was delicious with all these fresh ingredients.

I was just deceived by the simplicity of the recipe, but that was to be expected for a one hour class including class, practice and tasting. I would therefore probably go back in the evening for a more extensive class.

Overall, a great venue, a great team, a great concept that can make great present or corporate event.]]> Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:18:56 +0000 /review/uk/london/education/1i0639s/l-atelier-des-chefs/1s6qx7793844816 Cedric mediterranean brand bargains exclusive boutique healthy food delicatessen 51.516627 -0.147247 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/education/1i0639s/l-atelier-des-chefs/1r1qt7
Review by curlynewf

Rating: 4.00
Tags:
I visited L'atelier des Chefs as part of a Trusted Places organised event last weekend. Running late as usual I barged into the place sweating and fretting, expecting to be yelled at by a severe French chef weilding a scary clever, but non. I was welcomed with a joke and a smile which is essentially the tone at L'atelier des Chefs. The staff is extremely friendly, relaxed and unobtrusive.

On this day the recipe was Macaroons. Having only a vague awareness of what a macaroon was and obviously no clue how to create one, I was about as beginner as you can get. Participant skill level appeared to vary, from one woman who was a professional pastry chef to the complete (aforementioned) novice, but the format catered very well to all.

The kitchen itself is a joy to cook in. It's large, open and bright with plenty of counter/table space and modern industrial ranges and ovens. We were assigned to 4-people tables where the ingredients were pre-measured and necessary equipment set out. All we needed to do was sift, mix, pour and garnish (but it's only simple if you know how!) When our creations were ready for baking, we were given a break and served refreshments of water, juice and coffee in the dining area. The highlight was, of course, sampling our wares afterwards and trying to decide whose were better...

The class was long (about 3 hours) but it flowed nicely and tasks were scheduled well. The chef instructor was excellent - giving clear and concise instructions and offering on-one-one support when needed. (He was entertaining too - a good mix of talent, professionalism and humour.)

L'atelier does a good thing. It gets people in the kitchen creating something they didn't know they could, and does so in an informal, un-stuffy way. You won't leave an expert, but you'll learn a good deal and walk out feeling pretty proud of yourself - hopefully enough to prompt you to concoct things in your own kitchen.
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Review by Niamheen

Rating: 4.00
Tags: quick, cooking school, cooking class, rare finds
I have a bit of an obssession with food, this is true. Even more so when cooking and trying new things. So, when I heard about a new cookery school that had opened in central London I had to try it.

Firstly, I was curious, l'atelier des Chefs are very popular already in France and their arrival in London has been highly publicised in the media and blogosphere. They've different types of classes, they run up to 5 sessions a day ranging from a half hour to two hours. For them it's about the food but also the social experience of sitting down and enjoying your meal with your fellow cooks and a glass of wine. One class runs for half an hour over lunch, called the "Cook, Eat & Run", then there's the 60 minute class covering two courses, the 90 minute class covering 3 courses and the 120 minute class covering 3 courses based around a theme (e.g. they've one coming up for foie gras). Secondly, I've been reading great things, Krista (on TrustedPlaces and of Londonelicious) was an immediate convert and she doesn't even like to cook! So, I registered for on of the "Cook, Eat & Run" lunchtime classes and off I went.

You chose your day around what they're cooking (at least I did!) and I chose to go the day that they were cooking Risotto di Gambas (prawn risotto for the non-French speakers amongst us - that includes me :-). I arrived a little early as I wanted to take a look around, and was quite impressed with the venue that greeted me, it's a bright airy space with a vast sparkling kitchen with lots of natural daylight coming through the skylights ahead. They were extremely friendly and offered a glass of water while I waited for the rest of my class to arrive which they did shortly after.

We were greeted by our chef Tony. Now, I am a fan of risotto and when I make it, it takes me some time, so I wondered just how are we going to get this done in half an hour? Well, many hands make light work, Tony took us through what we had to do, and within a few minutes we had been shown how to do everything and I was beheading and deshelling super fresh prawns. This particular recipe also included mushrooms (shitake and normal) and I was curious about how this would taste.

We spent a very sociable 17 minutes cooking our risotto (yes - we timed it :-), each person taking their turn stirring for risotto is a labour of love. Tony was on hand for any advice and tips along the way. Once the risotto was cooked we left the kitchen and sat at a table outside with our spoils, with white wine and bread to go with it. The risotto was delicious, and I plan to recreate it and experiment with the prawn/mushroom combination. We followed it with a fantastic chocolate mousse dessert and coffee which rendered me speechless temporarily.

It was a very sociable and uplifting experience, I didn't know any of my fellow cooks having arrived on my own. This didn't act as a barrier, everyone was so friendly and really into it, despite the differing levels of experience among the group. The staff were really friendly and encouraging.

One thing I hadn't read anywhere was how good the range of produce available to buy is. It's an eclectic mix from ceramic knives to silicone moulds to tomato vinegar and the El Bulli Spherificaion Kits which I haven't seen for sale in many places.

I had a great time, and I've recommended it to many people. I am looking forward to bringing friends and visitors there. It's a lovely experience.]]> Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:25:48 +0000 /review/uk/london/education/1i0639s/l-atelier-des-chefs/120pk81843817043 Niamheen quick cooking school cooking class rare finds 51.516627 -0.147247