Cooking Classes and Chef-Led Tables in London

Good for

What to expect

You’ll find a menu built around pasta, seafood, salads and well-known Italian dishes, plus a few richer plates for a longer meal. The setting works well for business lunches, relaxed dinners and group bookings, and the wider building often adds live music to the experience. If you go for the buffet-style service, expect plenty of choice and a strong focus on seafood and cold cuts alongside the hot dishes. Join us for Cecconi's Feast every Sunday. You can choose from pasta and pizza, salads, Sunday roasts, lobsters, oysters and classic Italian desserts.

Plan your visit

If you’re choosing it for a special meal, give yourself time to look around The Ned before or after you eat, as the restaurant sits within one of the City’s grandest public interiors. If you want pasta or seafood as your main focus, check what accompaniments you’d like as sides may need to be added.

Good for

What to expect

You'll usually join a chef-led class where the steps are explained clearly and the pace stays easy to follow. Guests say the beginners session starts from the basics, with flour-and-water pasta, then a simple tomato sauce and antipasti to eat at the end. Drinks are topped up along the way, so it works just as well for a relaxed date as for a team outing or a birthday meal with a bit of structure.

Plan your visit

Go with a light appetite, because the class ends with the pasta you've made, plus antipasti and drinks. It suits birthdays, work groups and couples who want something interactive without a long meal. Comfortable clothes help, since you'll be standing at the worktable for part of the session.

Good for

What to expect

You’ll work through a Japanese dish or menu in a small group, with Atsuko guiding each stage from prep to plating. Classes mix clear demonstrations with hands-on cooking, so you can try the techniques yourself without feeling rushed. Depending on the workshop, you might make sushi, gyoza, a bento box or tofu dishes, then sit down to eat everything at the end. The focus is on simple methods, good ingredients and steps you can repeat at home.

Plan your visit

Choose a class that matches the dish you most want to learn, because each session is built around a specific recipe set. It helps to come ready to cook and share a table with people you may not know, since the format is social and hands-on.

Good for

What to expect

You’ll chop, stir and plate as chefs walk you through each stage, with plenty of tips if you’re a beginner. The mood stays relaxed, so it works for friends, couples or solo guests who want to cook rather than watch. Menus change by class, from Vietnamese rolls and sauces to Moroccan dishes or South Indian cooking. One session finishes with a nine-dish feast, and afterwards you sit down together with a glass of wine and no washing up.

Plan your visit

Wear comfortable clothes and come ready to cook from scratch. It works well for pairs, solo guests and small groups, especially if you want a class that ends with everyone eating together.

Good for

What to expect

At the counter, you’ll find classic French-style pastries alongside coffee and simple treats such as almond croissants and cookies. In a workshop, you’ll mix, fold, shape and bake, then leave with your finished bakes and, in some sessions, extra dough to bake at home as well as a useful apron to take away with you. The setup feels practical and hands-on rather than showy, which suits anyone who wants to learn by doing.

Plan your visit

If you’re coming for the bakery side, look for the entrance through the passage by the railway rather than the main street frontage. For a class, wear clothes you don’t mind dusting with flour and give yourself enough time to settle in and carry home your bakes afterwards.

Good for

What to expect

You’ll work through recipes step by step with an instructor, from mixing and shaping to baking and finishing. Reviews point to warm, well-organised sessions with coffee, tea and water on hand, plus generous tastings and take-home boxes. Some classes finish with a shared lunch or a sweet treat, which makes the session feel like a proper cooking lesson rather than a quick demo.

Plan your visit

Bring a tote or box if you want to carry home multiple bakes, and wear clothes you don’t mind dusting with flour. If you’re choosing between styles, pick the loaf or pastry class that matches how much hands-on shaping you want. Leave time afterwards to wander Borough Market.

Good for

What to expect

You’ll spend the session chopping, mixing, rolling and cooking with clear instructions from the kitchen team. The pace is steady and practical, so beginners can keep up while more confident cooks still get stuck in. Reviewers often single out the pasta making, the organised flow of the class and the meal at the end, which can include well-received dishes such as chicken alongside the pasta course.

Plan your visit

Choose this for a group that wants an activity with a shared meal at the end. Wear clothes you can cook in comfortably, and let the team know about any dietary needs or mixed experience levels before you go, so they can pitch the session well for everyone.

Good for

What to expect

You’ll usually work through a recipe from start to finish, rather than just watching a demo. In sushi sessions, ingredients are laid out ready to use, then you learn the rice, rolling and shaping. Gyoza classes cover the pastry, fillings, dipping sauce and cooking method. Drinks are offered during class, and some sessions end with a plate of several sushi pieces or a take-home goody bag.

Plan your visit

Pick a class that matches your confidence level, because the beginner sessions are set up to teach the basics clearly, while the more hands-on formats suit people who want to practise and ask questions. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, say so when choosing the class.

Good for

What to expect

You’ll spend most of the visit rolling, cutting and shaping fresh dough, with the team stepping in when the texture or technique needs adjusting. The session is designed to be practical, so you learn by doing rather than watching. By the end, you’ll have a bowl of pasta that’s been made in the room, and there’s usually time to linger over it with a glass of prosecco or a soft drink if you prefer it.

Plan your visit

Go in clothes you don’t mind getting a little flour on, and choose an easygoing pace if you’re coming with friends or colleagues. It’s a good fit if you want a meal that also teaches you a few kitchen skills, and the shared setup makes it comfortable for solo visitors too.

Good for

What to expect

You’ll cook in a small group with a chef who talks you through each stage and keeps the pace easy to follow. Classes often include dishes from Iranian, Egyptian, Pakistani and Hong Kong cooking, with examples like salmon in tamarind sauce, dill beans, fish balls, tofu curry and dumplings. The session finishes with everyone sitting down to eat what they’ve made, which gives the class a relaxed, communal feel.

Plan your visit

Wear clothes and shoes you do not mind cooking in, and be ready to take part from the start. It helps to come with an appetite, because the final meal is part of the experience rather than an add-on. The class also works well for groups that want to cook together rather than sit and watch.

Good for

What to expect

You’ll cook in a spacious, professional looking kitchen where the layout makes it easy to get involved from the start. Family classes give children clear tasks and a chance to work together, while other sessions can focus on fusion dishes led by guest teachers such as Deena Kakaya. For private hire, the team is known for being flexible and helpful, so the room suits training days, tastings and food led celebrations.

Plan your visit

If you’re planning a group session, ask how the room will be set up for cooking, tasting and serving, especially if you want extras such as tablecloths. The venue suits teams that need a practical space and families who want a class everyone can join in with.

Good for

What to expect

You’ll usually find a choice of breads, pastries, and filled doughnuts, with the crème brûlée version the one most people come for. There’s often a separate flow for doughnuts and for other bakes, so you can browse both without much fuss. The fillings run from vanilla to salted caramel and chocolate, and the dough stays light and freshly made. Service is quick, so it works well for a short stop between market stalls. Bread Ahead also runs baking classes through its Bakery School.

Plan your visit

Go for the doughnuts first if you’re short on time, then add a loaf or pastry from the bread counter. The doughnut line can move differently from the bread line, so it’s worth checking both if you want the full range. It’s an easy stop to pair with a wander through Borough Market.