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5 Best Cooking Classes in London (2026)

Independently ranked by our review of ratings, reviews and reputation · How we chose

Vespera Quill
By Vespera Quill, Expert in Local Experiences and Cultural Analysis · ✓ Data verified August 2026 · 8 min read

A cooking class in London can mean anything from a two-hour knife-skills session to a full evening cooking six courses of a cuisine you've never tried. The five schools here have logged nearly 5,000 Google reviews between them, almost all of them five stars, and the split between them comes down to format: solo classes versus private group bookings, single cuisine versus a rotating menu.

Short answer: ClassBento and Food at 52 Cookery School are London's most reviewed cooking class options, both holding a perfect 5.0 stars, with 1,275 and 1,262 reviews respectively. The Avenue Cookery School isn't far behind at 4.9 stars across 1,433 reviews, the largest review base of any school here. Expect classes to run from single evening sessions to full-day masterclasses, priced per person per class.
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How London's Cooking Schools Compare

# Business Rating Reviews Best for
1 ClassBento 5.0 1,275 Widest cuisine choice / booking platform View ›
2 Food at 52 Cookery School 5.0 1,262 Central London / cuisine-specific courses View ›
3 The Avenue Cookery School 4.9 1,433 Highest review volume / wine-included evenings View ›
4 Jamie Oliver Cookery School, Islington 4.8 583 Celebrity-chef brand / structured masterclasses View ›
5 Tea and Crafting | Craft Classes in Central London, Crafty Hen Parties and Unique Baby Showers 4.9 361 Craft workshops, not cooking View ›
5 Best Cooking Classes in London (2026)

Our top picks, reviewed

ClassBento logo
#1 Overall🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

ClassBento

5.01,275 Google reviews

ClassBento operates as a booking platform for hands-on classes across London, including a wide range of cooking classes taught by different host chefs and kitchens alongside craft workshops like pottery. Reviewers describe cooking sessions such as an Ethiopian class making injera and cuisine-specific evenings booked as a gift or a group activity. Because it's a marketplace rather than a single kitchen, the exact venue and teacher vary by class.

What people praise

  • Huge variety of cuisines and formats to choose from in one place
  • Reviewers consistently praise instructors as clear, patient and fun
  • Popular for gifts and group bookings, including birthdays
  • Classes described as well paced for complete beginners

Worth knowing

  • Since it's a platform for many hosts, quality and format can vary between individual classes
Reputation scorecardrank in London
Rating5 / 5
Review volume1,275 · 91th
Confidencevery high
Recency7 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown98% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The most reviewed option here and the best starting point if you want to compare cuisines before committing to a single school.

Aldwych House, London WC2A 2AZ

Food at 52 Cookery School logo
#2🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

Food at 52 Cookery School

5.01,262 Google reviews

Food at 52 Cookery School is a Central London cookery school offering public and private courses across a wide range of cuisines, from Vietnamese and Classic Italian to Thai and Moroccan, plus corporate and team-building sessions. Classes run in a dedicated kitchen and lounge space, with students cooking a full menu and then sitting down together to eat what they've made. The school also runs full-day courses for those wanting deeper coverage of a single cuisine.

What people praise

  • Wide, named cuisine menu from Vietnamese to Sicilian seafood
  • Reviewers repeatedly praise the relaxed, sociable atmosphere
  • Full-day options for a deeper dive into one cuisine
  • Returning-guest discount for repeat bookings

Worth knowing

  • Full-day courses are a bigger time commitment than a single evening class
Reputation scorecardrank in London
Rating5 / 5
Review volume1,262 · 85th
Confidencevery high
Recency4 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown99% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: A close second on review volume and quality, and the strongest pick if you want a specific cuisine taught in real depth rather than a one-off taster.

96 Central St, London EC1V 8AJ

The Avenue Cookery School logo
#3🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

The Avenue Cookery School

4.91,433 Google reviews

The Avenue Cookery School is a Wandsworth-based cookery school running evening and weekend classes that pair hands-on cooking with wine, from dishes like Doro Wat and Injera to dedicated knife-skills sessions. Classes are kept to around ten people, with prepped ingredients handled by the school and knife work left to students, and reviewers consistently mention the relaxed pace and generous wine pour. Sessions typically run around three hours and finish with the group eating together.

What people praise

  • Highest review count of any school on this page, at 1,433 reviews
  • Small class sizes, around ten people, described repeatedly
  • Wine included and reviewers call it generous, not an afterthought
  • No rush to leave after the meal, even on late finishes

Worth knowing

  • Slightly lower average rating than the two names above it, though still well above 4.5
Reputation scorecardrank in London
Rating4.9 / 5
Review volume1,433 · 97th
Confidencevery high
Recency8 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown97% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The largest track record on this page by review count, and a strong pick for a social evening class rather than a formal culinary course.

3 Enterprise Way, London SW18 1FZ

Jamie Oliver Cookery School, Islington logo
#4🕑 Open 7 days

Jamie Oliver Cookery School, Islington

4.8583 Google reviews

Jamie Oliver Cookery School in Islington runs structured cooking classes and masterclasses under the Jamie Oliver brand, including knife-skills sessions, bread courses and cuisine-focused classes taught by dedicated chefs. Reviewers describe five-hour knife masterclasses that combine technique practice with three cooked meals, as well as guest-chef events built around published cookbooks. The school also runs sessions from other London locations, including inside a John Lewis store.

What people praise

  • Well-structured, technique-focused classes like the knife masterclass
  • Chefs praised by name for clear, step-by-step instruction
  • Good value cited for multi-hour classes with several cooked meals
  • Recognisable brand name for gifting or corporate bookings

Worth knowing

  • No listed phone number for direct enquiries, so booking runs through the website
Reputation scorecardrank in London
Rating4.8 / 5
Review volume583 · 79th
Confidencehigh
Recency3 months ago
Info completenesssite · hours
Rating breakdown90% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: A dependable, well-organised choice if the Jamie Oliver name and a structured, technique-first format matter to you.

160 Holloway Rd, London N7 8DD

Tea and Crafting | Craft Classes in Central London, Crafty Hen Parties and Unique Baby Showers logo
#5🕑 Open 7 days

Tea and Crafting | Craft Classes in Central London, Crafty Hen Parties and Unique Baby Showers

4.9361 Google reviews

Tea and Crafting is a London craft workshop business with locations in Covent Garden and Highgate, running sessions in knitting, crochet, candle making, embroidery, resin and pottery. Its own site and reviews describe hen parties, baby showers and birthday craft nights, but none of its listed classes or reviews mention cooking or food preparation. It appears on Google's cooking-class category listing, but based on its own description it is a general craft school rather than a culinary one.

What people praise

  • Reviewers consistently praise patient, friendly tutors across its craft classes
  • Two London locations, Covent Garden and Highgate
  • Popular for group bookings like hen parties and birthday nights
  • Small class sizes with plenty of individual attention

Worth knowing

  • Does not appear to teach cooking; its classes are knitting, crochet, candle making and similar crafts
Reputation scorecardrank in London
Rating4.9 / 5
Review volume361 · 74th
Confidencehigh
Recency5 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown94% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: Worth knowing about for a craft night out, but not a cooking class in the way the other names on this page are. If you specifically want to cook, look to ClassBento, Food at 52, The Avenue Cookery School or Jamie Oliver Cookery School first.

15 Maiden Ln, London WC2E 7NG

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How we score

Every number on this page is computed from public Google data on the date shown, not from opinion or payment. Rating is the school’s live Google star average. Review volume is how many customers have rated them, ranked against other London cooking schools. Confidence weighs the rating by that volume, so a 5.0 from over a thousand reviews carries more weight than a 5.0 from a dozen. Recency reflects how recently people are still leaving reviews. No business can pay to change these numbers.

How much does a cooking class cost in London?

Prices vary by class length, cuisine and whether wine or a full sit-down meal is included, and none of the schools here publish a single fixed rate. Jamie Oliver Cookery School lists individual class prices on its own site, for example an Italian Favourites session at £75 and a pie-making masterclass at £150, but these change by class and season, so treat them as a guide rather than a current quote.

JobTypical price
Italian Favourites class (Jamie Oliver Cookery School)£75
Guest-chef pie-making masterclass (Jamie Oliver Cookery School)£150

Prices as listed on the Jamie Oliver Cookery School website, August 2026. Other schools on this page do not publish fixed prices; contact them directly for current rates and group pricing.

Serving Central London and beyond

The cooking schools above are spread across Central London, Islington, Wandsworth and Covent Garden, with most within easy reach of major Tube lines. Searching for a cooking class near me? Every listing below shows a live phone number and directions so you can check dates and availability fast.

What to ask before you book a cooking class

  • Is the class hands-on or a watch-and-eat demonstration?
  • How many people are in a typical session?
  • Are dietary requirements and allergies accommodated?
  • Is wine or a sit-down meal included in the price?
  • Do I take home what I cook, or eat it there?
  • What’s the cancellation and rescheduling policy?

Frequently asked questions

How did you choose these cooking classes?

We started from cooking class providers in London with a public Google presence, then ranked by rating, review volume, consistency and recency. See How we score above.

Are these rankings paid?

No. Rankings come from the public Google data in the scorecard. A business can pay to be a Featured Partner, which adds a badge and top placement, but that never changes another business’s score or position on the underlying data.

How often is this updated?

The data carries a verified date (August 2026 on this page). We refresh listings periodically so ratings and review counts stay current.

Are any of these classes good for complete beginners?

Yes. ClassBento, Food at 52 and The Avenue Cookery School all have reviews specifically praising how well they support first-timers, with clear step-by-step instruction and small groups.

Is Tea and Crafting actually a cooking class?

Based on its own website and reviews, no. It runs craft workshops such as knitting, crochet and candle making rather than cooking, so anyone looking specifically to learn to cook should look to the other schools on this page.

The bottom line

ClassBento and Food at 52 are the safest defaults, both holding a perfect rating across well over a thousand reviews each. If you want the widest choice of cuisine in one booking, start with ClassBento; if you want depth in a single kitchen, Food at 52 is the stronger pick.

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