Small Group Montreal Cooking Class by Michelin-Trained Chef

Meet Robert

Robert has been cooking professionally for over 30+ years. For almost three decades, food has been the center of his life. He has worked as a food editor, restaurant designer, hotel operator, and chef. He launched his first restaurant pop-up as a high school junior and began traveling the world in search of flavor by 19. As a food writer, he was nominated as World’s Best Food Journalist and won numerous global accolades as a correspondent for Travel+Leisure, Gourmet, and Slow Food. As an Oxford-trained scholar, he has lectured at food conferences on four continents. As a culinary consultant, he has worked with generational talents like Michelin 3-star chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Sydney’s top toque Neil Perry, and Top Chef winner Harold Dieterle. As a culinary and operations director, he has developed 50+ restaurants and luxury hotels in the US, UK, and Asia, including some of the world’s top brands (W Bangkok and Seoul, Fullerton Bay Singapore, Corinthia UK). He believes that food has a unique ability to connect people, transcend culture, and create lasting memories. He is so excited to share his passion and hopes his cooking can bring a few dollops (or more) of joy into your life!

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-36 guests) During this small-group dining experience, Robert blends European and American techniques with global influences, using the finest local produce, seafood, and farm-fresh ingredients. Passionate about showcasing Montreal’s diverse food culture, he invites you to explore the city’s rich culinary landscape through his carefully crafted menu. Hosted in his home kitchen - a historic 1800s building in the heart of Montreal’s Old Port—this experience offers a luxurious and immersive 4-course tasting journey. Each dish is inspired by Montreal’s multicultural food scene, featuring bold flavors from Asian, Jewish, Caribbean, Portuguese, and Québécois traditions, woven into a delicious narrative of food, culture, and community. Enhance your meal with an optional alcohol pairing, featuring four tasting glasses of artisanal wine and cider, or opt for a curated rare and vintage tea tasting for a unique non-alcoholic experience.

Cooking experience: (1-36 guests) Join Robert, a Michelin-star-trained chef and award-winning food writer (Travel+Leisure, Slow Food), for a small-group cooking class in Montreal. This hands-on experience goes beyond traditional recipes, teaching you to cook like a professional. Chef Robert will guide you through the same training he offers to professional cooks, focusing on essential culinary skills like knife techniques, plating, building sauces, and developing key culinary habits. Over the course of three hours, you'll work just like a chef in a top restaurant, gaining practical skills that will elevate your cooking to the next level. At the end of the class, you'll sit for a formal 3-course lunch. Each dish will be inspired and influenced by a culinary community in Montreal - for example, Caribbean, North Asian, Syrian and Quebecois. If you opt for the alcohol add-on, you'll enjoy 4 tasting glasses of artisanal wine and cider. Non-drinkers can savor a curated rare and vintage tea tasting experience.

Market visit: (1-15 guests) Meet your host outside 'Poissonnerie Shamrock Fish Ltee' for your small-group guided tour of the Jean-Talon Market, one of the largest farmer's markets in North America. You will tour the market from a working chef's perspective focusing on the historic food communities of Montreal (Italy, North Africa, Middle East) through tastings of boldly flavored street food. Wind through the market stopping to explore the history and trade behind local and (for rare items) global sources of vegetables, tea, meat, and fish used by Quebec's top chefs. Then visit a tea store that supplies Michelin 3-star restaurants, buy cheese directly from artisan makers, and nibble on handmade Tunisian sweets. Your market tour will last for 1.5-2 hours.

Notes: 1. Unlike most Traveling Spoon experiences, Robert's experiences are not private.
2. Robert can offer lactose free, gluten free, vegetarian and vegan meals, and adapt to almost any food allergy or dislike, on request. You can also request special menus and celebrate occasions (birthday, anniversary, date night). This cooking class in Montreal is also suitable for families with children.
3. For groups of 5 or more, a 1-week cancellation policy applies. The standard 48-hour cancellation policy does not apply.
4. Robert can accommodate up to 12 guests at a time in his home kitchen. For groups larger than 12, he will divide the experience into two or three seatings on the same day. If you're planning a larger group, please email us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.
4. For groups larger than 8, Robert brings in additional wait staff and applies a service surcharge.
5. Robert has two hypoallergenic cats; they can be placed in a different room during your experience.
6. Children above the age of 4 will be charged the price of an adult. The website defaults to charging 50% but since our host prices children and adults the same, please add children as adults while booking this experience.

Languages spoken: English

Sample menu

• 3-Course Gastronomic Tasting Menu:
• Salmon Crudo (Caribbean) smoky cucumber, mango, sherry, chives
• Monkfish (Southern Thai) green curry, bamboo shoot, holy basil
• Duck (Persia) red pepper, chickpeas, sage, almonds

Traveler reviews

Great time Chef was super and the food amazing. We learned a lot about chopping and sauces and how to cook and clean as you go

- Fern September 17, 2025

Rob shared so many great techniques in much more depth than any other cooking class we have had. I feel like we can really take these things back to our own kitchen. Spectacular flavor combinations that can be easily modified. Knife skills, mixing skills, proper plating.

- Renne August 30, 2025

Great experience in Montreal! This cooking class and experience are amazing. Completely worth the money. Chef Rob really knows how to cook, and how to make people feel comfortable. We had delicious food, delicious wine, and fantastic company. I would recommend this to anyone visiting Montreal.

- Stephen June 25, 2025

Learn from a master! This was a fabulous experience from a top rated chef. He gave us a brief knife skill demo, Prep set up (mise en place) and more kitchen tips. He educated us on sauces to make a perfect meal. Delicious food and paired wines. Highly recommend while in Montreal.

- Angela June 12, 2025

Great experience! Learnt a lot about sauces and cooking techniques. Delicious meal. Thank you Chef Rob!!

- Caroline April 23, 2025

Chef Rob was outstanding! He covered some intermediate to advanced skills for prep and plating. He discussed the finer details of 'high-end' restaurants vs other restaurants for noise level, efficiency of movement, pre-planning for meals, etc. Everything was valuable!! And, Chef Rob made it FUN!!! We then enjoyed a wonderful meal (that we had helped prepare). Chef Rob offers paired wine and cider with each course (for an additional fee). Finally, we also met two other couples who were a pleasure to meet and spend time with. All in all, a wonderful experience!!

- Tom April 08, 2025

It was fun, educational and without a doubt the most organized class I have ever taken. took this class with a girlfriend and I finally learned the proper way to hold a knife. We also learned about the myriad of cultures adding to the Montreal food scene. Thank you chef Rob.

- Ruth_A July 12, 2024

It was a wonderful experience. The class was informative and the food was exquisite. We highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys cooking, learning techniques, and fine dining.

- travelon1 July 03, 2024

Perfection in plating your food and tips on how to do so was nice to learn from a trained chef. Great tips on making sauces to elevate a dish without overpowering it as well. Great dinner company and wine pairing as well. Thanks Robert!

- Tricia_W June 17, 2024

Perfection in plating your food and tips on how to do so was nice to learn from a trained chef. Great tips on making sauces to elevate a dish without overpowering it as well. Great dinner company and wine pairing as well. Thanks Robert!

- Tricia_W June 17, 2024

Robert is a great chef and teacher. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of food, and a great deal of love for Montreal’s ethnic diversity and foodways. The fusion creations we created in homage to La Cité’s immigrant populations were delicious and original. We learned not just about ingredients, but also about techniques and equipment. The selection of wines, beers, and ciders served with the meal were wonderful, too. Highly recommended.

- vt_travel February 13, 2024