7NovSaturday class
Duchess & Roast
· 15:00 – 18:00
A stuffed fillet of beef roast with golden duchess potatoes, finished with a crème brûlée.
R900 pp Fully bookedSee the class
French cooking classes · Hout Bay, Cape Town
Learn to cook French cuisine in Hout Bay.
I open my kitchen in Hout Bay to small groups, so there's room for everyone to actually cook, not just watch.
Next classes
Pick a date, save your seat.
Five guests at most, so seats go fast. Choose the menu you fancy and book it in a minute.
Five guests at most, so seats go fast. Choose the menu you fancy and book it in a minute.
7Nov
14NovSaturday class
Duchess & Roast
· 15:00 – 18:00
A stuffed fillet of beef roast with golden duchess potatoes, finished with a crème brûlée.
R900 pp 5 guests at mostSee the class
21NovVegetarian class
Provençal Garden
· 15:00 – 18:00
A sun-drenched vegetarian menu: ratatouille with a baked egg and beetroot, then little raspberry financiers.
- Vegetarian
R900 pp 5 guests at mostSee the class
Welcome to my kitchen
I'm French (and South African), and this is French cooking the way I grew up with: no fuss, no fancy technique for technique's sake, just real flavours and the gestures that go with them.
We start with a glass of wine, and by the time the apron's on, it already feels like cooking with friends.
Together we make a main course and a dessert, and along the way I'll share the little tricks that make all the difference (the ones you won't find in a recipe book). Then we all sit down to enjoy what we've prepared. You'll leave with a full stomach, a few new skills, the recipes to prove it, and the kind of memory that stays with you long after the meal.
- Up to 5 guestsso everyone really cooks
- Main course & desserta complete menu, cooked by you
- Welcome drink & wineincluded in the price
- All levels welcomeno experience needed · kids over 13
How it works
Come as you are, cook it together, share the table.
You arrive, you push the door open
A quiet street in Hout Bay, a home kitchen rather than a storefront. Séverine welcomes you with a glass of wine, a few words about what's on the menu today, and an apron. Already, it smells good.
You cook, you get hands-on
Around the kitchen island, knives out, ingredients laid out. Séverine guides you step by step through the main course and the dessert, French home cooking, the way she learned it growing up in France. You taste as you go, adjust, laugh. Whatever your level, you're only 5, so nobody's left standing at the back.
You sit down, you feast
Around the dining table, you settle in and enjoy the dishes you've just made, glass of wine in hand. Conversation flows as easily as the meal, with Séverine right there with you. Bon Appétit! And before you leave, the recipes are yours to take home.
Who are these classes for?
No cooking skills? Good, you're exactly in the right place.
These classes are designed for all levels, no experience required. Bring a partner for a memorable date, come with friends, celebrate a birthday, or just treat yourself. You'll leave with new skills in hand, and the itch to come back for more.
- All levels welcome
- Max. 5 guests
- Everything included
- Kids over 13 welcome
Who is your host?
Severine, a food & wine lover.
I always wanted a restaurant of my own, but my parents had other plans for me. So I followed a different path, yet the passion never faded. I chased it anyway, training alongside great French chefs and becoming, unapologetically, an epicurean.
France shaped my palate in various ways: the sun-drenched flavours of the South (pissaladière, soupe au pistou, ratatouille…), Michelin-starred tables and cosy bistrots in Paris, and the incredible seafood of Brittany.
Two years ago I came back to live in South Africa and settled in Hout Bay, and I am now eager to bring the refinement of French gastronomy here, reimagined with local ingredients. It is not always easy, but that is exactly what makes it exciting.
French cooking, with a Cape Town accent. Bon Appétit!
Do I need to know how to cook?
Not at all, beginners are my favourite guests. I'll guide every move, from the knife to the plating, and everyone goes at their own pace.
What does the price include?
All ingredients, equipment, the full meal you cook and eat together, a welcoming drink, 2 glasses of wine, and the recipes to take home.
How long does a class last?
Around 3 hours cooking from apron to dessert, plus 1 to 2 hours for the meal.
What if I have dietary restrictions?
Some menus can be adapted, let me know when you book. However, please be aware that the meals are not vegan, and that French cooking loves butter. “Butter is life!”
Is the class in English or French?
Both. Séverine teaches comfortably in either.
Something came up, can I cancel or reschedule?
Sample policy (to confirm with Séverine): free to cancel or move your seat up to 72 hours before the class. After that, we can move you once to another date, or you can send a friend in your place.
Can I book for a group larger than 5?
Five is the maximum, and it's on purpose: it's the ideal size for everyone to cook, taste and chat around the same kitchen island. Looking for a private date? Ask about a private class.
I could tell you, but my guests say it better
Latest reviews
Five of us around Séverine's kitchen island and every one of us actually cooked. The duchess potatoes were a revelation.
Sample reviewDuchess & Roast
A glass of wine, an apron, and three hours later we sat down to a meal we made ourselves. Warm, funny and very French.
Sample reviewProvençal Garden
I gave my partner a class for her birthday and now we want to go back for every menu.
Sample reviewGift voucher
Complete beginner here. Séverine explained every move and I've already made the crème brûlée twice at home.
Sample reviewDuchess & Roast
Book a class
Ready to have fun?
Choose your class, pick your date, I'll take care of the rest.