Cajun and Creole in New Orleans: Cooking Class or French Quarter Food Tour?
4 min read
The answer first
If you want to sit down to a full meal and leave with recipes, book the Cajun and Creole Cooking Class: €38.58 per person, 4.9 / 5 from 863 reviews. It is a demonstration class at the New Orleans School of Cooking, so you watch the chef cook rather than cook yourself. If you would rather walk and taste, there are two French Quarter food tours below. GetYourGuide lists 44 food and cocktail tours, from €13.46.
Three ways to eat Cajun and Creole
| Offer | What the booking page says | Length | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cajun and Creole Cooking Class | Chef demonstration at 524 St Louis St, 3 or 4-course meal, local beer, iced tea and lemonade, recipe copies; 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM classes | 2–2.5 h | €38.58 | 4.9 / 5 (863 reviews) |
| French Quarter Food History Walking Tour | Five eateries, groups of up to 16, starts at 310 Chartres St; vegetarian option | 3 h | €76.26 | 4.9 / 5 (919 reviews) |
| Food Tour: Taste & Stories of the French Quarter | 4 food stops with 5 tastings, French Market, groups of up to 12, starts at Jackson Square | 2.5 h | €70.87 | 4.8 / 5 (327 reviews) |
The class
The menu depends on the weekday and the time. The page lists, for example, gumbo, jambalaya, bread pudding and pralines at the Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday 10:00 AM class, and crawfish étouffée with shrimp and artichoke soup at the Saturday 2:00 PM class. The full meal is included, along with a coupon for the school’s general store. For guests who are gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan or allergic to seafood, the page says the school serves a single substitute meal, Gumbo Z’Herbes and Creole Z’Herbes; tell the staff by phone or at check-in. The page carries a wheelchair-accessible label; confirm access with the school before you book. If you book for children, ask the school about age limits before you pay.
The two walks
The Food History Walking Tour goes to places the page names: 3rd Block Depot for gumbo, a hot sauce bar, Leah’s Pralines, NOLA Poboys and the Creole Cookery. The description speaks of up to nine tastings, while the inclusions list says up to eight food samples, so expect somewhere in that range. Drinks are not part of the tastings; the page says most stops have a full bar where you can buy one. The page says the tour is not suitable for vegans, people with gluten intolerance or people with mobility impairments, although it also carries a wheelchair-accessible label, so ask the operator before you book, and that its only special diet is a vegetarian option, requested at check-out.
The Taste & Stories tour starts with a beignet, visits the French Market and ends with something sweet. Its page says vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options are available at most stops if you tell the operator at least 24 hours ahead, that children are welcome and those under 4 join free, and that the route covers 10 to 14 city blocks at a relaxed pace. Drinks and tips are not included.
Our recommendation
For most visitors who want to learn the dishes, the cooking class is the better pick: a seated meal, recipes to take home and a fixed time at one address. Choose the Taste & Stories walk with a vegan or gluten-free diet or with a small child, since its page offers those diets and welcomes children, with under-4s free, while the other walk’s page excludes vegans and gluten intolerance and says nothing about children. Choose the Food History tour if you want the longest walk and the most stops. Before any of them, read our guide to the French Quarter by guide or on your own, and browse all food and cocktail tours for dates. All three can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours in advance, according to their pages.
