Avignon: Les Halles Market Cooking Class & Lunch

Summary

Walk Avignon’s covered market then cook & eat your own menu

You’ll start your morning in Avignon’s lively Les Halles market with a local chef—tasting fresh specialties as you shop together for ingredients. Then you’ll cook classic dishes like duck breast or sea bream in a small group before sitting down to share your homemade lunch with wine and coffee. It’s relaxed, hands-on, and full of little surprises along the way.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Cooking workshop and market visit

• Meet at Cuisine Centr'Halles
• Visit Les Halles d'Avignon market
• Taste local specialties
• Choose ingredients for menu
• Return to kitchen for cooking class
• Prepare starter and main dishes
• Cook dessert
• Enjoy lunch with wine and coffee

Top questions

What time does the Avignon cooking class start?

The cooking workshop begins at 9 a.m. inside Les Halles market.

Is lunch included in the Avignon cooking class?

Yes, lunch is included and consists of dishes prepared during the class.

Where is the meeting point for this cooking class?

The meeting point is Cuisine Centr'Halles inside Les Halles d'Avignon market.

Are drinks provided during the workshop?

Yes, water, wine, and coffee are included with your lunch.

Is this cooking class wheelchair accessible?

Yes, all areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible.

How long does the entire experience last?

The event runs from 9 a.m. until around 1:30 p.m..

Can infants or small children join this activity?

Yes, infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller.

Do you visit vendors during the market tour?

Yes, you’ll taste specialties at some of the chef’s favorite vendors before shopping for ingredients.

What’s included

Your morning includes entry to Les Halles market in Avignon, tastings at select vendors while shopping for fresh ingredients alongside your chef guide, hands-on cooking instruction back at Cuisine Centr'Halles kitchen, plus a shared lunch featuring your own creations—with local wine, water, and coffee all provided before wrapping up early afternoon.

What’s the experience like?

I met our chef right by the green wall outside Les Halles in Avignon—he waved, already chatting with a vendor about tomatoes. I’d barely woken up but the place was alive: clatter from stalls, someone slicing cheese, and that warm smell of bread that just makes you hungry. We wandered through the aisles with our group, tasting olives (the green tapenade was salty and sharp), and picking out what looked good for our lunch. I tried to pronounce “chèvre” properly; pretty sure I didn’t nail it. The chef grinned anyway.

We ended up choosing duck breast and sea bream for our menu—honestly, I never thought I’d be cooking both before noon. Back at the kitchen inside the market, aprons on, we got to work. There was this easy rhythm to it: someone chopping herbs, someone else whisking eggs for the chocolate fondant. Our chef showed me how to slice the fish without mangling it (I almost did). People asked questions in French and English; he switched between both like it was nothing. The tapenade recipe is still scribbled in my notebook—I keep meaning to try it at home.

Lunch felt like a reward after all that prep. We sat around a big table with glasses of wine (local stuff—fruity but not too heavy), passing plates and laughing about who dropped what. Sunlight came through the windows and for a second everything just slowed down—good food, coffee after, people from three countries trying to agree on the best cheese. I still think about that moment when I taste olive oil now.