Cooking classes in San Francisco

What to eat and drink in San Francisco

Classes here usually build the menu around local dishes. Ones to look for:

Sourdough

Tangy San Francisco sourdough bread, baked in the city since the Gold Rush.

Clam chowder

Creamy clam and potato soup, served in a hollowed-out sourdough bread bowl.

Dungeness crab

A large, sweet local crab, in season from about November to June.

Mission burrito

A big San Francisco burrito with rice, beans and fillings, wrapped in foil.

Cioppino

A tomato and wine fish stew with crab, clams and prawns, created by San Francisco's Italian fishermen.

Dim sum

Small Cantonese dishes such as dumplings and buns, shared over tea, usually at brunch.

How to pick a good cooking class

1. Check whether you cook every dish yourself or watch a demonstration. Hands-on classes usually cap groups at 10 to 12.
2. Morning classes often start with a market walk to buy ingredients; afternoon ones go straight to the kitchen.
3. Tell the host about allergies or a vegetarian diet when you book, not on the day.
4. Look for a class that sends the recipes home with you, so you can cook them again.

San Francisco month by month

Averages for San Francisco, 1991–2020.

• January
• February
• March
• April
• May
• June
• July
• August
• September
• October
• November
• December