The Chef Upstairs - Vaughan
The Chef Upstairs - Vaughan
4.6
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
About
The Coolest Food Experience Venue in Vaughan... We are a unique cooking studio offering interactive, culinary experiences in an intimate venue. Join us for weekly cooking classes for all ages, birthday parties, corporate meeting space and team building events, kids camps, bachelorettes, you name it! We also offer In-Home and Off-Site Catering, Delivered Meal Preparation and are 100% nut free!
Duration: More than 3 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.6
32 reviews
Excellent
28
Very good
1
Average
0
Poor
1
Terrible
2
GalPals G
Thornhill, Canada8 contributions
Mar 2023
Chef was amazing in both the menu he helped us prepare as well as the manner he explained it all. a wonderful opportunity to spend time with old friends (and new) in a professional setting with fantastic food! A very special night that I would probably repeat for my anniversary celebration but good even for a different date night.
Written 15 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarah E
Thornhill, Canada14 contributions
Aug 2021
We had a surprise 60th birthday at Chef Upstairs and it was FANTASTIC! Everyone was able to cook as much or as little as they wanted, and the chefs did an amazing job teaching us and cooking the rest. The food and service was amazing. They were even able to modify the dishes last minute based on taste preferences. I highly suggest this place for everyone!
Written 31 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Janice S
Dundas, Canada6 contributions
Jun 2021
It's a wonderful way to spend an evening. My friend and I have done many cooking classes together, this was our first virtual one! Chef Pierre did an amazing job of explaining the steps, engaging all of the participants and keeping the energy level high. I would definitely recommend it.
Written 7 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sandra R
7 contributions
Jan 2024 • Family
I purchased 2 tickets to an adult cooking class as a Christmas gift for my mom. We were both very excited to go.
Then a winter storm hit!!!
I called 2 days prior when I heard about the incoming storm, and asked to reschedule. I was unable to reschedule and instead told to “drive safe.” (our drive to Vaughn was considerable)
$300 down the drain!!!
They were well within their rights as their policy is to give 7 days notice to reschedule (I gave 2). But seemed very unreasonable to me! Finding 2 people to go in my place wasn't realistic, given the weather. I shouldn't have to choose between my safety and loosing $300. But I did. On the evening of our clas, environment Canada said to “consider postponing all non-essential travel.”
I wish I read through the Google reviews more thoroughly. Disappointing customer service. There was a really lack of listening and understanding.
We are very conscious about food waste. If the ingredients were already purchased, we gladly would have picked up the day before/after and tried to recreate the meal ourselves although we weren’t emailed the recipes. The exact same class also ran the following day.
Just feel a lot more could have been done.
Then a winter storm hit!!!
I called 2 days prior when I heard about the incoming storm, and asked to reschedule. I was unable to reschedule and instead told to “drive safe.” (our drive to Vaughn was considerable)
$300 down the drain!!!
They were well within their rights as their policy is to give 7 days notice to reschedule (I gave 2). But seemed very unreasonable to me! Finding 2 people to go in my place wasn't realistic, given the weather. I shouldn't have to choose between my safety and loosing $300. But I did. On the evening of our clas, environment Canada said to “consider postponing all non-essential travel.”
I wish I read through the Google reviews more thoroughly. Disappointing customer service. There was a really lack of listening and understanding.
We are very conscious about food waste. If the ingredients were already purchased, we gladly would have picked up the day before/after and tried to recreate the meal ourselves although we weren’t emailed the recipes. The exact same class also ran the following day.
Just feel a lot more could have been done.
Written 15 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chantal V
1 contribution
May 2021 • Family
Fabulous cooking classes! My children have done two classes with Chef Julian and one with Chef Pierre so far. Each of the classes was amazing! My children thoroughly enjoyed them and learned so much! The Chefs are excellent teachers and shared their knowledge and skills efficiently. Recipes and flow of the class sent in advance make it a seamless and very enjoyable experience. Can’t wait to do another class!
Written 13 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dan M
Whitby, Canada154 contributions
Aug 2020
This was my second time visiting the Chef Upstairs. The first time was through a work event and we went to the Toronto location. It was so much fun I decided to book an evening with my wife and we're glad we did! Julian, our chef, was amazing. He was very sociable and knowledgeable and shared tips, tricks and a lot of interesting facts about our food. Our meal was delicious - oysters, both charbroiled and raw, lobster ravioli, mussels and fries. Julian also made homemade ice cream. It was all so goof! We still have restrictions here due to Covid so it wasn't as participatory as usual but Julian did a great job of keeping us involved. We were all physically distant as well. Our server was also great - very friendly and attentive. I would highly recommend the Chef Upstairs - both this location and the Toronto location.
Written 9 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Dan. We appreciate you taking the time to review us and hope to see you again soon!
Written 10 August 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Paul N
1 contribution
Jan 2021
Got a class as a wedding present. Signed up for Spanish tapas class (at home class due to COVID-19). Was a lot of work but well worth it. (Not sure if I could have kept up with the class if I was cooking solo). The food was delicious and learned some tips I will use in future cooking. We are signing up for more classes.
Written 17 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David S
Toronto, Canada51 contributions
Jan 2019 • Couples
We received an evening at the Chef Upstairs as a gift, and found the French Country Cooking to be most interesting. While there were no spots immediately available, we put our name on the waiting list and within a day had heard that we were accepted for our preferred date.
A couple within a larger group of 13 for this event, Chef Julian and his team did a wonderful job of making us all feel included and part of the cooking experience. He taught us a great deal about the basics of french cuisine, as well as the culture of cooking and working in a larger kitchen with others. From prep to plating, we were part of it all, and of course got to enjoy the meal itself!
Highly recommended!
A couple within a larger group of 13 for this event, Chef Julian and his team did a wonderful job of making us all feel included and part of the cooking experience. He taught us a great deal about the basics of french cuisine, as well as the culture of cooking and working in a larger kitchen with others. From prep to plating, we were part of it all, and of course got to enjoy the meal itself!
Highly recommended!
Written 6 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Iain R
Toronto, Canada37 contributions
Dec 2018 • Business
A very interesting concept indeed. The staff were amazing and looked like they really like what they do.
If you've worked in restaurants, imagine all the rules disappearing. A great opportunity to staff to interact with chefs and servers because the guests are making and basically plating dinner, they're one of you, us.
The food quality and menu/recipes were fun and easy to make and very tasty.
Overall a great experience however I think it's suited better for smaller groups of 6 or 10.
If you've worked in restaurants, imagine all the rules disappearing. A great opportunity to staff to interact with chefs and servers because the guests are making and basically plating dinner, they're one of you, us.
The food quality and menu/recipes were fun and easy to make and very tasty.
Overall a great experience however I think it's suited better for smaller groups of 6 or 10.
Written 13 December 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jigglypuffpuffpu2018
Toronto, Canada1 contribution
Feb 2018 • Couples
To quote a review from their Toronto location "But this fell well short of a real cooking class. The chef and host gave scanty explanations of the dishes, the ingredients and the cooking methods (although they did answer questions very knowledgably"
My experience: When I spend 100$ per person on food, I expect to get something amazing for my money. In a restaurant, I am expecting a first class meal; in a cooking class I am expecting to get an amazing hands-on learning experience that teaches me how to make a first class meal.
Unfortunately this class was a mash-up of a restaurant and a cooking class, where I got the worst of both worlds - I got a meal cooked by other (mediocre) cooks, and I received very little instruction. I was disappointed that I was not in charge of cooking my own meal. Instead, everyone else was in charge of cooking my meal, and I was in charge of two very small parts of the process - I fed pasta into the pasta-making machine, and I cut out circles from pre-rolled dough. I learned one tip, which was to make brown butter in cooking sauces by just cooking the butter by itself for a couple of minutes before adding other ingredients. Beyond this, I did not receive any instruction, nor did I learn anything worthwhile.
Needless to say I am disappointed. I have less idea of all of the individual steps that went into cooking the meal than if I had just watched a cooking video on Youtube, and I wasn't impressed by taste of the Tuscan White Bean Soup, nor the Cannoli filling. I wish that that description of the class explained the nature of the class better. On the website it explains:
ARE THESE CLASSES INTERACTIVE?
• Classes are interactive and "hands-on"
• 6 to 8 people work together at a time, with the chef instructing.
• We focus on knife skills, preparing ingredients for cooking, tasting/seasoning, and we strive to find every opportunity to offer you a hands-on experience at the stove and at your station, all within the special parameters of a single stove/family-style kitchen.
• Throughout the class, the chefs offer personal experiences and many culinary tips and tricks
Reading this, I had the idea that this was a class of 6-8 people led by one chef who took us all through the steps, and we would all come out with our own finished product.
I wish they updated the website to make it more clear that these classes are not fully instructive, and that you are eating food not cooked by yourself, nor by a high-quality chef, but by a bunch of other people who don't know how to cook. Julian did his best, and had I gone in with different expectations, I may not have been so disappointed with this night as a whole. Overall I would rate this experience poor.
I also sent the customer service an email explaining why I was disappointed in the night, and they trivialized it, saying that that was "my experience" and "other people had a good time." That may be so, but their experience doesn't negate mine.
My experience: When I spend 100$ per person on food, I expect to get something amazing for my money. In a restaurant, I am expecting a first class meal; in a cooking class I am expecting to get an amazing hands-on learning experience that teaches me how to make a first class meal.
Unfortunately this class was a mash-up of a restaurant and a cooking class, where I got the worst of both worlds - I got a meal cooked by other (mediocre) cooks, and I received very little instruction. I was disappointed that I was not in charge of cooking my own meal. Instead, everyone else was in charge of cooking my meal, and I was in charge of two very small parts of the process - I fed pasta into the pasta-making machine, and I cut out circles from pre-rolled dough. I learned one tip, which was to make brown butter in cooking sauces by just cooking the butter by itself for a couple of minutes before adding other ingredients. Beyond this, I did not receive any instruction, nor did I learn anything worthwhile.
Needless to say I am disappointed. I have less idea of all of the individual steps that went into cooking the meal than if I had just watched a cooking video on Youtube, and I wasn't impressed by taste of the Tuscan White Bean Soup, nor the Cannoli filling. I wish that that description of the class explained the nature of the class better. On the website it explains:
ARE THESE CLASSES INTERACTIVE?
• Classes are interactive and "hands-on"
• 6 to 8 people work together at a time, with the chef instructing.
• We focus on knife skills, preparing ingredients for cooking, tasting/seasoning, and we strive to find every opportunity to offer you a hands-on experience at the stove and at your station, all within the special parameters of a single stove/family-style kitchen.
• Throughout the class, the chefs offer personal experiences and many culinary tips and tricks
Reading this, I had the idea that this was a class of 6-8 people led by one chef who took us all through the steps, and we would all come out with our own finished product.
I wish they updated the website to make it more clear that these classes are not fully instructive, and that you are eating food not cooked by yourself, nor by a high-quality chef, but by a bunch of other people who don't know how to cook. Julian did his best, and had I gone in with different expectations, I may not have been so disappointed with this night as a whole. Overall I would rate this experience poor.
I also sent the customer service an email explaining why I was disappointed in the night, and they trivialized it, saying that that was "my experience" and "other people had a good time." That may be so, but their experience doesn't negate mine.
Written 11 February 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Pamela,
Again, we are sorry that your experience was less than perfect.
We were certainly not trying to negate your opinion but were very surprised by it.
The website does indicate that the class is for up to 20 people and that 6-8 people work together at a time in a family-style kitchen - we have led classes this way for over 10 years and have found that this format works very well.
We do apologize that the evening was not up to your expectations.
Written 13 February 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
No questions have been asked about this experience
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
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