How to Book a Fun Savannah Cooking Class During Your Trip

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If you are looking for a fun activity to pop into your trip to Savannah, try booking a short cooking class with your friends or family! Today, I’m reflecting on the Savannah cooking class we attended – at what is now The Cooking School at Hotel Bardo Savannah. In Savannah, you can find all types of food and drink classes and tours under different price points. Since Savannah is very culinary focused, you will surely want to try some culinary experiences! These interactive culinary classes are fun even for those who don’t consider themselves cooking enthusiasts!

food on table at what is now the Cooking School at Hotel Bardo Savannah

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This information was updated in July, 2024 (with sections moved from an existing article to this new article) to reflect some changes: Note that this post include photos and our experiences from 700 Kitchen Cooking School and the chef who worked with us in our class. The Mansion on Forsythe has been redesigned and rebranded as Hotel Bardo Savannah, and the cooking school is now called The Cooking School at Hotel Bardo, as of 2023.

Try These Savannah Cooking Classes and Experiences

Visit Hotel Bardo Savannah and book your class of choice directly through the hotel’s website! In fact, I highly recommend booking your stay in this beautiful old mansion! See my post on our girls trip to Savannah and staying at this old mansion on Forsythe Park – a 5 star hotel. And see my post on a Tybee Island day trip, too!
If you are more into the idea of making cocktails than dinner, book a Savannah cocktails class instead!

Savannah Cooking Classes Changes

My friends and I first attended the Savannah cooking school when it was under the name of the 700 Kitchen Cooking School – this was before last year’s major overhaul of the hotel. Once called The Mansion on Forsythe, the hotel has recently undergone a complete redesign which has also included the cooking school. I called and spoke with Hotel Bardo Savannah staff to see how much different things were with the new hotel transformation. Hotel staff told me the newly redesigned cooking school is under a very similar concept as before but there are things that are different at this current time – such as the cooking themes.

This Savannah cooking class was so much fun for my friends and I – even though I am really the only true “cook” of the three of us. But they had a glass of wine in hand and still had fun! And all three of us enjoyed the meal at the end!

My photos in this post are little grainy because of the dim lighting we had going for ambiance. Ambiance trumps crisp photos, you know!

History Behind the Cooking School of Hotel Bardo

During our stay at what is now Hotel Bardo Savannah, we had a great time during our 700 Kitchen Cooking school class – now called the Cooking School of Hotel Bardo. Our entertaining chef, Chef Shahin Afsharian, was half Iranian and half Mexican. I just loved the multi-cultural viewpoints he brought to the table – literally and figuratively!

He informed us of the history of how the Savannah cooking class came to be at Hotel Bardo Savannah. Of the information he told us, here are some things I noted:

The history of the Hotel Bardo building dates back to 1888 when it was first known as The Lewis Kayton House on Drayton Street in Savannah.
The historic building was first a family home to Lewis Kayton, then a funeral home (Fox and Weeks) for over 50 years, and then a restaurant.
The area of the building that is now the kitchen of the cooking school used to be the embalming room of the funeral home! (That just is so wild to me!)
The cooking school still includes many areas original to the mansion.
As renovations have been ongoing throughout the years, the owners have always tried to capture art, sculptures, and culinary arts as part of the overall experience of the place.

We had the best time in our class. The culinary focus of our Savannah cooking class was “low country” cooking – an area that I don’t have a lot of experience in. I felt like I learned so many things from our amazing chef!

In our class, we were given a brief tour of the cooking facility and surrounding areas of the hotel. We were able to help ourself to wine during the cooking class. And we took turns participating in the preparation of the meal as Chef Shahin gave pointers and guided us through.

Arkansas lifestyle blogger, Amy, pours a vegetable dish at a Savannah cooking class

Chef Shahin Afsharian gives cooking instruction during a Savannah cooking class

At the end, all the cooking class participants sat around a large table and enjoyed the meal together, course by course. There was a group of lively ladies with us in the class, and they were so much fun to do this experience with!

three women at in a Savannah cooking class at what is now the Cooking School at Hotel Bardo Savannah

group of ladies attending a Savannah cooking class at what is now Hotel Bardo Savannah

Some Low Country Tips and Information in our Savannah Cooking Class

Our chef appeared very knowledgeable with both cooking tips and historical information concerning the primary ingredients we were using in our meal that night.

Always have enough fat to cover every grain of rice, or else the rice will clump.
Chicken country captain sauce was originally made in boats in Britain and was introduced to Savannah by a British sea captain.
Saffron is a special spice from the saffron flower.
Saffron’s big producers are Iran, Spain, and Morocco
Saffron brings a distinct smell that then transforms the flavor through the breakdown of the heat.
Saffron is what makes paella turn yellow.
For the richest-tasting vanilla, use vanilla from Madagascar.
Apple cider vinegar helps with the tenderness and flavor of collard greens.