Social Kitchen

Social Kitchen calls its evenings experiences rather than classes, and the format backs that up. You arrive at 1000 Main Street in downtown Vancouver to bubbles and an apron. Then you cook in teams of four with a culinary guide and sit down at a communal table to eat the multi-course meal you made. Staff handle the clean-up. Public sessions run about two hours and take up to 20 guests.

The calendar is built on themed menus like Argentine Steak Night, Paella on the Spanish Riviera, Classical French Bistro and Scratch Pasta & Classical Sauces, where you make cheese trio ravioli with hazelnut pesto and fresh tagliatelle. Kids and teens get their own baking sessions. Children of any age can also join public experiences with an adult.

It's a family business and veteran-owned. They don't take tips at public experiences, and they absorb booking fees. Local wine and beer are available by the glass. Groups of 15 to 45 can book the whole kitchen, including a team cook-off called the Social Kitchen Showdown. Guests give it 5 stars across 73 Google reviews.