Meet
Robert
Robert has been cooking, teaching, and writing professionally about food and culture for over 30+ years. He has worked as a food editor/critic, restaurant designer, hotel operator, and chef. He launched his first restaurant pop-up as a high school junior and began traveling the world in search of flavor by 19. As a food writer, he was nominated as World’s Best Food Journalist and has won numerous global accolades as a correspondent for Travel+Leisure, Gourmet, and Slow Food, among many other of the world's biggest outlets. As an Oxford-trained scholar, he has lectured at food conferences and taught on four continents. As a food consultant, he has worked with generational talents like Michelin 3-star chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Sydney’s top toque Neil Perry, and Top Chef winner Harold Dieterle, and James Beard Award-winner Zak Pelaccio. As a culinary and operations director, he has developed 50+ restaurants and luxury hotels in the US, UK, and Asia, including some of the world’s top brands (W Bangkok and Seoul, Fullerton Bay Singapore, Corinthia UK). He believes that food has a unique ability to connect people, transcend culture, and create lasting memories. He is so excited to share his passion and hopes his Montreal food tour can bring a few dollops (or more) of joy into your life!
What to expect
Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.
Food tour:
(1-30 guests)
This small-group, non-private, Montreal food culture tour is a deeper gastronomic adventure than others. First, it has been curated by a Michelin star-trained chef and award-winning food and travel journalist. Second, you will eat from a selection of artisan producers, butchers, cheese mongers, and industry sources that can't easily be found on Google. Third, it highlights the cuisines, home cooking, and street foods of Montreal’s diverse immigrant communities - Italian, North African, French, Asian, and Quebecois. all within the vibrant setting of North America’s largest daily farmers’ market. Fourth, the tour frames the cultural and local history that give the dishes you will taste dimension. Finally, your Montreal food tour includes tastes of 9-10 local foods. Wear walking shoes and loose pants and get ready to immerse yourself in the food, culture and culinary traditions of Montreal! If you choose the optional alcohol add-on, your host offers 1-2 glasses of sommelier-chosen wine, craft cider or beer.
Notes:
1. Drinks, any needed transport, and alcohol (unless added as a paid option) are not included.
2. Robert will be your guide on most days, but on days that he is sick or not available, an equally wonderful guide and partner personally trained by Robert will be your guide.
3. Children 5 and above are charged the same as adults. The website defaults to charging 50% but since our host prices children and adults the same, please add children as adults while booking this experience.
Languages spoken:
English
Sample menu
Traveler reviews
It IS really an experience to have if you are ready to discover the real food experience: cooking, sauces, Michelin stars, asian cooking... and: if you REALLY want to eat great food made by a connoisseur, that's the place (local food, great ecologic values...). The Chef is very routined at explaining you the real thing and, in a more intimate way: in letting you taste the outcome... Great experience. Really worth it.
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elke
April 11, 2026
I highly recommend booking a private dinner with Michelin trained Chef Rob. We joined his supper club of 12 people, located on a back street behind a paint peeling blue steel door with a security lock, up 3 flights of seedy service entrance stairs where you think you're being led to have your kidneys removed - it adds to the air of adventure of rooting out some of the best food in Montreal. "Knock loudly when you arrive." You hear the laughter behind an apartment door, aromas wafting into the hallway, and know you've reached the right spot- opening to a warm and welcoming scene of chatter and smiling faces of new friends. Chef Robs incredible wealth of knowledge about food, wine, and culture weaves between the 5 courses effortlessly. You're in his kitchen, at his table set for 12 and conversing with 10 strangers. Casual and comfortable, shoes off and coats tossed on the couch, yet the food remarkable and plated meticulously, his 30 years of travel and training highlighted as you travel with him through food and wine to Thailand, Persian, Korea and other areas of the world where he has spent months or years at a time immersing himself with street cooks. Truly an experience not to be missed.
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Jennifer
March 23, 2026
We loved it!! I will recommend it to clients coming to Montreal for sure and can't wait to use Traveling Spoon again.
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Wendy, Signature travel advisor
February 25, 2026
Great time Chef was super and the food amazing. We learned a lot about chopping and
sauces and how to cook and clean as you go
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Fern
September 17, 2025
Rob shared so many great techniques in much more depth than any other cooking class we have had. I feel like we can really take these things back to our own kitchen. Spectacular flavor combinations that can be easily modified. Knife skills, mixing skills, proper plating.
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Renne
August 30, 2025
Chef Robert was an outstanding guide. This tour will be best for those who truly appreciate the information being shared not just the tastes of the food. He has so much knowledge and shares it in an excellent way. The food selection was outstanding and I learned so much!
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Melissa
July 01, 2025
Great experience in Montreal!
This cooking class and experience are amazing. Completely worth the money. Chef Rob
really knows how to cook, and how to make people feel comfortable. We had delicious food,
delicious wine, and fantastic company. I would recommend this to anyone visiting Montreal.
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Stephen
June 25, 2025
Learn from a master! This was a fabulous experience from a top rated chef. He gave us a brief knife skill demo, Prep set up (mise en place) and more kitchen tips. He educated us on sauces to make a perfect meal. Delicious food and paired wines. Highly recommend while in Montreal.
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Angela
June 12, 2025
Great experience! Learnt a lot about sauces and cooking techniques. Delicious meal. Thank
you Chef Rob!!
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Caroline
April 23, 2025
Chef Rob was outstanding! He covered some intermediate to advanced skills for prep and plating. He discussed the finer details of 'high-end' restaurants vs other restaurants for noise level, efficiency of movement, pre-planning for meals, etc. Everything was valuable!! And, Chef Rob made it FUN!!! We then enjoyed a wonderful meal (that we had helped prepare). Chef Rob offers paired wine and cider with each course (for an additional fee). Finally, we also met two other couples who were a pleasure to meet and spend time with.
All in all, a wonderful experience!!
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Tom
April 08, 2025
Excellent and unique fine dining. Special event.
Great fun. We were treated a great many course dinner in a private home . Also meals were paired with many wine beers and teas as I preferred. He also recommended other places to eat which were also great places
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Q2525S
December 03, 2024
Seeing the amazing markets and hearing about the history and different cultures. Our guide was very knowledgeable and had a chef’s perspective of the unusual foods and how to use them in cooking.
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Sam_S
August 20, 2024
It was fun, educational and without a doubt the most organized class I have ever taken. took this class with a girlfriend and I finally learned the proper way to hold a knife. We also learned about the myriad of cultures adding to the Montreal food scene. Thank you chef Rob.
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Ruth_A
July 12, 2024
It was a wonderful experience. The class was informative and the food was exquisite. We
highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys cooking, learning techniques, and fine dining.
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travelon1
July 03, 2024
Perfection in plating your food and tips on how to do so was nice to learn from a trained
chef. Great tips on making sauces to elevate a dish without overpowering it as well. Great
dinner company and wine pairing as well. Thanks Robert!
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Tricia_W
June 17, 2024
Perfection in plating your food and tips on how to do so was nice to learn from a trained chef. Great tips
on making sauces to elevate a dish without overpowering it as well. Great dinner company and wine
pairing as well. Thanks Robert!
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Tricia_W
June 17, 2024
Robert is a great chef and teacher. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of food, and a great deal of love for Montreal’s ethnic diversity and foodways. The fusion creations we created in homage to La Cité’s immigrant populations were delicious and original. We learned not just about ingredients, but also about techniques and equipment. The selection of wines, beers, and ciders served with the meal were wonderful, too. Highly recommended.
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vt_travel
February 13, 2024
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