Home Cooking Class in Istanbul with a Local Chef
4 reviews
Experience hosted at home by
Esra
3 Hours
English, Turkish
Join a small-group cooking class inside a real Istanbul home, hosted by a local chef who spent years in professional kitchens before turning her passion inward — to cook, share, and connect.
You’ll be welcomed with Turkish coffee and friendly conversation, then dive into a hands-on session where you’ll prepare dishes like sarma (stuffed grape leaves), seasonal meze, and hearty Turkish mains. Each dish comes with a story, and every ingredient is laid out for you to touch, smell, and learn. 🍴
Each dish is introduced with its story and ingredients laid out on the table. Your host demonstrates, then it’s your turn to wrap, mix, and stir — no prior cooking experience needed. As the food cooks, you’ll help set the table and maybe even pick up a few Turkish words. Once ready, you’ll gather for a shared meal, swapping stories and taking photos. At the end, recipes are emailed, along with personalized tips for exploring Istanbul.
Recipes are shared afterward, so you can recreate the magic back home. This isn’t just about food — it’s about connection, creativity, and homegrown hospitality. 🧡
What do our guests say?
We had a great time cooking with Esra.
She was so hospitable and made us all Turkish coffee as we entered her wonderful apartment.
She walked us through how to make a number of classic dishes. But the guided steps and ingredients made it all feel very accessible and enjoyable. She even threw in an extra Kisir, which meant we ended up with far too much food 😅
While eating we talked about the country and the recent history of Istanbul, which was very interesting.
Lastly, Esra went out of her way to collate a number of recommendations for the rest of our stay in Istanbul.
Thoroughly recommended!
02.11.25
Callum_L
Ezra was a great hostess and very down to earth chef! Her English was perfect. Ezra had everything ready to start right away preparing the different plates for me to follow and prepare. The hands on experience and the different plates we prepared, will be dishes I can’t wait to do at home for my family.Thank you for your hospitality Ezra and the great recipes!
04.12.25
Maria_T
Loved every second of this class. It felt like being invited into a real Turkish home. I’ll definitely try these recipes again at home!
18.07.25
Alex
One of the most memorable meals we had in Istanbul! The chef was so welcoming, and the recipes were both authentic and easy to follow. We cooked together like old friends!
24.07.25
Emily R.