Cooking Classes · ISTANBUL COOKING CLASSES
Every trip has one free morning. These 15 istanbul cooking classes justify it, priced and timed so you can decide over breakfast and get back to the eating.
Meet your host near Beşiktaş and cook in a real Istanbul home with local mothers such as Nuran, Özge, Kevser, or Rojda. Your menu can include dolma, börek, meze, salads, and regional dishes, shaped around your dietary needs. Choose a 10am breakfast or 5pm dinner.
“Thank you Nuran and family. We really enjoyed the cooking, the eating and the conversation. Thank you sooooo much!!!”
Join Gülşah for a four-hour Istanbul food experience in Kurtuluş. Visit spice, pickle, produce, and meze shops, then cook family recipes in her home, such as dolma, pilaf, börek, or kuru fasülye, before sitting down to dinner, Turkish coffee, and dessert.
“very welcoming experience. as a solo traveller i had booked and would have been by myself for the day but Gülşah made a great suggestion to join another group the next day which made it wonderful. only wish I had remembered to take a few photos as we were so immersed in the cooking a food”
Meet Gülşah at the Ramada Plaza near Osmanbey, shop Kurtuluş’s family-run food stores, then cook dishes such as börek, lentil soup, meze, and dessert in her home. The small group is limited to five, with tea, coffee, and dinner included. A friendly dog joins the experience.
“Gülşah was excellent, my wife and I had an incredibly fun afternoon and evening cooking up some traditional turkish food. Would recommend this experience, 10/10.”
Join Özge and her sister in their Istanbul home for a three-hour Turkish cooking class. Over tea or coffee, you’ll prepare dishes such as dolma, havuç tarator, and sigara böreği, then share lunch or dinner with your hosts and their friendly pets.
“It was a lovely, personal experience. We met and after some comfortable chat, started the cooking. The food was super authentic, absolutely delicious and done in a friendly, relaxed, informative manner. Some extra information and family favourites were shared about Turkish food and eating habits! We felt so at home and enjoyed the kitty and Penny the dog joining us too. I can really recommend this experience!”
In a bright studio between Galataport and Galata Tower, choose Turkish soups, mezes, mains, salads, or desserts, then cook them with a professional chef. Sermin Tayyar, Gül, Nurgül, and Yahya have led sessions, with language support available in English, Russian, Turkish, German, and Arabic.
“The chef was great! Absolutely delicious food and got really involved. Highly recommend.”
Meet a professional chef at Deraliye Restaurant in Sultanahmet for a small-group lesson in Ottoman-style Turkish cooking. Prepare dishes such as sour-cherry stuffed vine leaves and Kirde Kebab, then eat your work with dessert and local wine. Pickup from central Istanbul hotels is included.
“I would highly recommend this cooking class at this Michelin star restaurant. The owner of the restaurant taught the class with precision, humor and a personal touch. We learned new cooking techniques, and the food was amazing. We were able to eat our dinner that we cooked and it truly was a highlight of our trip. Thank you for offering us a rare opportunity for which we will always be grateful!”
Join Büşra, Burak, and Bawer in their Kadıköy home for a 2.5-hour çiğ köfte evening. Learn the spices, knead the famous Urfa dish, enjoy traditional music and jokes, and share the table with a group of up to eight people.
“One of the best, if not the best, experiences I’ve ever had. Bushra, Burak and Bawer were the sweetest people I’ve ever met before. There was never a dull moment, so many conversations you’d feel you’re sitting with friends you’ve known for a long time. Cooking class with traditional music is definitely something to have on your bucket list when you come to Istanbul. Highly recommended. ÇigKofte was so good.”
Join Özge in her Beşiktaş home for a small, English-language Turkish cooking class capped at four people. Prepare karniyarik, sigara böreği, zucchini tarator, salad, and semolina dessert, then share the meal with Turkish coffee, dessert, and optional coffee-ground fortune reading.
“Wow!! What an incredible experience. Had so much fun making some traditional Turkish Food. Ozge is such a friendly and lovely host and made me feel so welcome. The food was delicious and got learn so much about the food, people and culture. Highly recommend this experience.”
Join local sisters at their home in Sarıyer for a 2.5-hour Turkish breakfast cooking class. Prepare menemen, muhlama, eggs with sucuk, and other morning staples, then eat together and take home recipes. The small group is capped at six, and the class is offered in English.
“My best experience on viator/tripadvisor Hosts were great. Had lots of fun spending time with them talking and cooking. Food is delicious. I can honestly recommend it”
Meet Nuray and her mother-daughter team near Şirinevler for a private Turkish cooking class. Prepare seasonal salad, börek, eggplant, içli köfte, soup, and baklava, then sit down with wine to enjoy the meal.
“We love to do cooking classes in other countries, you get to know people and eat amazing food, this was no exception. We arrived at Nuray's home, we cooked, ate delicious food and had some amazing conversations. She is an incredible person, and we loved our time with her.”
Join Irem for a two-hour evening class in her Kadıköy home kitchen. Prepare carrot tarator, imam bayıldı, haydari, and zucchini tarator, then sit down with Turkish bread to eat what you made. The small group is capped at eight and the class runs in English.
“This was a cool and authentic experience of cooking Turkish meze! Thanks so much to our host. :) :) :)”
Join Rojda and her local hosts in a cosy Beyoğlu home for a three-hour, English-language vegan Turkish cooking class. Prepare dishes such as kısır, vegan kokoreç, mantı, and dürüm, then sit down for tea and a shared meal.
“This was our first cooking class and it was an amazing experience. Rojda (our host) is a total super woman! We cooked 5+ dishes together - suitable for both beginners and advanced cooks - and felt so welcome and comfortable in Rojda’s home. Thank you for an unforgettable evening.”
Join Rojda in her home near Taksim for a 2.5-hour vegan and vegetarian cooking class. You will make Turkish dishes such as vegan kokoreç, dolma, and mantı, while sharing tea, conversation, and a home-cooked meal in English or Turkish.
“The cooking class with Rojda was truly unforgettable! She welcomed us warmly into her home and guided us through a wonderful variety of delicious dishes – everything we made was bursting with flavor. Beyond the cooking, Rojda generously shared her personal story, culture, and insights about life in Istanbul. It felt like spending an evening with a good friend. This wasn’t just a cooking class – it was a rich cultural experience full of warmth, meaningfull conversation, and amazing food. Absolutely one of our top highlights in Istanbul. We couldn’t recommend it more!”
At Taste of Anatolia in Beyoğlu, you’ll cook a custom menu with a professional chef and food stylist, from soup and salad to dessert. Learn knife work, cooking science, plating, and family-style sharing, then take home recipes for $99.
“An excellent cooking workshop with many menu items, cooking tips and great recipes. The chef was a wonderful teacher and I enjoyed the opportunity to learn to prepare new dishes. Highly recommend this experience!”
Join local hosts Aysu and Bawer in their Istanbul home for a 2.5-hour Turkish breakfast class. Prepare menemen and other warm dishes, learn how locals set the breakfast table, and share the meal with a small group of up to six people.
“Aysu is a great host. She is a very talented cook and a great instructor. I was so happy to join her and witness the local life at her home with a closer look. The community Aysu is in, LokalBond offers authentic home-hosted experiences. I suggest anyone who travels to Istanbul to join Aysu or try other LokalBond experiences to be a part of real, local life of Istanbul, to be a traveler instead of a tourist 🫶”
Pick a dish, a city, or the shape of the day.
