Top Istanbul Food & Drink Classes

With the help of a local mom from the Southeast Turkey, you will be able to learn home style, local Turkish-Kurdish cuisine. In addition to variety of dishes you will learn, you will also get to experience Turkish local home life at a family house and enjoy the meal with the family. You will also learn about the culture and traditions from the family member as you will feel like a part of the family as soon as you come in.

Make Your Own Turkish Coffee! You will be going home with a Turkish Coffee Making Set! PROGRAM 1. MEETING We will meet with you at BALKAPANI HAN. 2. PRESENTATION You will have a presentation after arriving at the coffee shop about Turkish Coffee Culture and History. 3. WORKSHOP Coffee beans, grinders and cezves will be ready for you to make your own Turkish Coffee. You will be guided by the presenter. 4. COFFEE TALK+FORTUNE TELLING Savor your Turkish coffee and immerse yourself in local culture with conversation, while we guide you in the traditional art of reading fortunes from the coffee grounds. 5. COFFEE SET (GIFT) Last but not least, you will get your own Turkish Coffee set which comes with a cezve, coffee, traditional mug, and Turkish delight. The experience takes place on the European side of Istanbul and includes 1500 years old history. Please book as soon as possible!

We can all go to the best breakfast places in Istanbul, which offer amazing menus with various delicious dishes. But we want to introduce something new; we want to show how we, the local people of Turkey, live. Just like families, friends in Turkey would invite each other for breakfast and spend a morning together, we want to have you over at our home as our friends. We want to show you Turkish hospitality. But we want to do this by teaching how to make a typical Turkish breakfast. That way, you will be able to bring this culture wherever you want. We want to learn your culture and teach ours. That makes us different.

Whether tucking into a tasty kebab, feasting on mezes or indulging in sweet baklava – Turkish cuisine is a treat for adventurous foodies. Uncover Istanbul’s culinary secrets on this 3-hour cooking class and learn to cook your traditional dishes under the guidance of an expert chef.

Come join me at my home, to learn how we, Turkish people, cook at home. While you will experience what daily life of a Turkish person is, you will learn things about the culture where you will not find online or on Istanbul streets. Firstly, we will walk to my favorite local stores that I shop in my daily life. We will visit the Charcuterie, green grocery, spice store, pickle store and meze store that I go almost daily. After we do the shopping, we will cook, and set the table together as two friends. While we exchange information about our cultures, religions, literature, and politics, we will enjoy the dishes we cooked together. When you leave, you will have two questions in your mind: how did I eat so much, and how come did I get this close with someone in this short time. You will also keep this cooking knowledge as a souvenier that you will bring back to your friends and family at your hometown. So, come as a guest, leave as a friend!

Join Maral and Suko, a mother-daughter duo, for an immersive vegan Turkish cooking experience in Istanbul. Skip the search for vegan restaurants and dive into authentic vegan culture at their cozy home. Discover a unique perspective on veganism as you cook alongside a family in a city known for its meat-centric cuisine. Embrace this opportunity to cook, eat, and bond like family and friends.

Welcome to an authentic Turkish home cooking experience in the heart of Istanbul. Join our Turkish Meze Cooking Class, led by a local cook, where you'll dive into the art of making traditional Turkish mezes. You'll get a hands-on training from a local cook who is experienced in cooking Turkish mezes. You will be learning how to make your own Turkish mezes such as Carrot tarator, haydari, imam bayıldı and zucchini tarator from our local cook. Our mezes are vegetarian so feel free to join this event without having to worry about vegetarian options! Sign up today and get ready to cook, taste, and enjoy the true essence of Istanbul’s culinary delights!

Explore Turkey with your taste buds during this private 4-hour cooking class in a friendly Istanbul home. The mother-daughter team of Nuray and Ipek will teach you how to make a variety of Turkish dishes, including içli köfte (stuffed bulgar meatballs), karniyarik (eggplant stuffed with mincemeat and tomatoes) and barbunya pilaki (beans stewed in a tomato and lemon sauce). Help chop vegetables, wrap börek and fry eggplant with Nuray and Ipek and then sit down to enjoy the fruits of your labor. This private experience will offer a unique glimpse of Turkish culture.

You will Immerse yourself in the heart of Turkish culture by joining our authentic cooking classes held in the welcoming ambiance of a tTurkish home. Led by a native home chef fluent in English, our classes promise an unforgettable culinary journey into the vibrant tapestry of Istanbul and Turkish cuisine.

Learning to make anything with new people creates a unique bond between people. Instead of only the feeling of just travelling in a city, you get to feel to be a part of the city and culture at its highest. We try to make people have these feelings through creative at-home experiences. Because we believe that feeling at home and being made feel at home creates a very genuine bond. Çiğ köfte, a very traditional Southeastern Turkish dish, fits to what we try at LokalBond. Çiğ köfte got popular as being a Turkish vegeterian street food. However, in reality, it is a home food where a lot of people gathers and watches it being prepared. At this experience, you will be a part of the cooking team and knead Çiğ Köfte with locals. Then throw it to the ceilings to see if it sticks to see its stiffness. This is also a part of the tradition, but of course we won't do it due to hygiene reasons. Come, join us at our home for an original Çiğ Köfte session. Come as a guest, leave as a friend!

What makes Turkish coffee special? It is the culture of it. Just like British have their tea sessions, we have our Turkish coffee session. Although there are a lot to be said about Turkish coffee, we want to keep it for the experience, no spoilers.. We will welcome you at our home to teach your Turkish coffee, from its history and culture to its variety and how it is an everyday thing in our culture. We will teach you how to cook Turkish coffee, just like our mothers cooked for their guests for years. We will be cooking and tasting at least 3 Turkish Coffee types. Menengiç, Dibek, Mırra, Sütlü Türk kahvesi are some of the Turkish Coffee types. During the experience, you will also learn about crazy interesting Turkish coffee customes in our history. These stories will make you feel like you are a part of the culture as well, and that will be our biggest goal for the experience. So, come, join us at our home for a Turkish Coffee session. But come as a guest, leave as a friend!

I want to show the real local life of Istanbul. Just as two friends, we will cook and eat dolmas, one of the most special dishes in Turkish cuisine. So, come cook dolma with me at a warm home in Istanbul, not as spectators but as participants in a hands-on experience. You'll learn cooking techniques and the stories behind dolmas. You will be able to learn our culture through shared moments, gaining insights into traditions. Dolma can be cooked in a lot of ways, including vegans; just let us know about dietary preferences in advance. So, come as a guest, leave as a friend!

MEZZES are a form of presentation on small plates. Knowledge inherited from Anatolian civilizations dating back 12,000 years has turned into a colorful mosaic by blending it with the cuisines of the Greek, Armenian and Jewish people we lived with during the Ottoman Empire, and was also influenced by the cuisines of Central Anatolia. Asia, Middle East and Balkans. Our experience is interactive; You will receive hands-on training and learn about mezzes and cooking techniques that can be easily repeated at home. You will also discover the mosaic of our country, its local culture and how we live in daily life. You will learn about ingredients, spices and where to buy them. Finally, we will set the table and enjoy what we have prepared; we are very happy to see guests have difficulty choosing which plate is more delicious during the enjoyable tasting. Vegetarians, vegans, pescatarians are welcomed. Please note we can be flexible on booking hours. Don't hesitate to ask please.

Get an insider’s introduction to Turkish cuisine during this hands-on cooking workshop in a local’s home. Learn how to recreate authentic dishes from stuffed eggplant to crispy borek, passed down from family recipes. This private tour includes a sit-down meal paired, prepared by you, with wine.

Aromatherapy is the oldest known treatment and healthy living method. Istanbul, the most mystical city on the historical silk road, offers you the endemic spices of Anatolia and Asia with its Spice Bazaar. The course focuses on how oils can benefit human health, specifically aromatherapy and essential oils. Each plant extract has its own unique properties and is used to treat different health problems. For example, lavender is good for insomnia and stress, while mint is good for sinusitis and headaches. Aroma therapy training teaches students the therapeutic effects of different plant extracts and appropriate dosages. This training offers natural solutions to issues such as stress management, insomnia, anxiety and depression.

Join in a creative blend where graffiti art and cocktails come together. Hosted by us, locals who happen to be graffiti artists and bartenders, our home is more than a venue; it's a space where genuine connections happen. Be an active part of the experience—design your graffiti tag and paint it on our garden wall. Beyond the art, it's about shared moments, making connections, and crafting something special in Istanbul. Experience the heart of Istanbul's culture in the warmth of our home. This isn't the typical tourist scene; it's a chance to live like a local. Leave with more than art—leave with new friends, memories, and a taste of Istanbul's artistic vibe. Choose an authentic adventure where art, cocktails, and Istanbul's essence blend naturally. Book our graffiti and cocktail session for a genuine exploration of the city, beyond just an activity.