That was definetly more than a cooking course. Amal and her family were so amazing and once we arrived, their welcome was so warm, we felt like beeing at home of friends. Of course, we learnt cooking of some lebanese food, but this was honestly a side issue. I am travelling a lot, but I never made such an extraordinary experience:)

I have travelled all over the world (77 countries) and the dinner with Amal and her family is one of the most memorable experiences I have ever had. I was picked up in Beirut and driven to the village of Aramoun, about 20 minutes from Beiruit to Amal’s family home. The early 20th century home had been built by Amal’s grandfather and had a fabulous garden, beautiful stone walls and an amazing family room adjoining a magnificent deck with views to the Mediterranean and Beirut. After meeting the family, including Amal’s sisters, husband, dad and mum. (Amal’s parents are amazing), I was given a tour of the home and garden, Then it was time to cook. Now the table was already laden with food, but there four more dishes to make: Kibbeh, tabouli, babba ganoush and a desert called maakaroun. The ladies showed me how to make each of the dishes and Amal’s mom even got into the act showing me how to roll the maakarouns. Conversation and laughter were abundant. And once the food was cooked, we sat down to eat dinner (which included arek, the anise based drink from Lebanon). The food prepared was spectacular and the conversation was wonderful. After dinner we enjoyed maakarouns (a doughnut like desert) along with grapes and apples from the garden. (I am pretty sure I would still be there eating apple slices Amal’s dad kept cutting for me if Amal hadn’t told him I was full.). Amal and her family are the poster family for Lebanese hospitality. Simply fantastic people. After I returned to my hotel, Amal sent me wonderful pictures from the evening and all of the recipes for the food we ate. The experience is one of a kind. There are not enough superlatives I can use to describe my experience and Amal and her family. Amazing, kind people living in an incredibly historic region. You will have an experience to remember for your lifetime!

A superb class which I recommend to every person interested to learn lebanese authentic cooking. Prior to the class, I requested from Tania to learn home lebanese cooking instead of Mezze. I am American of Lebanese origin and it was always my intention to learn Lebanese home cooking something I missed doing over the years. My request was to learn how to cook what is known as "Yakhnes" which is a mix of rice, vegetables and meat. There are an infinite number of "Yakhnes" which includes but not limited to Large beans Yakhne, Peas Yakhne, Okra Yakhne etc.. The basic concept of each of these mixes are similar. If you learn one it is easy to make most other mixes. I also asked to learn how to make stuffed Zucchini and stuffed Grape Leaves, two very time consuming and intricate lebanese dishes. Tania was more than flexible changing the course content and she told me while this might take more than the time alloted to the course she would be more than willing to go through it however long it took. She also added a famous lebanese dish that you all probably familiar with to the class content which is "Tabboule" saying that it is a must to include it. Tania and her very kind mother, Joelle, went at the session with all the seriousness, warmth and patience you can expect and it was a joyous experience. With the little background I had in cooking, I came out feeling almost like a master cook, excited to get home to start testing what I have learned and telling my friends that they should expect an "invite" to one or more of my dishes once I am done with my experimentation. I left by saying "I am coming back for another session and more insights into lebanese cooking". I also felt close enough with their family (I met the father and the brother too, very kind people) all exuding warmth and friendship. To all the non-Lebanese you will not only learn lebanese cooking but you will meet head on the generous Lebanese culture . Thank you Tania and Joelle for a fun experience.

The moment you enter Tania’s apartment it will quickly become apparent that food and cooking is the centerpiece of her home. In my case, there was a pot of candied apricots in the salon waiting to be bottled as jam. The outside balcony had been converted into a food station and there was a large wok with cherries gently simmering to create cherry jam – they looked delicious! The aroma of fresh mint permeated the air. Food is a family affair. Dad is a retired butcher who now tends to the family garden. As a result, all the ingredients we used were fresh from the garden. Mom is the expert cook who happily shared tips as we navigated some of the intricacies of Lebanese cooking. We started with a set of mezze including houmus, baba ghanoush (a dip similar to houmus but with roasted egg plant and tahini and the key ingredients), spicy potatoes and two salads. In true Lebanese style there were enough mezze to make an entire meal! We then moved on to making stuffed vine leaves and kebbe balls which are fiendishly difficult to hollow out and fill with stuffing. It is going to take a lot of practice to match Tania’s mother! We finished off with a traditional dessert – ashtalieh. All along, Tania and her mother shared secrets of their unique ingredients and tips and techniques on how to cook the dishes. Lunch was a family affair. In addition to Tania’s parents, we were joined by her sister-in-law and the latter’s children. Tania’s describes her offering as a cooking experience as opposed to cooking lessons. It is more than this. Instead, it is an immersion in the lives of a typical Lebanese family and an opportunity to learn of the local way of life and the Lebanese culture through cooking. We spent over 5 hours together and the time just flew by! If food is your interest/ passion and you are visiting Lebanon, then spending an afternoon or evening with Tania and her family is a must. Highly recommended!

Absolutory amazing. Tania and her family were incredibly welcoming. The set up is great, and personal. You can get involved as much as you like, and your culinary comfort level. What a wonderful experience. I learnt a huge amount, and had fun doing it! I highly recommend Tania’s Cooking Experience. A wonderful day, I didn’t want to end! Thank you!

Best experience in Beirut to be welcomed into a family home. It was cooking, culture, family and warmth all in one experience. Tania and her family are amazing and made me feel so welcome. Was the best part of visiting Beirut and Lebanon. Don’t hesitate. Just book!

If you want to have an authentic family cooking experience, then this is the place to be. We had a wonderful time with Tania and her mom Joelle (the cooking machine :) ). We not only learned how to make an authentic homecooked Lebanese meal, we also got insides on the Lebanese culture and the family life. We can highly recommend it! Thank you again Tania and Joelle for letting us have this amazing experience!

This was an unforgettable day with Amal, Khaled and Amal's parents. After a seamless pickup from my hotel in Beirut, we drove the short distance to Amal's family home in Aramoun and we were welcomed with a delicious drink. Amal gave me a tour of the home, built in 1927 by her grandfather, and showed me the garden her father tends (and from which many of the foods we ate came). The views over the hills and to the sea are magnificent--and all of this before we set foot into the kitchen! When we did, I learned the tricks of the trade for making kibbeh, a yogurt and cucumber salad (similar to the Greek tzatziki), tabbouleh, baba ghanoush, and maakarouns. The spread on the table was even greater, with homemade saj bread, vegetables (cabbage, beans, peppers, olives) from the garden, spicy potatoes, and the Arak flowed generously. We talked and laughed and shared for many hours over lunch and I felt very welcomed (ahlan wa-sahlan!) into their family. This is a great way to be introduced to some of the food and culture of Lebanon and some of the most generous, warm and lovely people I've ever met. Do yourself a favor and sign up for this course!

On my first trip to Lebanon, I was looking for a cooking class to become more familiar with Levant cuisine. From previous reviews, it became apparent that this was the best class available. The experience exceeded my high expectations in every way and I left with a better understanding of Lebanese food and culture. Amal and her husband, Khaled picked me up at the hotel and drove me to her parents home high in the hills overlooking Beirut. There, I was introduced to her lovely family and given a tour of the home and their garden. Many of the ingredients we used for cooking came from that garden, In fact, the oranges her father grew were some of the most delicious I've ever tasted! After a short introduction to Lebanese history we settled into the kitchen where we prepared three classic dishes. Amal's mother is a fabulous cook and it was mesmerizing watching her prepare some of the desserts. In addition to the items we prepared, there were also many other mezze on the dinner table which made a beautiful feast! As a professional cook, I was interested in doing as much of the cooking and preparation as possible. Amal allows her guests to participate as much or as little as they wish, so the experience can be customized for a wide variety of guests. One of the unexpected benefits of this class was the after dinner conversation with the family, where we covered a wide variety of local and world topics. Everyone was wonderful and made me feel like a member of the family. After the class, Amal dropped me off at my hotel and followed up with an email several days later with recipes for the dishes we'd enjoyed that day. I highly recommend this class and plan to return for another the next time I'm in Beirut.

From the moment we walked into Tania and her mother Joelle's house, we knew that we had signed up for a brilliant local Lebanese experience. Tania delivered on her promise to provide more than a cooking course. To be sure, Joelle and Tania prepared a feast, punctuated with expert tips and tricks (and no small amount of encouragement for our weakest chef, me!). But beyond the delicious food, we enjoyed learning from the family about their daily lives and Lebanese culture at large. We felt entirely welcome throughout the day, which is a credit to Tania and Joelle's hospitable and generous spirits. We would strongly recommend Tania and Joelle's unique and fulfilling experience to anyone visiting Beirut - no matter how strong your cooking skills are!

Far excised my expectations & I’m a fussy bugger! Tania, her amazing mum, dad & brother welcomed me into their home and immediately made me feel at home. The cooking experience was fun & the banter between mum / daughter was worth the money on its own!!! I’m booking again for next week when I return. I want to see Tania shop where she sells all organic foods/ preserves that she/mum make from their garden! So under promoted. A must on any trip to Beirut. Thanks Tania & Family.

The absolute best experience we had in Lebanon. Amal and Khaled welcomed us into their home and their family, everyone was so incredibly sweet and we shared a lot of laughs. The food was absolutely incredible, Amal is kind enough to share her recipes and her mother is willing to give up some of her best cooking secrets. We had a wonderful evening and highly recommend this cooking experience!

Real nice place with excellent services Good stuff, nice place , I have been there with my girl We had a very nice time there

One of my favorite things to do in my travels is sharing a meal with a local family in their home. When I saw Amal’s cooking lesson on TripAdvisor, I booked it right away. We were picked up from the hotel by Amal and her husband, Khaled, and taken to a house atop a hill 20 minutes outside the city. It was Amal’s childhood home, which her grandfather built in the 1920s. We were given a tour of the house and the bountiful garden. We were joined by her parents, her 2 daughters, her 2 sisters and her brother. We cooked, we ate, we laughed. The food was so delicious. The conversation flowed over Arak, the Lebanese national drink, and we talked about everything and anything. I didn’t even realize we had been at the house over 5 hours and it was time to go. This has truly been the best experience and so well done by Amal. You can really tell she’s passionate about her family tradition and culture. I think this makes the experience one of a kind and almost impossible to replicate. Years pass and I only vaguely remember the sights that I visited in all these countries, but I will always remember the connection I make with people and I realize how similar we are no matter how different our cultures may be. And I love how food bring people together.

Amal and her family were amazing hosts! We enjoyed our evening and the cooking and food 😊 with them a lot, the whole family is just adorable! Thank you a lot again for the great experience and all the best!