Cooking Alaturka
Cooking Alaturka
5
10:30 AM - 9:30 PM
Monday
10:30 AM - 9:30 PM
Tuesday
10:30 AM - 9:30 PM
Wednesday
10:30 AM - 9:30 PM
Thursday
10:30 AM - 9:30 PM
Friday
10:30 AM - 9:30 PM
Saturday
10:30 AM - 9:30 PM
Full view
About
Cooking Alaturka offers daily Turkish cooking classes, either from 10:30 to 14:30 or from 16:30 to 20:30, to groups ranging from 2 to 11 persons. You cook five authentic Turkish dishes together with other travellers, under supervision of Rocco and his Turkish chef. Our classes are hands-on and fun, as well as informative. They are suitable for both professional chefs and kitchen novices. Afterwards, enjoy your cooking efforts over lunch or dinner with some local wine. We also function as a regular lunch and dinner restaurant, offering a daily-changing four-course menu. Reservations are recommended due to limited space.
Istanbul, Türkiye
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
443 reviews
Excellent
435
Very good
5
Average
2
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Mark R
Atlanta, GA16 contributions
Dec 2019
Just finished a week in Istanbul and Cooking Alaturka was the highlight of our trip! We did both, the Cooking Class and the Two Continents One Soul food tour. For both experiences, the communications leading up to our trip (email) and once on the ground in Istanbul (WhatsApp) were great.
First the food tour…Leyla was our guide, and, in my opinion, it was so much more than just food, she is a wealth of knowledge around Istanbul’s history, culture and the day to day life of a local in the bustling and beautiful city of Istanbul. Starting with breakfast at the Spice Bazaar, then working our way through side streets (all the while eating great local food) we met may merchants and shop owners who welcomed us in as if we were locals. From there Leyla gets you comfortably situated on the Ferry across the Bosphorus to the Asia side of Istanbul, and the food kept coming: Iskander Kebab, Gozleme (think Turkish Quesadilla), Pickled Vegetables, etc. Also, as you eat your way through the Kadikoy neighborhood, Leyla makes sure to take you through the local market and points out all sorts of great sights and suggestions, of which we returned to later during our trip…Just when you think it’s over, Leyla tee’s up a few more bites and then of course dessert! Completing this tour with the ferry ride back to the Europe side, Leyla truly exceeded all expectations and needless to say you will not need to eat dinner that night.
The next day we did the Cooking Class with Rocco and Nezle, this too was another highlight of our trip. The location in Rocco’s restaurant is the perfect backdrop for the class, as there is plenty of space and Nezle makes sure everyone gets their hands into the preparation and cooking process. We have taken many cooking classes around the world and this class was the right balance of hands on, watching and learning and of course eating. The menu we did that day was great with a nice lentil soup appetizer, stuffed eggplant main, several sides and a wonder walnut stuffed fig dessert. The meal itself was also very pleasurable with the other attendees, all the while Nezle and Rocco making sure you have what you need (Wine, Beer, Sodas, etc.)
It’s always a pleasure on vacation when you entrust your tours and experiences in the hands of professionals…and Leyla and Rocco are just that. Great Job guys!!!
First the food tour…Leyla was our guide, and, in my opinion, it was so much more than just food, she is a wealth of knowledge around Istanbul’s history, culture and the day to day life of a local in the bustling and beautiful city of Istanbul. Starting with breakfast at the Spice Bazaar, then working our way through side streets (all the while eating great local food) we met may merchants and shop owners who welcomed us in as if we were locals. From there Leyla gets you comfortably situated on the Ferry across the Bosphorus to the Asia side of Istanbul, and the food kept coming: Iskander Kebab, Gozleme (think Turkish Quesadilla), Pickled Vegetables, etc. Also, as you eat your way through the Kadikoy neighborhood, Leyla makes sure to take you through the local market and points out all sorts of great sights and suggestions, of which we returned to later during our trip…Just when you think it’s over, Leyla tee’s up a few more bites and then of course dessert! Completing this tour with the ferry ride back to the Europe side, Leyla truly exceeded all expectations and needless to say you will not need to eat dinner that night.
The next day we did the Cooking Class with Rocco and Nezle, this too was another highlight of our trip. The location in Rocco’s restaurant is the perfect backdrop for the class, as there is plenty of space and Nezle makes sure everyone gets their hands into the preparation and cooking process. We have taken many cooking classes around the world and this class was the right balance of hands on, watching and learning and of course eating. The menu we did that day was great with a nice lentil soup appetizer, stuffed eggplant main, several sides and a wonder walnut stuffed fig dessert. The meal itself was also very pleasurable with the other attendees, all the while Nezle and Rocco making sure you have what you need (Wine, Beer, Sodas, etc.)
It’s always a pleasure on vacation when you entrust your tours and experiences in the hands of professionals…and Leyla and Rocco are just that. Great Job guys!!!
Written January 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Drew M
3 contributions
Aug 2021
My wife and I had such a great time at this class. Leyla and Rocco were incredible, very personable, clearly have a passion for cooking and teaching others. They are an adorable couple and give great insights into not only teaching Turkish cooking but also the Turkish culture. The dishes we cooked were incredible and we cannot wait to make them at home! This class is also a great deal, we were there for over 5 hours, cooked 5 courses, and then ate them restaurant-style with the other couple in our class. Could not recommend enough, do yourself a favor and book this experience!
Written August 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Makenzie B
19 contributions
Sep 2020 • Friends
We did a food tour and cooking class on two separate nights and had a fabulous experience for both! Leyla turned us in to locals and we visited all the best little hide outs and bites Istanbul could offer! For the cooking class Rocco made us look far more skilled in the kitchen than we were as our dishes turned out wonderfully. So well organized. Leyla knows all the shop keepers and we were invited right in to see the inner workings of their cooking and try as much as well could eat. She ended up being a wonderful resource for us throughout the rest of our trip as well and was happy to help with any silly question about Turkey that we could come up with! Highly recommend any and all experiences offered by this company!
Written September 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Matthijs
Istanbul, Türkiye8 contributions
Sep 2020 • Couples
We took a private tour and cooking class from Rocco and Layla and it was above expectations! After a 2-3 hour walk through the Spice Bazaar where we had plenty of nibbles and a light lunch with Köfte and Ayran we were taken to their restaurant where we made a 5 course dinner. Very entertaining and great food (of course, we cooked it ourselves 😋 under the supervision of Layla and Rocco).
Well recommended because
A. They are locals and can answer any questions you have about things to do in Istanbul
B. The excellent food and wine
C. Very knowledgeable about ingredients and spices, I actually will cook some of the dishes we made at home
D. €100,- was well worth it for a 6-7 hour event
E. Layla seems to know all shopkeepers so you get preferential treatment. Nobody hassled us into buying anything (we didn’t buy anything in fact) and we still got very good explanations about everything that we wanted to know, the history of for example the layout of the bazaars in relation to the mosque and more
Thanks guys! We’ll be visiting again.
Well recommended because
A. They are locals and can answer any questions you have about things to do in Istanbul
B. The excellent food and wine
C. Very knowledgeable about ingredients and spices, I actually will cook some of the dishes we made at home
D. €100,- was well worth it for a 6-7 hour event
E. Layla seems to know all shopkeepers so you get preferential treatment. Nobody hassled us into buying anything (we didn’t buy anything in fact) and we still got very good explanations about everything that we wanted to know, the history of for example the layout of the bazaars in relation to the mosque and more
Thanks guys! We’ll be visiting again.
Written September 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pedro A
10 contributions
Sep 2021 • Friends
Being a cuisine beginner, I must confess I had an amazing experience with Rocco and Nazdi on September 2021, and would endorse the class without hesitation.
I was visiting Istanbul with a friend, and thought 'cooking alaturka' cooking class would be a good opportunity to get to know a bit better the local culture. And it was a complete success!
We joined a small group (4 in total) and under the guide and instructions of Rocco and Nazdi we had a great time, learnt a lot and even managed to prepare some great tasting food! I must highlight the patience they had with a complete beginner like me, and how they were able to adapt the explanations on experience to both beginner and expert cooks in a single lesson.
Fully recommended, for both beginner and expert cooks - of you are in Istanbul and want to learn some local cuisine, and have a local experience - go to 'cooking alaturka'
I was visiting Istanbul with a friend, and thought 'cooking alaturka' cooking class would be a good opportunity to get to know a bit better the local culture. And it was a complete success!
We joined a small group (4 in total) and under the guide and instructions of Rocco and Nazdi we had a great time, learnt a lot and even managed to prepare some great tasting food! I must highlight the patience they had with a complete beginner like me, and how they were able to adapt the explanations on experience to both beginner and expert cooks in a single lesson.
Fully recommended, for both beginner and expert cooks - of you are in Istanbul and want to learn some local cuisine, and have a local experience - go to 'cooking alaturka'
Written September 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
B R
3 contributions
Oct 2022
Booked a last minute cooking class for me and family and don't regret it. We made a super tasty five course vegetarian menu, and later enjoyed it in the cooking school's restaurant over a glass of Turkish white. The Alaturka team made this a very memorable experience. The recipes were complex enough to not get bored whilst cooking and bring up some yummy plates of food without being too complicated to not repeat them again at home. Highly recommend this, also for kids and teens who may need a little break from following all the Istanbul sightseeing their parents force upon them.
Written October 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WhiskEClear
Columbus, GA17 contributions
Dec 2020
Leyla and Rocco welcomed our family into their restaurant for a Christmas Day cooking class. The 4 of us worked together, primarily with Rocco to prepare 5 Turkish dishes. Rocco would demonstrate a technique, and then we would practice with Leyla. Both are very helpful with explaining why and how to do certain things. They also provided suggestions for substitute ingredients if we couldn’t find the Turkish ones in America. We look forward to trying all of the dishes when we get home.
The couple works very well together, and made my family feel like a part of their family. It was a great way to spend Christmas.
The couple works very well together, and made my family feel like a part of their family. It was a great way to spend Christmas.
Written December 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AY
1 contribution
Aug 2021
Our first class at Cooking Alaturka was such a great experience we signed up for a second one as well. Leyla and Rocco make a perfect pair for this business— Leyla is a professional, trained tour guide and Rocco is a professional chef. We first did a food tour and cooking class, and then did a second class a week later. I recommend doing a tour and a class, since that way you learn about the city as well as the food. And in case you’re not sure about hanging out with a bunch of strangers on your vacation, Leyla and Rocco are great at including everyone and it was delightful to share the dinner with other travelers.
Bottom line: We can’t recommend this experience highly enough. It’s fun, and educational, and really amplified our experience as tourists who like to do more than just sightsee. Go sign up right now.
Bottom line: We can’t recommend this experience highly enough. It’s fun, and educational, and really amplified our experience as tourists who like to do more than just sightsee. Go sign up right now.
Written August 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cultureonthego
12 contributions
Jul 2021 • Couples
If you visit Istanbul it’s a must! My boyfriend found this class on a travel blog and it was one of the most authentic culinary experiences we have had while traveling. Leyla and Rocco are super warm, friendly and knowledgeable. We did the class with two of our friends and we had a blast! They welcomed us very warmly and we’re extremely organized. We began by getting to know each other and having an overview of the 5 dishes. They printed out the menu with the recipes for us to take with us. While cooking everything was seamless and we all got to contribute to the cooking. We learned about the different regions of Turkey while sharing about our own cultural dishes similarities and differences. After cooking for a couple of hours we got to eat dinner in a beautifully placed table where Layla served us the different courses with some really tasty white Turkish wine. Hands down one of the best culinary experiences we have had. They are a very warm and kind couple I highly encourage you to experience them on your own!
Written July 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christopher S
1 contribution
Jul 2021 • Couples
Leyla and Rocco were excellent teachers and a lot of fun. They were able to adapt their menu seamlessly for vegetarians and provided us with detailed recipes. My girlfriend and I also really enjoyed the rich tour Leyla provided earlier in the day through the market and bazaar.
Written August 6, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Здравствуйте. На каком языке проводите мастер классы?
Written August 16, 2022
Здравствуйте. На каком языке проводите мастер классы?
Written August 16, 2022
We have different menus and we have a dessert in each class, 4 or 5 different sweets. You may check our website.
Regards
Written November 28, 2019
Hello
How can I reserve a cooking class for about 8 people for the 16th of June?? You can answer me for details and coatings at my email: doulalas@sch.gr
Thanks a lot
Written May 9, 2019
Hello, can I reserve a table for two people at 20:30?
Thanks
Written April 27, 2019
For today? Off course.
Non venire tardi peche' chiudiamo non molto tardi.
Il nostro numero e'( 0212) 4585919
Written April 27, 2019
Здравствуйте! Сколько по времени проходит мастер-класс и сколько человек принимает участие?
Спасибо)
Written November 27, 2018
Hi Indira. Usually it takes 2 to 3 hours for the cooking, plus you need a couple of hours for eating what we cook during the class. We require a minimum of 2 and we can fit a maximum of 11 in our kitchen.
Written November 27, 2018
I will be arriving in istanbul april 28 and want to learn turkish baking,make items like baklava and borek.Do you have classes exclusively for baking instead of beginner cooking classes for hummus for example?If you do not,can you recommend a housewife who speaks good english and can teach me how to bake turkish items for $10 an hour?Also can i see a detailed menu of your proposed cooking classes before i sign up for classes?
Written April 5, 2017
Hi there.
Sorry if i cannot be of much help, as you probably understood browsing on line no one offer you that kind of know- how.
Actually nobody that i know would be willing to share their secret baklava recipe, off course you find tutorial and recipes but to a lower standard that i'm prepared to teach you or anyone else.
Baklava and borek would allow people here and probably abroad to open a shop, so you will not find easily what you are looking for and that's before considering english.İ do not know anyone offering that kind of service at home.
To do a professional baklava or borek you can check other school that offer longer course.
i saw one school doing bakery course for 246 hours(4000 US Dollar) called İstanbul Kitchen Academy.
i get some request similar to yours but not enough to organize this school to service this part of turkish cuisine, but as a chef myself i fully understand your curiosity.
You can check my menus selection in pc version of my website.
Best regards
Cooking Alaturka
Written April 5, 2017
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