Group class, course or private class?
"Cooking class" can mean three quite different things in Istanbul and the rest of Türkiye. Knowing which one you want is the first step to booking the right one.
| Format | Length | Who it suits | What you leave with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-week cooking course | Weeks or months | People training for a career or starting from scratch | Regular practice, often a certificate from the school |
| Group cooking class | A few hours | Travellers and food lovers exploring a cuisine | A few recipes and a good afternoon or evening |
| Private cooking class | Planned around you | One-to-one, families, friends or teams | The menu you chose, at your level |
Multi-week courses are run by cooking schools. Group classes follow a fixed menu on scheduled dates. A private class is built around the people taking it: menu, length, venue and pace.
Which one is right for you?
- 1Is the goal a career, a skill or an experience? A career calls for a multi-week course; a specific skill or a special occasion suits a class.
- 2How many of you are there? For one or two people a one-to-one lesson works best; for a family or group of friends, a private class.
- 3What do you want to cook? A fixed-menu class may not teach the dishes you came for; in a private class you set the menu.
How a private cooking class is planned
You can book from anywhere in Türkiye, in four steps:
- 1Share the details: group size, city and venue, preferred dates, everyone's level, the cuisine you want to cook, and any dietary or allergy needs.
- 2A proposed plan: we suggest the menu, length and format. Standard classes run 2-3 hours; full masterclasses 4-5 hours.
- 3Quote and date: once the plan is agreed, the quote and date are confirmed.
- 4The class: at your home, villa, a hotel event space or a professional kitchen; we bring the equipment and ingredients.
Classes are regularly held in Istanbul, Bodrum, Çeşme, Antalya and İzmir, and elsewhere in Türkiye on request.
What can you cook?
The point of a private class is that the menu is yours. Popular choices:
- Turkish cuisine: the regional classics, done properly. Start with our guide to Turkish cuisine.
- A meze table: cold and hot meze and how a Turkish table flows. See the meze guide.
- Turkish breakfast: a full spread for your villa or holiday home. See the Turkish breakfast guide.
- A fine dining plate: composition and plating technique; what fine dining means is a good primer.
What sets the price of a private cooking class?
Five things: group size, length, the level of menu and ingredients, venue and travel, and how much team support is needed. That is why we quote per plan rather than from a fixed price list.
See the private cooking class service or send us your details.
