Had such a fun experience in Rocco and Leyla’s kitchen! They opened up a private class for myself and a friend and we had the best time learning about Turkish history and Ottoman cuisine. The meal prep was easy but informative and fun. The meal turned out delicious and we ate it with Leyla with some fantastic local wine. Would highly recommend this class to anyone who enjoys cooking, food, history, and wine! Leyla was also such a funny and warm host! She was also very helpful with local recommendations for other restaurants and attractions. She even called a few places to make reservations for us! Thank you for a memorable afternoon!!!

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!

A HIGHLIGHT OF OUR TIME IN ISTANBUL 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.

What a great experience! Rocco and Leyla are lovely people and great chefs and teachers. Their passion for what they do is infectious. We learnt a lot, we made new friends, and we cooked and ate an amazing meal!

After a week of not so great tasting tourist food in Sultanahmet, I read about this place and had lunch there. It was so heavenly that I have hope again for Turkish cuisine! Each bite is full of complex tastes. I loved it all. June 2022 pre fixed lunch was 250 excluding drinks and service. (Most of the surrounding bad restaurants you’ll pay similarly with their hidden fees.) with wine and Turkish Coffee I paid almost 400 TL. I will be back! Lovely quiet inside place. Not wheelchair accessible as google suggested- several stairs up. The school participants seemed very happy with their time!

We are a couple from New Zealand and we did our cooking class on a friday night! The experience was so much more than our expectations. The staff were very friendly, welcoming and joyful. They were extremely easy to communicate with, the steps were easy to follow and the food was delicious. We had so much fun! We made 5 course meals from fresh, organic ingredients and at the end, we were able to enjoy the meals as if it was a provate top class restaurant. I’d definitely recommend this if you are looking for some unique, exciting experience in Istanbul!

We've very much enjoyed our cooking class at Alaturka. There are several menus you can choose from. We made menu 1, which was exquisite from starter to dessert. Thank you both for teaching us how to cook these wonderful dishes and introduce us to typical and ancient Ottoman cuisine. We're looking forward to bringing this piece of Turkey home to our family and friends.

Very affordable -quality four course meal! Nazli was our chef for the afternoon we are vegetarian and although they have a set menu, she was kind enough to run to the market and get us fresh mushrooms as I am not an eggplant fan. Everything was freshly made and the red lentil soup and the zucchini pancakes with green beans were my favorite dishes.Thanks again to Nazli for being such an amazing host!

Rocco and Layla were wonderful teachers and hosts. Hopefully I got their names right. We prepared a wonderful soup, some stuffed grape leaves , an eggplant dish and some fried zucchini patties and a super dessert. We do have a print out with the recipes and the names of these dishes, which I chose not to type due to my poor typing skills. Our lunch time class consisted and another couple who were very interesting, conversationalist and compatible with us. As you can see, we highly recommend the dining experience that we had . And hope the couple have a long and successful career with their school.

Rocco and Nazlı are welcoming, funny and skilled chefs. My mother and I took an afternoon cooking class where we learned to make 5 unique dishes, all of them were really delicious. We were given the recipes to take home as well. Nazlı was making lots of jokes while still keeping us informed of the steps to create our dishes. Rocco shared information about Turkish culture and answered all the questions we had along the way. At the end of the class we enjoyed our meal with the other students. We were so happy to have a small class (only 4 people) and it truly felt like local experience. Thanks so much for the great memories and delicious food!

Great and amazing chef! Quality of food is top! It is definitely an experience to take the class! Then the food is delicious! We are super grateful! Will definitely come back! :)

A true highlight of our stay in Sultanahmet, Istanbul. Rocco and Nazli are golden. As a team they artfully complement one another. We learned to made Ottoman and Anatolian dishes; we even made Simit, a typical bagel-like bread sold on every street corner. We prepared a 5 course meal and then we dined on our efforts. The dishes were complemented by yummy Turkish wine. So much fun- never felt rushed and we learned some great cooking skills. (And, we know our way around a kitchen.) Thank you Rocco and Nazli and your lovely daughter. You earned the high praise- best to you always with Alaturka Cooking School and Restaurant.

A fantastic experience! The chefs are incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, sharing all their tips and tricks. They graciously did the class with me alone even though the other group had cancelled at the last minute. An incredibly well organized evening, and perfectly executed class. Don’t hesitate to book this for yourself!

We booked a big group food tour and had a wonderful time. Our tour guide picked us up from our hotel and escorted us all around Istanbul to try many amazing foods. She had extensive knowledge of Istanbul and notable local foods. We tried so many different things! Some familiar, some new. Taking a food tour like this is an incredible way to see the city and feel connected to the places you visit. I highly recommend getting a taste of this tour.

We used Cooking Alaturka for the guided food tour, 2 Continents 1 Soul. Our tour guide was amazing and friendly. The tour itself was well thought out and gave a wide variety of the best turkish food choices in town. We were able to explore new neighborhoods and areas that would have been hard to find on our own. Highly recommend this tour.

This cooking class is everything you could expect and more. The food prepping was fun and informative, while the dinner was warm and delicious. Leyla welcomes you with open arms, always with a smile that will make you feel at home. On my side, I had many questions about other meals and some shoppig recomendations which both Leyla and Rocco happily answer. Food shapes our lives and cultures, so if you are in Turkey and want to get deeper into its culinary culture, and therefore understand turkish culture better, don't hesitate to come to this hands-on class!

Best restaurant in Istanbul. This is a must. No only food is gorgeous, but the owner is super welcoming and sweet. Totally recommend it.

We signed up for a cooking class based on a recommendation from one of our friends and we're so glad we did it! We cooked menu #2 and it was delicious (the hot yogurt soup and Anatolian flatbread filled with spinach were my favorite!). Leyla and Rocco make a great pair in the kitchen—the kitchen was pristine, Leyla and Rocco took the time to explain each step and gave tips, and were easy going and very friendly! I highly recommend this as something that everyone should do in Istanbul. I can't wait to cook the recipes at home!

We had a great time at Alturka, cooking a five course menu of traditional Turkish and Ottoman cuisine. Rocco and his wife were great, knowledgable and funny instructors! The group was quite big but they managed it very well so that everybody could take part in the preparation of the meals. In the end you eat what you cooked - the delicious and very filling end of a great evening. Thank you guys a lot!

Did the cooking class. It was informative and although we didn't get as much hands on as I would like I'm glad they explained first that many Turkish meals are very time consuming. So for time it was understandable. Another thought is I would have liked to use more of the spices learned about at spice market. We did use a couple. Overall good class!

What an incredible, authentic experience!! Our teachers were extremely knowledgeable and the food turned out amazing. One of the best things my husband and I did while visiting Istanbul was taking this cooking class. Also, I was not feeling well for part of the class and the instructor gave me a place to sit down and drink some nice apple tea. They were so sweet and understanding - great service overall. Must do in Istanbul!!

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.

A fabulous way to enjoy the many cultural influences on " Turkish" foods. To meet interesting people, learn new dishes and enjoy a wonderful meal.

My partner booked this as a birthday present for us both when we visited Istanbul this week and it was such a fantastic way to spend an evening and to taste such fabulous Turkish food. It was just us and another lovely couple and Nazli was our chef. Both her and Rocco were great - really knowledgable, fun and excellent hosts. They also catered to us being vegan and vegetarian and we made dolmas, hummus, chicken salad (for the other couple), lentil kofta, and stuffed figs with walnuts. We ate some delicious meals in Istanbul and this was up there with the best. A great way to spend an evening/afternoon learning about the culture, cooking a new cuisine, and eating delicious food with some wine and new friends. Would absolutely recommend! Thanks Rocco and Nasli!

We had a great fun cooking lesson with Rocco and Nazli. We learnt new skills and loved eating what we had created. The conversation while we cooked was also fascinating - lot's of local insights. Thank you both!