Step into a real Istanbul home and cook a proper Turkish meal from scratch, hosted by a local chef who spent years in professional kitchens before deciding this is how she wants to cook: for people, around her own table.

You'll start with Turkish coffee and easy conversation, then get hands-on with traditional dishes. “We will be mashing, stuffing and rolling” as your host Esra says! You'll prepare a selection of traditional Turkish dishes: zeytinyagli yaprak sarma and biber dolma (olive oil stuffed vine leaves and peppers), peynirli sigara boregi (crispy cheese-filled pastry rolls), and patlican salata (roasted aubergine salad). This menu is fixed, so you know exactly what to expect, and what you'll be bringing home the recipe for. Each recipe comes with the storey behind it: which region it comes from, who taught it, what it means. No cooking experience needed; Esra guides you through every step at a relaxed pace.

As the food cooks, you'll set the table together, maybe pick up a few Turkish words, and by the time you sit down to eat, it genuinely feels like a meal with a friend rather than a class. Recipes are available on LokalBond Recipes, so you can make the dishes again at home.