We’ll meet at Istanbul Airport and board our one hour flight to the southern city of Izmir. A car will take us to Villa Taraça on the Alaçati peninsula, a restored Aegean villa with sweeping views of the countryside. This will be our homebase for our stay on the Aegean. We’ll eat dinner together at the villa and unwind before the day of cooking and eating ahead.

After breakfast we’ll walk to Asma Yaprağı, Chef Ayşe Nur’s restaurant and cooking school. We’ll meet Chef Nur and tour her garden where the vegetables and herbs featured on Asma Yaprağı’s menu are grown. We’ll enjoy a simple lunch together prepared by Chef Nur and spend the afternoon learning how to make the olive-oil based dishes and mezes of Alacati. We’ll end our day with a tasting of Aegean wine and cheese and return to the hotel. Dinner will be on your own.

We’ll begin our second day at Asma Yaprağı with coffee and homemade pastries. Then we’ll roll up our sleeves and join Chef Nur in her kitchen to cook lunch together. We’ll learn how to stuff grape leaves, fry delicate squash blossoms, and learn the techniques behind Chef Nur’s family recipe for sinkonta, a staple of Aegean home cooking. After enjoying the (delicious!) fruits of our labor, we’ll get back in the kitchen to explore the sweeter side of Aegean cooking with a dessert workshop. We’ll close out our final day at Asma Yaprağı with a traditional Turkish teatime. Dinner will be on your own.

After our morning flight back to Istanbul, you’ll settle into your room at The Bank Hotel, a luxury boutique hotel located in the historic Karaköy neighborhood. We’ll reconvene in the afternoon for a walk through the bohemian Beyoglu district. We’ll see the Galata Tower and explore the shops and cafes along famed Istiklal. We’ll end at Hayri Usta for dinner - a beloved neighborhood kebab joint.

Our first full day in Istanbul. We’ll meet at the hotel after breakfast and walk across the bridge to Eminönü and the ferry terminal. We’ll take the ferry to Kadıköy on the Asian side of the city and spend the morning and early afternoon tasting our way through the neighborhood’s markets. On the menu: Turkish coffee, lahmacun, stuffed mussels, cheese, olives and more! We’ll explore the fish market, local herb & medicinal shops, and produce stands before walking to Ali Usta for Turkish ice cream with a view of the Marmara Sea. We’ll end the afternoon with a late lunch at Çiya Sofrasi, Musa Dagdeviren’s pioneering restaurant dedicated to preserving the traditional regional cuisines of Anatolia. Afterwards, we’ll take the ferry back to Karaköy and finish our day back at the hotel. Dinner (if you’re still peckish!) will be on your own.

After breakfast at the hotel we’ll walk to the Spice Bazaar, the sensory heart of Istanbul’s culinary culture. We’ll wander through stalls offering everything from saffron and sumac to dried fruits and herbal teas. Then we’ll walk through the Mahmut Pasa shopping area to the famous Grand Bazaar, one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world. We’ll stop for lunch at Aslan, a traditional canteen specializing in Turkish home cooking meant to fuel the bazaar’s tradesmen during their workdays. After lunch we’ll explore the bazaar. With over 4,000 shops, we’ll see everything from textiles and ceramics to jewelry and antiques. The late afternoon and evening are yours. You can linger at the bazaar, head back to the hotel, or explore other sights (we have plenty of suggestions!). Dinner is on your own and we’re happy to make recommendations and help with reservations.  

We’ll meet at the hotel after breakfast and take the tram to Cooking Alaturka, a cooking school located in the historic Sultanahmet neighborhood. We’ll spend the morning cooking a five course lunch of classic Anatolian dishes and learn about the techniques and ingredients that define the cuisine. We’ll eat together after class and toast our hard work. The afternoon is free for exploring. The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia are both within a short walk of Cooking Alaturka or take the tram to Topkapi Palace, the stunning Ottoman imperial palace. We’ll reconvene for dinner together at Asmali Cavit, a traditional Istanbul “meyhane” (taverna) in Beyoglu.

The morning is free for continuing your exploration of the city’s sights. Enjoy a scrub at a hamam or a Bosphorous boat tour. See the Basilica Cistern or wander the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts. In the afternoon we’ll meet near the Grand Bazaar at Karavan Art, a vintage carpet wholesaler owned by Huseyin Kaplan. Huseyin is known as the “dealer’s dealer” and we’ll have the chance to engage first-hand with his world class collection of Turkish textiles. We’ll close out our visit at Karavan with a tasting of Kapadokya wines on their balcony overlooking the Marmara sea. The remainder of the afternoon is free to take care of any last-minute wishlist items - from shopping to sightseeing. We’ll meet for our farewell dinner at Journey, a chic, modern restaurant serving contemporary takes on the Turkish classics we’ve tasted throughout our trip.  

The tour is officially over. After breakfast, you’ll check out of the hotel. We’re happy to arrange transport to the airport as well as accommodations for an extended stay.

Don't hesitate to reach out at travel@boldforkbooks.com with any questions