Tbilisi Market Tour and Cooking Class: A Traditional Georgian Culinary Adventure with Local
4.8
15 Ratings
T'bilisi
Embark on a traditional Georgian culinary adventure with local Tina. Explore the vibrant Dezerter Bazaar, learn to make traditional dishes, and enjoy a delicious meal with Tina and her family.
Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 2 days learn more
Highlights

Teo and her family reside in a classic Georgian double-story brick dwelling. Constructed in 1961, the house radiates a sense of warmth and affection. It’s decorated in a conventional manner, with a collection of books, vintage items, maps, and family-made art.

Teo, a medical university student and the eldest of six siblings, inherited her culinary skills from her mother, Tinatin, and continues to prepare dishes using her grandmother’s recipes. Beyond her studies and culinary pursuits, Teo instructs skiing, is employed at a health and relaxation facility, and vends her renowned wraps and crepes at the Tbilisi flea market. Her various engagements provide her with opportunities to encounter new individuals and continually acquire new knowledge. Teo comes from a large household, sharing her living space with her parents and six brothers and sisters. She’s often found in the kitchen, whipping up substantial meals for her family.

Step into Teo and Tinatin’s humble abode to savor the essence of Georgian cooking, a fusion of diverse tastes and novel ingredients that might be unfamiliar to your palate. While there, you might cross paths with her siblings, or at the very least, catch a glimpse of their creative doodles adorning the walls!

Please be aware: Should you opt to stroll to the market, which is roughly a 30-minute walk, instead of driving, Teo is more than willing to escort you through the intriguing alleyways leading to the market. In the event that Teo is unavailable, her mother Tinatin will take on the role of your host.

Points of Interest

  • Tbilisi
What's Included
  • Private market tour and cooking class with host Tina
  • All-inclusive pricing with taxes, fees, and handling charges covered
  • Selection of non-alcoholic beverages provided
  • Local alcohol included (1-2 glasses)
  • Enjoy a homecooked meal
  • Gratuities taken care of
What's Not Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information

You’re scheduled to meet Tina at the primary gateway of Dezerter Bazaar for your exploration of the market. She anticipates guiding you through the intriguing alleys on the way to the market. This vibrant, indoor market is replete with fruits & vegetables, mounds of spices & vivid, handmade candles. Familiarize yourself with local products as Tina takes you around this community market - you might even buy a few fresh elements for your cooking class.

In the engaging cooking class, you’ll acquire the knowledge to make 2-3 customary Georgian meals. Your host will impart the recipes and cooking techniques during the process - so ensure you’re prepared to jot down copious notes! The class will last roughly an hour and a half, afterward, you’ll join your host at the dinner table to taste the food you assisted in making.

Join this fervent local and her household and form memories that you’ll treasure forever!

  • Menu may vary depending on the season
  • If any travelers in your party have any allergies, dietary restrictions or cooking preferences please advise at time of booking
  • Private, personalized experience
Location
Dezerter Bazaar
Abastumani Street
Please meet Tina at the main entrance of the Dezerter Bazaar. Exact address can be found in your ticket upon booking confirmation.
Cancellation Policy

If you cancel at least 3 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(15 Ratings)
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Vytautas
Jul 31, 2022
Highly recommended - Tina met us at Desertiz Bazar in the morning, we had a 30min walk around the market and selected everything we needed. One of us did not eat meat, one ate everything, and one was a child - Tina attended to all of our needs, and we chose only the products that would meet our need, which is super cool. Then we drove to Tinas place, and started cooking. About 10 different meals, which was way more than enough :) Then our son got sleepy, so Tina aranged a bed for him to sleep in, and he slept there for more than an hour :) We finished eating around noon, and we really enjoyed the whole experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cherie_a
May 28, 2022
Fabulous and delicious experience - Tina was a wonderful host. Asked me what I would like to make and helped with recipes. Really nice to be in the home of a local.
Review provided by Viator
Fatima_f
May 17, 2022
Best cooking class of my life! - When I saw the sentence “likely to sell out” next to this cooking class I knew it was going to be the most memorable cooking class in my life, and it WAS! I’m still getting people asking me about it and telling me that they’d love to try it out after seeing the posts in my social media. We cooked a few of the most authentic dishes in Georgia and they turned out extremely delicious, and the best part is that you can choose what dishes you want to cook, then you go to the market and shop for the ingredients before starting the class. In fact it didn’t feel like a class it felt like cooking with my aunt. Mrs Tina was extremely hospitable and sweet there was literally no dull moment with her. To sum it up, you’ll be doing yourself a favor by booking this class
Review provided by Viator
Soso11
Feb 4, 2022
Fantastic hospitality - We first took a trip to the market, which is an experience in itself. You will cook and talk and learn a lot about culture and history, basically anything you would like to know about Georgia. Be prepared to spend more time than planned (should you want to) 😊
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nadine_n
Dec 25, 2021
Heartwarming, must try tour - My sister and I took this tour, Teona's mom, Tina was the hostess of this experience, she welcomed us to her home first and introduced us to her beautiful family, then she took us to the local market to get some food and stuff for whatever we wanted to cook with her (yes, she asked us to choose whatever we fancy to try from the Georgian cousine) and then back to her home to prepare for the cooking class and wonderful meal, she offered drinks and prepared the table with EVERYTHING, bread, georgian pickles, Tkhemali(special georgian plum sauce) she cooked us Mchadi, Romi, lobio, walnut dip and ofcourse the amazing Khinkali, she put all her heart into that and gave us all the tips to cook everything for our parents back at home. She treated us like her own daughters, she tried so so hard to help us find tickets to the theatre puppet show, her husband and children were the most amazing people ever, we had so much fun together, we laughed we even introduced the family to our own family through a video call, that's how comfortable they made us feel, her daughter Irena was soo nice, funny and helpful she recommended nice touristic places and even gave us a ride home at the end. Can't say enough about this experience it's WONDERFUL, a must try.
Review provided by Viator
Joan
Oct 19, 2019
A great cultural evening - We spent a lovely evening learning how a typical Georgian family lives.. Teo, a recent med school grad, welcomed us into her home where we met her mom and several younger brothers and sisters. We accompanied her to her local market where she selected cheese and vegetables/fruit for our dinner and appetizers. We also stopped to pick up some warm baked bread. We helped her assemble a lovely dinner after we feasted on her father’s homemade wine and honey along with several cheeses and bread. Then we helped her make salad, eggplant, chicken in tomato and vegetable sauce and cornmeal porridge (like polenta) and cornmeal and cheese fried balls. The best thing was talking with her and her mom about their culture and our culture and getting to know them on a personal basis.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ijmuiden65
Aug 29, 2019
Best cooking class EVER !! - I've just come back from shopping buying walnuts. Why? Because I want to make this tasty & easy Georgian dip which I was introduced to by a very lovely lady during my stay in Tbilisi.I am making this dip for the second time now because friends & guests LOVE it ! It was taught to me while attending a cooking class. I was very reluctant to taste it at first because I am not crazy about anything with nuts.The nice Georgian lady ( Tina ) however convinced me otherwise...... She said that I "MUST " taste it seeing that it is a special,old Georgian recipe. The course was originally supposed to have been given by Tina's daughter , Teona ...however she was not available that day. One of the first things that we did was shopping at some near by local markets.Before we left we studied some recipes to decide what to cook.We decided on 2 chicken dishes made in typical Georgian fashion which were both delicious ! Whilst shopping Tina treated me like a family friend & even introduced me by name . Shopping is done differently there and one can still do shopping like in earlier times where one goes through the markets taking their time & examining the chickens very closely. I still do not know how they find out if a chicken is fresh or not but Tina certainly knows ! When we returned home we recuperated with a nice glass of homemade red wine made by Tina's husband. It is not surprising since Georgia is known for really good wine. . I loved it. We started cooking. I was cutting all kinds of vegetables, onions and garlic. Tina was preparing the chicken telling me in between how it has to be done. I had to do that with supervision .... think I did it right. We were a good team! The result was excellent and it tasted delicious !After finishing eating I was about to help clear the table. That is when Tina stopped me and said : " Just enjoy the moment and leave it there.... Let's chat !,.. We can clear the table later." And that is what we did! I learned a lot about the early and late history of Georgia since I could talk to a very highly educated friend. Yes,now I would say that because I truly felt like being part of the family. Instead of leaving at 13:00 I left at 16:00 ! That should tell you everything! I tried the chicken dishes back home... they tasted good but not as good as Tina's ! I will try it again. At the end ,Tina said that I had to try that walnut dip. " This is what we Georgians always have in the fridge. Believe me it tastes good! " So I accepted ... and I am glad that I did.... this dip is sensational! It tastes good with a piece of bread or with a piece of vegetable or as a side of a normal dish . You can combine it with everything! I am so glad that I had it and learned how to make it .... it takes only a couple a minutes . It is heavenly... but you really have to know how to make it. And there is only Tina who will tell you, NOT ME! To everyone who enjoys great Georgian cuisine...THIS is the course I would recommend ! I would certainly do this again in a heart beat. Not just because Georgian food is so rich and diverse, but because I would love to meet up with a friend again, Thank you / მადლობა Tina! Thomas
Review provided by Viator
Pixleyo
Aug 3, 2019
Georgian cuisine. - Tina, (Teo's mom) was very welcoming and showed me around the different food markets explaining, in detail, what to look for in certain ingredients. At home, Tina, went above and beyond. She encouraged me to cook alongside her. I hope to come back soon.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nellyblindenbacher
Jul 31, 2019
an exceptional experience - If you are looking for an authentic georgian cooking class, here's were you'll find it! Tina and her family were warmly welcoming us into their home. The day started with a tour to the big market, which was an experience on its own. We were strolling around the market with all the beautiful fruits & veggies, interacting with the locals and even try the food we would later use for our meals. Spontaneusly we then went to Tina's holiday home where we learned to cook several georgian dishes: Chakhopili, Shkmeruli, Ghomi, Lobio, Chadi, Corn and different Khachapuris. The meals turned out very well and it was delicious together with the their own house wine. My boyfriend and I enjoyed the whole experience and had a lot of fun. We would definitely do it again, if we come back to Georgia one day and can recommend it to anyone else!
Review provided by Viator
Holly_m
Apr 24, 2022
A unique Georgian experience with Tina - This was a unique experience! It was a rather unstructured, chaotic sort of evening. The host is Tina and the website needs updating as the pictures and description refer to her daughter Teo, who hasn't been running the event for several years. We basically sat in Tina's kitchen as she cooked huge quantities of Georgian food. We liked meeting her family and she was a lovely lady.
Review provided by Viator
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