Tinatin (Tina) lives with her large family close to the Tbilisi Mall. She learned to cook from her mother and still uses her grandmother’s recipes. Tina has a big family - she lives with her spouse and seven children. You can usually find Tina in the kitchen preparing a big meal for them. Join Tina in her modest, family home to experience Georgian cuisine - a melting pot of a variety of flavors and new ingredients that you may never have tasted before. You may even get to meet the whole family but if not you will still see their artistic scribbles on the walls!
"I love hosting people from different countries and showing them the best part of my city, which I love very much!"
Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.
In-home meal:
(1-7 guests)
Tina and her family live in a traditional Georgian home, it is modestly furnished in a traditional style - filled with books, antiques, maps, and artwork created by the family (the younger daughter is an artist). Traces of the family history can be seen throughout their home, from photo collages to paintings on the walls.
You will be greeted warmly with smiles from Tina, and her children (if they are around). Tina will serve a traditional Georgian meal from the Lechkhumi and Samegrelo region where her parents grew up. A few dishes that you may taste at Tina's dining table are, a fresh tomato and cucumber salad, chakhokhbili (stewed chicken with fresh herbs), khachapuri (cheese-filled bread) and khinkali (Georgian dumpling). Your meal will conclude with the sweet churchkhela, a traditional candy made by repeatedly dipping a long string of nuts in tatara – a mixture of flour, sugar and badagi (concentrated grape juice) or dry fruits.
Cooking experience: (1-7 guests) Tina offers a hands-on cooking experience - you will get to cook along with her in her kitchen. In your Georgian cooking class in in Tbilisi learn to make 2-3 dishes such as lobio (a traditional Georgian medley of beans), chakhokhbili (stewed chicken with fresh herbs) or khachapuri (cheese-filled bread). Tina will share the recipes and preparation method throughout the cooking process so be ready to take a lot of notes! Your class will last about an hour and a half after which you will join Tina at the dining table to share the meal you helped prepare.
Market visit: (1-7 guests) Tina will meet you at the main entrance of Dezerter Bazaar for your market tour. She will be happy to guide you through the many interesting lanes en-route to the market. This is a lively indoor marketplace for fruits and vegetables, piles of spices and colorful, handmade candles. Discover regional produce as Tina gives you a tour of this local market - you may even purchase a few fresh ingredients that you will use in your cooking class.
Notes: If you choose the optional transportation add-on, you will be picked up and dropped off from your central Tbilisi hotel.
Languages spoken: Georgian, English, Russian
Teo and her family are the personification of Georgian hospitality. IT WAS FANTASTIC! I had already tried almost all of the dishes she prepared, but she had her own unique take on them. She sent me home with leftovers! Teo is so warm, welcoming and a true global citizen - open-minded and inquisitive. We talked well beyond our meal and even made plans to walk around the city together. We shared our travel stories and favourite places, books, and music. Her entire family was completely charming and welcoming as well. A special culinary moment was cooking with Teo’s younger siblings (including her 8-year-old brother) who helped prepare almost everything. Stirring over the stove, poking air holes in the khachapuri, and sharing the meal together was very special. Family is the most important thing in Georgian culture, and guests are considered a gift from God. They really made me feel part of the family — and already invited me back!
Maria, Traveling Spoon Ambassador
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.- Vytauta July 31, 2022
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.- Cherie_A May 28, 2022
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- Fatima F May 17, 2022
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.- Holly April 04, 2022
Do not hesitate to discover this golden family! The visit to the market is very practical, Tina answers all your questions and her home is a little piece of timeless paradise. The house of happiness where you will enjoy yourself. It's a great moment of sharing that you won't be able to do without!! (Translated by Google)- Elisage February 05, 2022
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) 😊- Soso11 February 04, 2022
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.- Nadine December 25, 2021
My partner Cam and I had a truly delightful evening cooking, talking, and eating with Teo and her mother Tina. It was a highlight of our whole trip, both in and outside Georgia, to be invited to the home of such a welcoming, interesting family, and to learn to cook delicious traditional cuisine with the freshest ingredients. We’ve taken the Ajapsandali recipe Teo kindly wrote out for us and cooked it in London, now West Africa (I cook it weekly here!), and certainly home to Australia in the new year. Can’t thank Teo and Tina enough for their hospitality and warmth. With the best of wishes, Georgia and Cam- georgiaruthw December 10, 2019
Teo was jammer genoeg niet thuis. Maar mama Tina is eigenlijk de kok in huis. In een mengeling van Engels en Russisch eerst naar de winkel. Meer dan 3 kg ingrediënten later starten we het koken. Heerlijk lekker en hartelijk. Tussendoor komen de jongste kinderen af en toe wat lekkernijen snoepen in de keuken. Wat ik niet door had is dat ik ook verondersteld werd om die 3 kg aan gerechten ter plaatse allemaal op te eten ofwel in dozen mee te nemen naar het hotel om de rest van de week verder te kunnen. Bij het afscheid kwam uiteindelijk Teo toch nog thuis. Wat een enthousiaste lieve meid was dat. We keren zeker nog terug als vriend!- Cedric D November 18, 2019
On my first day in Tbilisi, I had an amazing cooking experience and introduction to Georgian cuisine. The food was prepared with love and there was plenty of food. I enjoyed spending time with Teona and her siblings in their beautiful charming kitchen. I highly recommend this experience ☺️- NastassjaT7 October 21, 2019
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.- Joan J October 19, 2019
It was a wonderful experience with Teona's mother Tina. We loved the market visit, the cooking experience and the conversation. Felt like we had made a friend for life!- Ihatetrumpandpence September 26, 2019
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.- pixleyo August 03, 2019
My fiancée and I really wanted to learn how to make the georgian stuffed eggplant, therefore we decided to look for a cooking lesson in Tbilisi where we could learn how to make them!Teo did not only teach us how to make what we wanted, but she also prepared some extra dishes that were amazing! Her boyfriend brought his family’s wine and it was a perfect meal.I would highly recommend this experience! Unfortunately Teo’s mom could not be there, but we still had fun and learned a bit about Georgian food and traditions- acdallagnol July 11, 2019
Teo and her mom were amazing hostesses! I felt like I was walking into a dear friend's home when I arrived. I enjoyed a little snack of bread and cheese while Teo and I got acquainted with each other and she finished a little prep. We made a few traditional dishes together, all while discussing culture and sharing personal experiences. In the end, I realized so many of my favorite Georgian dishes are actually not as difficult to make as I had imagined. I will certainly take what I learned with me to recreate in my own kitchen. Best of all, you will leave Teo's home truly feeling like part of the family!- Kanani M May 07, 2019
I really enjoyed meeting Teo, and having a nice Georgian meal in a home rather than a restaurant. It was great experience, and I'd recommend it. Teo cooked a nice multi course meal with wine, and I enjoyed the food as well as the company! Recommend!- FlyinFoodieGuy September 29, 2018
My friend and I enjoyed an amazing afternoon and evening with Teo. We visited the local market, where she explained the differences between the local cheeses, fresh herbs and sweets. Back at her family home, Teo made us feel very welcome. We enjoyed cheeses and homemade wine while we helped her cook several traditional Georgian dishes. Teo was a lovely host and explained everything in great detail. Would absolutely recommend!- Jessica S September 23, 2018
We had a great night at Teo's house. She welcomed us into her home, showed us around and explained what we were going to prepare. Sho offered us wine, chacha and cheeses and explained everything she did whilst coocking. My mom and I also participated coocking.A friend of Teo came along and in the kitchen we spoke about all kinds of things. Teo and her friend are good company as they speak English very well and know everything about nowaday Georgia and its cuisine. We had a great diner and learned a lot about Georgian coocking and life.Thanks Teo.- Jorrit D September 15, 2018
We learned how to cook delicious local food, but also met a delightful, warm woman who was open and sharing in her home and her thoughts. We're so glad we've found The Travelling Spoon.- Six Scotts August 28, 2018
Even though Teo wasn't there for our visit, her mother Tina took really good care of us. Highly recommended!!- Jessica August 16, 2018
Teo was great!- David Sasaki July 25, 2018
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