Refika Birgül

🇹🇷 Turkey · Turkish cuisine · b. 1976

The face of modern Turkish home cooking on global YouTube.

Biography

Refika Birgül is an Istanbul-based chef, food writer and digital creator whose YouTube channel 'Refika's Kitchen' has done more than any other single channel to introduce Turkish home cooking to an English-speaking global audience. She trained at Le Cordon Bleu London and worked across European kitchens before returning to Istanbul to focus on Turkish cuisine.

Her cooking school 'Refika'nın Mutfağı' in Karaköy, Istanbul, and her cookbook 'Yemek Esastır' (Food Comes First) emphasise practical, reproducible home recipes — börek, manti, dolma, mezes — explained with patience and a clear eye for what actually works in a domestic kitchen rather than a restaurant brigade.

Alongside her partner and food writer Yusuf Doğan, she has become one of the most trusted Turkish food voices online, blending tradition with a modern, ingredient-curious sensibility.

Cooking Philosophy

Real Turkish home cooking, taught patiently. Where many celebrity chefs perform technical virtuosity, Birgül focuses on getting the home cook to a successful result — emphasising why each step matters, how to substitute when you don't have the right ingredient, and how to read what the dish is telling you.

Restaurants

Refika'nın Mutfağı
Istanbul (Karaköy)
Her cooking school and event space in central Istanbul.

Awards & Recognition

YouTube Silver and Gold Creator Awards
Multiple Turkish food media awards

Iconic Dishes

Manti tutorialsSu böreği step-by-stepStuffed vegetables (dolma)Modern meze plates

Cookbooks

Yemek Esastır (Food Comes First)
Refika'nın Mutfağı'ndan Lezzetler

⭐

Signature Recipes Inspired by Refika

Original recipes we created as homages to Refika's cooking style and signature dishes. Not direct reproductions of any copyrighted material — these are our interpretations of the traditionsRefika has worked with throughout their career.

🥧

Turkish Su Böreği — Refika-Inspired

Layered phyllo-style pastry boiled in salted water then baked golden, with feta-and-parsley filling — Turkey's most beloved cheese pastry.

90m prep · 45m cook · ⭐ 4.9

Recipes in Refika's Style

These recipes from our database reflect the turkish cooking tradition that Refika works in. They are not direct reproductions of Refika's copyrighted recipes, but traditional dishes inspired by the same culinary heritage.

🥟

Turkish Manti – Lamb Dumplings with Yogurt and Paprika Butter

90 prep · 20 cook · ⭐ 4.8

🥟

Turkish Manti – Lamb Dumplings with Yogurt and Paprika Butter

90 prep · 20 cook · ⭐ 4.8

🫓

Turkish Lahmacun – Crispy Spiced Meat Flatbread

40 prep · 15 cook · ⭐ 4.8

🍳

Turkish Menemen (Scrambled Eggs with Tomato & Peppers)

5 prep · 15 cook · ⭐ 4.8

Frequently Asked Questions about Refika Birgül

Who is Refika Birgül?

Refika Birgül is a Turkish chef and YouTube creator behind Refika's Kitchen, one of the most-watched English-language Turkish cooking channels in the world. She trained at Le Cordon Bleu London and runs a cooking school in Karaköy, Istanbul.

Where can I take a cooking class with Refika?

Refika's cooking school 'Refika'nın Mutfağı' in Karaköy, Istanbul offers in-person Turkish cooking classes covering mezes, kebabs, börek, dolma and pastries. Booking is via her website.