Ella Spice Garden Cooking Class

Ella Spice Garden Cooking Class

Ella Spice Garden Cooking Class
4.5
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
About
Ella Spice Garden Cooking Class is a unique experience that you can enjoy while you visit Ella town. Our program begins with a spice garden tour with an attractive explanation about the spices we use in our Sri Lankan cousin. After tasting a taste bud awakening spice tea we begin our Sri Lankan cooking session. We try to make it really interesting and enthusiastic so you will involve in different hands-on activities and funny competitions with other candidates. We give you a real insight into the history of Sri Lankan cooking and the different utensils used. you will get a recipe book which you will use to write down small tips and ingredient quantities used for our cooking. We will make Rice , Roti , and some mouth-watering Currys with hands-on activities for all the participants later you can enjoy the taste of Sri Lankan authentic spicy meal.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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  • MiaBokmark
    Gothenburg, Sweden30 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fantastiskt astic lesson in Sri Lankan cooking with great results
    After a tour of the herb garden with great explainations to each herb and spice we had a fun and enlightening lesson in Sri Lankan cooking. Easy recipies to follow with fantasic results which we all shared for lunch. Book well in advance as seats are limited and popular
    Thanks a lot
    Written 9 March 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 27 February 2024
  • Carine B
    Beauvais, France131 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A magical moment
    We did a cooking class at Ella spice garden and had a great time! The chef was great. All the staff were very caring. The chef took us to tour the garden and explained a lot about the plants. It was great. We learned to cook 7 different Sri Lankan recipes and were able to taste them. That was delicious. I highly recommend this experience.
    Thanks a lot 🙏🏻
    Written 9 March 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 29 February 2024
  • Anandi T
    9 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fun, lovely host, lots of group work
    Great host and it was lovely to tour the spice garden. The session was fun and went by quickly. However, I expected it to be more hands on. In fact you only get to do a bit of stirring or putting ingredients into a pan to contribute to dishes for the whole group rather than testing and trying your own individual cooking skills. So I was disappointed in that, but maybe I should have checked the reviews in more detail first and wondered why the price point is good compared to other cooking classes. It was still a good experience though and the host sends an ebook afterwards so it is still good value for money.
    Thanks a lot 🥰🙏🏻👨‍🍳
    Written 27 May 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 19 March 2024
  • Susan W
    Perth, Australia9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fabulous cooking experience
    Theeka took us on an informative tour of his spice garden. We were treated to an amazing cooking experience and are still talking about to our friends. What we got from the cooking class was recipes we could make at home and have made many times since coming home and an appreciation for Sri Lankan food. Theeka is a great teacher and we had a fun time sharing his food. We highly recommend his cooking class.
    Thanks a lot 🥰🙏🏻👨‍🍳
    Written 27 May 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 25 March 2024
  • Marissa
    Germany116 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Must!!!
    If you don‘t book a cooking lession with Theeka and his team - it‘s your own fault! Recommendation: 💯 An all-round successful evening with so many nice and interesting people - in addition to the fantastic spices and dishes, of course. Big thanks ❤️ we felt in love…
    Thanks a lot 🥰🙏🏻👨‍🍳
    Written 27 May 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 26 April 2024
  • helandal2016
    Fleet, United Kingdom38 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Cookery Class in Ella
    We booked an afternoon cookery class with Theeka and his fantastic crew and were not disappointed. It was definitely an interactive experience giving us plenty of opportunities to ask questions. Our host was really good fun with a great knowledge base of not just Sri Lankan but also international cuisine making portion sizes for the ingredients which we were introduced to relevant for the different nationalities participating in the class. After cooking several dishes we were able to enjoy a lovely vegan meal. The textures, tastes and smells of this feast were amazing. Hygiene, Health and Safety compliant which always ticks the box! One of the highlights of our trip to Sri Lanka. Thanks for sharing your knowledge Theeka 🙏🏽🙏🏽
    Thanks a lot 🥰🙏🏻👨‍🍳
    Written 27 May 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 15 May 2024
  • Steve
    Wheelers Hill, Australia22 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fun, insightful and tasty afternoon in Ella
    Theeka hosted a fantastic cooking class for us during the afternoon. Included a tour of the spice garden on site, a cup of tea and then cooking 5-6 traditional Sri Lankan dishes. We finished with enjoying the food we cooked all together - a great afternoon. We were a group of 12 (6 groups of two, couples or friends) all around 30 years old. We were able to book on the day via WhatsApp message, and the location is fantastic relative to Ella Centre (5 mins walk from Cafe Chill) I would definitely recommmed to friends or family wanting a unique, affordable and fun experience in Ella
    Thanks a lot 🥰🙏🏻👨‍🍳
    Written 27 May 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 22 May 2024
  • Tamara Z
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Best vegan/veggie cooking class
    Amazing and very fun cooking class! We learned so much about Sri Lankan Spices and dishes and enjoyed the class and the dinner! True value for money - we can only recommend this place if you think about taking a cooking class. Especially if you‘re vegetarian/vegan as this is an all-plant based class showing you the amazing variety of Sri Lankan veggie meals. We cooked Dhal/Curry, Rotti and more.
    Thanks a lot 🙏🏻
    Written 14 August 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 7 July 2024
  • Ellie C
    12 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    💯 do this!
    Whatever you do….do a cookery session with Theeka - it was the highlight of our time in Ella. Our girls (11 & 13) also loved it. Informative, fun and delicious - plus, Theeka and his team are absolutely adorable.
    Thanks a lot 🙏🏻
    Written 14 August 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 1 August 2024
  • Traveler59435557004
    32 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A must-see attraction
    It was really magical and fun, I enjoyed every moment! It was simply a pleasure, we learned a lot, it was experiential and easy. The teacher is simply a charm of a person with perfect English. Highly recommend from the bottom of my heart 🙏🏼❤️
    Thanks a lot 🥰🙏🏻
    Written 16 September 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited September 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 10 September 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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4.5
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Jennifer S
London, UK10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2024 • Couples
A must-do in Ella! First you explore the spice garden, learning about the incredible variety of spices and plants grown there (some completely new to me). Sam, our guide to the garden, was clearly very knowledgeable and this really shone through. Next you sit down and start chopping and cooking. Our chef, whose name I didn’t catch, was very friendly and smiley, which immediately set a great tone for the cooking. He explained everything well and even as a not very good cook I never felt stressed! As a group, we cooked seven curry dishes using the spices and local ingredients. We then sat down together to try our creations. I’ve been in Sri Lanka for a week so far and it was genuinely the best meal I’ve had. A great experience and fully recommend! The value for money is really excellent.
Written 19 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks a lot 🥰🙏🏻
Written 29 December 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Honigbienchen07
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Couples
Highly recommended! Very friendly people, both the tour of the in-house spice garden and the cooking course were conducted in perfect English.
The dishes were delicious and everything was explained in a very entertaining way.
We prepared a variety of dishes, and if you've never had garlic curry before - it tastes fantastic.
Great atmosphere, everyone had a lot of fun. Photos were taken automatically by the team, we didn't have to worry about it.
You can also buy tea and spices there at a very reasonable price.
Thank you for a wonderful evening!
Written 25 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks a lot 🥰🙏🏻
Written 21 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Lisa
Hamburg, Germany5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2024 • Friends
Shortly after the opening of the associated restaurant “Grandma’s Kitchen” we went there to eat. We were received totally friendly and then spontaneously decided to look at the Spice Garden! The owner explained to us with a lot of serenity what the individual spices and fruits are used for, we were allowed to taste and smell a lot! You get the feeling that this place is a little gem with a lot of love!
Automatically translated
Written 28 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks a lot 🥰🙏🏻
Written 29 December 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jacquie
Dubai, United Arab Emirates94 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023
We booked well in advance for Theeka's cookery class as we know he gets booked up quickly. His kitchen is located a short (uphill) walk behind Chill Cafe and starts with a really informative walk around his spice garden to understand the key ingredients used in Sri Lankan cooking. Then back to the kitchen to get our aprons and get starting. He is very good at getting everyone involved in small ways for each of the dishes until the feast is ready for everyone to sit down and try. Honestly the best Sri Lankan food we had on our trip and we have already tried making some of the dishes again when we got home!!
Written 5 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks a lot 🙏🏻
Written 22 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Emma
Jeffreys Bay, South Africa20 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Friends
I booked and confirmed this cooking class with the host 2 months in advance and was very excited to attend. We arrived the evening of the class to find out the host had forgotten our booking and the class was now full so we had to leave. The host was nice and apologised but we were very disappointed and would encourage others to double check their bookings and the host to prioritise advanced bookings.
Written 23 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I’m really sorry for the inconvenience caused. We don’t have an online booking system so we take our customers bookings tentatively on WhatsApp, when they arrive in Ella they should confirm it to us so we can accommodate them for the session on the day , we can only accommodate up to 12 guests in our kitchen and we can’t afford to keep the booking open until the guest randomly shows at our place, we get fully booked someday s and when the guests don’t show up we have to run at a loss , this happens to us frequently so we have to get the booking confirmation several times on WhatsApp for us to confirm it , Im really sorry about the inconvenience caused and hope you understand my situation.
Written 26 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Zgr_25
Berlin, Germany32 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2025 • Family
We arrived at this cooking class by chance, as we had actually booked with a cooking school with a very similar name, but then incorrectly navigated to the Ella Spice Garden on GoogleMaps. We were lucky and could spontaneously attend the course.
Very fun and informative cooking class. 8 dishes are cooked, starting with a small tour of the spice garden. Spices can also be bought in the small shop afterwards, at very fair prices. An e-book with other recipes will be shared afterwards.
If you want to learn more about Sri Lankan cuisine, this is definitely the place to be. Highly recommended.
Automatically translated
Written 5 February 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

amgilly
Surrey, United Kingdom5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2024 • Family
This was one of the highlights of our trip in Sri Lanka. The course started with a tour of the gardens where we learned about all the spices and key ingredients for Sri Lanka curries. Then we cooked. The area for cooking was spotless, the guys who helped Theeka in the background were fabulous and v discreet and attentive, completing details on recipes in our books when we were cooking. Theeka himself was a fantastic chef. The food was amazing. Highly recommend this. We loved it as an adult family activity Steve, Anna, Archie and Zack
Written 3 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks a lot 🥰🙏🏻
Written 29 December 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Max
Muenster, Germany2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2024 • Couples
The cooking class was our highlight on holiday. Theeka, the chef, is a very funny and helpful person who has initiated us into Sri Lankan cuisine with a lot of wit and patience. If you are in Ella you should definitely attend your course, it is worth it and above all tastes really good!
Automatically translated
Written 3 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nina S
13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2025 • Friends
We had a great afternoon with Theeka and his team! First, you take a tour in his little spice garden to learn a bit more about the plants 🌱 then the
cooking starts. Everyone in the group will contribute and work on the different dishes each. So you won’t cook each dish yourself- but at the end the group will share all dishes, of course, in a lovely group dinner.
You will still learn a lot by watching and you can always ask questions. You will have a cooking book to take notes - and will get an e-book afterwards, with even some extra recipies.
We did cook 7 dishes, all yummie and all vegetarian (vegan even) - maybe good to know for those that do not eat meat etc.
Written 14 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Suzanne G
54 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023
Theeka was a great host and explained techniques and ingredients in detail. He kept in contact regarding the booking so I knew what was happening. It was a good mixture of demonstration, explanation and hands-on as well as advice on how to adapt some of the fresh ingredients when at home. Theeka is genuinely enthusiastic about what he does which in turn makes it really enjoyable for his visitors. Before we had finished eating what we had cooked, he had sent over the e-book of recipes, plus some extra ones he thought we might like and photos he had taken. Definitely recommend when you're in Ella.
Written 7 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks a lot mam 🙏🏻
Written 9 February 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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ELLA SPICE GARDEN COOKING CLASS (2025) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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