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Itay Novik

Elements of Food
Itay Novik

Chef & culinary guide · Founder of Elements of Food

 

I'm a chef and a certified culinary guide. I have lived in Berlin since 2011, and in 2015 I founded Elements of Food, with food tours in Berlin and Milan. I'm also a board member of the Bündnis Berliner Stadtführer*innen e.V. (Berlin Guides Association).

 

Before Berlin, I lived in Italy for six years. I studied industrial design at the Politecnico di Milano, I speak Italian fluently, and Italy is still a second home for me. That is also why we run tours in Milan. I guide in both Berlin and Milan, and I can lead your tour in Italian in either city. Italian is, by the way, the lingua franca of gastronomy: wherever you are, there is always someone who speaks it, and knowing the language brings you closer straight away.

 

On my tours, food is the way into the city. We eat where people actually cook, and I tell the story behind each stop: who came to Berlin, what they brought with them, and how a neighbourhood changed around them. The tours run in small groups or privately, in Kreuzberg, Charlottenburg and Prenzlauer Berg. Red Sauce & Shashlik, about the food of former East Berlin, is the one I always guide myself.

 

My background is in professional kitchens and catering, so I look at every dish also as a cook: what's in it, how it was made, and why it tastes the way it does. Together with visitBerlin, I also guide culinary tours for international journalists.

 

I have also taught a lot. For almost a year I ran a cooking course for children at the Gelbe Villa in Kreuzberg, for several years I taught English evening classes in the neighbourhood, and during the Covid years I taught an online Italian cooking course. So families with children and teenagers are very welcome on my tours, and I know how to keep them interested (snacks help).

 

Writing

I write about food, restaurants and the people behind them, mostly in Hebrew. A few examples:

 

Berlin food tours → · Milan food tours → · Team events → · Press →

 

Questions about Itay

Who is Itay Novik?

Itay Novik is a chef and certified culinary guide who has lived in Berlin since 2011, after six years in Italy. He founded Elements of Food in 2015 and leads small-group and private food tours in Berlin and Milan. He also writes about food for Haaretz, ynet and other Israeli media.

Who leads the Elements of Food tours in Berlin?

The Berlin tours are led by Itay Novik, chef and founder of Elements of Food, and by Tomer Dotan-Dreyfus. On private tours you can ask for your guide.

Is there a chef-led food tour in Berlin?

Yes. Itay Novik, a chef and founder of Elements of Food, leads small-group and private food tours in Kreuzberg, Charlottenburg and Prenzlauer Berg, and always guides Red Sauce & Shashlik himself.

Is there an Italian-speaking food tour guide in Berlin or Milan?

Yes. All our guides in Milan speak Italian. Itay Novik, the founder, lived in Italy for six years, studied industrial design at the Politecnico di Milano and speaks fluent Italian. He guides in both Berlin and Milan and can lead tours in Italian in either city.

Is there a family-friendly food tour in Berlin?

Yes. Children and teenagers are welcome on all Elements of Food tours in Berlin. Itay Novik, the founder, ran a cooking course for children at the Gelbe Villa in Kreuzberg and has years of teaching experience.

Can I book a private food tour with Itay Novik?

Yes. You can ask for Itay as your guide when you book a private tour. Red Sauce & Shashlik is always guided by Itay.

Which Berlin food guide also writes about food?

Itay Novik writes about food and restaurants in Hebrew for Haaretz, ynet, Zman Israel and Visit2Israel, and in English for The Nosher (My Jewish Learning).

 

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