Refika Birgül was born on May 19, 1980, in Istanbul. After graduating from Istanbul American Robert College, she completed her Psychology degree at Koç University. Later, she received leadership training at the London Business School. She began her career working at !F Istanbul Independent Film Festival and the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV). Subsequently, she held various high-level managerial and general director positions at the Private Doğan Hospital for approximately six years.

In 2010, she authored her first book, "Cooking New Istanbul Style," with the goal of redefining and enhancing Turkish and Istanbul cuisine. The book was featured in the Destination Istanbul exhibition, which showcased Turkish designers at MOMA New York. In 2011, Refika established her own cooking workshop in the historic Simotas Building (1923). It now serves as a research and development facility with seven kitchens, a kitchen library, and antique kitchen utensils from Anatolia and various parts of the world, intended for both daily culinary use and collectible purposes. In 2013, she founded the "Refika’dan" brand to promote and preserve handicrafts and crafts. She began offering her own designed products under this brand. In 2017, Refika created her own YouTube channel, "Refika’nın Mutfağı" (Refika's Kitchen). Today, she is one of the most-watched and followed YouTubers in Turkey, ranking first in her category and among the top three female YouTubers in the general category. In the same year, she co-founded "Börek Prodüksiyon," a production company that produces content for her Turkish YouTube channel and the "Refika’yla Öze Dönüş" (Return to the Self with Refika) TV program, and conducts the production for various brands. In 2020, she launched her English content channel "Refika’s Kitchen" on YouTube. In 2022, she initiated the "Yemek Okulu PRO" project, aiming to teach Turkish culinary techniques and redefine culinary education. She also started a project in collaboration with ÇODEM to provide vocational training for girls who have experienced abuse. Refika Birgül has published four books and received over 50 awards. With her team of 35 people, she works to increase the richness of life, believing in the possibility of a different existence focused on food and living.