Santorini: Cooking Class with a Chef at the Ftelos Brewery

Food can be the best souvenir. This three-hour class at Ftelos Brewery combines hands-on cooking with a modern Cycladic menu, a craft beer, and time to look around a working brewery. I like the practical format: you cook every course with a chef, then sit down to eat what you made. I also like the setting, with classes held either beside the beer production area or beneath old grapevines in a shaded garden.

The main limitation is simple: this is not a guided brewery tour, and hotel transfers are not included. You need to reach Ftelos yourself by taxi, car, or on foot from Fira. Still, the small group size, written recipes, full meal, and included beer make the $113 price reasonable for a three-hour Santorini activity.

Key Points Before You Book

• Four dishes, not just a demonstration: You prepare Santorini salad, cod croquettes, split-pea dip, and pork fillet with beer sauce.
• The venue changes with the weather: Cook indoors overlooking the production unit or outside on a wooden patio beneath 150-year-old vines.
• Ftelos beer is part of the meal: One craft beer and bottled water are included, with extra drinks available to buy.
• Small groups keep the class active: The workshop is limited to 10 people, so you should expect to take part rather than watch from the sidelines.
• The brewery visit is self-guided: You have free time to look around, but there is no formal brewery tour included.
• The menu teaches useful local flavors: Capers, caper leaves, cherry tomatoes, dry onion, stout, mustard, and rosemary all have a clear role.

Arriving at Ftelos Brewery from Fira

Ftelos Brewery is in the Cyclades on Santorini, and the meeting point is the brewery itself. You can arrive by taxi, car, or on foot from Fira. Free parking is available, which helps if you have rented a car, but the activity does not include hotel pickup or return transportation.

That detail matters. Santorini days can become crowded and slow, especially when you are moving between towns, beaches, and viewpoints. Give yourself enough time to reach the brewery without rushing into the kitchen. Your class ends where it begins, so you will need to arrange your onward transport afterward.

The activity lasts three hours, but starting times vary. Check the available times before booking, then plan the rest of your day around the class. Cooking, eating, and looking around the brewery can easily fill the stated time, particularly if you want to buy beer before leaving.

A Small Group with Real Cooking Work

This is not a sit-back-and-watch demonstration. The instructions make clear that you take part in every stage of the cooking. That makes the workshop more useful than a simple tasting, especially if you want to recreate some of the dishes at home.

The group is limited to 10 participants, a good number for this kind of lesson. A smaller group gives you a better chance to handle ingredients, ask questions, and follow the chef’s guidance. It also keeps the meal from feeling like a production line.

English is the teaching language. The recipes and cooking instructions are provided in written form, which is one of the strongest practical features of the class. You can focus on the cooking during the workshop and refer back to the instructions later, when you want to make a Santorini-style meal for friends or family.

The class is described as suitable for wheelchair users. For any specific access needs, it is still sensible to confirm the arrangements when booking, since the cooking location may be indoors or outdoors depending on the weather.

The Four-Course Cycladic Menu

The menu is carefully built around familiar Greek ingredients, but it does not stop at the usual tourist plate. You prepare four separate dishes, each showing a different side of Cycladic cooking.

Santorini Salad with Tomatoes and Capers

The first course is a Santorini salad made with cherry tomatoes, capers, and caper leaves. Santorini is known for its small, intensely flavored tomatoes, and this dish puts them at the center rather than hiding them under a heavy dressing.

The caper leaves are a particularly useful detail. They are less familiar to many home cooks than capers themselves, so this part of the class gives you a local ingredient to look for after you return home. It also shows how island cooking makes use of more than one part of a plant.

Cod Croquettes in Beer Batter

The cod croquettes are prepared in beer batter. This connects the food directly to the venue, since you are cooking at a brewery and later drinking Ftelos beer with the meal.

This course is also a hands-on test of technique. You are not simply sampling a finished croquette. You help prepare the dish and learn how the batter and fish come together. The class description does not promise a particular style of frying equipment or a detailed lesson in beer pairing, so you should think of this as part of the cooking menu rather than a formal brewing seminar.

Santorini Split-Pea Dip with Dry Onion

The split-pea dip offers a taste of one of Santorini’s best-known traditional foods. It is served with dry onion, a plain addition that gives the dish extra bite and contrast.

This is the kind of course that makes a cooking class worthwhile. You learn how a modest pantry ingredient becomes a central part of a Greek meal. The dish should also be easy to adapt at home, although the exact recipe and quantities come from the written instructions provided during the workshop.

Pork Fillet with Stout and Mustard-Rosemary Sauce

The main course is pork fillet with Malt n’ Marvel Stout and a mustard-rosemary sauce. It is the most direct meeting point between the brewery and the kitchen, using a Ftelos beer in the food as well as serving beer alongside it.

The sauce gives the menu a modern touch without abandoning the Greek ingredients. Mustard and rosemary provide a familiar base, while the stout adds a darker beer flavor. This is a good example of the class’s approach: traditional island products and flavors are used in a menu with a contemporary edge.

Cooking Indoors or Under 150-Year-Old Vines

The cooking location depends on the weather. On a cooler or unsettled day, you may work in a special indoor area overlooking the beer production unit. That arrangement lets you see the brewery at work while you cook, though it is still not a guided brewery visit.

In good conditions, the class can move outdoors to a wooden patio under the shade of 150-year-old vineyards in a bioclimatic garden. This sounds like the more atmospheric option, especially if you want the setting to feel connected to Santorini’s agricultural side rather than only its famous cliffs and whitewashed buildings.

There is no guarantee of one location over the other, so book this class for the food and setting as a whole, not for a fixed outdoor arrangement. The weather choice is practical. A sheltered indoor class is better than a beautiful patio if wind or heat would make cooking uncomfortable.

Sitting Down to Eat What You Made

Once the cooking is finished, you eat the complete four-course meal together. The meal is served in an industrial-style room inside the brewery, a change from the outdoor patio or production area used for the class.

The included food is substantial: all four courses, freshly baked homemade bread, one Ftelos craft beer, and bottled water. The meal is not an add-on at the end of a short lesson. It is the payoff for the work you have done in the kitchen.

You can order extra food and drinks, but those cost more. One beer is included, so anyone who wants additional beer or another beverage should budget for it. The class also lists time to explore the brewery on your own, giving you a chance to browse and buy craft beer to take away.

The dining room’s industrial style suits the venue. This is not being sold as a formal restaurant meal with a long wine service. It is a relaxed meal connected to a working brewery, and that is part of the appeal.

Exploring Ftelos Brewery on Your Own

You have free time to look around the brewery, but the activity does not include a guided brewery tour. This distinction is important. If your main interest is learning how beer is made, the class may not provide as much explanation as you expect.

If you enjoy independent exploring, the arrangement works well. You can look around at your own pace and decide if you want to buy craft beer after the meal. The production unit is visible from the indoor cooking area, which adds context even without a formal tour.

The brewery is described as state-of-the-art, and the combination of modern production equipment with old vineyards gives the visit some character. I would treat the brewery time as an extra benefit rather than the main reason to book. The cooking lesson and shared meal are the core of the experience.

What the Price Includes at $113

At $113 per person, this is not the cheapest food activity on Santorini. The value depends on how you use the three hours. You are paying for instruction from a professional chef, a small group, four dishes, written recipes, bread, bottled water, one craft beer, and the complete meal.

Viewed as a meal alone, the price may feel high. Viewed as a cooking class plus lunch or dinner plus a brewery visit, it becomes easier to justify. You also avoid paying separately for a restaurant meal during that time, although extra drinks and food are not included.

The small group is important here. A class limited to 10 people should give you more direct participation than a large demonstration. The strongest feedback focuses on the staff’s friendly approach, the quality of the food, and the chance to learn the background of the dishes.

Mike is praised for keeping a group entertained while helping participants produce a delicious Greek meal. Katerina is singled out for being kind and teaching clearly. Those individual mentions suggest that the human side of the class is a major part of its appeal, though your chef may be different.

The activity has an overall rating of 4.8 from 33 reviews. The praise repeatedly centers on the food, the hosts, the educational value, and the brewery setting. That is a strong record, but the class is still best for people who want to participate. If you would rather sit quietly and take photographs, this may feel too active.

Practical Details to Bring

Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Cooking involves movement and hands-on work, so beachwear or stiff clothing would be a poor choice. A T-shirt is specifically recommended, along with a hair tie if you have long hair.

Sunglasses are useful for the outdoor patio, but bring them for the whole visit since the class location can change with the weather. You also need a passport or ID card, and a copy is accepted.

Food and drinks from outside are not allowed. Smoking indoors is prohibited, as are alcohol and drugs beyond the activity’s included beer service. Tripods, video recording, and audio recording are also not allowed, so plan to keep your phone use limited to permitted moments.

The rules are fairly strict for a cooking venue and brewery. They help keep the work area safe and orderly, but they may surprise anyone expecting to film every step for social media.

Who Will Enjoy This Santorini Cooking Class?

I would recommend this class to couples, friends, families with an interest in food, and solo participants who like joining a small group. It works especially well for anyone who wants to take home a skill rather than another souvenir.

Food lovers should appreciate the menu’s local focus. You get tomatoes, capers, caper leaves, split peas, rosemary, mustard, cod, pork, and beer in one meal. The class also gives you a clearer sense of how Santorini ingredients can be used in both traditional and modern dishes.

It suits beer fans too, but do not confuse it with a brewery education program. The beer is part of the cooking and meal, and you can explore independently, but no guided brewery tour is included.

The class may be less suitable if you need hotel pickup, want a short tasting only, or dislike group cooking. It also may not suit someone seeking a formal fine-dining setting. The atmosphere is friendly and practical, with an industrial-style dining room and active kitchen work.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the activity for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later, which helps if your Santorini schedule is still shifting.

FAQ

Where does the cooking class take place?

The class takes place at Ftelos Brewery in Santorini, in the Cyclades. You can reach the brewery by taxi, car, or on foot from Fira Town.

How long does the activity last?

The cooking class and brewery experience last three hours. Starting times vary, so check availability when choosing your date.

How many people are in the group?

The workshop is limited to 10 participants, making it a small-group activity.

What dishes will I cook?

You will prepare Santorini salad with cherry tomatoes, capers, and caper leaves; cod croquettes in beer batter; Santorini split-pea dip with dry onion; and pork fillet with Malt n’ Marvel Stout and mustard-rosemary sauce.

Is a meal included?

Yes. You eat the complete four-course meal you prepare during the class. Freshly baked homemade bread is also included.

Is beer included?

One Ftelos craft beer and bottled water are included. Extra food and drinks are not included.

Is the brewery tour guided?

No. You receive free time to explore the brewery independently, but a guided brewery tour is not included.

What language is the class taught in?

The instructor teaches in English, and written recipes and cooking instructions are provided.

Is hotel transportation included?

No. Hotel transfer is not included. You must make your own way to and from Ftelos Brewery, though free parking is available.

Should You Book Ftelos Brewery’s Cooking Class?

Book it if you want an active food experience with a local menu, a professional chef, and a full meal at the end. The recipes, small group, craft beer, and old-vine setting give the class more substance than a quick tasting stop.

Skip it if you mainly want a guided beer-production tour, hotel transportation, or a quiet restaurant meal. For everyone else, the $113 cost is fair when you count the instruction, four courses, bread, beer, recipes, and three hours of organized activity. The best reason to go is simple: you return home with cooking ideas you can actually use, not just another Santorini photograph.