Santorini: Cooking Class with a Chef at the Ftelos Brewery

Fresh food beats another sunset photo. This three-hour Ftelos Brewery cooking class gives you a practical taste of Santorini, from capers and cherry tomatoes to pork cooked with stout. I like the small group of up to 10, which should leave room for real participation, and I like that the recipes are provided in writing so the meal can live beyond the island. The one drawback is that transport is not included, and the brewery is reached on your own from Fira.

The setting adds a nice twist. Depending on the weather, you cook indoors beside a view of the beer production area or outside on a shaded wooden patio beneath 150-year-old vines. I also appreciate that the meal includes a Ftelos beer and homemade bread, though extra drinks and a guided brewery tour cost more or are not part of the package.

Key points to know before booking

• Four dishes with a strong Santorini identity: You prepare Santorini salad, cod croquettes, split-pea dip, and pork fillet with stout.
• A true hands-on class: You take part in all stages of cooking rather than simply watching a chef work.
• Two possible cooking locations: Weather decides between an indoor area overlooking production and a shaded outdoor patio.
• A meal, not just a lesson: You sit down to eat the full four-course menu with one Ftelos craft beer and bottled water.
• Small-group format: The class is limited to 10 participants, which matters when you need help with a recipe or kitchen task.
• Independent brewery time: You may look around the brewery on your own, but a guided brewery tour is not included.

Why this Santorini cooking class is different

Santorini is famous for white villages, caldera views, and sunsets. Food gives you another way to understand the island, and this class focuses on ingredients that feel tied to the Cyclades rather than offering a generic Greek cooking lesson.

The menu is especially well chosen. The salad uses cherry tomatoes, capers, and caper leaves, all familiar Santorini flavors. The split-pea dip brings in dry onion, while the cod croquettes use beer batter. The main course, pork fillet with a Malt n’ Marvel Stout and mustard-rosemary sauce, links the island’s cooking traditions with the brewery setting.

I like that the meal is modern without losing its local character. You are not only learning how to chop vegetables or fry croquettes. You are seeing how Greek ingredients can be used in several different ways, then sitting down to eat the results.

The experience is conducted in English. Written recipes are included, so you can repeat the dishes at home. That makes the class more useful than a meal you simply remember through photographs.

Arriving at Ftelos Brewery from Fira

You make your own way to the brewery by taxi, car, or on foot from Fira Town. Free parking is available, which helps if you have a rental car. Hotel transfer is not included, so allow time to arrange your route before the class begins.

This independent arrival suits people who already plan to explore Santorini without a fixed transfer service. It also keeps the price focused on the cooking experience itself. Still, you should not treat transport as an afterthought. Check the meeting point and starting time carefully, especially if you are staying outside Fira.

The activity ends back at the brewery. There is no separate drop-off. If you arrive by car, that is simple. If you come by taxi or on foot, you will need to plan your return from the same location.

Wear comfortable shoes and clothes you can work in. A T-shirt, sunglasses, and a hair tie are recommended. You will be handling food throughout the session, so practical clothing matters more than dressing for dinner.

Cooking beneath old vines or beside the beer production area

The weather shapes the first part of the experience. On a pleasant day, the class takes place on a wooden patio shaded by 150-year-old vineyards in a bioclimatic garden. That sounds like the more atmospheric option, with a setting that connects the cooking to Santorini’s agricultural side.

If conditions are not suitable, you cook indoors in a special area overlooking the beer production unit. This gives the class a direct connection to Ftelos Brewery and offers shelter from strong sun or poor weather.

Neither setup is presented as a passive demonstration. This is a full hands-on workshop, and you participate in all stages of the cooking. That distinction matters. You should expect to prepare food, follow instructions, and work with the chef rather than simply watch a finished dish appear.

The setting may also affect the feel of the lesson. The patio offers shade and an open-air atmosphere, while the indoor area puts the brewing operation more visibly at the center. If you are mainly booking for the culinary lesson, both locations support the same menu. If the setting is a major reason for booking, remember that the outdoor patio depends on weather.

The four-course menu, from salad to stout sauce

The class centers on four dishes. Each one adds a different skill and a different piece of Cycladic food culture.

Santorini salad with capers and caper leaves

The opening dish is described as the real Santorini salad, built around cherry tomatoes, capers, and caper leaves. This is a useful introduction to the island’s flavors because it does not rely on a long list of ingredients. The character comes from the produce and the sharp, salty notes of the capers.

I like this kind of first course in a cooking class. It gives you a clear sense of how a few local ingredients can carry a dish. It should also be approachable for home cooks, since you can recreate the salad without special equipment.

Cod croquettes in beer batter

The cod croquettes bring more hands-on work. They are prepared in beer batter, an apt choice for a class held at a brewery. This course also gives you a chance to learn how the beer fits into cooking rather than treating it only as something to drink.

The croquettes add texture to the meal and break up the lighter salad and dip. Because frying is part of the preparation, comfortable clothing and shoes are sensible. The available information does not specify the exact cooking equipment or method, so the chef’s instructions will guide the process on the day.

Santorini split-pea dip with dry onion

The split-pea dip offers a taste of a well-known Santorini-style ingredient in a smooth, shareable form. Dry onion adds bite and contrast. This course is likely to appeal to anyone who wants a meat-free element in a traditional Greek meal.

It also has practical value. A dip is easy to serve at home, and the written recipe lets you make it again for friends or family. The class is not only about reproducing restaurant dishes. It gives you several recipes that can fit into an ordinary home kitchen.

Pork fillet with Malt n’ Marvel Stout

The main course is pork fillet served with a sauce made from Malt n’ Marvel Stout, mustard, and rosemary. This is the dish that most clearly joins the two sides of the experience: Cycladic cooking and craft brewing.

The stout should give the sauce a deeper flavor, while mustard and rosemary keep it from becoming too heavy. The recipe also shows how a local brewery product can become part of the meal itself. You are not simply drinking a beer next to Greek food. You are using it in the cooking.

The exact pacing depends on the group and the chef, but the menu provides a good range of tasks. You work with fresh produce, a dip, battered seafood, and a meat dish. That variety helps the three-hour class feel like a full cooking session rather than a single recipe lesson.

Sitting down to eat what you prepared

After the cooking, you eat the full meal inside the brewery in an industrial-style room. This change of space gives the experience a clear finish. You move from preparation to a shared meal, with the food served as the result of your work.

The package includes one Ftelos craft beer, bottled water, and freshly baked homemade bread. The beer is a natural match for both the brewery setting and the stout-based main course. Extra food and drinks are not included, so budget separately if you want more than the listed serving.

I see real value in the meal being part of the activity. A cooking class that ends with a few samples can leave you hungry, especially after three hours of work. Here, you receive the complete four-course menu you helped make.

The written recipes add another layer of value. Santorini memories can be hard to carry home once the sea views fade. A recipe for the salad, dip, croquettes, or pork gives you a practical reminder of the island and a way to share the experience later.

Exploring Ftelos Brewery after the meal

You have free time to explore the brewery on your own. This is not a guided brewery tour, so keep your expectations clear. You can look around independently, but you will not receive a separate guided explanation as part of the booking.

That arrangement works well if you prefer to move at your own pace. You can spend a little time seeing the production area, then browse or buy craft beer to take with you. If you want a detailed account of the brewing process, this activity may not satisfy that particular interest because a guided tour is not included.

The brewery setting is still an important part of the experience. It gives the cooking class a sense of place and explains why beer appears in both the batter and the pork sauce. The industrial-style dining room also makes the final meal feel connected to the working brewery rather than staged in a separate restaurant.

What the $113 price includes

At $113 per person, this is not the cheapest way to eat in Santorini. You are paying for a three-hour class, a chef-led lesson, a four-course meal, a craft beer, bottled water, homemade bread, written recipes, and a small-group format.

The value depends on how you prefer to spend your time. If you only want a meal, a restaurant will give you food for less. If you want instruction, participation, and a local food focus, the class offers more than a standard lunch.

The group limit of 10 is important. A large class can turn cooking into a queue, with one person doing the work while everyone else watches. A smaller group gives you a better chance to handle ingredients and ask the chef for help.

The class also earns points for including the full meal rather than charging separately for what you cook. Still, extra drinks, additional food, transport, and any brewery purchases are outside the price. Factor those costs in before deciding that the listed amount is your complete outing budget.

The teaching style and group atmosphere

The chef leads the cooking in English and explains the dishes as you work. The available feedback highlights friendly instruction and personal stories about the food. Mike is praised for keeping the group entertained while guiding the cooking, while Katerina is described as kind and helpful with clear teaching.

Those details suggest a class with a social, relaxed tone rather than a strict culinary-school format. That should suit you if you want to learn while chatting and eating with a small group. It may be less suitable if you expect advanced technical training or a highly formal lesson.

The strongest praise focuses on the food, the staff, and the overall welcome. The staff at the brewery are repeatedly described as friendly and hospitable, and the venue receives strong approval. The experience also earns a 4.8 rating from 33 reviews, with repeated five-star comments about the meal and the chefs.

That positive record is encouraging, but it does not remove the practical limits. The class is only three hours, so the chef cannot teach every part of Greek cooking. You will learn the listed dishes, not complete training in the full Cycladic kitchen.

Who will enjoy this class most

I would recommend this for people who want more than sightseeing. It suits couples, friends, and small groups who enjoy cooking together and do not mind getting involved. Food-focused visitors will get the most from the connection between Santorini ingredients and the brewery’s own beer.

It is also a good choice if you want a souvenir that takes up no space in your suitcase. The recipes and cooking skills can come home with you. Families may enjoy the activity too, though the provided information does not set a minimum age, so check the booking details if children are part of your plan.

You should think twice if you dislike shared activities, cannot take part in hands-on cooking, or want a guided brewery tour. The format requires participation, and the brewery exploration is self-guided.

Wheelchair access is available. You should still confirm that the timing and cooking setup fit your needs when booking, since the class can take place indoors or outdoors depending on conditions.

Practical details that make the day easier

The class lasts three hours, with starting times shown according to availability. Plan to arrive ready to cook rather than expecting time to change or collect supplies at the venue.

Bring sunglasses, comfortable clothes, comfortable shoes, and a hair tie. A passport or ID card is required, and a copy is accepted. Food and drinks from outside are not allowed, and indoor smoking is prohibited.

Tripods, video recording, and audio recording are also not allowed. That may disappoint anyone hoping to film every step, but it keeps the class focused on cooking and conversation. You can still take home the written recipes and buy craft beer afterward if you wish.

The booking allows cancellation up to 24 hours before the activity for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later, which is useful when your Santorini schedule is still shifting.

Should you book the Ftelos Brewery cooking class?

Book it if you want a small-group, hands-on food experience with a strong Santorini identity. The combination of four recipes, a chef, a full meal, craft beer, and written instructions gives the $113 price a fair case, especially when compared with paying separately for a meal and a cooking lesson.

I would make this a priority for anyone who enjoys local food, wants a break from sightseeing, or likes bringing practical memories home. The main cautions are simple: arrange your own transport, expect to cook rather than watch, and do not assume the brewery visit is guided.

If those conditions suit you, Ftelos offers an enjoyable way to meet Santorini through its ingredients, cooking methods, and beer culture. You leave with a meal in your memory, recipes in your bag, and perhaps a bottle or two for later.

FAQ

How long does the Ftelos Brewery cooking class last?

The activity lasts three hours. Starting times depend on availability.

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, mustard, and rosemary sauce.

Is the cooking class hands-on?

Yes. You participate in all stages of cooking with the chef.

Is food included after the cooking lesson?

Yes. You eat the full four-course meal you prepare. Freshly baked homemade bread, bottled water, and one Ftelos craft beer are also included.

Is a brewery tour included?

Free time to explore the brewery on your own is included. A guided brewery tour is not included.

How do I reach the brewery?

You can reach Ftelos Brewery by taxi, car, or on foot from Fira Town. Free parking is available, but hotel transfer is not included.

Is the activity wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the activity is listed as wheelchair accessible.

Can I cancel or pay later?

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. Reserve-now, pay-later booking is also available.