The Aegean Cooking Class

The best part of this Santorini cooking class is that you don’t just watch a chef prepare local food: you make a four-dish meal yourself, then sit down to eat it inside Ftelos Brewery. I like the mix of practical cooking and a relaxed dinner, and the use of Santorini ingredients such as cherry tomatoes, capers, and split peas gives the menu a clear sense of place.

I also like the small-group format, capped at 10 people, and the chance to learn recipes you can try again at home. Sessions have been led by Chef Mike or Michael, and by Katarina, so your instructor depends on the day.

One consideration: at $120.41 per person, this is a meal-and-activity splurge, and the price includes only one standard-size Ftelos beer and the listed food and water. The booking is also non-refundable, so make sure your plans are firm before you commit.

• Four Santorini-inspired dishes: Prepare salad with cherry tomatoes, capers, and caper leaves; cod croquettes in beer batter; split-pea dip; and pork fillet with stout, mustard, and rosemary sauce.
• Hands-on instruction: A Ftelos chef works with you on a traditional four-course meal, with ingredients, equipment, and supplies provided.
• Dinner at the brewery: After cooking, eat your meal in a reserved area of Ftelos Brewery’s industrial-style restaurant space.
• One beer is included: You get a standard Ftelos craft beer as a welcome drink, plus bottled water and homemade bread.
• A small class: The group is limited to 10, though the actual number in a session can be much smaller.
• About three and a half hours: Allow roughly 3 hours and 30 minutes for cooking and dining at Ftelos Brewery in Karterádos.

Cooking Santorini’s Pantry at Ftelos

This class makes a good case for spending part of a Santorini evening away from the usual caldera-view dinner circuit. You meet a professional Ftelos chef, cook a traditional meal together, and then eat in a reserved area of the brewery. The food is the point, but the brewery setting gives the evening a different feel from a standard restaurant booking.

The advertised menu brings together several ingredients closely associated with the island. Santorini cherry tomatoes and capers bring sharp, savory flavors to the salad, while split peas become a local-style dip. Cod croquettes and pork with a stout-based sauce add two richer dishes, with Ftelos beer worked into the cooking as well as served in your glass.

The class is described as a four-course meal. The sample menu lists a salad, croquettes, pork fillet, and split-pea dip as a side dish, so think of it as four dishes to prepare and eat rather than expecting a rigid procession of courses. Homemade bread is also included.

The practical appeal is easy to understand: you learn by doing, and the result is dinner. The recipes are described as easy to execute, which matters if you want ideas you can recreate at home instead of a one-off performance that depends on restaurant equipment or advanced technique.

What You’ll Cook, From Salad to Stout Sauce

The class starts with the ingredients and equipment supplied for the session. You work alongside a chef on the menu, with the aim of preparing a complete meal rather than focusing on a single signature dish. The available details do not spell out each cooking step, so don’t expect a fixed promise about which task you’ll handle or how much time goes to each recipe.

The first starter is a Santorini salad made with cherry tomatoes, capers, and caper leaves. It is a simple combination, but it puts local produce front and center. Capers bring a briny bite, while the tomatoes offer sweetness and acidity. If you usually think of a cooking class as a lesson in complicated techniques, this dish is a useful reminder that good ingredients and balance can do much of the work.

Cod croquettes in beer batter add a more hands-on contrast. They bring beer into the cooking in an obvious way and provide a crisp, savory counterpoint to the fresh salad. The class includes the ingredients and supplies, but there is no detailed information about the exact batter method or cooking equipment, so leave room for the chef to set the pace and approach.

The Santorini split-pea dip, served with dry onion, is another local touch. It adds a hearty, earthy element to the menu and gives you a recipe that can work as a dip or side dish at home. Fresh homemade bread is part of the meal, giving you something to serve alongside the dishes.

The main is pork fillet with a sauce made from Malt n’ Marvel Stout, mustard, and rosemary. This is the most substantial dish on the menu, and it ties the meal to the brewery in a way that goes beyond simply having beer on the table. The sauce combines a dark beer with mustard and herbs, a useful example of how a familiar ingredient can shape a home-cooked meal.

Taken together, the menu has a clear progression of textures and flavors: fresh salad, crisp croquettes, a creamy split-pea dip, and pork with a savory beer sauce. You are not signing up for a broad survey of Greek cooking. You are learning a compact set of dishes with a Santorini focus, which makes the class easier to remember and repeat.

From the Kitchen to a Reserved Brewery Table

Once the cooking is over, you eat the meal you have prepared in an industrial-style reserved area at Ftelos Brewery. That transition is part of the value. You do not finish the lesson and then have to find a separate restaurant; the meal is built into the experience, and the cooking becomes a shared dinner.

Ftelos is both the meeting point and the end point. The address given is Ftelos Brewery Santorini, MALT Restaurant, Karterádos 847 00. The class may use an indoor or outdoor cooking spot depending on the weather, so the setting is not fixed. If a particular atmosphere matters to you, keep in mind that the conditions determine where the cooking takes place.

The brewery setting also gives the class a more casual, social frame than a formal cooking school. The group cap is 10, and one session had only three participants. A small group can make it easier to ask questions and take part, though the actual number in your class may vary. The experience can run multiple times in a day, so a quieter class is possible, but it is not guaranteed.

The meal is accompanied by fresh homemade bread, mineral water, and one standard-size Ftelos craft beer per person as a welcome. Other drinks are not included. If you want anything beyond the listed beer and water, budget for it separately.

The Chef Makes the Difference

The chef is central to this kind of experience. Sessions have been led by Chef Mike, also referred to as Chef Michael, and by Katarina. The names are helpful when you are comparing experiences, but they should not be read as a promise that a particular chef will lead your date.

The class has been described as interactive, relaxing, and informative, and the instruction has been praised for being easy to follow. That combination suits a mixed group: you can enjoy the cooking without needing to arrive with much experience, while still taking home recipes and practical knowledge about Greek food.

A small class also leaves more room for conversation than a large demonstration. The maximum is 10, and a session may be notably smaller. If your priority is hands-on learning, that cap is a plus. If you are hoping for a lively, crowded group atmosphere, a very small class may feel quieter than expected.

The food and staff are also strong parts of the appeal. The class is not just a cooking lesson followed by a token tasting. You prepare the menu, then eat a full meal in the brewery setting, and the food and beer are both part of the evening’s character.

Is $120.41 Good Value?

At $120.41 per person, this is not a budget dinner. The useful comparison is not simply with the cost of a restaurant meal, but with what the price covers: roughly three and a half hours, a chef-led cooking class, ingredients and equipment, one Ftelos craft beer, bottled water, homemade bread, and a four-dish meal that you prepare and eat.

That makes the price easier to justify if you want both an activity and dinner. You are paying for instruction as well as food, and the recipes can continue to be useful after you leave Santorini. It is less compelling if you only want a meal, have little interest in cooking, or are trying to keep evening costs down.

The class also offers something that a standard restaurant meal cannot: a chance to work with Santorini ingredients and learn how they fit into local dishes. The menu is focused rather than expansive, but it has enough variety to give you several recipes and techniques to take home. If you value participation and a memorable dinner more than a long list of dishes, the package has a fair case.

There are limits to that value. Only one standard beer is included, and other drinks cost extra. The session’s exact cooking format and location can vary with the weather, and the class is non-refundable. At this price, you should be confident that you want a cooking experience, not just a brewery visit or a restaurant reservation.

Planning Around the Class

The class lasts about 3 hours and 30 minutes, so give it a substantial part of your day. Since it includes dinner, it can serve as your main evening meal rather than an activity to squeeze between other plans. Check your schedule before booking, especially if you are trying to fit in a distant sunset stop or another timed activity.

Ftelos Brewery is in Karterádos, and parking and nearby public transportation are noted. The provided details do not specify a pickup service or transport from other parts of the island, so plan your own way to the meeting point. The experience ends back at the brewery.

Confirmation is provided at booking, service animals are allowed, and the maximum group size is 10. The booking is non-refundable and cannot be changed, so choose a date that suits your plans. If the minimum number of participants is not met and the activity is canceled, you are offered a different date or experience, or a full refund.

Who Should Book the Ftelos Cooking Class?

I’d put this high on the list if you enjoy cooking, want a substantial meal with your activity, or like the idea of bringing home recipes tied to Santorini. It suits couples, friends, and families looking for a shared evening that is more active than a restaurant meal but still ends around the table.

It is also a good fit if you are curious about Greek food but do not want a class built around advanced skills. The menu is approachable, and the practical format gives you a chance to participate rather than simply watch. The small group limit is another plus for anyone who prefers a more personal lesson.

I’d skip it if you are mainly after a scenic dinner, need flexible cancellation, or do not want to spend three and a half hours on a planned activity. The food and brewery are the draw, not a promise of a particular view or a specific chef. For the right cook-curious visitor, though, this is a satisfying way to turn a Santorini dinner into something you can repeat in your own kitchen.

FAQ

How long does the cooking class take?

Plan for about 3 hours and 30 minutes, including the cooking class and meal.

Where does the class meet and end?

It meets at Ftelos Brewery Santorini, MALT Restaurant, in Karterádos, and ends back at the meeting point.

What food will I prepare?

The sample menu includes 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 a stout, mustard, and rosemary sauce.

What is included in the price?

The experience includes ingredients, supplies, and equipment; one standard-size Ftelos craft beer per person; bottled water; homemade bread; and the four-dish meal you prepare. Other drinks are not included.

How many people can join the class?

The maximum group size is 10. The number in a particular session can be smaller.

Can I cancel or change my booking?

No. The experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed. If it is canceled because the minimum number of participants is not met, you are offered another date or experience, or a full refund.