Santorini: Cooking Class with a Chef at the Ftelos Brewery

Santorini’s famous views are only half the story. At Ftelos Brewery, you spend three hours cooking a four-course Cycladic meal instead of simply sitting down to eat one. You make Santorini salad, beer-battered cod croquettes, split-pea dip, and pork fillet with a stout and mustard-rosemary sauce, then enjoy the meal with a local beer.

I like the small group of no more than 10 people, which gives the chef room to guide everyone through the work. I also like the setting: you may cook beside the beer production area or outside under 150-year-old grapevines, then eat in the brewery’s industrial-style dining room.

The main consideration is transportation. Hotel pickup is not included, and the brewery is reached by taxi, car, or on foot from Fira Town. The brewery has free parking, but walking there may not suit you if you are carrying bags or visiting during the hottest part of the day.

Key points about the Ftelos cooking class

• You cook every course yourself: This is a hands-on workshop, not a demonstration where you only watch the chef.
• The menu is distinctly Santorini: Cherry tomatoes, capers, caper leaves, split peas, local beer, and Mediterranean herbs all feature in the meal.
• The cooking space changes with the weather: Expect an indoor area overlooking the brewery or a shaded wooden patio in the bioclimatic garden.
• You get a full meal and one craft beer: Fresh home-baked bread and bottled water are included as well.
• The brewery visit is self-guided: You can explore at your own pace, but a guided brewery tour is not part of the experience.
• The class suits curious eaters: You receive written recipes, so the best souvenir may be a meal you can make again at home.

Cooking Santorini instead of simply photographing it

Santorini is easy to experience from a restaurant table. You order tomatoes, fava, fish, and meat, enjoy the view, and move on. This class asks more of you, but it also gives you a better sense of how the island’s ingredients work together.

The menu is a useful introduction to Cycladic cooking because it includes both familiar Mediterranean flavors and ingredients closely tied to Santorini. The cherry tomatoes and capers bring the island into the first course. The split-pea dip shows how a simple local staple can become a creamy spread. Beer appears in the cod batter and the pork sauce, linking the food directly to the brewery.

I like that the menu is substantial rather than built around one small recipe. Four courses give you a proper meal and enough variety to make the class feel like a real cooking session. You are not just chopping herbs for a garnish and waiting for someone else to finish the important work.

The class is taught in English, and the chef guides you through each stage. You are expected to participate throughout, so wear clothes and shoes you can work in. A hair tie is useful if you have long hair.

The four-course menu, from capers to stout sauce

Santorini salad with cherry tomatoes and caper leaves

The first dish puts the island’s produce on the table. You prepare a Santorini salad with cherry tomatoes, capers, and caper leaves. These ingredients give the salad a sharper, saltier character than a basic Greek salad.

This is a good opening course because it introduces the local pantry without asking you to manage complicated cooking techniques. You also get a practical recipe that should be easy to repeat at home, provided you can find good tomatoes and capers.

Cod croquettes in beer batter

Next comes cod cooked in a beer batter. This is where the brewery connection becomes more than decoration. The beer brings a local touch to a familiar fish dish, and the class lets you take part in preparing the croquettes rather than simply receiving them from the kitchen.

You should expect some hands-on work here. The activity information makes clear that everyone participates in all stages of cooking. That can mean more mess than a standard meal, but it is also what makes the recipe useful when you return home.

Santorini split-pea dip with dry onion

The split-pea dip offers a different texture and flavor from the salad and cod. Served with dry onion, it reflects the practical side of island cooking, where a few basic ingredients can form the heart of a meal.

Freshly baked home-made bread is included, making this course especially easy to enjoy at the table. Since the meal is prepared by the group, timing matters, and the chef’s role is important in keeping the dishes moving toward a shared finish.

Pork fillet with stout and mustard-rosemary sauce

The main course is pork fillet with a sauce made from Malt n’ Marvel Stout, mustard, and rosemary. It is the richest dish on the menu and gives the meal a strong finish.

This course also makes the most direct use of Ftelos beer. If you enjoy cooking with beer, this is likely the recipe you will remember most clearly. If you prefer lighter food, the earlier salad, dip, and fish courses give the meal balance.

Cooking indoors beside the brewery or outdoors under old vines

The class has two possible settings. In poor weather or intense heat, you cook in a special indoor area overlooking the beer production unit. That gives you a close look at the working side of Ftelos while keeping the session comfortable.

In suitable weather, the class moves outdoors to a wooden patio under the shade of 150-year-old vineyards. The vines are about 150 years old, and the patio sits in a bioclimatic garden. This setting should appeal to you if the atmosphere matters as much as the food.

The weather choice is practical, but it also means the experience can feel different from one date to another. You cannot select the setting in advance based on the information provided. Bring comfortable clothing, sunglasses, and shoes that work both indoors and outdoors.

The outdoor option may be especially pleasant during a cooler part of the day. Since starting times vary, check availability carefully before booking. The activity lasts three hours, so your timing affects how it fits with other plans in Fira or elsewhere on the island.

A small group makes the cooking work better

The class is limited to 10 participants. That matters in a kitchen. With too many people, a cooking workshop turns into a crowded demonstration, and you may spend more time waiting than preparing food.

Here, the chef can divide tasks among the group and help you when a recipe needs attention. You should still expect to share the work, rather than receive individual private instruction for every dish. The small size offers a good middle ground: social enough to feel lively, but compact enough for practical guidance.

Several hosts have received especially warm praise, including Mike and Katerina. Mike was described as fun and entertaining while guiding a group through the meal, while Katerina was praised for her kind teaching style. The important point for you is that the class combines food instruction with personal stories and background about the dishes.

That extra context gives the recipes more meaning. You learn not only what to do, but also something about the food traditions behind the menu. The exact chef may vary, so do not book on the assumption that a particular instructor will lead your session.

Eating what you prepared at Ftelos Brewery

Once the cooking is finished, you sit down to eat the full meal inside the brewery. The dining room has an industrial style, which fits the setting and keeps the focus on the food and beer rather than formal restaurant service.

One Ftelos craft beer is included, along with bottled water and the home-made bread. Extra food and drinks cost more. If you want additional beer or something to take home, you can buy craft beer after the class.

The included beer is enough to connect the meal to the brewery, but it is not an unlimited tasting. That distinction matters when you compare the $113 price with a brewery tour or a restaurant meal. You are paying for instruction, ingredients, a full four-course lunch or dinner, a beer, recipes, and access to the brewery setting.

For someone who only wants to eat, the price may seem high. For someone who wants a structured activity and a meal, the value is stronger. The written recipes also give the experience a life beyond Santorini, which is a useful advantage over a meal you simply forget after returning home.

Exploring the Ftelos Brewery on your own

You have free time to explore the brewery on your own. Ftelos is described as a state-of-the-art brewery, and the indoor cooking area overlooks the production unit.

This is not a guided brewery tour. You should not expect a detailed explanation of the brewing process or a formal tasting program unless you purchase something extra. Instead, the brewery visit gives you space to look around at your own pace before or after the meal.

That self-guided format suits independent visitors who do not need every part of the venue explained. If brewery machinery and production details are your main reason for booking, you may find the lack of a guided tour limiting. The cooking class is the central activity, not a brewery education program.

You can also buy craft beer to take away. This is convenient if you want a practical souvenir, though extra purchases are not included in the listed price.

Getting there from Fira

The meeting point is Ftelos Brewery. You can reach it by taxi, car, or on foot from Fira Town, and free parking is available.

Since no hotel transfer is included, allow time to arrange your own transport. A taxi is the simplest choice if you are staying farther away or do not want to walk. Driving may suit you if you have a rental car, especially because parking is free.

Walking can work if you are based in Fira and comfortable with the route, but the information provided does not give a walking time or route details. Check the exact meeting point and starting time before setting out. Arriving late to a hands-on class can be more disruptive than arriving late for a sightseeing stop.

The activity ends back at the brewery. Plan your next stop from there rather than assuming you will be returned to your hotel.

Who will get the most from this class?

I would choose this experience if you enjoy food, like meeting people in a small group, and want more than a standard restaurant meal. It is also a good pick if you want to bring home useful recipes instead of only photos and souvenirs.

Couples and friends should find the shared cooking format easy to enjoy. Solo visitors may also like the small group because the work naturally gives everyone a reason to talk. The class is conducted in English, so you need to be comfortable following cooking instructions in English.

Families may appreciate the practical format, but the supplied information does not give a minimum age. Ask the provider before booking for children or teenagers.

The activity is wheelchair accessible, which is helpful, though the class can take place indoors or outdoors. If you have specific mobility needs, confirm that the chosen cooking area and route to the brewery suit you on your date.

You should skip this class if you want a quiet meal, dislike group activities, or prefer a fully guided brewery tour. You should also think twice if you have major food restrictions, since the menu is fixed in advance and no accommodation details are provided.

What to bring and what to leave behind

Wear comfortable clothes, a T-shirt, and comfortable shoes. A hair tie is useful for keeping hair away from the cooking area, while sunglasses make sense for the outdoor patio.

Bring your passport or ID card, or a copy. The activity information lists identification as something to have with you.

Do not bring food or drinks into the activity. Smoking indoors, tripods, video recording, audio recording, alcohol, drugs, and littering are not allowed. The no-recording rule is worth noting if you planned to film the recipes. Written recipes are provided, so you can take notes in a more traditional way.

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 changing.

Is $113 a fair price?

At $113 per person, this is not a budget meal. The value depends on what you want from your time in Santorini.

You receive three hours of instruction, a four-course meal, one Ftelos craft beer, bottled water, home-made bread, written recipes, and time to explore the brewery. A small group also gives the class more teaching time than a large food tour.

The price makes the most sense if you count the cooking lesson and meal as one experience. It is less appealing if you only want to taste local dishes or see the brewery. Extra food, drinks, transport, and beer to take home are not included, so set aside money for those if you want them.

I consider it a solid value for a visitor who genuinely wants to cook. The recipes and techniques give you something practical to carry home, and the menu has enough variety to make the three-hour session feel worthwhile.

Should you book the Ftelos cooking class?

Book it if you want to work with local ingredients, eat a full meal, and spend part of your Santorini visit doing something active. The small group, written recipes, flexible indoor or outdoor setting, and brewery connection make this more useful than a simple tasting.

The strongest reasons to go are the hands-on format and the menu. You prepare four dishes rather than watching a chef perform, and you finish by eating the food together with Ftelos beer.

Skip it if you want hotel pickup, a guided brewery tour, or a short activity that requires little participation. For everyone else, especially food-minded visitors and people who value practical souvenirs, this is one of the better ways to spend three hours away from Santorini’s crowded viewpoints.

FAQ

How long does the Ftelos Brewery cooking class last?

The activity lasts three hours. Starting times vary, so check availability for the date you want.

What food 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 a meal included?

Yes. You eat the full four-course meal prepared during the class. Freshly baked home-made bread, bottled water, and one Ftelos craft beer are included.

Is the brewery tour guided?

No. You have free time to explore the brewery on your own, but a guided brewery tour is not included.

How do I reach Ftelos Brewery?

You can reach the brewery by taxi, car, or on foot from Fira Town. Free parking is available. Hotel transfer is not included.

Can I cancel or pay later?

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the activity for a full refund. Reserve now and pay later is also available.