Santorini: Cooking Class with a Chef at the Ftelos Brewery

The best part of this Santorini experience is that you do not just eat local food, you learn how to make it. At Ftelos Brewery, a chef guides you through a four-course Cycladic menu, then you sit down to enjoy the meal with a beer made on site.

I like the hands-on format and the small group, limited to 10 people. I also like the setting: you may cook indoors with a view of the brewing area or outside beneath 150-year-old vines. The main consideration is transportation, since hotel pickup is not included and the brewery must be reached by taxi, car, or on foot from Fira.

Key points to know before booking

• Four dishes with a real Santorini connection: You prepare salad with cherry tomatoes, capers, and caper leaves, along with cod croquettes, split-pea dip, and pork fillet.
• A chef-led, hands-on class: You take part in every stage of cooking rather than watching a demonstration from the sidelines.
• A meal and beer are included: Your finished dishes are served with one Ftelos craft beer, bottled water, and freshly baked bread.
• Two possible cooking settings: Weather determines whether you work in an indoor area overlooking beer production or on a shaded patio beneath old vines.
• Small group size: With no more than 10 participants, it is easier to ask questions and get help at the stove.
• Independent brewery time: You can look around the state-of-the-art brewery on your own and buy extra craft beer afterward.

Why this class adds something different to Santorini

Santorini is famous for caldera views, white villages, and sunset crowds. Food gives you a different way into the island. The menu here uses ingredients and dishes closely tied to the Cyclades, so the class is not simply a generic Greek cooking lesson placed in a brewery.

You work with Santorini cherry tomatoes, capers, and caper leaves. The split-pea dip uses the island’s familiar yellow split peas, while the cod croquettes bring a seafood dish into the meal. Pork fillet cooked with Malt n’ Marvel Stout and a mustard-rosemary sauce gives the menu a modern brewery touch.

That mix matters. You get recognizable Greek flavors, but the recipes are not limited to the most familiar holiday dishes. The chef also explains the food as you cook, including the background of the dishes and personal stories connected to them. This turns the class into more than a meal with instructions. You leave with recipes in writing and enough practical guidance to try them at home.

I especially like that you cook the entire meal together. You are not handed a finished plate after preparing one small garnish. The group works through the menu, learns the methods, and then eats the result at the same table. It is a sociable format, but still useful for anyone who wants cooking skills to take home.

Arriving at Ftelos Brewery from Fira

Ftelos Brewery is close enough to Fira to reach by taxi, car, or on foot. The activity begins and ends at the brewery, and free parking is available, which helps if you have your own rental car.

Hotel transfer is not included, so plan the journey before booking. If you are staying in Fira, walking may be possible, but the information provided does not give a walking time or route. A taxi is the simplest choice if you are carrying belongings or visiting during the warmer part of the day.

The class lasts three hours. Check the available start times when you book, since the schedule can affect your plans for a beach visit, winery stop, or evening meal. The class is offered in English, and the venue is wheelchair accessible.

Bring comfortable clothing and shoes. You will be working with food and moving through a full cooking session, so this is not the place for your best dinner outfit. Sunglasses are useful for the outdoor patio, and a hair tie is required if you have long hair. Bring a passport or identity card, or a copy, as identification is listed among the items to carry.

Cooking beneath old vines or beside the brewing area

The cooking location depends on the weather. In good conditions, you work outdoors on a wooden patio shaded by 150-year-old vines in a bioclimatic garden. That sounds like the more atmospheric option, especially for a daytime class, but you should not book expecting the patio specifically.

If conditions are unsuitable, the class moves indoors to a special area overlooking the beer production unit. This gives you a close look at the working side of the brewery while you prepare lunch or dinner. The indoor setting may be less garden-like, but it keeps the class comfortable and lets you watch the brewing operation from the cooking area.

The changing location is worth keeping in mind when planning your clothes. Comfortable shoes work in either setting. Sunglasses are most useful outside, while a T-shirt and light clothes make sense for a warm cooking session.

The group is limited to 10 people. That is small enough for the chef to help with chopping, mixing, shaping, and cooking. It also means the class should feel more personal than a large demonstration. The experience is described as fully hands-on, so expect to participate in all stages rather than simply observe.

Four courses, from Santorini salad to stout-sauced pork

The menu moves through several classic island ingredients and finishes with a dish that links the kitchen to the brewery.

Santorini salad with capers and caper leaves

The opening dish uses cherry tomatoes, capers, and caper leaves. Santorini’s dry growing conditions give its produce a distinctive place in local cooking, and this salad lets you work with those ingredients in a direct, uncomplicated way.

You learn the preparation rather than receiving a preassembled salad. That makes the dish a good starting point for the class because it introduces the island’s flavor profile before the more involved recipes begin.

Cod croquettes in beer batter

The cod croquettes bring seafood and brewery technique together. The beer batter is a practical detail, not just a novelty. You get to see how beer can be used in cooking as well as served alongside it.

Croquettes also require more than simply placing fish in a pan. You help prepare and shape the mixture, then work through the batter and cooking process with the chef’s guidance. If you are less confident in the kitchen, this is one of the points where a small group helps.

Santorini split-pea dip with dry onion

The split-pea dip gives the meal a hearty plant-based course. It is paired with dry onion, and freshly baked homemade bread is included with the meal.

This course is useful for home cooks because dips are adaptable and easy to serve at gatherings. The written recipe gives you a way to recreate it after your holiday, perhaps as a starter rather than part of a full four-course menu.

Pork fillet with stout and mustard-rosemary sauce

The main course uses pork fillet with Malt n’ Marvel Stout and a mustard-rosemary sauce. This is the most direct connection between the kitchen and Ftelos Brewery, using one of the brewery’s own beers in the recipe.

The combination also shows the class’s modern approach. You are not only repeating traditional preparations. You are learning how a local craft beer can shape a sauce and work with meat, herbs, mustard, and the other dishes on the table.

Sitting down to eat what you made

Once the food is ready, you eat the full meal inside an industrial-style room at the brewery. The setting gives the experience a clear sense of place. You are not transferred to a separate restaurant, and you are not served an unrelated meal. The food on the table is the food you prepared together.

One Ftelos craft beer and bottled water are included. Freshly baked homemade bread is also provided. Extra food and drinks cost more, so keep that in mind if you want additional beer or something beyond the listed meal.

The included beer is a sensible part of the package. At $113 per person, you are paying for a three-hour chef-led class, the full four-course meal, written recipes, one craft beer, bread, and time at the brewery. That is a stronger value for someone who genuinely wants to cook than for someone seeking only a quick tasting.

You also get the social benefit of eating together. The class is designed around shared preparation, so the meal feels like the natural finish rather than an add-on. If you prefer private dining or quiet sightseeing, this may feel too communal. If you like meeting people around a table, the format should suit you well.

Exploring the brewery after the meal

You have free time to explore Ftelos Brewery independently. This is not a guided brewery tour, so you should not expect a staff member to explain every part of the production process. The appeal is freedom: you can look around at your own pace without adding another fixed program to the three-hour class.

The brewing area is part of the setting, and the indoor cooking area overlooks beer production. That makes the brewery more than a backdrop. You can see where the beer connects to the food, especially in the cod batter and stout-based pork sauce.

You can also buy craft beer to take with you. Extra drinks are not included, so budget separately if you want to sample more than the single beer served with the meal. Keep in mind that smoking indoors, recording video or audio, using tripods, and bringing outside food or drinks are not allowed.

The teaching style and the people running it

The class is taught in English by a professional chef. The teaching style is practical: you work with the ingredients, follow the steps, and ask questions as the dishes come together.

Specific instructors can vary. Mike has been described as fun and entertaining with a group, while Katerina is noted for her kind teaching and clear help. Those details suggest that the tone is friendly rather than formal, but you should not assume one particular chef will lead your session unless the booking confirmation names that person.

The staff’s hospitality is an important part of the appeal. The class has received a rating of 4.8 from 33 reviews, with particularly strong praise for the staff, the food, the venue, and the personal attention during instruction. The repeated positive points are not about one spectacular view or a single photo opportunity. They are about the complete evening or afternoon: good teaching, food that turns out well, and a comfortable brewery setting.

Who will get the most from this class

I would recommend this to couples, friends, families, and solo participants who want a useful activity between sightseeing stops. It works especially well for people who enjoy cooking or want a souvenir more lasting than another bottle of local wine.

You do not need to be an expert cook. The activity is built around instruction and participation, and the small group gives you room to follow along. Still, you should be comfortable taking an active role. This is not a demonstration where you sit back and take pictures.

The class is also a good choice for anyone who has already seen Santorini’s famous viewpoints. It gives you a slower, more grounded connection to the island, based on ingredients, recipes, and conversation.

I would think twice if you want a guided brewery tour, a private class, or a short tasting with no cooking. The brewery exploration is self-guided, the class is shared with other participants, and the three-hour schedule requires a real commitment of time.

Price, timing, and practical value

At $113 per person, the price is not a bargain if you judge it as a simple meal. It becomes more reasonable when you count the chef’s instruction, the hands-on work, four courses, written recipes, bread, bottled water, one craft beer, and the chance to look around the brewery.

The small group matters here. A large class might offer similar dishes but less contact with the chef. With a maximum of 10 participants, you have a better chance of receiving help with each stage and asking questions about technique.

The reserve-now, pay-later option gives you flexibility, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. That is useful when Santorini plans depend on weather, ferry schedules, or changing sightseeing plans. The class also has skip-the-ticket-line access, although there is no guided brewery tour included.

Should you book the Ftelos cooking class?

Book it if you want to learn local recipes and eat a proper meal, not just sample Greek food. The combination of Santorini ingredients, modern Cycladic cooking, craft beer, and a small English-speaking class gives the activity a clear identity.

The strongest reasons to choose it are the hands-on instruction, the four-course menu, and the chance to connect the food with the brewery. The main drawbacks are the lack of hotel transfer, the extra cost of additional drinks, and the fact that the brewery visit is self-guided.

For food-focused visitors, this is one of the better ways to spend three hours in Santorini. You return home with recipes, cooking practice, and a meal you helped create. That is a more useful souvenir than another sunset photograph.

FAQ

How long does the Ftelos Brewery cooking class last?

The activity lasts three hours. Check the available starting times when booking.

What food will I cook?

You will prepare a 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 full four-course meal you prepare during the class. Freshly baked homemade bread is also included.

Is beer included?

Yes. One Ftelos craft beer and bottled water are included. Extra food and drinks are not 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 the brewery?

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

Is the class taught in English?

Yes. The instructor language is English.

What should I bring?

Bring comfortable shoes, comfortable clothes, a T-shirt, sunglasses, and a hair tie. You should also bring a passport or identity card, and a copy is accepted.