Beer, recipes, and an easy dinner plan in Santorini. This Aegean Cooking Class turns the usual Santorini food tour into hands-on cooking at Ftelos Brewery, with a chef-led 4-course meal you can replicate back home.

What I like most is the combo: you cook, then you sit down and enjoy what you made in the brewery setting. I also like the small group feel (max 10), which helps the class stay interactive and practical instead of rushed.

The main drawback to consider is that you are working from a set menu that includes fish and pork, so if you have strong dietary limits, plan ahead.

Key highlights worth knowing

• Chef-led, hands-on cooking: you learn techniques while you’re actually making the dishes.
• A true 4-course meal: not samples. You finish with the full menu you cooked.
• Ftelos Brewery setting: you eat in a reserved industrial-style space, with craft beer built into the experience.
• Cycladic flavors with repeatable steps: the recipes are meant to help you cook at home, not just taste once.
• Very limited group size: max 10, and some sessions run even smaller for more hands-on attention.
• Weather-adapted location: the cooking spot switches indoor or outdoor based on conditions.

Ftelos Brewery makes this cooking class feel like Santorini, not a classroom

Santorini food experiences can go one of two ways: either you watch someone else work, or you actually cook. This one lands on the better side. You get the skill part, plus a meal that feels like a night out at a place people go for beer and atmosphere.

I like that the setting is a state-of-the-art brewery rather than a generic kitchen room. It gives the evening a clear theme. You’re learning Cycladic dishes, then enjoying them in the same brand-world of Ftelos.

The location also matters for convenience. The start and finish point is at Ftelos Brewery Santorini – MALT Restaurant in Karterádos, and the activity ends right back there. If you’re mapping your day, you can treat this like a neat dinner block.

The 3.5-hour flow: cook first, eat next, relax in between

The timing is about 3 hours 30 minutes total, and that’s a sweet spot for a cooking class. Long enough to learn, chop, cook, and plate. Short enough that you’re not stuck late when you’d rather be walking the island.

The experience starts with a meeting with a professional chef. From the sessions described, you may work with chefs like Chef Mike or Chef Michael, and sometimes you may cook with someone like Katarina. Either way, the teaching style is built around doing the work with guidance.

Next comes the main event: you prepare a traditional 4-course meal together. The cooking happens at a unique spot that switches indoor or outdoor depending on the weather, so you’re not left guessing last minute. It also means the class can feel different from day to day, even if the menu structure stays the same.

After the cooking, you don’t just grab a plate and run. You settle into an industrial high-end reserved area inside the brewery for the meal you cooked. That transition is important. It turns your effort into a real dinner experience instead of ending with you still hungry.

Your hands-on menu: classic Santorini ingredients and techniques

The menu is where this class becomes more than a “fun night.” You’re making dishes that reflect the islands: simple ingredients, strong flavors, and sauces that actually teach you something.

Here’s the sample menu you cook and eat:

Starter: Salad

You’ll make what’s described as the real Santorini salad, built around cherry tomatoes, capers, and caper leaves. This is a great dish for learning how a salad can be more than lettuce and dressing. Capers bring saltiness and punch, while caper leaves add a slightly different texture and bitterness.

Starter: Appetizers (Cod croquettes)

Next are cod croquettes in beer batter. If you’ve never worked with croquette-style frying or batter techniques, this is a smart choice because it’s teachable and hands-on. Beer in the batter also ties directly into the Ftelos theme, so the whole evening feels connected.

Side dish: Santorini split-pea dip

You’ll also prepare a Santorini split-pea dip with dry onion. Dips like this are useful because they scale to home cooking. Even if your kitchen tools are basic, a dip gives you repeatable flavor, and it pairs naturally with bread.

Main course: Pork with stout sauce

For the main, you cook pork fillet with Malt n’ Marvel Stout and mustard-rosemary sauce. This is the dish that turns local flavors into a sauce lesson. You’ll get practice with combining stout depth, mustard tang, and rosemary aroma into something that tastes far more “restaurant” than its components suggest.

One practical note: the included meal includes bread and mineral water, and you get a welcome Ftelos craft beer. If you’re someone who doesn’t drink alcohol, you might still enjoy the rest of the class since the beer is also used in the cooking conceptually, but you should be aware the menu includes beer-related elements.

What the brewery dinner adds (besides beer)

A lot of cooking classes end with you eating your food wherever you cooked it. Here, you finish in a reserved space at the brewery. That changes the mood in a good way: the night feels like dinner at a destination, not just a workshop.

You also get a clearer separation between work time and meal time. Once you’re seated, you can slow down, talk, and actually taste everything you cooked. That matters because many cooking classes teach you steps, but you learn best when you can connect the step to the flavor in the final dish.

And yes, the beer piece is part of the experience. You get one standard size Ftelos craft beer per person as a welcome. The point isn’t turning it into a drinking event. The point is matching beer to food in a way you can remember later.

If you want to pair, your best bet is to keep it simple: take notes in your head on what goes well with what. The menu already links beer to the batter and the stout sauce, so you’ll notice the theme as you eat.

Group size and the teaching style that keeps it from feeling rushed

This class has a maximum of 10 travelers, which is ideal for a cooking format. With that ceiling, you’re likely to get attention when you need it, and the pace stays human.

In some sessions, the group can be very small. That’s a huge quality-of-life factor because you spend less time waiting for your turn and more time learning. In a smaller group, a chef can correct small technique points fast—how you form croquettes, how you handle sauce consistency, how you season in stages.

The overall vibe from the way the experience is described is friendly and interactive. You’re not just listening. You’re cutting, mixing, cooking, and plating with guidance, which is why people tend to leave feeling like they learned real recipes instead of just enjoying a meal.

Price and value: what you’re really paying for at $120.41

At $120.41 per person, the price can feel steep at first glance—until you break down what you’re getting. This isn’t a tasting-only stop. It’s a chef-led cooking session plus a full 4-course meal that you eat at the end.

You’re also getting ingredients, supplies, and equipment handled for you. That’s part of the hidden value. Cooking classes at markets or in kitchens that expect you to bring gear usually cost more or feel less complete.

The welcome craft beer, plus homemade bread and mineral water, adds real dinner value too. And because the setting is Ftelos Brewery, you’re not just paying for food. You’re paying for an experience tied to a place people actually visit for beer and atmosphere.

One more thing that supports the price: the class is designed around learning. If you truly want a practical souvenir—recipes you can cook again—this is the type of experience that pays off later, not only tonight.

If you’re price-sensitive, I’d compare it to your alternatives. A standard meal at a good Santorini spot is often similar in cost to just one course and a drink. This gives you multiple courses and skills, plus beer integration.

Logistics that make a difference: location, ticket, and time planning

You’ll start at Ftelos Brewery Santorini – MALT Restaurant in Karterádos and end back there. That means you don’t need to plan a different meeting point or hunt for a pickup. For a 3.5-hour activity, that reduces stress.

The class offers a mobile ticket, and you receive confirmation at the time of booking. That’s handy if your travel plans shift slightly and you need to keep everything in one place.

Transportation-wise, the description says it’s near public transportation and there is parking too. So it works whether you’re walking, using local transport, or driving within Santorini.

Weather can affect the cooking location (indoor vs outdoor), so dress for comfort rather than just style. If it’s warm, light layers help. If it’s cooler, bring something you can manage while you work.

Who should book this class (and who should think twice)

This fits best if you want something active in Santorini. If your days are full of viewpoints and sunsets, a chef-led cooking night gives you a hands-on memory you can take home.

It’s also a great fit for couples or small groups because the max size is 10 and sessions can run small. If you like group activities that still feel personal, this is the right size.

You might want to think twice if you have strict dietary requirements. The sample menu includes cod croquettes and pork fillet, plus capers-heavy salad flavors. The info doesn’t list alternate dishes or substitutions, so if that matters, ask before booking.

It also helps if you like beer-centered food. Even though you may only get one welcome beer, the menu uses beer conceptually—so the pairing theme is part of the experience.

Should you book the Aegean Cooking Class at Ftelos Brewery?

I think you should book it if you want a hands-on Santorini night with a full meal and clear recipes. The biggest reason is that the format is built around learning Cycladic dishes, then eating them in a real restaurant-style setting at Ftelos.

You may skip it if you’re looking for a low-cost activity or a menu with lots of flexibility for dietary needs. Also, because the class is non-refundable and can’t be changed, it’s smarter if your schedule is already steady.

One more practical tip: since it’s often booked about 56 days in advance, you’ll usually have a better chance at your preferred time if you reserve earlier rather than later.

FAQ

Is the cooking class in English?

Yes, the experience is offered in English.

How long is the Aegean Cooking Class?

It’s listed at about 3 hours 30 minutes.

Where does the tour start and end?

It starts at Ftelos Brewery Santorini – MALT Restaurant, Karterádos 847 00, Greece and ends back at the same meeting point.

How many people can be in a class?

The activity has a maximum group size of 10 travelers.

What’s included in the meal?

You cook and enjoy a 4-course meal, plus fresh homemade bread and mineral water. You also get one standard size Ftelos craft beer per person as a welcome, along with the listed dishes made from local ingredients.

Are drinks other than the beer included?

No. Other drinks are not included beyond what’s listed (the standard craft beer welcome and mineral water).

Do I need to bring a printed ticket?

No. It’s a mobile ticket experience.

What happens if the weather changes?

The cooking spot can be indoor or outdoor depending on weather conditions.

Is it easy to get there by transit or car?

It’s described as near public transportation and it includes parking.

Can I get a refund if I cancel?

This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If the minimum number of travelers isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.