Cooking and beer in Santorini sounds like a win. At Ftelos Brewery, you learn a modern 4-course Cycladic menu with a chef, then eat what you made with craft beer. I especially like the hands-on setup, and I love that the setting can shift from indoor beer-production views to an outdoor patio among 150-year-old vineyards. One thing to consider: this is true cooking time, so expect to stand, chop, and participate for the full 3 hours.

The class is built for small groups, limited to 10, which means you get real attention while you cook. You also get written recipes, plus freshly baked bread at the meal. If you hate getting your hands dirty or you only want a sit-and-watch experience, this may feel like too much action.

Key highlights at Ftelos Brewery (what makes this class special)

• Chef-led, full-hands-on cooking for a complete 4-course meal
• Brewery setting with scenery, either indoors overlooking production or outdoors in a bioclimatic garden
• Craft beer pairing with your meal, served with 1 Ftelos beer and bottled water
• A practical recipe souvenir, including written cooking instruction
• Small group feel, capped at 10 participants for more personal help
• Free time to explore the brewery, and you can buy craft beer to take home

Your Santorini cooking class base, Ftelos Brewery

Santorini food is more than pretty plates. The island’s cuisine leans into bright herbs, legumes, capers, and simple ingredients with clever flavor building. This cooking class at Ftelos Brewery Santorini takes that same idea and turns it into something you can recreate later at home.

You start by heading to the brewery from Fira Town, either by taxi, by car, or on foot. There’s free parking available, which is useful if you’re coming from outside the main cliff area. The whole experience is designed around a loop, you start at the meeting point and you end back there.

What I like about this setup is the contrast. You get the brewery first, then the kitchen skills, then the reward meal. It keeps the evening from feeling like a rushed “show and go” and makes it easier to stay focused for the full 3 hours.

Where you’ll cook, indoor views or outdoor vineyard shade

The class location can change based on weather, and that matters more than you might think. You’ll cook in an indoor area overlooking the beer production unit, or outdoors on a wooden patio under the shade of 150-year-old vineyards in a bioclimatic garden.

Indoors, you’re close to the brewery action, which gives the whole thing an industrial edge. Outdoors, the space feels calmer and more scenic, with shade that can make a big difference when Santorini sun is intense. Either way, you’re not stuck in a generic kitchen room. You’re in the place the brewery actually runs.

Practical tip: wear comfortable shoes. You’ll be working through all stages of cooking, not just standing at a station for photos. Also bring sunglasses and comfortable clothes, and consider a hair tie if your cooking style requires it.

Small group cooking, limited to 10

This is a small group workshop, limited to 10 participants. That’s a big part of the value. When the group is small, the chef can correct technique without turning it into a lecture. It also makes it easier to ask questions while you’re cooking, whether it’s about timing, texture, or how you can scale a dish for your own kitchen.

The class language is English, so you won’t be translating your way through the important parts. And you’ll receive recipe and cooking instruction in written form, which is the difference between having a fun night and actually bringing a skill home.

One more detail that helps: you’re seated for the meal after you cook, inside an industrial-style room. That means you’re not scrambling around for the “food part” after you’re tired. You cook, then you eat.

The 4-course Cycladic menu you’ll make step by step

You’re cooking a complete 4-course menu based on Greek and Mediterranean cuisine, with Cycladic flavors at the center. The dishes are not random. They cover the island’s comfort food ideas, from bright salads to legumes, then on to seafood and pork.

Here’s what’s on the menu:

The real Santorini salad

You’ll work with cherry tomatoes, capers, and caper leaves. This dish is a lesson in how Santorini builds big flavor from small ingredients. Capers bring sharpness, tomatoes bring sweetness and juiciness, and the caper leaves add a distinct herbal bite.

This is a great first course because it teaches you how to balance acidity and saltiness without needing heavy sauces.

Cod croquettes in beer batter

Next up is cod croquettes, coated in beer batter. This is where the brewery theme actually matters. Beer isn’t just branding here, it’s part of the cooking method and texture.

You’ll get practice shaping and portioning croquettes, then cooking them until they’re golden and crisp. If you want a dish that feels both Greek and internationally familiar, croquettes are a good target.

Santorini split-pea dip with dry onion

Then you’ll make a split-pea dip featuring dry onion. Legume-based dips are a quiet superpower in Greek cooking, because they taste hearty while still feeling clean and not overly heavy.

This course also gives you something practical for real life. Dip recipes are easy to repeat and adapt. You can scale it, use it for a picnic, or serve it as part of a mezze spread at home.

Pork fillet with Malt n’ Marvel Stout and mustard-rosemary sauce

For the main, you’ll cook pork fillet with Malt n’ Marvel Stout and a mustard-rosemary sauce. This is the “wow” course because it combines savory pork with a beer element and a clearly defined sauce flavor.

Expect to learn how beer can add depth, and how mustard and rosemary bring the sauce into focus. It’s also a nice contrast to the earlier courses. Where the salad and dip lean light and bright, this dish is richer and more aromatic.

Cooking process tips that make the class easier

You’ll participate in all stages of cooking, so the smoother you can move through prep and timing, the better your meal will come out. The good news is that it’s a chef-led class, and the staff at the brewery are friendly and hands-on about helping you along.

Based on past experiences with instructors such as Mike, who tends to keep groups engaged and moving, you can expect clear guidance and a relaxed atmosphere while you work. Another chef you might meet, Katerina, is known for being sweet, kind, and teaching with patience.

Even without knowing your chef’s style, you can set yourself up to enjoy it:

• Keep your stations tidy, it makes it easier to follow steps and reduces mess.
• Taste as you go when you’re given the chance, you’ll learn quicker.
• Don’t rush the small details, timing is everything for croquettes and a meat sauce.

Also, note what is not allowed. Food and drinks are not allowed during the activity, and smoking indoors is prohibited. Tripods and audio or video recording are also not allowed. If you care about photos for later, stick to normal phone pictures while you stay respectful of the cooking flow.

The meal: eat what you cooked, paired with Ftelos craft beer

Once your 4 courses are ready, you sit down and feast on the full meal. You’ll be seated inside an industrial-style room in the state-of-the-art Ftelos brewery, which keeps the experience feeling like it belongs to the property, not a separate event room.

The included meal makes it easy to justify the cost. You get 1 Ftelos craft beer and bottled water. There’s also freshly baked home-made bread. So you’re not paying extra for basic sides or drinks to complete the table.

What I like here is that the class ends with a shared meal. It’s not just a solo cooking project where you walk away with food and no social part. You learn, cook, eat, then you can explore the brewery if you want.

Exploring the brewery after class (and buying beer to take home)

You get free time to explore the brewery on your own. There’s no guided tour added in your ticket, so this part is for wandering at your pace. If you’re into production details, you’ll likely enjoy seeing more of how the place works.

You can also buy craft beer after. That turns the evening into a real souvenir, not just a photo or a recipe card. It’s also a handy way to keep your Santorini food memory going long after the trip ends.

Practical note: if you plan to take beer home, consider how you’ll pack it and travel with it. The class includes 1 beer, but extra purchases are on you.

Price and value: is $113 worth it?

At about $113 per person for a 3-hour experience, the value depends on what you compare it to.

If you’re thinking like a restaurant shopper, you might ask: what does this include that a normal meal does not? The big difference is that you’re paying for:

• A small group chef-led class
• A full 4-course meal made by you
• Written recipes and cooking instruction
• Included beer (1), bottled water, and homemade bread

A lot of food experiences in Santorini are either tasting events or guided tours. This one is neither. It’s a skill-building dinner with a brewery connection. You leave with usable techniques for salads with capers, croquettes with beer batter, a split-pea dip with dry onion, and a pork dish built around stout and a mustard-rosemary sauce.

If you enjoy hands-on learning and you like the idea of bringing home something more than memories, the price starts to feel fair. If you mainly want a view and a meal without cooking, you may feel you’d rather spend less.

Who should book this cooking class in Santorini

This experience fits best if you want:

• A real cooking class (not a demo)
• Santorini flavors you can repeat at home
• A craft beer setting that actually ties into what you cook
• A small group evening with a chef who teaches in English

It also works well as a change of pace from the classic island itinerary. Santorini has plenty of scenery and plenty of wine stops. This gives you something more practical, and honestly more fun than it sounds in the early planning stage.

If you’re traveling solo, you’ll still be part of a group while you work. If you’re with friends, the shared cooking and meal makes it easier to talk and bond. If you have mobility needs, it is wheelchair accessible.

Small print that affects your comfort

Bring what the class asks for: comfortable shoes, sunglasses, comfortable clothes, a t-shirt, and a hair tie if needed. You’ll want your passport or ID card, and a copy is accepted.

For rules, keep these in mind:

• No food or drinks during the activity
• No smoking indoors
• No tripods
• No audio or video recording

These points matter because they shape the feel of the workshop. They keep it focused and help the chef manage the space.

Also remember the timing. It runs about 3 hours, with starting times based on availability. So plan your day with enough buffer before or after.

So, should you book the Ftelos chef cooking class?

Book it if you want a hands-on Santorini experience with a clear takeaway. The combo of chef-led cooking, a 4-course menu, and eating your own food with craft beer makes this more than a meal ticket. The small group size and written recipes add up to real value, especially if you like structured learning.

Skip it if you want a totally hands-off experience. This is active, you’ll do the cooking steps, and the success of the evening depends on your willingness to participate.

If you’re on the fence, here’s an easy decision rule: if you’d enjoy learning one or two dishes you can repeat at home, this is the kind of dinner you’ll remember for the right reasons.

FAQ

FAQ

How long is the Santorini cooking class at Ftelos Brewery?

The experience lasts 3 hours, with specific start times depending on availability.

What is included in the price?

You get the 4-course cooking class, small group workshop experience, written recipe and cooking instruction, the full meal you cook, 1 Ftelos craft beer and bottled water, freshly baked homemade bread, and free time to explore the brewery.

What is the price per person?

The price is $113 per person.

Where does the class take place?

The cooking takes place at special spots depending on weather conditions, either indoors overlooking the beer production unit or outdoors on a wooden patio in a bioclimatic garden under the shade of 150-year-old vineyards. The meal is served in an industrial-style room inside the brewery.

Do I need hotel transfer to get there?

No, hotel transfer is not included. You can reach the brewery from Fira Town by taxi, car, or foot, and there is free parking available.

Will I be able to explore the brewery after cooking?

Yes. You have free time to explore the brewery on your own, and you can also buy craft beer to take with you after.

Is a guided tour in the brewery included?

No guided tour in the brewery is included.

What dishes will I cook in the 4-course menu?

You will cook: the real Santorini salad (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 the class taught in English?

Yes, the instructor is English.

What items are not allowed during the activity?

Food and drinks are not allowed, smoking indoors is not allowed, tripods are not allowed, and audio or video recording is not allowed.

What should I bring and do I need ID?

Bring comfortable shoes, sunglasses, comfortable clothes, a t-shirt, and a hair tie if helpful. You’ll need your passport or ID card, and a copy is accepted.