Beer and cooking in Santorini is a great combo. This Aegean Cooking Class takes you into Ftelos Brewery Santorini, where one of Ftelos’s professional chefs (I’ve seen guides like Chef Mike and Chef Michael named) teaches you how to make real Cycladic dishes, step by step. You’ll cook together at an indoor or outdoor spot depending on weather, then eat what you cooked in a reserved brewery area.

Two things I really like: you get practical, repeatable know-how you can bring home, and the food is built around unmistakable Santorini flavors. The menu includes a real Santorini salad with cherry tomatoes, capers, and caper leaves, plus cod croquettes in beer batter and a stout-and-mustard rosemary sauce on pork fillet.

One thing to consider: the experience is designed around a set menu and limited drink inclusions—so if you’re hoping for extra beverages or big changes to what’s served, you may be disappointed.

Key things I’d put on your radar

• Small group, hands-on class: capped at 10 travelers, and in practice the group can be very tiny.
• Cycladic dishes you can recreate: you’re not just watching; you’re cooking multiple recipes.
• Brewery-meets-dining atmosphere: you finish with the meal inside Ftelos’s high-end reserved brewery area.
• Beer shows up in the cooking, not just the clinking: cod croquettes are made in beer batter.
• A set 4-course menu: the dishes are specific, including options like cod and pork.

Aegean Cooking Class at Ftelos Brewery: What It Feels Like

This is one of those Santorini experiences that doesn’t just end with photos. You leave with skills. The format is simple: meet the chef, cook a traditional multi-course Cycladic meal together, then sit down and enjoy that same meal after the class.

I like the tone of the whole setup. It’s interactive without being chaotic, and the brewery setting keeps it relaxed. One review called it interactive, fun, and informative, and that matches what the structure is designed to do: you’re there to learn cooking moves, not to memorize a lecture.

Also, the weather flexibility matters. The cooking spot can shift indoor or outdoor depending on conditions, which is a big deal on a Greek island where conditions can change quickly.

Meet Your Chef in Santorini’s Ftelos Brewery Setting

You start at Ftelos Brewery Santorini – MALT Restaurant, in Karterádos (847 00), and the activity ends right back at the same spot. That “same-place” round trip is helpful in Santorini, where moving around the island can eat up daylight.

The class begins by meeting a professional chef from Ftelos. In the feedback I saw, names like Chef Mike, Chef Michael, and Katarina popped up, and that tells you this isn’t a random demo. These are people who know the food, know how to teach, and know how to keep a class flowing.

A practical point: the class is offered in English, so you’ll be able to follow the recipe steps and ask questions without playing translation roulette. And the group size stays small—max 10—so it’s the kind of setting where you can actually get help with timing, technique, and what “looks right” as you cook.

The 4-Course Cycladic Menu You’ll Cook (and Eat)

The best part of this class is that it’s not one dish. You’re building a full meal. That’s why this works as a souvenir: you’ll learn how to make several recipes, not just one highlight.

Here’s the sample menu, which gives you a very clear sense of what you’ll cook and then eat:

Real Santorini salad as your starting point

You begin with a salad described as the real Santorini version—cherry tomatoes, capers, and caper leaves. That combination is a great lesson in balance. Capers and caper leaves bring sharp, salty punch; tomatoes add sweetness and acidity. Even if you’ve never used caper leaves before, this is the kind of local detail you can actually recreate later.

Why it’s valuable: it trains your palate to think in contrasts—salty vs. fresh, sharp vs. sweet—rather than just following a generic salad formula.

Cod croquettes in beer batter

Next up: cod croquettes in beer batter. This is where the brewery connection turns from marketing into cooking technique. Beer batter changes texture. It helps create a crisp exterior while keeping the inside tender.

Why it’s valuable: when you learn a beer-batter method once, you can reuse the idea for other proteins or snack-style foods. This is more than a one-night trick.

Santorini split-pea dip with dry onion

You also make a Santorini split-pea dip with dry onion. If you like dips, spreads, and things you can serve at home without much stress, this is your “future parties” recipe.

Why it’s valuable: split peas aren’t just about comfort. They can be turned into something with real character, especially when you layer in onion flavor properly.

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. Stout brings depth—think dark, roasted notes—while mustard cuts through with bite, and rosemary brings that familiar Mediterranean herb aroma.

Why it’s valuable: this is a classic “sauce brain” lesson. It shows you how to build flavor with multiple layers instead of relying on one ingredient.

Bread, water, and a full sit-down meal

After the cooking, you eat in a reserved area at the brewery with fresh homemade bread and mineral water included. So you get both halves: the hands-on lesson, then the proper meal payoff.

Brewery Dinner Time: Beer Pairing Without the Guesswork

Once you’ve cooked, you’re not sent off to find a restaurant. You stay right at Ftelos Brewery Santorini and enjoy the menu you made in an industrial high-end reserved area. That matters because the setting supports the moment. It’s easy to relax, and it’s also easier to savor the food while it’s still fresh.

There’s also a welcome beer included: one Ftelos craft beer per person, standard size. Importantly, the information says other drinks aren’t included beyond what’s listed. So plan your expectations accordingly: you’ll get beer as part of the experience, but it’s not set up like an unlimited tasting event.

How to think about it: the beer isn’t just a drink on the side. You’re learning how beer can influence cooking texture (beer batter) and flavor (stout sauce). That makes the pairing feel more intentional.

Group Size, Timing, and How to Plan Your 3.5 Hours

The class runs about 3 hours 30 minutes. In practice, that’s a sweet spot for Santorini. It’s long enough to teach real cooking steps, but not so long that it crushes your day.

You should also know the booking pace. On average, it’s booked about 56 days in advance, which is a nice heads-up. If your trip overlaps with peak season or you’re traveling during popular weekends, booking earlier is a smart move.

Group size is max 10 travelers, and one review highlighted a very small group experience (someone had just 3 people in their class group). Even if your group isn’t that tiny, you can reasonably expect a hands-on environment where the chef can check on what you’re doing.

What to do before you go

If you want the most from it, arrive ready to work with your hands. Wear something comfortable. Also, go in with the mindset that you’re learning a process. Recipes here are less about memorizing and more about understanding the sequence: prep, cook, adjust.

What to do after

Since the meal happens right after cooking, you won’t need an extra dinner plan. Use that saved time for something else—like a slow walk, a sunset viewpoint, or a relaxed late gelato stop.

Price and Value: Is $120.41 Worth It?

At $120.41 per person, this isn’t a budget “grab-and-go” activity. But it’s also not priced like you’re only paying for a restaurant dinner.

You’re paying for a package:

• A chef-led cooking class for several Cycladic dishes
• Local ingredients and supplies
• Equipment
• One standard craft beer per person as a welcome
• Fresh homemade bread and mineral water
• A 4-course meal that matches what you cooked

When you add it up, the value makes sense if you care about skills and hands-on time. A standard meal alone usually doesn’t teach you how to recreate those exact flavors. Here, you’re leaving with repeatable steps—especially for the salad components, beer-batter technique, and the stout-and-mustard sauce idea.

Who gets best value

You’ll feel like you “won” this booking if you:

• want a tangible souvenir (not just a plate photo)
• enjoy cooking or at least want to improve at it
• like food that’s clearly rooted in Santorini and the Cyclades

Who This Santorini Class Suits (and Who Might Skip It)

This class is a strong match for food-focused travelers who want something interactive but not stressful. It’s also great for couples or friends who want a shared activity that ends in dinner, with no wandering required.

It’s especially good if you enjoy:

• learning how flavors work (capers, beer batter, stout sauces)
• eating what you make right away
• small-group instruction

Consider skipping if you need a very specific diet

The sample menu includes cod and pork and beer-batter cooking. The information provided doesn’t mention vegetarian or other substitutions. If you have strict dietary needs, check first with the provider before booking so you’re not stuck with something you can’t eat.

The Practical Stuff That Makes or Breaks Your Experience

A few details you’ll want to factor in while planning:

• Confirmation: you’ll receive confirmation at booking time.
• Meeting point: Ftelos Brewery Santorini – MALT Restaurant, Karterádos 847 00, Greece.
• Return: it ends back at the same meeting point.
• Language: English is supported.
• Group size: max 10 travelers.
• Mobility and access: near public transportation and parking is available. Service animals are allowed.

One more note: this experience is non-refundable and can’t be changed if you cancel or request amendments. If your schedule is uncertain, that’s the main risk to weigh.

Final Call: Should You Book the Aegean Cooking Class?

If you want more than a meal—and you like the idea of learning Cycladic recipes you can actually cook at home—this is a smart Santorini pick. The small group size, named chefs (Chef Mike/Chef Michael and Katarina are examples), and the fact that you cook and then eat a full 4-course menu make it feel like real value.

Book it if you’re the type who enjoys hands-on cooking and wants a genuine food memory to bring home. Skip or double-check dietary fit if you need major menu changes.