Cooking class in Kourounochori, Naxos: Learn traditional recipes

Make four generations of family recipes in a village kitchen, then eat them overlooking the valley

A four-hour cooking class in Kourounochori, Naxos, where you prepare traditional island dishes alongside an experienced chef, tour the village's landmarks and gardens, and finish with lunch on a terrace. The class includes soda and beverages, and runs with a live English-speaking guide.

The experience

You cook alongside one of Naxos's most experienced chefs in the kitchen of Grigoris Tavern, a family restaurant that has kept the same recipes since 1964. The dishes you make are the ones passed down through three generations: the traditional gastronomy of the island, made the way locals have always made it. While your food cooks, the chef takes you through Kourounochori to see the Venetian tower, the old cistern, the orchards, and the flower-filled gardens of the village houses. You're not watching from a bus. You're walking through the place where these recipes come from.

After the tour, you return to the tavern kitchen and sit down to eat what you've cooked. The meal comes on the terrace, with a view across the Melanes valley. Soda and non-alcoholic drinks are included. Alcoholic beverages are available for guests over 18. The whole experience runs four hours, with instruction in English.

What’s included

• Cooking instruction with an experienced chef.
• ingredients for the dishes you prepare.
• a guided walk through Kourounochori to see the Venetian tower, gardens, and traditional houses.
• lunch on the tavern terrace.
• soda and non-alcoholic drinks.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 10:00 and 15:00Last departure this season: 30 Nov

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (18 to 80 years) · Child (5 to 17 years) · Infant (under 5): free

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Stroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomeNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditions

Operated by Gregory's Traditional Cooking Lessons

Is this one for you?The class starts in Kourounochori village itself, so you don't need a car or a ride to reach it. If you're staying in Naxos Town or elsewhere on the island, you arrange your own transport there, but once you arrive, everything happens on foot or in the tavern kitchen. It suits anyone who wants to cook and eat without managing a full day of logistics.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 17 years); Infant (under 5): free.

What kind of dishes do I cook in this class?

You prepare traditional Naxos recipes that Grigoris Tavern has made for three generations. The chef teaches you the island's traditional gastronomy (the specific dishes and methods that define local cooking) rather than a set menu that changes week to week.

Do I get to eat what I cook?

Yes. After you finish cooking and while the food finishes in the oven or on the stove, you tour the village. When you return, you sit on the terrace and eat the meal you've made, with the valley view in front of you.

Is this class in the village itself, or somewhere else?

The class takes place in Kourounochori, a village in the Melanes area of Naxos. You cook in the kitchen of Grigoris Tavern, which sits in the village, and the tour of landmarks and gardens happens on foot through Kourounochori itself.

What's included in the price?

The class includes instruction, the ingredients you cook with, lunch (the meal you prepare), and soda or soft drinks. Alcoholic beverages are available separately for guests over 18.