Greek cooking class on Syros: Learn traditional island recipes
Cook a full Greek meal from scratch in a villa kitchen on Syros
A 4-hour hands-on cooking class at Villa Maria in Ermoupolis teaches traditional Greek home recipes using organic, seasonal produce from Syros. You prepare 6–7 dishes (starters, a pie, salad, main and dessert), then share the feast in the villa's shaded courtyard. Children welcome from age 5. Vegan and vegetarian menus available. Recipes are sent to you by email after the class.
What’s included
- A 3-hour hands-on cooking class where you prepare 6–7 traditional Greek dishes.
- the full meal you cook, eaten together in the courtyard.
- coffee or tea.
- email copies of all recipes afterward.
- vegan and vegetarian menu options available.
- children welcome from age 5.
- Every day 11:00
Information
Learn to cook traditional Greek dishes in a restored 19th-century villa in Ermoupolis, Syros, with a local cook using seasonal island produce.
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The experience
The class starts at Villa Maria, a restored 19th-century mansion in Ermoupolis, the capital of Syros. You'll begin with herbal tea made from wild island herbs while your cook explains Greek culinary traditions, then move into the villa's gourmet kitchen for a hands-on session. Over three hours, you prepare a full menu: a couple of starters, a pie, a salad, a main dish and a dessert. The recipes taught are home cooking, not restaurant versions: techniques and secrets passed through families, adapted to the season and what's available on the island.
The menu shifts with what's in season. You might make split peas purée with caramelised onions and sun-dried tomatoes, courgette pie with mint and goat cheese, vine leaf pies with yogurt and herbs, smoked aubergine spread, stuffed tomatoes or peppers, sardines wrapped in vine leaves with fennel and lemon, semolina halva with orange and cinnamon, or milk pie with vanilla and lemon. If you eat vegan or vegetarian, the cook adjusts the menu to match. Every step is hands-on. You're not watching a demonstration, you're doing the work and learning as you go.
When the cooking finishes, you sit in the villa's shaded courtyard and eat together. Coffee or tea is included. You can add a wine and cheese tasting for an extra cost: four Greek wines (white, rosé, red and dessert) paired with artisanal cheeses from different Greek islands. All the recipes you've made get sent to you by email, so you can recreate the meal at home.
Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 18 years); Child (5 to 12 years). Children under 5 can't be included in the booking.
What dishes do I actually make during the cooking class on Syros?
You prepare 6–7 dishes across a full menu: starters like split peas purée or smoked aubergine spread, a pie (courgette with mint and goat cheese, or vine leaf pies), a salad, a main dish such as stuffed tomatoes or sardines wrapped in vine leaves, and a dessert like semolina halva or milk pie. The exact menu changes with the season and what's available on the island.
Can I do the cooking class if I'm vegan or vegetarian?
Yes. The cook adjusts the menu to vegan or vegetarian options, so you still learn the same techniques and prepare a full meal that fits your diet.
Where exactly does the class take place?
The class happens at Villa Maria, a restored 19th-century mansion in Ermoupolis, the capital of Syros. You cook in the villa's gourmet kitchen and eat afterward in the shaded courtyard.
How long is the cooking class and what's included?
The class runs 4 hours total. It includes 3 hours of hands-on cooking instruction, the meal you prepare, coffee or tea, and email copies of all the recipes afterward. A wine and cheese tasting with four Greek wines and island cheeses is available for an additional cost.
What are the wild herbs and island produce used in the class?
The cook uses organic, seasonal, local produce from Syros: the specific ingredients change with the season. The class opens with herbal tea made from wild herbs grown on the island, and these same foraged herbs and greens appear in the dishes you prepare.
Operated by Villa Maria’s Kitchen. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated 5 days ago
Greek cooking class on Syros: Learn traditional island recipes
4h
from € 137 per person
≈ US$ 154 in your currency
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