REVIEW · ATHENS
Santorini Dinner Class with Margarita in Athens
Book on Viator →Operated by IT IS GREEK · Bookable on Viator
A Santorini table beats a typical restaurant night. This Athens dinner class brings you into Margarita’s daily-life-style home, then walks you through a 3-hour trip of tastes from island classics to sweet spoon desserts. I especially love the way the evening is designed around stories and interaction, not just eating, and I also like that the menu travels across starters, a main, and dessert with Santorini wines served alongside.
One thing to consider: the planned menu includes dairy and a pork dish (apochti), so if you have strict dietary needs, you’ll want to check ahead before you book.
In This Review
- Key Highlights at a Glance
- A Santorini Table in Athens: What This 7 pm Dinner Class Really Feels Like
- Meet Margarita’s House on Akadimias 8: Timing, Size, and the Flow
- Three Hours of Santorini Flavors: Walking Through the Courses
- Starters: Start with Cheese, Eggplant, and Island Staples
- Main: Santorini Garlic Pasta (Tomato + Olive Oil + Real Comfort)
- Dessert: Melitinia and Cufeto Spoon Sweet
- Santorini Wines in Athens: What You’re Drinking (and Why It Fits)
- The Dishes That Teach You Greek Cooking Traditions (Without Any Pretend Fancy)
- Price and Value at $272.09 per Person: What You’re Actually Paying For
- Who Should Book This Santorini Dinner Class in Athens
- Quick Practical Tips for a Smooth Evening
- Should You Book This Santorini Dinner Class With Margarita?
- FAQ
- Where does the Santorini dinner class meet in Athens?
- What time does the experience start?
- How long is the dinner class?
- Is it offered in English?
- How many people are in the group?
- What food is included?
- Are wines included?
- Is there a mobile ticket?
- What is the cancellation policy?
- Is it easy to get to the meeting point?
Key Highlights at a Glance

- Small group (max 8): easier conversation and more attention
- English-hosted evening: clear explanations of Greek dishes and how they come together
- A full Santorini tasting menu: multiple courses built around island staples
- Santorini wine selection: Assyrtiko, Athiri, Aidani, plus reds like Mandilaria and Mavrotragano
- Desserts you’ll remember: melitinia and cufeto spoon sweet
- Home-style setting in Athens: you’re not eating in a big, anonymous dining room
A Santorini Table in Athens: What This 7 pm Dinner Class Really Feels Like
This isn’t a “sit down, eat, leave” meal. It’s a guided dinner class that uses food to tell the story of Santorini, right in Athens. You start in the early evening—7:00 pm—and settle in for about 4 hours total, with the tasting portion running close to 3 hours.
The vibe matters here. You’re invited into a unique, elegant, everyday-life kind of house, the sort of setting where you feel comfortable asking questions. And because the group is capped at 8, you should expect a social, talk-friendly atmosphere rather than a rigid class with no breathing room.
I also like how the experience is built for both locals and visitors to share stories. Even if you come solo, you’re likely to leave with a sense of connection instead of just a full stomach.
You can also read our reviews of more tours and experiences in Athens
Meet Margarita’s House on Akadimias 8: Timing, Size, and the Flow

You’ll meet at Akadimias 8, Athina 106 78, Greece, and the experience ends back at the same meeting point. That matters more than you’d think in Athens, where moving around late can get annoying fast. No long transportation plan needed—just show up, settle in, and enjoy the evening where it begins.
This is also an English offering, so you won’t be stuck guessing what you’re tasting. The class is led by Margarita, who teaches the secrets of famous Greek dishes, and the whole thing is designed to feel warm and interactive.
The “small group” detail is one of the best parts. With up to 8 people, explanations can actually land. You can ask about ingredients, technique, and why certain flavors show up again and again on the island.
Three Hours of Santorini Flavors: Walking Through the Courses

The menu is structured like a tour of Santorini’s most recognizable foods—starters to get your bearings, a main built around garlic and tomatoes, then desserts that swing sweet with spice-level detail (honey, almonds, mastic, and that salted cheese flavor).
Here’s the course rhythm and what each dish is likely doing for you in the bigger picture.
Starters: Start with Cheese, Eggplant, and Island Staples
You’ll begin with a set of Santorini-focused starters. These aren’t random Greek dishes—they’re meant to show how local ingredients behave.
- Chlorotiri (Santorini cheese): This local cheese—made from goat’s or sheep’s milk—has a strong, distinctive flavor. Think of it as the “signature” start. If you like tasting something that immediately feels tied to place, this sets the tone.
- Smoked Eggplant: Eggplant is already beloved in Greek cooking, but smoking adds depth. The description points to exploiting the natural sweetness of white eggplants, which is a useful reminder: the best flavors often come from respecting ingredients first.
- Apochti (pork carpaccio-style alternative): Pork is processed in a way that includes roasting with salt, vinegar, and herbs. It’s an excellent example of how Greek cooking can use acidity and herbs to brighten heavier cuts.
- Traditional Santorini fava with onions: Santorini’s famous fava is a purée made from yellow split peas. Served with onions, it’s a simple base with a lot of character, and it’s one of those dishes that teaches you about texture as much as taste.
- Tomato meatballs (Santorinian): These are made with local tomato variety plus basil and mint. It’s a classic Greek idea—herbs make tomatoes taste even more alive.
- Greek salad with feta (Horiatiki): Tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, olive oil, and oregano. This is familiar, but it still helps anchor the meal in everyday Greek flavors after the more specific Santorini items.
This starter lineup is one of the reasons the experience works. You get contrast: smoky, tangy, creamy, sweet-framed vegetables, herb-forward tomato, and the salty backbone of feta.
Main: Santorini Garlic Pasta (Tomato + Olive Oil + Real Comfort)
The main course is Santorini Garlic Pasta, described as combining the freshness of Santorini tomatoes with olive oil, garlic, and salt. This is the “comfort” phase of the evening, but it’s also the most practical cooking lesson: how a few ingredients—tomatoes, olive oil, garlic—can turn into something that tastes complete.
If you love pasta, you’ll probably feel genuinely satisfied by this course. And if you don’t, the bigger point is learning the flavor structure so you can recreate the feel later.
You can also read our reviews of more tours and experiences in Athens
Dessert: Melitinia and Cufeto Spoon Sweet
You finish strong with two desserts.
- Melitinia: Sweet treats made with salted mizithra cheese, yogurt, and mastic. Melitinia are usually offered at celebrations or weddings. The combination matters: salty-sweet cheese with yogurt tang and mastic’s distinct aroma gives a dessert that doesn’t taste like generic cake.
- Cufeto Spoon Sweet: Honey and almond custard served as a spoon sweet. It’s one of Santorini’s most iconic dessert styles, and it’s a nice ending because you get both warmth (honey) and nutty depth (almonds).
If you’re hoping to leave with a “I can picture that flavor” memory, these desserts are built for it.
Santorini Wines in Athens: What You’re Drinking (and Why It Fits)

Food is the star, but the wine program is part of the lesson. You’ll be served local wines from Santorini, with selections running across both white and red styles.
The whites mentioned include:
- Assyrtiko
- Athiri
- Aidani
And the reds include:
- Mandilaria
- Mavrotragano
The experience calls out why this matters: Santorini’s volcanic soils help shape an island-wide range of flavors in both whites and reds. Practically, you’ll feel this as a pairing logic—bright whites tend to help with cheese and vegetables, and richer reds often hold their own with pork and hearty tomato flavors.
I also like that you’re not limited to one wine. You get a sense of how many different expressions Santorini can produce, which is helpful if you’re building your own mental map of Greek wine.
The Dishes That Teach You Greek Cooking Traditions (Without Any Pretend Fancy)

One reason dinner classes can feel gimmicky is when they focus only on presentation. Here, the menu is specific to Santorini and rooted in ingredients that the island is known for.
A few “teaching” takeaways you can carry home:
- Cheese with identity: Chlorotiri isn’t mild. Learning that a cheese can be both local and bold helps you understand why Greeks build flavor around what’s truly there.
- Vegetables can be star players: Smoked eggplant and fava show that a meal doesn’t need meat in every bite.
- Acid and herbs aren’t optional: Apochti’s salt, vinegar, and herbs approach explains how Greek cooking keeps flavors awake.
- Herbs love tomatoes: Tomato meatballs with basil and mint is an easy concept to remember when you cook later.
- Dessert isn’t always sugar-forward: Melitinia’s salted mizithra and mastic remind you that Greek sweetness can be layered, not one-note.
Also, the evening is interactive. The menu isn’t just listed; you get taught, and you’re encouraged to share ideas. In the praise for the experience, people mention a friendly, hospitable welcome and a fun, engaging process—exactly the kind of atmosphere where questions come naturally.
And yes, that matters if you’re cooking with intent later. When you understand why something tastes the way it does, you can recreate the feel, not just the recipe.
Price and Value at $272.09 per Person: What You’re Actually Paying For

At $272.09 per person, this is not a budget meal. But it’s also not just “a dinner with wine.” You’re paying for several things that add up:
- A small-group class (max 8), which usually means more attention and interaction
- A multi-course menu built around specific Santorini dishes—starters, main, and desserts
- Santorini wine service, including both whites and reds
- An at-home setting with a hostess who teaches the dish logic, not only serves plates
If you were to recreate this at home, you’d likely spend real money on ingredients, cheese, wine variety, and time. And if you tried to get the same meal experience by eating out, you probably wouldn’t get the course-by-course teaching and the cohesive Santorini theme.
So the value comes from the combination: food + wine + guided explanation + social home setting. That’s what justifies the price if you enjoy cooking classes and island-focused meals.
Who Should Book This Santorini Dinner Class in Athens

This is a great fit if you want a food-forward evening that feels personal. Specifically:
- You like cooking classes where you learn the “why” behind flavors.
- You want a small-group experience rather than a mass-market restaurant night.
- You’re curious about Santorini beyond the views—through food and wine instead.
- You enjoy conversation and sharing stories in a warm setting.
It’s less ideal if you dislike learning formats and prefer silence. Also, if you have dietary restrictions—especially around pork or dairy—this menu includes items that may not work for everyone (apochti uses pork; desserts include mizithra cheese and yogurt). In that case, you should ask questions before you commit.
Quick Practical Tips for a Smooth Evening

A few practical notes help you enjoy the night without stress:
- Go hungry. The menu is full—starters plus main plus desserts.
- Plan for an evening start: 7:00 pm.
- Wear comfortable clothes. It’s a house setting and a long-ish about 4 hours.
- If you want to ask good questions, think of what you cook at home now (tomatoes, eggplant, pasta, cheese). You’ll get more out of the class.
- Bring an open mind about wine. The menu includes multiple wine varieties from Santorini, so expect a range of styles.
One more small point: the experience uses a mobile ticket, so make sure your phone battery and email confirmation are ready.
Should You Book This Santorini Dinner Class With Margarita?
I’d book it if you want a memorable Athens evening that feels like an island visit through food. The standout strengths are the focused Santorini menu, the wine program across island varieties, and the small-group, hospitable home atmosphere that keeps the night lively. If you like learning while you eat, you’ll probably consider it one of your best “value-per-hour” experiences.
I wouldn’t book it if you’re mainly looking for big sights or a casual snack-and-chat. This is about a structured dining lesson and a full menu. And if your diet is complicated, double-check the menu items early—pork and dairy show up in the dishes.
If that sounds like your kind of night, you’re in for a fun, flavorful Athens evening with a distinctly Santorini point of view.
FAQ
Where does the Santorini dinner class meet in Athens?
It meets at Akadimias 8, Athina 106 78, Greece and ends back at the same meeting point.
What time does the experience start?
The start time is 7:00 pm.
How long is the dinner class?
It lasts about 4 hours.
Is it offered in English?
Yes, the experience is offered in English.
How many people are in the group?
The experience has a maximum of 8 travelers.
What food is included?
You’ll be served a full multi-course menu including starters like chlorotiri and smoked eggplant, a main of Santorini garlic pasta, and desserts such as melitinia and cufeto spoon sweet.
Are wines included?
Yes. You’ll be served local wines of Santorini, with varieties including Assyrtiko, Athiri, Aidani, Mandilaria, and Mavrotragano.
Is there a mobile ticket?
Yes, the experience offers a mobile ticket.
What is the cancellation policy?
You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours in advance of the start time.
Is it easy to get to the meeting point?
The listing notes it is near public transportation.
If you want, tell me your dates and whether anyone in your group has dietary limits, and I’ll help you decide if this menu is likely to work for you.
More Dinner Experiences in Athens
More Dining Experiences in Athens
More Tour Reviews in Athens
- All Day Cruise -3 Islands to Agistri,Moni, Aegina with lunch and drinks included
★ 5.0 · 4,958 reviews































