Athens Cooking Class with Acropolis View: Worth It?
In 2016, I took my first cooking class while traveling. That’s when I discovered an entirely new kind of souvenir. I brought home recipes and a skillset that I was able to lean on multiple times to recreate the memory with friends and family. Ever since, I’ve tried to take a cooking class wherever I travel internationally, so doing an Athens cooking class was always on my radar.
Even though I spent five weeks in Greece visiting multiple islands, I decided to save the Greek cooking class experience for Athens. It felt like a good way to break up solo travel with something more social, cooking and sharing a meal with other travelers. I ended up booking this class with an Acropolis view, curious what I’d learn and who I’d meet along the way.
🍽️ Reserve your spot: Athens cooking class with Acropolis View
Quick Answer: Is This Athens Cooking Class Worth It?
There are so many different Greek cooking classes to choose from in Athens, but I chose this one after scouring all the reviews and different options.
Here’s why:
Location
This cooking class takes place at a centrally located hotel in Athens. It was walkable from where I was staying, and in a lively enough area that I felt safe walking back afterward at night.
The convenience of the location makes this an easy add into your Athens itinerary if you’re staying centrally. Plus, this location is what allows the promise of Acropolis views from the rooftop.
Class size
In general, whenever I sign up for any sort of group tour or experience while traveling, I prefer smaller group sizes.
This class has a maximum of 12 participants. In a group of this size there’s enough opportunity to mix and mingle with different people without feeling like the teacher’s attention and class resources are stretched too thin.
Reviews
Of all the Athens cooking classes available this one has the most 5-star reviews as well as a ‘Badge of Excellence from Viator.
While I’m sure there are many great Greek cooking classes in Athens with less reviews, the social proof this particular class has built up made it an easy yes.
Menu
You should always take a look at the menu of a cooking class before signing up. Are those the dishes you really want to make? Are your dietary restrictions well served? Are these foods you enjoy?
As much as I love gyros, I don’t eat pork and so I knew I didn’t want to take a gyros-making class. I also dislike baklava (way too sweet) so I didn’t want to take a class that included it on the menu.
I chose this class because I was excited about all of the dishes I’d learn to make, including a desert I’d never tried before.
What This Athens Cooking Class Is Like
Based on all my experiences taking cooking classes around the world, they fall into two main categories: individual stations or communal cooking.
Individual stations means everyone cooks every item on the menu, from start to finish, for themselves. These classes are more hands-on, and you become familiar with every step of the cooking process.
Communal cooking is when the group cooks the entire meal together. The chef/teacher will assign different parts of the cooking process to different individuals or small groups.
These classes are more social. They still have a hands-on element, but less so since there may be moments when you’re not the one actively cooking.
The Athens cooking class with Acropolis View was a blend of these two approaches. For certain dishes, some key parts of the cooking process were done communally.
For example, preparing the filling for spanokopita. But then, we all made our individual pies using the filling that was made as one batch.
Personally, I like the flexibility of this blended class style. It allowed me to be actively involved in preparing my own food while also taking breaks to sip and socialize during the group cooking moments.
What You Actually Make and Eat
In this class you’ll make a 5-course meal including 3 appetizers, 1 main dish and 1 dessert. Specifically:
Starters: Spanakopita (yum!), tzatziki and an Aegean salad.
Main: Moussaka
Dessert: Galatopita (Greek milk pie)
For the dessert, we used powdered vanilla and the chef told us where we could buy some. I brought some back as a souvenir from Greece so I could recreate this dessert at home!
Be aware that in this cooking class, beverages are not included. Many cooking classes do include wine as part of the deal. This one makes wine available for purchase so you can still enjoy a glass or so, but for an extra fee.
The Acropolis View: Does It Live Up to the Hype?
Can I be honest with you? When I think back on this experience I can barely recall the view. Nor do I have pictures or videos of it. Instead, I have pictures and videos of the cooking process itself and the airy kitchen.
I’m sure the view was nice to enjoy in the moment. But what I loved the most was how much natural light the big windows allowed into the cooking area. It was nice to sit and chat by the windows with fellow travelers in between moments of active cooking.
As night fell, the city outside lit up. We moved to the rooftop seating area to enjoy our dinner and it was cool to see the Parthenon in the background.
But my focus was really on being present with my new friends as we devoured the results of our work in the kitchen.
While the Acropolis view made for a unique backdrop, it wasn’t the focal point of this class. Just an added perk!
Who This Athens Cooking Class Is For
If you like more culturally immersive experiences, getting to know a place through its food, socializing with fellow travelers and learning new skills then you should absolutely book this class.
Also, if you’re a solo traveler in Greece who wants a fun way to meet new people and have dinner companions one evening then definitely book it.
Whether or not you’ll recreate the recipes you learn back home, this kind of experience while traveling is memorable and will stick with you.
Who Should Skip It
If you’re booking it just for the Acropolis view, skip it. Instead, have dinner at one of the rooftop restaurants overlooking the Acropolis.
In this case, the Acropolis view is more of a bonus and the real heart of the experience is in the kitchen.
Also, if spending several hours cooking doesn’t feel like a good use of your time and if you’d rather be out sightseeing then this might also not be the right experience for you.
There are so many ways to customize your Athens itinerary so be honest with yourself about what you’ll enjoy.
Final Thoughts
Especially if you have more than a couple days in Athens, this cooking class is the perfect way to round out your time in Greece. You’ll learn from a local chef, meet travelers who are also interested in local cuisine, learn some new recipes and enjoy dinner with good company. What’s not to love?
