The best part of this experience is simple: you enter Erna and Thanos’s home near the seaside village of Epanomi, cook northern Greek food with Erna, and then sit down to eat it together. This is not a restaurant demonstration. You work with seasonal ingredients, talk about food and family, and finish with coffee and homemade loukoumi.

I like the personal recipe notebook Erna prepares for you, with room to add measurements and notes. I also like the generous menu, which can include wine-leaf-wrapped feta or anchovies, herb-filled aubergines, purslane tzatziki, baked lamb or leafy-herb pie, fish with pine nuts, and a Greek dessert. The main drawback is that the class requires you to reach Epanomi yourself, since hotel pickup and drop-off are not included.

Key points to know

• A truly private class: Only your own group takes part, making the pace and conversation more personal.
• Erna cooks by feel: Expect practical guidance rather than a rigid lesson built around exact teaspoons and tablespoons.
• Northern Greek flavors: Wild greens, purslane, aubergines, feta, fish, herbs, and pine nuts give the meal a clear regional character.
• A full meal follows the cooking: Greek wine, additional dishes, coffee, and homemade loukoumi are included.
• The menu changes with the season: Tell Erna about allergies, dietary needs, or cooking preferences when booking.
• Plan your transport carefully: The meeting point is the Model Vocational High School of Epanomi at Sarvani 2, and the activity ends there.

From Epanomi’s meeting point to Erna’s kitchen

This three-hour experience begins at the Model Vocational High School of Epanomi, Nikολάου Sarvani 2, Epanomi 575 00. It is outside central Thessaloniki, so you need to allow time to reach the village. The area is near public transportation, but no hotel transfer is provided.

That transport detail matters. The cooking class itself is relaxed and social, yet the day can feel less relaxed if you leave Thessaloniki without checking how you will get to Epanomi and back. I would treat the meeting point as part of the planning, not as a minor footnote.

From there, Erna and her husband, Thanos, welcome you into their home. A refreshment is ready when you arrive, which gives the visit a friendly start before the chopping and cooking begin. You are not being rushed through a commercial kitchen. You are being received as a small group in a private home.

The private format is especially useful for couples, families, or friends who want to ask questions freely. It also helps if one person in your group has a particular food interest or dietary request. The activity is offered in English, and the provider asks you to share allergies, restrictions, and cooking preferences at booking.

What you cook with Erna

Cooking lasts about one to two hours. The dishes focus on traditional side dishes and regional ingredients, but the exact menu can change with the season. That is a strength, since Greek home cooking depends heavily on what is fresh and available.

You might help prepare feta or anchovies wrapped in wine leaves. The wine leaf gives the dish a familiar Greek connection, while the filling brings a salty, savory bite. You may also work on fried aubergines stuffed with herbs and cheese, a good example of how a humble vegetable becomes the center of a satisfying dish.

One of the more unusual preparations is Erna’s version of tzatziki. Instead of relying only on cucumber, she uses purslane, a peppery wild green, with strained yogurt, garlic, olive oil, and lemon. This is the kind of detail that makes a home cooking lesson worthwhile. You are not simply repeating the most familiar Greek dishes from a tourist menu. You are learning how a local cook uses an ingredient that many visitors may not recognize.

The cooking style is relaxed and based on feel. Erna does not appear to rely on strict tablespoon and teaspoon measurements for every step. If you cook at home by instinct, you may find this natural. If you want a recipe that can be reproduced exactly, use the notebook she provides and write down your own measurements as you go.

That notebook is a particularly useful touch. Erna prepares the ingredients in writing and leaves space between the pages for your notes. You can record how much garlic you prefer, how long a dish cooked, or what substitutions might work at home. Bring a pen, even if one is supplied, because the most useful lessons may be the small adjustments you make during the class.

A seasonal menu from northern Greece

The sample menu gives you a sense of the meal’s scope. A starter may be fava beans or olive bread. Fava is a smooth bean dish often served with olive oil and other simple additions, while olive bread offers a more familiar beginning with a distinctly Greek flavor.

For the main course, the menu may include baked lamb or a traditional pie filled with leafy herbs. The pie can contain amaranth, dock weed, and dandelion. These greens give it a more earthy character than a basic cheese pie, and they point to the way Greek cooking makes good use of wild and garden plants.

Another possible main dish is fish with herbs and pine nuts. This brings together the coastal setting and the strong seasoning typical of Greek home kitchens. The fish is not presented as an isolated restaurant course. It forms part of a broader meal, with vegetables, bread, pies, and other dishes sharing the table.

Dessert may be pomegranate jelly or fig strudel in red wine sauce served with Greek yogurt. These are not heavy, overly sweet endings. Pomegranate brings a clean fruit flavor, while figs and red wine give the strudel a deeper finish. The yogurt adds the tang that keeps dessert from becoming too rich.

Do not assume every dish listed will appear during your visit. The menu varies by season, and the cooking experience may adjust to the ingredients Erna has available. That is worth accepting. A fixed menu would be easier to advertise, but a seasonal table gives you a better sense of how people actually cook at home.

Vegetarian food is available if you request it in advance. The same applies to allergies and other dietary restrictions. Be specific when you book, rather than waiting until you arrive.

Eating together after the cooking

Once the cooking is done, you sit down to a full home-cooked meal. Some dishes are prepared with your help, while Erna makes others herself. This balance is important. You get the satisfaction of eating food you worked on, but you are not responsible for producing every part of a large meal in a short class.

Greek wine is included, along with other alcoholic beverages. The meal may be served in the dining room or in the garden, depending on the weather. The garden option should be seen as a seasonal possibility, not a guarantee, so do not book this expecting a particular outdoor setting.

The meal is also where the experience becomes more than a lesson in technique. You can talk with Erna and Thanos about food, family, and daily life. The atmosphere is designed for conversation, not just instruction. If you want a quiet, highly structured cooking course, this may feel loose. If you want a human connection around a shared meal, the informality is part of the appeal.

The cooking approach has a heart-first quality. Erna’s style is not about weighing every ingredient before it reaches the bowl. It is about tasting, adjusting, and understanding how the parts work together. You may need to ask questions and take notes, but that is also how you learn to cook beyond a single printed recipe.

Coffee, loukoumi, and time to linger

The final part of the visit is coffee with homemade loukoumi, traditional Greek sweets. It is a small detail, but it gives the experience a proper ending. You have time to settle after the meal, exchange more stories, and look back over what you prepared.

This closing coffee also helps separate the class from a quick eat-and-leave activity. You are not pushed out as soon as the last plate is cleared. The stated duration is about three hours, so the visit has room for arrival, cooking, the meal, and conversation.

The homemade sweets are especially useful for anyone interested in Greek hospitality. In many Greek homes, coffee and something sweet signal that the visit is continuing, not ending abruptly. Here, that custom gives the class a warm final note.

Why the $125 price can make sense

At $125 per person, this is not a budget meal or a basic group cooking lesson. You are paying for a private experience, a guided cooking session, a full home-cooked meal, alcoholic beverages, and all fees and taxes.

The value depends on what you want from your time near Thessaloniki. If you only want to learn one inexpensive recipe, the price may feel high. If you want a three-hour visit built around a private meal, regional ingredients, personal instruction, and conversation with local hosts, the cost is easier to justify.

The private format is the key factor. Your group does not share the class with strangers, so Erna can respond to your questions and adjust the pace. For a family with mixed cooking experience, that flexibility may be worth more than a cheaper class with a larger group.

The meal also adds real value. You are not paying for a short demonstration followed by a small tasting. You cook, then eat several courses with wine, coffee, and sweets. Keep in mind that the price does not include transport to or from Epanomi, so add that cost when setting your day’s budget.

Group discounts are available. If you are booking for several people, check the total rather than assuming the per-person rate tells the whole story.

Who will enjoy this home cooking class

I would recommend this experience to you if food is one of the main ways you connect with a place. It suits people who want to meet local hosts, learn dishes they can attempt at home, and spend time around a table rather than move from sight to sight.

It is also a good match for visitors who have already seen Thessaloniki’s main sights and want time outside the city. Epanomi gives the experience a different setting, and the private home makes the afternoon feel personal.

Families may appreciate the private setup, especially if they need to discuss dietary requirements ahead of time. Couples and small groups of friends should also find the pace comfortable. Service animals are allowed.

This is less suitable for someone who needs a precise culinary syllabus. Erna’s cooking is guided by instinct and experience, so you should be ready to taste, ask, and take notes. The class is hands-on, but it is also social. You will get more from it if you enjoy conversation and do not need every minute tightly scheduled.

Practical details before you book

Confirmation is sent within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability. Since the experience is private and is often reserved well ahead of time, do not leave it until the last minute if it is important to your plans. It is booked, on average, 68 days in advance.

You can cancel for a full refund if you do so at least 24 hours before the local start time. Changes or cancellations made inside that 24-hour window are not accepted for a refund.

Tell the provider about allergies, dietary restrictions, or preferred foods at the time of booking. Vegetarian food can be arranged, but it must be requested in advance. Since the menu is seasonal, the final dishes may differ from the sample menu.

The activity is offered in English. It begins and ends at the Epanomi meeting point, not at your hotel. The experience provider is Traveling Spoon.

Should you book Erna’s Epanomi cooking class?

Book it if you want a private, personal meal with a local family and you enjoy learning through hands-on work rather than a formal cooking lecture. The notebook, purslane tzatziki, leafy-herb pie, seasonal ingredients, and long meal make this more memorable than a standard recipe lesson.

Skip it if you have very little time around Thessaloniki, dislike arranging your own transport, or want exact recipes with fixed measurements. For everyone else, the $125 price buys a full afternoon of food, hospitality, and conversation, not just a plate of Greek dishes. Plan the journey to Epanomi, tell Erna your food needs early, and arrive ready to cook by taste.

FAQ

Where does the cooking class take place?

The class takes place in Erna and Thanos’s home in Epanomi, outside Thessaloniki. The meeting point is the Model Vocational High School of Epanomi, Nikολάου Sarvani 2, Epanomi 575 00, Greece.

How long does the experience last?

The experience lasts approximately three hours. Cooking takes about one to two hours, followed by the shared meal and coffee with homemade loukoumi.

Is the class private?

Yes. Only your own group participates in this cooking class.

Is hotel pickup included?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included. You must reach the meeting point in Epanomi yourself, and the activity ends back at that meeting point.

What language is the experience offered in?

The experience is offered in English.

What food might be included?

The sample menu may include fava beans or olive bread, baked lamb or a leafy-herb pie, fish with herbs and pine nuts, and pomegranate jelly or fig strudel with Greek yogurt. The menu may change with the season.

Is vegetarian food available?

Yes. A vegetarian option is available, but you should request it when booking.

Can I tell the provider about allergies or dietary restrictions?

Yes. You should provide information about allergies, dietary restrictions, and cooking preferences at the time of booking.

What does the price include?

The $125 per-person price includes the private cooking class, the home-cooked meal with Erna, alcoholic beverages, and all fees and taxes.