Rhodes Food, Wine and Cooking Class

Rhodes has one of the most distinctive kitchens in the Aegean, shaped by Greek island habits, Italian and Ottoman history and an interior of olive groves, herb-covered hills and small vineyards. The food and wine experiences offered on the island turn that into a half-day lesson. You arrive hungry, you are given a seat at a long table, and a host walks you through a procession of small dishes: dips and salads, pies filled with wild greens, chickpea fritters, stuffed vine leaves, grilled meats and fish, and sweets made with honey and sesame. Local wine is poured throughout, and the host explains the grapes that grow on the island, the white Athiri, the red Mandilaria and the sweet wines that have been made here for centuries. Many versions of the tour also include a cooking class in which you prepare a few of the dishes yourself, so you leave with a recipe you can actually make at home.

The format suits curious eaters. A typical session lasts three to four hours and runs at an unhurried pace, with the cooking and the eating woven together. You wash your hands, put on an apron, and are shown how to shape the dough for a savoury pie or how to roll vine leaves around a rice and herb filling.

Then you sit down and eat what you have made, alongside dishes prepared by the hosts. The groups are friendly and usually small enough for everyone to ask questions, which is half the pleasure: why capers are pickled the way they are, what the herbs are called in Greek, which cheese goes with which honey.

Think about when you want it. A long lunch fits naturally into a day that has a gentle morning in the Old Town and nothing planned for the afternoon, because you will be well fed and in no hurry. It is also an excellent plan for a rainy day, or for the hottest hours of summer, when the shade of a courtyard or a terrace is far better than a hilltop ruin.

Many people book it for the first or last day of a trip, as a way to learn the menu before they eat out, or to bring home something from the island.

Practical details are straightforward. Tell the organiser about any allergies or dietary needs when you book, since vegetarian and some other versions are possible but need notice. Wear comfortable clothes that can survive a little flour and olive oil, and bring a small bag for the recipes and any bottles or jars you may be given.

The meeting point and the pick-up arrangements vary by operator, so check them before the day, and allow time to get there on foot if the start is inside the Old Town. Children are often welcome at the table, though the wine tasting is for adults.