Ozlem and her husband Dimitri are very nice and friendly people. They opened their house to me. Not only I learned to cook some delicious Cretan food, I learned a lot of their culture. Ozlem contacted me ahead of the class to cater the menu to my preference. We cooked one stuffed veggie dish with a variety of vegetables and a lamp dish with wild greens that she collected in the area. The meal was delicious. My husband came with me. He took the time to walk around and to visit the village since cooking is not his thing. Ozlem put lots of food for us to take away since we had another appointment afterward and didn’t have the time to eat the meal with her. We both enjoyed very much this experience. Roustika is a village that about 30 minutes from Rethymno. We got to see a real little Cretan village that is very peaceful. I highly recommend this cooking class if you are in Crete.

Our afternoon with Mary was far beyond anything we expected — truly one of the highlights of our entire trip. Mary is a very special person: kind, genuine, and a wonderful host. From the moment she contacted us before the class, she made sure we had all the details we needed to find her home and feel comfortable. Her house itself is beautiful — perched on a scenic cliffside with amazing views — and immediately felt warm and welcoming. She greeted us outside with a big smile, and as my mother said later, “it couldn’t have been a better day.” We started with tea and conversation on her patio, followed by preparing local appetizers (with a little raki, of course!) before moving on to the main meal. The dishes were simple, traditional, and deeply flavorful — but what made it so special was Mary’s passion for Cretan cooking and her deep knowledge of its history and traditions. This isn’t a “restaurant-style” experience. It’s much more personal and real — an afternoon in the home of someone who opens her life to complete strangers and treats them like family. It’s rare to find something this honest and heartfelt anywhere, and we left feeling incredibly grateful. If you’re looking for a genuine local experience — not commercial, not polished for tourists, but warm, intimate, and full of meaning — you won’t find anything better than spending an afternoon with Mary.