Snack on local delicacies in an ancient Sicilian food market, indulge in fried calamari on the Greek coast or sip local wines in Croatia. Food lovers can have it all on the newly launched Seven Seas Grandeur’s 11-night Discovering Italy tour (departing 28 April, 2025) that travels from Venice to Rome via Croatia, Montenegro, Greece and Malta. Here are 12 of the most incredible culinary experiences to have across the Mediterranean.

While at sea

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On board, all guests will enjoy suites with balconies, a 1600-piece art collection featuring more than one Picasso, the restorative Serene Spa & Wellness, which comprises a gym, sauna, steam and chill rooms, as well as elevated dining options across 13 restaurants and bars. A standout choice is the 318-seat Italian restaurant Sette Mari at La Veranda, with a menu that features black mussels in a piquant sauce of garlic, chilli, fresh tomatoes and white wine.

Venice, Italy

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Get a taste of magical Venice before boarding Seven Seas Grandeur. Skim across the canals of the floating city by water taxi and walk past the vibrant spices, sun-ripened tomatoes and fresh seafood at the 1000-year-old Mercato di Rialto. Do as the locals do and spill into hole-in-the-wall All’Arco – a traditional bacaro (wine bar) – and indulge in classic bar snacks including crusty bread topped with creamed cod or paper-thin salumi and mortadella.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

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There are few sights as enchanting as Dubrovnik’s UNESCO-listed old city, encircled by ancient walls, crowded with Baroque buildings and hemmed by the Adriatic Sea. The city is famous for its seafood dishes, including crni rižot, a velvety squid ink risotto full of shellfish. Pair it with the local red wine, dingač, famed for its rich notes of black cherry and clove from the Pelješac peninsula. Then fill your basket with piles of fresh tomatoes, oranges, spices, local honey and small-batch liqueur at the main market in Gundulićeva Poljana Square, which operates six days a week.

Experience truly all-inclusive luxury with Regent on the 11-day Discover Italy tour, departing Venice on 28 April, 2025 offering unlimited included shore excursions, speciality dining, fine wines and spirits, unlimited WiFi, valet laundry service, gratuities and more. Call 1300 455 200, visit www.rssc.com or contact your Travel Advisor for more information.

Kotor, Montenegro

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Secluded in the Bay of Kotor, this walled jewel comes into view after sailing past a series of bays. Climb the 1350 steps to the fortress of St John for panoramic vistas over the city. Upon descent, wander the café-lined alleys until you find a spinach and cheese burek or priganice (deep-fried dough balls served with honey and jam). For something more substantial, seafood is king – order buzura, a dish of prawns cooked in peeled tomatoes, red wine, olive oil and parsley.

Brindisi, Italy

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Sun-washed and steeped in Ancient Roman history, Brindisi, in the southern region of Puglia, is a favourite destination for Italians holidaying at home. A vision of broad stone thoroughfares flanked by tall palms, the city’s seafront promenade brims with tempting places to eat and drink – just make sure to stop for local specialities such as focaccia Barese, seasoned with rosemary and salt and best paired with an Aperol Spritz.

Igoumenitsa, Greece

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A coastal city in north-western Greece, Igoumenitsa serves as the gateway to the Ionian islands. It has its origins in the 4th century and is rife with ancient ruins including Greece’s oldest Byzantine fortress in Ioannina, an ancient theatre in Dodoni and the Nekromanteion of Ephyra, near Parga, the mythical starting point for the journey to Hades, the Greek underworld. Back in the land of the living, make the most of the tavern-lined paralia (seafront) and pop into Alekos for grilled calamari and cold Mythos beer.

Argostoli, Greece

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A day in Argostoli, the capital of Greek island Kefalonia in Greece’s south-west, may involve gliding beneath stalactites on underground Melissani Lake before gorging on mezze of fried whitebait and olives accompanied by a nip of ouzo at a seaside taverna. Check out the ancient frescoes uncovered by an earthquake at the 16th-century Monastery of St Andrew. Stroll through the pedestrian-only streets of the town, shopping for thyme-infused honey and leather goods before arriving at De Bosset Bridge, Europe’s longest stone bridge over water, for sweeping views of Argostoli Bay. Wrap things up with a freddo cappuccino (a cold frothed coffee) and bougatsa (custard and phyllo pie).

Valletta, Malta

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Malta’s capital Valletta is sometimes called an “open-air museum” thanks to its perfectly preserved late-Renaissance architecture and 320 historical monuments within a 55-hectare area. Nestled between Europe and Africa, Malta has forged a unique food culture that’s a little bit Sicilian, Spanish, Provençal, North African and even British. Wander among the honey-coloured Baroque buildings, pausing to try the local goat’s cheese, gbejna, in everything from pastizzi (small flaky pastries) to ravioli and pizza. Tip: stuffat tal-fenek – rabbit cooked in a rich tomato, wine and garlic sauce – is considered the national dish.

Catania, Italy

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Sicily delivers a thrill to the senses with a chef-led Epicurean Explorer Tour of the port city of Catania. Begin in the old town at Pasticceria Savia, which has served oozy arancini since 1897. A short walk will lead you to Mercato del Pesce, a frenetic fish market where you can sample briny oysters and just-caught anchovies. Charming Ostier Vinoteca is just an eight-minute stroll from the market and its degustation lunch is matched with wines celebrating local grape varieties, such as the floral white Carricante, grown on the volcanic slopes of nearby Mt Etna. Save room for a final stop at a pasticceria, where Sicilian cannoli filled with sweetened ricotta await.

Palermo, Italy

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Rub shoulders with chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants as they shop for produce at the buzzing open-air market La Vucciria in Palermo, the capital of food-obsessed Sicily. Snack on regional delicacies such as panelle (chickpea pancakes) before an indulgent lunch at a local restaurant involving caponata, the silken eggplant and tomato stew that’s famous in these parts. Other Palermo tours include a guided tasting at the lauded Alessandro di Camporeale winery – try the signature Benedè white and intense Donnatà red – or a scenic drive to Mount Pellegrino, where views across Palermo are best enjoyed with a refreshing lemon granita from a roadside vendor.

Amalfi, Italy

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Brightly coloured houses cling to the impossibly steep hillsides of the World Heritage-listed Amalfi Coast. Discover the famously chic destination through food: savour the air-dried pasta of Gragnano; enjoy a locavore lunch in the village of Scala; or learn the secrets of limoncello, the heavenly lemon liqueur, in Tramonti. In chic Positano, wander the piazzas and browse boutique-lined cobblestoned streets before taking a table at one of the many restaurants where the cuisine is influenced by sea and sun. Your menu could include golden fried anchovies spritzed with lemon, spaghetti alla zucchini and poached local bream.

Rome, Italy

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A local chef reveals a hidden side to the Eternal City on an Epicurean Explorer Tour. Take in the energy of the millenia-old Mercato Trionfale market, near the Vatican, and the more intimate Campo de’ Fiori market square. A map of the chef’s favourite gourmet secrets will guide you to artisan pastries, spicy salumi and strong espresso. Don’t fill up – there’s a lunch of classic Roman pasta dishes, including cacio e pepe, waiting at an eatery near the Spanish Steps. To end, toast to your journey from a panoramic rooftop with a chilled glass of Frascati superiore.