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Palermo was a cultural melting pot long before Sicily joined mainland Italy in 1861; there’s ample evidence in its grandiose monuments adorned with Byzantine mosaics, baroque marble inlays and bustling markets not unlike Arabic souks. It’s Italy’s fifth-largest city, and a charming one I can’t wait to revisit – with winding footpaths and a pristine coastline framed by mountains and citrus groves. While 60 Oceania Cruises routes dock around the island, Palermo always makes for an exciting port of call.

Local specialities are born from many culinary traditions, with ingredients to reflect its history. My first stop is always Mercato Ballaró, Palermo’s oldest open-air market, in the Albergheria district. Bright, lively and teeming with fresh produce from seafood to extra virgin olive oil and cheeses, it’s also renowned for street food. Don’t miss arancini stuffed with ragù meat sauce, pane e panelle (chickpea fritters) or creamy crocchè (potato croquettes).

Around the corner, in the former stables of the medieval Palazzo Cattolica, is Osteria Ballarò. Here, a menu devised from local ingredients guarantees the very essence of the Sicilian larder – try panzanella with red shrimps, rich aubergine parmigiana or grilled amberjack with pani cunzatu (spiced bread).

For refined reinvention of tradition, look no further than MEC, where modern Mediterranean dishes are presented with impeccable attention to detail, as creatively as you’d expect from a restaurant in a palazzo-turned-technology-museum.

I’d recommend the dark ravioli with sardines and fennel, gnocchi with vegetable ragout and Sicilian Ragusano cheese fondue, or scallop with courgette flower and oyster leaf. The five-course tasting menu features my favourite dish, ‘Land of Love’ – rice served with goat’s cheese, ham, sea urchins and green mandarin. On your way back to the harbour, stop by Bottiglieria del

Massimo Champagneria for the best bubbles in town. oceaniacruises.com