Condé Nast Traveler Exclusive Editor's Tips for Culinary Experiences Ashore

We are delighted to showcase the second in an insightful series of exclusive Editor’s Tips from our new exclusive collaboration, Condé Nast Traveler with Oceania Cruises. The magazine’s editors have curated select 2025 and 2026 voyages and are sharing insider knowledge of what to see, eat and experience in favorite ports.

In this entry we’ll be sharing the magazine editors “must-try” local foodie experiences. A complete menu of suggested culinary tips can be found at OceaniaCruises.com.

In case you missed it, please read our previous blog highlighting adventurous shoreside activities.

Condé Nast Traveler-Recommended Dining Experiences Ashore

1. Devour Hong Kong’s Best Dim Sum
   Palms & Pagodas: Riviera, March 10, 2025

   Port: Hong Kong, China
   Dim sum is a quintessential Hong Kong experience that should not be missed. Start with the best at three-Michelin-starred Lung King Heen, located inside the Four Seasons, which will spoil you with waterfront views and the city’s best char siu (barbecued pork). Another high-end option, Seventh Son, has a cult following, not to mention exceptional siu mai (prawn and pork dumplings) and har gow (prawn dumplings). Madame Fu at Tai Kwun does a glamorous free-flow dim sum menu, while Sun Hing Restaurant offers a taste of tradition. Sun Hing is walk-in only, but reservations are essential at the rest.

2. Dine on Fresh Seafood
   Wilds of Alaska: Riviera, May 29, 2005

   Port: Juneau, Alaska
   Don’t let Tracy’s King Crab Shack proximity to the cruise ship terminal deter you – this dockside joint isn’t a tourist trap. In fact, it serves up some of the most reasonably priced (and unreasonably tasty) seafood in the 49th state, much of which was pulled from the surrounding waterways by local crabbers. The sweet and meaty king crab legs are the reason there’s typically a line out the door, but the snow and Dungeness crab are worth donning a bib for too. It’s also worth ordering the homemade crab bisque and an extra side of garlic rolls.

3. Try Cod Tongue at Tjöruhúsið
   Vikings & Bon Vivants: Marina, July 11, 2025

   Port: Isafjordur, Iceland
   You’ll hear locals and visitors alike make one recommendation when it comes to dinnertime – the fresh fish at Tjöruhúsið – but their lunch buffet is not to be missed. Atlantic Wolffish topped with capers and mushrooms, cod tongue in garlic butter, pan-fried plaice with cayenne and cherry tomato, and more fill the serving station alongside a variety of salads and potato dishes. Email tjoruhusid@gmail.com to reserve a spot at one of the communal tables at least a week in advance during the summer months; the energy is infectious, and the waiting list is proof.

4. Grab Lunch at Restaurant Pandeli
   Greco-Roman Holiday: Allura, August 15, 2025

   Port: Istanbul, Turkey
   In Istanbul’s 500-year-old Grand Bazaar, make your way to the iconic blue-tiled Pandeli inside the Egyptian Bazaar, known for its spices, which has been serving classic Turkish cuisine (think succulent roast lamb with rice, smoky grilled eggplant, and oven-baked quince) for more than a century. What began as a humble köfte stand is now a culinary icon, and its legacy remains unwavering – in fact, Michelin awarded it Bib Gourmand in 2022. Make sure to book a table a few weeks ahead of time.

5. Skip the Restaurant and Go Trucking
   Tahitian Legends: Regatta, Aug 16, Aug 26 & Sep 5, 2025

   Port: Papeete (Tahiti), French Polynesia
   Head to the food trucks, or roulottes as they’re called here, for a cheap and cheerful alfresco dinner. They’re scattered around the island but one popular spot to scout them is Place Vai'ete (Vai’ete Square) by the Papeete waterfront, where the grills fire up at 6 p.m. daily. Pizza and burgers are always options, but the Tahitian-Chinese roulettes tell a fuller story of the island’s unique cultural cuisine. Chez Foung Yune and Roulotte Kim serve fusion dishes such as poisson cru à la Chinoise (a Chinese variation of the classic poisson cru with rice vinegar and ginger) and ma’a tinito, a combination of pork, beans, and macaroni.

6. Eat the Best Carbonara in Rome
   Greco-Roman Echoes: Vista, October 3, 2025

   Port: Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy
   If the Eternal City had a signature dish it would be carbonara – the creamy pasta sauce made with silky beaten eggs, salty Pecorino Romano, and crunchy bits of guanciale (pork jowl). And in a city with fierce competition for the best carbonara, there are three restaurants that vie for the title. Book a table at Santo Palato in San Giovanni for chef Sarah Cicolini’s superlative carbonara and other classic Roman dishes with a twist. For the quintessential Roman trattoria experience, line up for a table at the family run Da Enzo al 29 on the edge of Trastevere, which adheres strictly to the traditional recipe. Or book well in advance to try the unctuous spaghetti carbonara at beloved classic Roscioli Salumeria Con Cucina by Campo de’ Fiori.

7. Savor Fresh Lobster at La Langouste
   Vibrant Voyage to Rio: Vista, January 6, 2026

   Port: Gustavia, St. Barts
   Flamands Bay’s most talked-about resident may be Cheval Blanc St-Barth, and, with Michelin-starred French chef Jean Imbert behind the menu at fine-dining restaurant La Case, we understand why. But it’s worth slipping off your sandals and walking farther down the shore to the more tucked-away La Langouste, whose name should give you a hint at the house specialty. The Creole-accented menu is dominated by local spiny lobster, grilled fresh from the tank and served alongside a trio of Chef Michel Lefèvre’s signature sauces. Deemed the best lobster on the island by locals, the casual beachside restaurant is a go-to for lunch — and a welcome break from the haute hotspots.

8. Taste Flavors Unique to the Lion City
   Enclaves of Indochina: Sirena, February 21, 2026

   Port: Singapore, Singapore
   For a fine-dining experience that truly represents Singapore and its surrounding region, book a table at Seroja or Restaurant Fiz – two young restaurants with passionate chefs who are dedicating themselves to elevating ingredients from the Malay Archipelago. The food – like Seroja’s barbecued duck with crispy rice from a remote Borneo tribe or Fiz’s delicate blood clams swathed in peanut sambal – is sure to surprise and delight. At Seroja, you can also choose to pair your meal with non-alcoholic beverages made in-house with the restaurant’s fruit and vegetable scraps; every drink is a progressive adventure in flavor. Reservations at both restaurants, which can be made on their websites, are essential.

9. Try a ’Roo Sandwich at Guyala
   Barrier Reef Treasures: Vista, April 9, 2026

   Port: Cairns, Australia
   Founded by Oliver James, who kickstarted the local specialty coffee scene back in 2009 with his laneway joint Caffiend, Guyala is a spacious and breezy café at Cairns North. Located toward the end of the Esplanade, it’s an all-day café serving crowd-pleasing dishes with a tropical north spin. Try an Aussie ‘roo-ben’ sandwich made from kangaroo loin; the smashed avocado on toast served with indigenous finger limes, lemon myrtle, macadamia, and coconut dukkah; or the ever-popular chili crab omelets made with local banana flower and palm heart slaw. Excellent coffee goes without saying.

10. Tuck Into a Fountain-side Feast
    Sunny Sands & Chic Strands: Vista, May 13, 2026

    Port: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
    Some of the priciest – and most overrated – restaurants in Dubai are those that promise a prime vantage point over the fountains at the base of the Burj Khalifa, where an illuminated show brings the water to life every half hour in the evenings. But there’s no need to resign yourself to a mediocre meal in pursuit of a good view. The city’s Time Out Market has assembled Dubai’s most beloved bites – the chicken katsu sando at Reif’s, Mattar’s brisket grilled cheese, behemoth slices of “Kelvin cake” at Little Juns, and Masti’s burrata butter chicken among them – on the third floor of Downtown Dubai’s Souk Al Bahar, with a balcony that promises the best view of the gyrating fountains below.

Is your mouth watering yet? Which one of these gastronomic experiences will you try first? Let us know on Facebook.