Although travellers may know Villa San Giovanni for its ferry port to Sicily, fans of gourmet cuisine are familiar with the port as the home of the “Vecchio Porto”, one of the best restaurants in the region and one which boasts spectacular views of the Straits of Messina from its second-floor terrace. The menu features classic dishes including fish cooked on the grill and more imaginative options such as the raw antipasti (snapper flavoured with sea-urchin sauce, lumpfish roe, onion and diced cucumber). The remarkable quality of the fish is a constant theme here.