14th International Gastronomy Festival
Taste the Mediterranean
9 – 13 September 2026Mali Lošinj
“We do not sit at the table to eat, but to eat together.” — Plutarch, 1st century
WorkshopsTastingsRestaurantsExclusive Dinners
About the festival
4 days of the Mediterranean
For fourteen years, Taste the Mediterranean has been bringing together top chefs, restaurants, hoteliers, and food and wine producers from across the Mediterranean. Catering to both professionals and tourists, the festival organizes culinary workshops for aspiring chefs, exclusive seaside dinners, engaging expert panel discussions, and guided tastings of premium products. It was launched in 2014, when UNESCO included the Croatian Mediterranean diet in the list of the world's intangible cultural heritage. All the key figures of this unmissable gourmet event will gather from September 9 to 13 in Mali Lošinj, in the Kvarner region — a European Region of Gastronomy. To date, the Taste the Mediterranean festival has been held in Šibenik, Rovinj, Hvar, Split, and Mali Lošinj. It has featured 130 chefs from around the world sharing their knowledge and experience—chefs recognized for their culinary artistry with Michelin stars, Gault&Millau toques, and accolades from JRE and The World's 50 Best Restaurants.
The festival in numbers
- 13
- previous festivals held in Split, Šibenik, Hvar, Rovinj and Mali Lošinj
- 130
- award-winning top foreign and domestic chefs took part in the festival
- 140
- exclusive dinners jointly prepared by two, three or more chefs
- 95
- international speakers took part in panel discussions and lectures
- 3000
- tastings for 1,000 visitors of the night cooking show prepared by chefs San Degeimbre, Lionel Levy and Guillaume Sourrieu at St. Michael's Fortress in Šibenik
- 80
- participants gathered at the conference in Split for the launch of the Mediterranean Women Chefs platform, aiming to strengthen the role of women in gastronomy
- 134
- masterclasses held by award-winning top domestic and international chefs, sharing their knowledge and experience and demonstrating the preparation of their finest dishes
- 800
- attendees took part in culinary workshops for professional chefs, students and gastronomy pupils
- 40
- chefs from 10 countries gathered in Split in 2022 for the 10th anniversary of the Taste the Mediterranean festival
- 60
- festival guests on the island of Šolta in 2023 enjoyed a dinner by Leonor Espinosa, the world's best female chef
- 250 kg
- of mussels prepared for the "Mussel Feast" marking Šibenik's 960th anniversary
- 120
- exhibitors – producers of food, wine and olive oil
- 43
- artists and entertainers took part in the programme
- 126
- domestic and foreign journalists covered the festival
- 45,000
- festival visitors
- 20
- participating countries
Participants
Chefs & Guests 2026
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News
Latest news
What's new in the world of gastronomy?
Taste the Mediterranean: Ultimate gourmet festival
For the second time, Mali Lošinj is hosting the International Festival Taste the Mediterranean From September 9 to 13, visitors will have the opportunity to sample the very best that the Kvarner – the European Region of Gastronomy 2026, has to offer to lovers of Mediterranean flavours
Neurogastronomy and the gelato for the health
“Neurogastronomy and the gelato for the health” this is the name of the round table that will take place on the 1st of December 2025 at the MIG EXPERIENCE, the Artisanal Gelato Fair of Longarone close to Belluno. Italian researchers have studied the potential and the influence of the gelato from the cognitive, sensorial and
Festival Partners 2026
Gallery
Festival memories
Join the festival
Experience the unique Mediterranean live and participate in the festival. As a professional or as a tourist, see for yourself why our motto is: good food, good wine, good fun!