As diners increasingly seek experiences that offer a more personal connection to the people behind the food, hotels are creating opportunities to meet, dine with and hear directly from the chefs shaping today’s culinary landscape.

This summer, both Forte Village and Mar-Bella Collection are doing just that, with a series of intimate chef-led dining events across Sardinia and Greece.

This season at Forte Village, a programme of Michelin-starred dinners, chef collaborations and new restaurant openings brings some of the most prominent names in Italian and international cuisine to Sardinia.

Meanwhile, Mar-Bella Collection’s Greek Chefs Abroad series returns for a sixth year, welcoming internationally recognised Greek chefs back to their home country for a series of intimate dining experiences across Corfu and the mainland.

Celebrity Chef Nights – Forte Village, Sardinia

Running since 2009, the series will take place throughout the summer and will bring together a line-up of Michelin-starred chefs for a programme of dinners set on the Terrazza overlooking Forte Bay. Each night offers a rare opportunity to experience the chefs’ signature dishes in a more personal, conversational setting, with the chefs themselves hosting, cooking and interacting with guests throughout.

This season’s line-up includes some of Italy’s most celebrated culinary names and each night’s menus are designed to reflect the chef’s individual style and philosophy. The schedule is:

  • Chef Fabio Pisani, Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia (two Michelin stars): July 1
  • Chef Giuseppe Mancino, Il Piccolo Principe (two Michelin Stars): July 6 & 7
  • Chef Max Mascia, San Domenico Restaurant: July 9–10.
  • Chef Andrea Berton, Ristorante Berton: July 16, August 21, August 26

Alongside the wider chef programme, guests can experience one of Italy’s most anticipated culinary reunions. On July 4, Michelin-starred chef Carlo Cracco returns to Forte Village for the opening of Cracco Restaurant, joined by long-time friend chef Matteo Baronetto, one of the leading chefs in contemporary Italian cuisine. Together, their menu will blend technical precision, creativity and Italian ingredients.

Forte Village will also launch MU Dim Sum, a new contemporary Chinese restaurant opening July 4. Led by executive chef Bryan Hooi Mun Chung, the concept centres on refined Cantonese cuisine designed for sharing, with dishes ranging from dim sum and seafood to a signature multi-course Peking Duck experience.

Mar-Bella Collection Greek Chefs Abroad

Mar-Bella Collection’s Greek Chefs Abroad series returns for its sixth year in 2026 with the theme From Tradition to Table, bringing acclaimed Greek chefs back to Greece for a programme of intimate dining events across its Corfu and mainland hotels. Celebrating chefs who have built international careers before reconnecting with the flavours and techniques of home, the series continues this summer with upcoming events at Elix on 17 July, led by Panagiotis Lenakis, known for his blend of Mediterranean heritage and Nordic influence with a focus on sustainability, followed by the closing dinner at Nido on 25 July with Nikos Roussos of two Michelin-starred Funky Gourmet, recognised for his contemporary take on Greek cuisine. Alongside the dinners, a curated programme of immersive experiences – from artisanal tastings to interactive workshops – extends the culinary offering beyond the table.

Greek Chefs Abroad 2026 – From Tradition to Table

  • July 17 | Elix: The series then moves to Elix with Panagiotis Lenakis, a chef acclaimed for bridging Mediterranean heritage with Nordic philosophy, shaped by Michelin‑starred experience and a strong focus on sustainability and seasonality.
  • July 25 | Nido: Greek Chefs Abroad 2026 concludes with Nikos Roussos, co-founder of two Michelin-starred restaurant Funky Gourmet. Nikos is a leading figure in modern Greek fine dining, known for his avant‑garde reinterpretation of traditional flavours through innovation and technique.