Tashas opened 20 years ago in a neighbourhood centre in Atholl, Johannesburg. Today the group spans 14 brands and much of the growth is coming from the Middle East, where it is now based.
Founded by the creative and energetic Natasha Sideris, the group is marking its milestone year with a burst of Cape Town openings, alongside a multimillion-dollar deal to scale aggressively in the Middle East.
When Sideris launched the first Tashas, she’d spotted a gap for upmarket, casual daytime dining at a time when Joburg was more about themed spots such as Portuguese or Italian. Her plan back then was to write a cookbook and go back to university to study psychology. Instead, Tashas took off from the get-go, and expansion became the game plan. The same thing played out when she opened in Dubai in 2014.
The group now spans 45 locations across South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UK. Each brand has its own personality, and several are headed for South Africa. So we visited the Dubai outposts to get a taste of what’s heading our way.
Tashas
Tashas in Dubai sticks to the formula: classic, fresh, made-on-order cooking. Each location has an “inspired by” menu tailored to its neighbourhood. Our go-to chicken and cobb salad was startlingly fresh, especially given that Dubai is not an agricultural hub. As Sideris says: if Dubai doesn’t have it, they’ll fly it in.
Most of the waiters in Tashas in Dubai (and some other brands in the group) have been working in South Africa, mostly Zimbabwean, and many have been with the company for more than a decade. Precious Dube, for instance, has been with the company for 20 years and is now manager of the Jumeirah branch, the first Tashas in Dubai, which has just reopened after a revamp. Her son also works as a waiter in the group.
Avli by tashas
Avli is an elegant, subtle ode to Athenian culture. Think alcoves, layered lighting and an installation above the bar that evokes washing lines stretched across Greek courtyards.
It sits in the DIFC — Dubai’s finance hub and one of the city’s most upmarket dining districts. Neighbours include Cipriani, La Petite Maison and Zuma. Avli shares a passageway with the award-winning Galaxy Bar, also owned by the Tashas Group.
It’s the kind of place where people dress up and hold power lunches or where local men dressed in dishdasha (white robes) drift in for late dinners.
The menu covers starters and mezedes, seafood, grills and elevated Greek classics. We shared tzatziki, tirokafteri, Greek salad, sea bass, lamb youvetsi and a knockout chocolate parfait. It’s superb and priced accordingly. There’s talk of opening an Avli in Cape Town, but it would require a deep-pocketed franchise partner.
Flamingo Room
At the Jumeirah Al Naseem Hotel overlooking the Turtle Lagoon, Flamingo Room offers glamorous inside or terrace seating. The space champions “African glamour” not though cliches but through pastel pinks, teal, zebra motifs, baobab-like chandeliers and sweeping windows.
This Dubai location is more elevated than the Flamingo Room in Nelson Mandela Square in Joburg, which is expected to be redeveloped into a Tashas. In Dubai it feels like a luxury destination within a resort, with ultra-refined finishes and an international crowd. The burrata was exceptional, and it was another top-tier sea bass.
Next door is Collective Africa, a beautifully curated retail store featuring items from South Africa and beyond: Ardmore, Africology, Cape Copra, Donald Greig and Jambo, though many of the brands are global.
Bungalo34
Bungalo34 is a Mediterranean, beach-side spot on Pearl Jumeira, within the Nikki Beach Resort & Spa precinct. It has an Ibiza-meets-Riviera aesthetic: bright colours, seaside calm, a touch of whimsy and easy elegance.
The menu and sensibility pull from the French, Italian and Greek rivieras, leaning into fresh seafood, olive oils, tomatoes and herbs. Staff wear bright, striped uniforms, the space is family-friendly, and next door is a smaller outlet of Collective Africa. Prices are at the higher end, well matched to special-occasion meals. Standouts: another excellent sea bass and a memorable chocolate mousse. There’s indoor and outdoor seating, plus a terrace that spills towards the beach.
We’re told it’s close to what we can expect from Arlecchino on Sea Point Main Road.
Nala
Nala is a smaller, quicker-turnaround concept with a shorter menu and a cheekier personality. It draws a younger crowd and sits at a lower price point than Tashas. Think “fast food, done well” with salads, steak, braaibroodjies and other fresh, made-to-order dishes designed to land within eight to 12 minutes.
It’s located in Al Serkal, a creative district that is home to many festivals, food events and galleries, with three more Nala locations due in the coming months. There are touches of South Africa: polenta porridge with creamy corn, peppermint crisp pudding, lemon tart and even Chappies at the till. Communal tables and shared platters are likely to be introduced as the brand evolves. The salad we had was scrumptious, as was the peppermint crisp pudding.
Upstairs is the group’s academy, with separate test kitchens for food and beverages and an area for crockery and homeware development where Sideris and her team experiment with tableware for each brand. South Africa is likely to see Nala, although Europe and the Middle East will get it first.
Arlecchino
Arlecchino opened its first location in Sea Point in December. Like Bungalo34, it’s cheeky but sophisticated, with a nostalgic “old Italian” feel inspired by the fifties and sixties in Sea Point, the era of Venezia (once famous for its ice cream) and La Perla. Expect a higher price point than Tashas.
Tashas Home
Sideris has long wanted to go into homeware, and the first Tashas Home will open in Sea Point in January. It offers a mix of items designed by Natasha and her design team and sourced globally, including pieces inspired by Tashas, Avli and Arlecchino.
South African creative talent runs through the group’s brands. Verhaal (a South African duo now with a thriving business in Dubai) designed the interiors of Tashas, Avli, Bungalo34 and the Flamingo Room. Avli’s signature bar installation is by South African artist Elonah O’Neil, who also created the first installation at Tashas in Atholl Square 20 years ago.
Bungalo34 and Avli Bahrain feature South African mosaic sculptures from Marina Ehlers, and the cheeky watercolours that adorn the Flamingo Room cocktail and food menus are designed by Victoria Verbaan.
