Dubai's top restaurateur Natasha Sideris prioritises flavour, experience over trends

Tucked into a side corridor of Dubai's Alserkal Avenue – a zone better known for contemporary art than culinary revelation – Natasha Sideris is doing what she always does before launching a new menu: tasting, tweaking, judging. In front of her sits a marble table scattered with ceramics, hand-thrown and unlabelled, as if she'd plucked them from a market in Athens or Marrakesh. This isn't a boardroom. It's a tasting lab, a theatre of decisions. This is where flavours are debated, dissected, and reimagined.
'Nothing goes on the menu unless I taste it,' she says, her hands moving with the kind of kinetic sincerity that comes from years on the floor. 'Every single dish, I taste. Then I treat it – I say, 'Okay, I love it,' and it goes on, or 'It's got potential. This is how we're going to fix it.''
This is the paradox of Sideris: a global restaurateur who operates like a local chef. While Dubai's culinary scene leans into spectacle – gold leaf, dry ice, neon mocktails – Sideris is building something slower, deeper, and far harder to replicate. Her empire is rooted in memory, in emotion, in the fundamentals of flavour that don't trend, but endure.
The reluctant restaurateur
She never meant to be in the business. The daughter of a South African restaurateur, she watched the job consume her father's time. 'I said I would never be in the restaurant business,' she admits, then smiles, half in memory, half in disbelief. 'I was going to study psychology.'
But a detour changed everything. Asked to help out at her father's restaurant, The Fishmonger, while studying, she found herself seduced – not just by food, but by the alchemy of space and emotion. There was a rhythm to it, a certain choreography – the way a good dining room moved, how people responded to small details.
'I love food – I'm Greek – and I love spaces. I like the way space can make people feel,' she says.
That trio – people, food, space – would become her business model. By day, she studied Freud and Skinner; by night, she wore an apron and closed tabs. 'I would go to university during the day, have my apron in the boot of the car, drive to the restaurant, put my apron on and start working, party like a crazy lady… go out till three, four in the morning, go to lectures and repeat.'
Her life became a symphony of motion. No investors. No safety nets. Just instinct and hustle. The psychology student was learning more from the kitchen pass than the classroom.
A Greek tragedy with a modern ending
It didn't get easier. Her first independent foray came via a loan shark and a franchise. 'I was taking a salary of AED 1,000 month,' she says. 'I did all the ordering, all the receiving. I cooked all the dishes.' The grit is almost mythological – 'Mine is a story of real Greek tragedy, and struggling.'
That early struggle embedded a discipline. She wasn't just managing a kitchen – she was managing possibility. Everything was personal. Every shift a test. Every menu a message.
When offered the chance to open something original in 2005, she came up with nearly 50 names before reluctantly landing on her own. tashas, in lowercase, debuted as a contradiction: understated but ambitious, rooted but elevated. That tension – soft branding with uncompromising standards – has defined her ever since.
The first location became a kind of pilgrimage site for locals looking for something sincere: not just food that tasted good, but an atmosphere that felt considered, whole, deliberate.
Building quietly in a loud city.
In Dubai, Sideris is an outlier. She avoids gimmicks. She isn't chasing the algorithm. Instead, she obsesses over balance. 'I think an important thing is the balance between over-innovating and being overly trendy and trying to be viral… and being classic.'
She speaks like a designer, but works like a chef. And she names her influences not from TikTok, but from legacy players. 'La Petite Maison… they do not care what everyone else is doing. They do what they do. They do it well – classic, good ingredients, good service, nice music. Quanto basto, just enough.'
This is her competitive advantage. Where others compete on noise, she bets on calm. On texture. On taste. The result is a quietly growing hospitality group with longevity – and loyalists.
Each venue in her portfolio is more than a restaurant – it's an environment. A world unto itself. There are no recycled templates. Every site has a different narrative. From tableware to typography, she obsesses over details that others outsource.
The Dubai chapter
In 2014, tashas landed in the UAE, opening in Galleria Mall. It wasn't instant magic. 'It was dead for the first four or five days. Oh my God, what have I done?' she remembers. But by day seven, the switch flipped: 'I remember not leaving for 17 hours, even to use the bathroom. It was packed.'
It was a tipping point, and it taught her something crucial about Dubai: if you build it right, people show up. But they only return if it's real. That kind of growth – slow, deliberate, unflashy – has been her method all along.
Today, her UAE portfolio includes tashas, Flamingo Room by tashas, Avli by tashas, Bungalo34 and Nala, the concept where we meet. With Saudi Arabia and London now on the map, the expansion is accelerating — but never carelessly. Each opening is a measured move, grounded in location, community, and her own near-obsessive involvement.
'Everyone thinks they're going to make it overnight,' she says. 'Some people are very lucky. They do make it overnight. Mine is a different story.'
The art of enough
At Nala – self-described as a 'casually fancy canteen' – everything speaks of restraint, not extravagance. The interiors are warm, not blinding. The plates are handmade. The food is unfussy — but faultless.
This, Sideris insists, is the future. 'One minute kale is in fashion, and everything's kale, and then everyone's just jumping on the same bandwagon. There's a lot of noise, and sometimes just providing people really good food and great service is much more effective than just all of this noise.'
It's not just ideology — it's business. Her view is that design might bring people in once, but only taste and service bring them back. 'A lot of restaurants are forgetting that they're actually serving food. No one can eat the table or the chair. The food's got to be good.'
She sees dining not as theatre, but as communion. A good meal, in her eyes, is about what happens between people: conversation, laughter, reflection. She's less interested in plates that go viral than in dishes that evoke nostalgia, that spark a memory.
And even as the industry contemplates AI, automation, and ultra-efficiency, she stays rooted in something older: presence. 'Nothing will take away human connection,' she says. 'There's a reason why someone goes to a restaurant. It's not just to look at nice things. It's also to feel a sense of connection.'
What's next?
Sideris doesn't talk in hockey-stick projections or IPOs. When asked what she would love to do next, she very quickly identified a gap in the market: a cool, independent boutique hotel. 'There are so many huge hotels… amazing ones, but big brand names, lots of keys… there's no really cool, hip boutique hotel.'
Although she shows no clear signs of building one soon, her team is bigger now and her systems are stronger. So, who knows what she might do next? 'We've had very slow and steady growth, few people working in an office. Now we have an army. I think we're ready to get into another gear and speed up a little bit.'
Speed, yes. But never chaos. The Sideris

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Khaleej Times

9 hours ago

• Khaleej Times

'First teacher': Dubai's royal family hail Sheikh Mohammed on Father's Day

We all love our parents, and while we are pampered by our mother's love, it is our father we look to for guidance. As the UAE celebrated Father's Day 2025 on Saturday, June 21, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Media Council (DMC), and Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Olympic Committee, wrote touching tributes to their father Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. "I learned from my father that giving is a value that makes life flourish.. and that responsibility does not mean a position.. but rather the ability to give," Sheikh Hamdan wrote in a post on X. "From his wisdom we derive our strength.. and from his words we draw our determination.. and with his vision we move forward with confidence and reassurance towards a more beautiful tomorrow, God willing," the Dubai Crown Prince added. Meanwhile, Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed said they were raised to believe that "building a person is more important than building a structure." "At Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid School, we were raised to believe that fatherhood is a message and a responsibility... and that building a person is more important than building an urban structure... and the father remains the support and role model... and the truest story told throughout life," Sheikh Ahmed said. Sheikh Mansoor called Sheikh Mohammed his "first teacher." "On Father's Day, we remember the great role fathers play in building people and shaping nations. A father is not just the head of a family; he is the first teacher and an inspiring role model. I learned from my father, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, that a true father is one who instills values ​​before words and leads with actions before words. Happy Father's Day," he said. Meanwhile, Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, said: "Every year, you are my source of strength and support, my inspiration and the light that I follow."

The National

13 hours ago

• The National

Sheikh Mohammed pays tribute to father with excerpt from new book Life Taught Me

, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has paid tribute to his father by publishing an excerpt from his new book Life Taught Me, which is to be released in the coming months. Sheikh Mohammed posted the message on X on Father's Day, which is celebrated in the UAE on June 21. The post included part of the ninth chapter of the book and reflects on the enduring lessons passed down by his late father, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed, former ruler of Dubai. The book will offer reflections on leadership, character and life values. Sheikh Mohammed has said he learnt many of the lessons from his father. 'Every time I think about my father's shrewdness and wisdom … his life and his biography … I realise how much I learnt from him … and how I was influenced by his personality,' Sheikh Mohammed said on X. The tribute paints a vivid portrait of Sheikh Rashid as a calm, composed and principled leader who shaped Dubai's development and inspired his son. 'I learnt from my father the simplicity of life, self-control, not to be preoccupied with trivialities and not to believe weak-minded and frivolous people,' Sheikh Mohammed wrote. 'I learnt from him how to listen … and when to be tough and when to be gentle.' Describing his father as dignified and compassionate to all, Sheikh Mohammed said: 'His mere presence commanded reverence from everyone. My father was rarely angry or upset. He was kind and good-natured. He did not like deception. He did not get alarmed or panicked by anything. Rather, he was steadfast, confident and serious.' The post offers a rare insight into how Sheikh Rashid's legacy has shaped Sheikh Mohammed's approach to governance. 'I learnt from my father to love my family, relatives, brothers and to be close to my sisters … and I still do,' he said. 'I learnt from him to love honesty and justice.' Sheikh Mohammed said his father's strong character left a lasting impression. 'My father did not like a lot of food, or a lot of talking or a lot of buildings and palaces. Rather, he tended towards simplicity, lightness and self-control.'

Khaleej Times

13 hours ago

• Khaleej Times

'He had an eye for people': Dubai Ruler pens poignant tribute to father Sheikh Rashid

As the UAE celebrates Father's Day on Saturday, June 21, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, penned a poignant tribute to his father the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum. Sheikh Mohammed reflected about his father's numerous qualities like "simple living, self-restraint" and "love for family" and how deeply he was shaped by his character. The Dubai Ruler, who has authored many books, quoted from his upcoming literary endeavour 'Life Taught Me,' where he has dedicated an entire chapter to his father. The book will be published in the coming months. In the chapter, titled 'May God Have Mercy on My Father,' Sheikh Mohammed says: "The more I reflect on my father's wisdom, insight, life, and legacy, the more I realise how much I learned from him — how deeply I was shaped by his character. "I learned from him how to carry oneself with dignity — naturally, without pretense — and to be tolerant toward those who are ignorant, kind and gracious with everyone." Sheikh Mohammed touched upon how Sheikh Rashid taught him to love his family, giving readers a rare glimpse into the father-son relationship. Read the post below: "رحÙ� اÙ�Ù�Ù� أبÙ� ".. اÙ�Ù�صÙ� اÙ�ذاسع Ù�Ù� Ù�ذابÙ� اÙ�جدÙ�د "عÙ�Ù�Ø°Ù�Ù� اÙ�Ø­Ù�اة " اÙ�Ø°Ù� سÙ�صدر Ø®Ù�اÙ� اÙ�أشÙ�ر اÙ�Ù�ادÙ�Ø© .. رحÙ� اÙ�Ù�Ù� أبÙ� .. Ù�Ù�Ù�ا Ø°Ù�Ù�رذ Ù�Ù� Ø­Ù�Ù�Ø© أبÙ� Ù�Ø­Ù�Ù�Ø°Ù� â�¦ Ù�Ø­Ù�اذÙ� Ù�سÙ�رذÙ� .. أدرÙ�Ø° Ù�Ù� ذعÙ�Ù�Ø° Ù�Ù�Ù� .. Ù�Ù�Ù�Ù� ذأثرذ بشخصÙ�Ù�Ø°Ù� .. ذعÙ�Ù�Ø° Ù�Ù� أبÙ� بساطة اÙ�عÙ�Ø´ .. Ù�ضبط اÙ�Ù�Ù�س .. Ù�Ø£Ù� Ù�ا Ø£Ù�شذÙ�â�¦ — HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) June 21, 2025 "He taught me to love my family, my relatives, and my siblings, and to stay close to my sisters — and I still do," the Dubai Ruler wrote. "His very presence commanded respect," Sheikh Mohammed added. Leadership qualities Sheikh Mohammed also spoke about the leadership qualities that he inherited from his father. "He taught me how to accept criticism, to have confidence in myself, and to balance kindness with people and the gravitas and firmness that my position requires," he reflected. "He never judged matters by first impressions. Instead, he pondered, reflected, consulted, and asked questions. I learned from him to listen carefully to those with sound judgment and wise minds. "He had an eye for people — especially the youth. He supported those with entrepreneurial talents and entrusted administrative tasks to those with capability. He had foresight and was thorough in his thinking. He disliked haste, but once he made a decision, he acted without hesitation, doubt, or confusion," he added. Towards the end of the tribute, Sheikh Mohammed concludes with the words: "May God have mercy on my father."