Lemon runs through the new menu at Bungalo34, from the crumb on a seafood lasagna to the pastry cream in a dessert, and each dish comes from the family kitchen of Italian designer and collector Bertrando Di Renzo. Four of his family’s recipes are on offer at the Pearl Jumeirah restaurant from 16 October to 15 November 2026, as part of a collaboration with his interiors brand, Les Ottomans.

The collaboration has been developed with Natasha Sideris, founder and CEO of Tashas Group, whose Mediterranean-inspired restaurant provides the setting for Di Renzo’s colourful collections. Alongside the special menu, visitors will encounter Les Ottomans ceramics, glassware and textiles throughout the restaurant, with selected pieces available to purchase at Collective Africa, the retail space within Bungalo34.

For Di Renzo, the culinary element has a personal connection. Four recipes from his family have been adapted by Bungalo34, bringing dishes associated with his Italian heritage to a menu that ordinarily draws from the coastal cooking traditions of Spain, France, Italy and Greece.

Among them is Lasagna ai Frutti di Mare, which combines layers of seafood with prawn bisque and a Parmesan and lemon crumb. The Tortelli con Crema di Parmigiano Reggiano features pasta filled with ricotta and spinach, served with Parmesan stock and crisp Parmesan.

The family recipes also extend to dessert. Lemon Torta Caprese brings together almond and white chocolate in a cake, while the family’s Crema Pasticceria recipe has been adapted into a lemon pastry cream for Crema al Limone.

The remaining menu follows a broader Italian direction. Antipasti include Crema di Feta, Trio of Toast, Alici e Parmigiano and arancini. Larger dishes intended for sharing include ribeye saltimbocca and baby chicken basted with mustard and balsamic, accompanied by Parmesan potatoes and green summer vegetables. Dessert options also include Frutti Rossi e Crostoli and an alcohol-free Campari jelly with pistachio praline and crème anglaise.

While the recipes introduce one aspect of Di Renzo’s background, the restaurant’s interiors offer a closer look at the interests that have shaped his career.

A Collector’s Approach to Design

Di Renzo founded Les Ottomans around his fascination with decorative arts, historic interiors and objects encountered during his travels. His influences are varied, from tiles found in Italian villas and paintings in Indian palaces to unusual pieces discovered in flea markets.

Istanbul has been particularly important to his work. A city he considers his second home and a major source of inspiration, it has influenced the brand’s combination of Eastern and Western decorative traditions. That interest appears throughout Les Ottomans’ collections of ceramics, glassware, textiles, table accessories and other objects for the home.

Di Renzo has also been an advocate of maximalism, favouring strong colours, contrasting patterns and combinations of objects at a time when minimalist interiors were particularly prominent. His work places considerable importance on the individual character of a piece and the way different objects can be brought together.

Craftsmanship is another part of the brand’s identity. Les Ottomans worked with specialist artisans and ateliers in Italy and internationally, supporting traditional methods and skills that are becoming increasingly difficult to preserve. Alongside its collections, Di Renzo continues to develop bespoke commissions, international collaborations and hospitality projects.

At Bungalo34, this approach appears in the table settings and surrounding decorative details. Cobalt blue, yellow and white establish the principal palette, while lemon patterns, hand-painted ceramics, colourful glassware, patterned textiles and sculptural serving pieces appear across the restaurant and its terraces. Smaller decorative objects add further variation.

The tables do not follow one uniform arrangement. Instead, different patterns and materials are combined, reflecting Di Renzo’s preference for interiors that develop through collecting rather than matching every object.

The location was also an important part of the collaboration. Di Renzo has described his first visit to Bungalo34 as immediately familiar, particularly because of its colours, atmosphere and proximity to the sea. In his view, these qualities made the restaurant a suitable setting for Les Ottomans.

The Riviera Connection

Bungalo34 is Tashas Group’s first beachside dining concept, developed by Natasha Sideris with inspiration from her own Mediterranean Riviera retreat. Located at Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Dubai on Pearl Jumeirah, the restaurant takes references from the coastal destinations of Italy, France, Spain and Greece, including the design and social atmosphere associated with an earlier era of Riviera travel.

Its interiors, uninterrupted sea views and emphasis on long meals with friends and family provide the background for the collaboration. The restaurant serves Mediterranean dishes from breakfast through dinner, with the Les Ottomans menu introducing a more specifically Italian influence for the month.

Sideris has said that she admired Di Renzo’s work before the partnership, particularly his use of colour, craftsmanship and decorative objects. Both founders share an interest in creating spaces with a personal character, and the collaboration brings those approaches together in a restaurant setting.

Visitors can also explore the objects beyond the dining area. Collective Africa, Bungalo34’s existing retail concept, offers beach-inspired fashion, accessories and decorative pieces sourced internationally. During the takeover, it is presenting a selection of Les Ottomans products for purchase, giving guests access to the designs featured in the restaurant.

Cocktails Designed Around the Glass

The collaboration extends to the drinks menu, where the presentation of each cocktail has been considered alongside the Les Ottomans glassware used to serve it. Granita Siciliana is a semi-frozen basil and lemon sgroppino combining limoncello, lemon sorbet and prosecco, presented in a painted goblet. Fiore Frizzante is a sparkling, coastal-blue highball made with Malfy Gin con Limone, Suze, St-Germain, verjuice, prickly cactus and prosecco. The Negroni di Sorrento combines Portofino Gin, Mancino Rosso, Campari and Capri lemon. It is served over a solid block of ice in a Les Ottomans tumbler.

Each drink has been developed with the shape, colour and design of its glass in mind, bringing another part of Di Renzo’s collection into the dining experience.

The restaurant’s setting allows the collaboration to be experienced at different points throughout the day. Lunch can extend into the afternoon, while the terrace provides a setting for sunset drinks and evening dining. As daylight fades, the coloured glassware, ceramics and patterned textiles remain part of the table setting, with candles introduced across the terrace.

For Di Renzo, whose work has long been informed by travel, collecting and the objects people choose to live with, the collaboration places those interests within a working restaurant. The family recipes provide another connection to his background, while Bungalo34’s Mediterranean setting brings the food and design together.

The month-long partnership also gives visitors the opportunity to encounter Les Ottomans pieces in everyday use before exploring the collection at Collective Africa. From the plates and serving pieces to the cocktails and their accompanying glassware, the objects form part of the meal itself.