Latest news with #RikasHospitalityGroup
Emirates Woman
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Emirates Woman
Why the Gigi Rigolatto pop-up in Bodrum is a must-visit
Nazli Sonmez Vallee, Chief Brand Officer at Rikas Hospitality Group, shares how Gigi Rigolatto brings Italian glamour to the Aegean Sea. Describe the guest journey at Gigi Bodrum – what sets this summer pop-up apart from other luxury beachside concepts? Nestled inside the Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum, Gigi welcomes you with a breathtaking view of the beach and the endless Aegean, a setting so dreamy it feels like you've slipped away into another world. Here, time doesn't tick – it flows. You arrive for a sun-kissed lunch, and suddenly it's sunset, a Bellini in hand, live music in the air, and dinner just beginning. Gigi is more than a destination, it's a state of mind, where every moment stretches, every detail is delicious, and the vibe is always Alla Grande. Before you leave? A stroll through the Gigi Boutique, of course. A little something to take the feeling home. How do you blend the DNA of Gigi – Italian flair and Parisian elegance – with the soul of Bodrum? Bodrum has a magic of its own – it's soulful, sun-drenched, effortlessly elegant. At Gigi, we embraced that spirit by creating a place that feels both glamourous and grounded. We brought Gigi's Italian flair and Parisian art de vivre, but let Bodrum lead the rhythm – long, leisurely lunches, golden light over the sea, a soundtrack of cicadas and clinking glasses. The materials, the mood, the energy – everything is designed to reflect the raw beauty and warmth of the Aegean, while staying true to Gigi's signature lifestyle. It's a cultural conversation between the Riviera and the Turkish coast – and it just works. Can you walk us through the culinary concept – what regions of Italy are most represented in the menu? Our menu is deeply inspired by Southern Italy, particularly the sundrenched flavours of the Amalfi Coast. You will find an abundance of fresh tomatoes, olives, buffalo mozzarella, and freshly caught seafood, alongside beloved classics like spaghetti alle vongole, eggplant parmigiana, and grilled whole fish. It's all about simple, rustic cooking – generous in flavor, rooted in tradition, and centered aroundfresh, high-quality ingredients. We want every dish to feel warm, vibrant, and authentically Southern Italian – the kind of food you'd enjoy at a family table by the sea. What was the creative brief for Bodrum, and how was it tailored to the landscape? The brief for Bodrum was to bring the spirit of Gigi's Mediterranean glamour into harmony with the natural beauty of the Turkish Riviera. We imagined a space that feels sun-washed, textured, and intimate – drawing from the raw elegance of Italian design while embracing the Aegean's warmth and openness. The architecture plays with contrasts: earthy materials and refined finishes, bold forms and soft lighting, always framing the sea and landscape like living artworks. The goal was to create a place that feels both rooted and elevated – where the atmosphere invites long lunches, slow sunsets, and shared moments, all in true Gigi style. Gigi has already made its mark in Paris, Saint-Tropez, and Dubai. What made Bodrum the next perfect destination? Bodrum has that rare balance of natural beauty, cultural depth, and effortless sophistication – it feels both vibrant and serene. Much like Gigi, it draws a cosmopolitan crowd that appreciates great food, beautiful design, and unforgettable moments. Perched on the Aegean, Bodrum is where long days melt into golden evenings, and that spirit of leisure and celebration aligns perfectly with Gigi's Alla Grande lifestyle. It was the natural next step – not just a location, but a feeling that mirrors everything Gigi stands for. Gigi isn't just a restaurant – it's a cultural experience. How do you curate the music, crowd, and mood? At Gigi, we create what we call 'Le sens de la fête.' Entering Gigi Rigolatto is like vibrating to the rhythm of a constantly reinvented Dolce Vita. The music is key: our playlist comes to life through talented live musicians, blending jazz, iconic songs from the '50s and '60s, and timeless hits from both Italian and international artists. It's not just the background, it's the atmosphere. Singers and musicians interact with the room, getting people to sing, sway, and celebrate together. The crowd is just as curated as the soundtrack – a mix of elegant locals, jet-set regulars, and curious travellers, all drawn by that signature Gigi energy. It's about setting a tone that's refined yet spontaneous, where the mood shifts with the sun and every moment feels like it could only happen at Gigi. How does the space at Mandarin Oriental enhance the Gigi experience – from views to vibe? The setting at Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum is pure magic – it's like Gigi was meant to live here. From the moment you arrive, you're met with panoramic views of the Aegean, golden light, and a breeze that carries the scent of summer. The architecture and natural surroundings elevate every detail of the Gigi experience – from long, leisurely lunches with sea views, to sunset aperitivos at the Bellini Bar, and dinners under the stars. It's intimate yet grand, grounded in the beauty of Bodrum but infused with Gigi's unmistakable flair. At Gigi Bodrum, you don't just dine, you escape. This is The High Summer Issue – where's your favourite place to escape the heat? If not at Gigi in Bodrum, then always our family house in Datça. – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
What's On
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- What's On
Restaurant review: Gigi Dubai, is this St. Tropez stunner the queen of Dubai's beach club scene?
Have you been yet? When Dubai finds a hospitality niche that proves popular with the people, the city's community of restauranters, entrepreneurs and plucky F&B gold rush prospectors waste no time in rolling out the blueprints and applying the key mandate of economic philosopher, DJ Khaled. 'And another one'. We've seen it with smashed patty burger bars, and I can't find any studies backing this up but I'm confident that if you were to take a quick survey you'd see that there's more square footage of dinner and show venue in Dubai than there is on the whole of the Vegas strip. There are viral chocolate facsimiles by the baker's dozen, a playful proliferation of axe-throwing and mini golf bars, and a scandalous quantity of secret speakeasies. But if there's one corner of this market that Dubai has truly made its own, to an extent beyond comparison, it's Beach clubs. Amongst the sandy blizzard of fresh shoreline sun traps that made landfall last year, J1 Beach – replacing what was formally the La Mer complex, in Jumeirah 1 – had to be amongst the most captivating. 13 (almost uniquely bohemia-inspired) bars and beach clubs, stacked up in one luxury leisure district. It's a Disneyland for the sunnies and sushi set. That's some fierce commercial competition, It's also a lot of consumer choice. So where should discerning daycationers be spending their flop and drop dirhams? There are venues that are stronger on nightlife, some that have focused on their food offering and others that have committed themselves to the exclusivity proposition. But for me, whether you're going solo, as part of couple, a group of friends or as a family, Gigi Dubai is a glittery, elegant, wholly magnificent outlier. Fair warning though, it's priced accordingly. It's a concept imported from that Edenic spring of beach club bliss, St. Tropez – run here by zero-miss custodians, Rikas Hospitality Group. Gigi (intermittently referred to as Gigi Rigolatto) is the anthropomorphised spirit of Cote D'Azur glamour, a trust fund countess who beckons with a single bronzed finger, bidding you to come and take sophisticated sips at the Bellini Bar, shelter from the swelter in the adults-only pool, pack the kids off to the Circus (that's the kids club, though you do you), comandeer a beach cabana, or just enjoy the assorted dining delights from what might actually be the best new Italian menu in Dubai. That's a bold claim, so let's focus on the restaurant component. My eight-year-old son, Maverick, is the food critic I pay the most attention to in Dubai, and that's only partly because of the dire consequences of feeding him a bad meal. His review of the children's margarita pizza, was essentially a staccato collection of gratified grunts followed by a chef's kiss salute. I tried it, and can authenticate the ASMR-based five-star rating. We started with calamari (Dhs95), ricciola (a yellowtail carpaccio, Dhs170) and melanzane alla parmigiana(Dhs95). I've already shared a spoiler for how good the food is, but the bubbling, pastoral, fondant eggplant parmesan is the stuff of raw umami fever dreams, both music and muse, rhythm and Adriatic blues. Allora , the mains. This was my turn to make muted affirmations and euphemistic eye rolls. We had the polipo alla griglia (Dhs300) and a black angus tagliata di filetto (Dhs330), not appearing in our budget eats round-ups anytime soon, but certainly living in my head rent free for perpetuity. I've actually visited the Gigi on France's Cote D'Azure, and if you asked me to pick the better kitchen from my limited exposure, it's absolutely the one in Dubai. Faultless fare. The flavour of your experience of Gigi Dubai will be accented by the syrup of where you choose to sequester yourself, but it's impossible to find an angle that's anything less than sublime. Supine on the sundeck of the pool oasis, holding court at the bar, or just locked in to a leisurely graze in the restaurant's garden – thematically, dramatically, emphatically – there's atmosphere, detail and ethos in every corner. Gigi Rigolatto, J1 Beach, midday to 1am , pool and beach access: weekdays Dhs300 non-redeemable, weekends Dhs400 non-redeemable. Tel: (0)4 558 2067 @gigi_beach_dubai Verdict: Gigi is the new bench mark for grown-up and family beach club brilliance in Dubai. > Sign up for FREE to get exclusive updates that you are interested in
