Inside Natasha Sideris’ World: From Tashas Cafés to Timeless Homeware at Tashas Home

“I’ve spent my whole life thinking about how people feel when they walk into a space,” Natasha Sideris, Founder and CEO of Tashas Group, tells me as we sit down among the warm, understated elegance of Tashas Home at Dolce Vita in Sea Point. For over twenty years, she has been setting tables across continents—creating meals, moments, and memories that linger long after the last bite.

Along the way, certain objects proved indispensable—not because they were trendy or delicate, but because they simply worked: beautifully, consistently, and effortlessly. Tashas Home, her new homeware collection, brings these objects together. The space lets crockery, glassware, linens, and collectibles shine, embodying the philosophy that good design should be lived with, used daily, and built to last.

In our conversation, Natasha reflects on her journey—from childhood hours in her father’s restaurants to launching cafés, bars, and now Tashas Home—sharing the risks, inspirations, and principles that continue to define the unmistakable DNA of her hospitality empire.

Looking back to the very beginning, what early moments in your life — especially growing up around your father’s restaurants — shaped your belief in the kind of hospitality you wanted to create?

Growing up around my father’s restaurants had an incredible impact on me. I spent countless hours watching how he welcomed people, how much pride he took in the food, and the way he treated guests as if they were coming into our home. Those early memories taught me that hospitality isn’t just about serving a meal. It’s about creating a feeling. I saw first-hand how a restaurant could become a place where people gather, celebrate, and connect. The way we make people feel can have such a positive impact and it’s been my inspiration ever since.

The first tashas café opened in 2005 with a goal of challenging the status quo in casual dining. What was the biggest risk you took in those early days, and how did you push through uncertainty?

Opening the first tashas in 2005 was a real leap of faith. I had a clear vision of creating a café with beautiful interiors, freshly made food, and genuine service at a time when casual dining was often quite uninspired. Financially, it was also a big risk. As I didn’t have a proof of concept, no bank would give me a loan, so I had to go to a loan shark. It felt terrifying at the time but showed just how much I believed in the idea.

Of course there were moments of uncertainty in those early days, but I kept coming back to the vision of what I wanted the experience to feel like for our guests. I focused on getting the basics right – the food, the space, and the service – and people responded to it immediately. That gave me the confidence to keep going and build what tashas has become today.

Your philosophy is grounded in “beautiful food, stunning environments, and engaging service.” How do you ensure these principles are present in every new concept you develop across different countries and cultures?

Those three principles are the foundation of everything we do, and they guide every decision we make when developing a new concept. No matter where we are in the world, we focus on creating food that is honest and beautifully prepared, spaces that feel thoughtful and timeless, and service that is warm and personal. It’s about making sure every element works together to create a complete experience.

At the same time, we’re very mindful of the place we’re in. Each concept is carefully shaped by its surroundings, the culture, and the people who will visit it. While the spirit of what we do remains the same, the details evolve so that every restaurant feels authentic to its location while still carrying the unmistakable DNA of each of our brands.

What have been some of the most surprising lessons you’ve learned while expanding internationally, from South Africa to the UAE, London, and beyond?

One of the most surprising lessons has been how universal the fundamentals of hospitality really are. No matter where we open, whether it’s Johannesburg, Dubai or London, people respond to the same things: beautiful food, a welcoming atmosphere, and sincere service. When those elements are done well, they transcend cultural and geographic differences.

At the same time, every market teaches you something new. You learn to listen more closely, to understand how people dine, socialise and experience restaurants in different places. The key has been to stay true to our philosophy while remaining open and respectful to the local culture, allowing each restaurant to feel both familiar and perfectly at home in its surroundings.

Tashas Group isn’t just one brand — it now includes concepts like Flamingo Room, Avli, Galaxy Bar, and more. How do you decide when an idea is ready to become its own unique concept?

We actually have fourteen different concepts now across elevated dining, premium casual, fast casual, bars and retail. I keep promising the team that we’re not going to add any more, but the truth is that sometimes a space or location inspires something entirely new. When I walk into a place and can clearly imagine the story, the food and the atmosphere, that’s usually when a new concept begins to take shape.

Arlecchino is a great example. It was originally meant to be a tashas, but when I thought about the Sea Point as I remembered it as a child — full of gelaterias and Italian restaurants in the 70s and 80s — it suddenly felt like the perfect opportunity to bring that feeling back. In the same way, the space next to it was supposed to be a small takeaway juice bar, but in a moment of inspiration we turned it into our first Tashas Home store. Sometimes the best ideas come from simply responding to the space and imagining what would feel most meaningful there.

You’re known for being deeply involved in every detail, from interiors to recipes. Can you share a memorable moment where that attention to detail changed the outcome of a project?

That’s a difficult question because I’m honestly obsessed with detail. To us, every little element contributes to the bigger picture. Guests may not specifically notice the way the salt and pepper are placed on a table or what they’re served in, but we think about all of it because those details shape the overall feeling of the experience.

One example is the tiramisu we serve at Arlecchino. We spent a lot of time thinking about how to make it a truly special moment for the guest — not just the recipe itself, but how it arrives at the table, what it’s served on, and even the vessel for the mascarpone cream, which we present in a bespoke vessel. All of those small decisions come together to create something memorable, and for me that’s where the magic of hospitality lies.

Team culture and mentorship are clearly important to you and your group. How do you foster a sense of family and growth across your global team?

People have always been at the heart of what we do. Many of our team members have grown with us over the years, and creating opportunities for them to develop is incredibly important to me. We invest a lot of time in training, mentorship and giving people the confidence to grow within the business, because when people feel valued and supported, they bring their best to the table every day.

At the same time, we try to create an environment that genuinely feels like a family. I’ve always believed in staying connected to the team – whether that’s spending time in our restaurants, listening to their ideas or simply asking about their lives outside of work. As we’ve grown internationally, we’ve also invested in structured training and development to ensure our people continue to learn and evolve with us.

As someone who studied psychology before fully committing to hospitality, how does your background in understanding people influence the way you lead and design experiences?

I never thought that studying psychology would give me a deeper appreciation for how people think, feel and connect with their surroundings. Hospitality is, at its core, about understanding people – what makes them feel comfortable, welcomed and cared for. That perspective has influenced both the way I lead my team and the way we design our spaces, always thinking about how someone will experience a restaurant from the moment they walk through the door.

It’s also shaped how I work with people. Building restaurants is really about building teams, and understanding what motivates and inspires individuals helps create an environment where people feel valued and supported. When your team feels that sense of care, it naturally extends to the way they look after our guests.

You’ve authored cookbooks and built a hospitality empire — now you’re launching Tashas Home, a homeware collection created with the same care, craft, and considered detail that defines everything the group does. What inspired this new direction, and how do you see the collection reflecting the Tashas ethos?

Tashas Home really grew very naturally from the last twenty years of building restaurants. Over time, there were certain plates, glasses, linens and objects that we kept returning to because they were not only beautiful but also practical and durable in a busy restaurant environment. Many of the pieces are also inspired by my travels and the places that have influenced me over the years. The idea was to gather these objects – the ones that have proven themselves over time – and make them available for people to enjoy in their own homes. It also gives us a wonderful opportunity to showcase the different brands and concepts within the Group through curated collections.

In many ways, it reflects exactly the same philosophy that guides our restaurants. I believe good design should be lived with and enjoyed every day, not saved for special occasions. The collection is about timeless pieces that feel good in your hands, that work beautifully, and that create a warm and inviting table – the same feeling we try to create for our guests in our restaurants.

For creatives and entrepreneurs in the audience, what advice would you give on staying true to your vision while scaling a business in today’s world?

For me, the most important thing is to be very clear about what you stand for from the beginning. When you grow, there are always pressures to compromise or to move faster than you should, but if you stay anchored in your core principles it becomes much easier to make the right decisions. Those values become the filter through which everything passes.

At the same time, you have to surround yourself with people who believe in that vision as much as you do. A business can only scale if the people around you understand the heart of what you’re building. When your team shares that commitment to quality and purpose, growth doesn’t dilute the vision – it strengthens it.