It’s official – Zuma has taken over the Mediterranean

The Japanese restaurant is running three culinary pop-ups until the end of the summer.

With its sophisticated twist on the traditional izakaya-style of informal eating in Japan, Zuma has garnered international acclaim, boasting multiple outposts and countless pop-ups worldwide. Now, the restaurant is celebrating its 20th anniversary by taking over Southern Europe for summer, bringing its contemporary izakaya cuisine to the islands of Mykonos, Ibiza and Sardinia. All three venues will run until the end of the season. Commenting on the seasonal expansion, creator and co-founder Rainer Becker said, “This is a momentous summer for Zuma, with three new venues opening across Europe, including our brand-new Mykonos lifestyle hub. We opened the first Zuma in London 20 years ago and look forward to embarking on our next 20 years as we launch this new venue concept internationally.”

In Mykonos, Zuma has debuted a first-of-its-kind concept featuring a restaurant, a lounge and bar, an infinity pool, day beds and a resident DJ, taking guests from day to night. During the daytime, the restaurant serves the full Zuma menu, featuring savoury dishes like thinly sliced sea bass with yuzu and truffle, roasted lobster with green chilli and garlic shiso butter, and spicy beef tenderloin with sesame and sweet soy. The lounge, meanwhile, serves a snack menu of small plates, with Japanese adaptations of classic poolside dishes. As for the long, balmy summer nights? The pool will close, and both the restaurant and lounge will offer the full menu. Set between the island’s trademark white-washed villas and the Aegean Sea, Zuma Mykonos has been designed to complement the local landscape, with palm trees casting shadows over the restaurant’s pergolas and a perimeter wall made in the traditional Mykonos stacking stone design.

Over on the Spanish island of Ibiza, Zuma favourites await at a brand-new pop-up restaurant that’s located on the open-air terrace of the Ibiza Gran Hotel in the marina. Here, the concept was inspired by the elements of earth, fire, air and water, with the sushi bar and open kitchen located in the centre of the space, and the blues of the marina and Mediterranean Sea serving as their backdrop. Guests can enjoy signature dishes such as spicy beef tenderloin with sesame, black cod marinated in miso, and tiger prawns with yuzu. And with the rooftop venue now an island hotspot, it offers not only high-quality cuisine and cocktails, but also a social club of its own – part of the restaurant is a dedicated drinks space with a resident DJ, where guests are able to soak up the music and atmosphere throughout the long Balearic nights of summer.

Elsewhere, the concept has also landed in jet-set Porto Cervo in north-east Sardinia, boasting an open view of the marina from two floors of the island’s iconic Cervo Tennis Club. Guests can expect carefully crafted cocktails and Zuma’s signature contemporary Japanese cuisine against the backdrop of Costa Smeralda’s green-blue coastline. Diners can now enjoy the likes of sliced yellowtail, green chilli relish, ponzu and pickled garlic or robata dishes such as spicy beef tenderloin with sesame, red chilli and sweet soy. Upon arrival, guests are welcomed into a large lounge and bar area, as well as a resident DJ in the evenings to accompany the long summer nights. Upstairs, the robata grill and sushi counter are the areas of focus, with an open-plan design allowing a natural flow of energy throughout the space. And between Zuma marking its 20th anniversary and Costa Smeralda celebrating its 60th anniversary, a sense of celebration will be palpable all summer.

GO: Visit https://zumarestaurant.com for reservations and more information.