If the Cala di Volpe beach has always represented its beating heart and landscape soul, the table has become the central expressive language of Nikki Beach Costa Smeralda. For the 2026 season, the iconic beach club of the international group led by Jack and Lucia Penrod is profoundly revamping its culinary offering, presenting a menu that seamlessly and elegantly blends its deep-rooted Sardinian identity with a distinctly cosmopolitan vision.
A gastronomic evolution designed to elevate the sea view lunch and the aperitif experience to a higher level of barefoot luxury, where informal elegance, the purity of the raw materials and the territorial identity blend into a complete sensory experience.
Chef Andrea Cirrone's Guide: Sardinian Tradition with a Global Ambience
Leading this new gastronomic course is the’Executive Chef Andrea Cirrone, who with his team has orchestrated a map designed to conceptually cross the entire Mediterranean basin, intertwining it with the stylistic and international codes of the brand's most famous destinations in the world.
The proposal for the season is developed through a carefully studied balance between three main pillars:
- Territoriality and local raw materials: symbolic ingredients of Sardinia reinterpreted through contemporary cooking and plating techniques;
- Raw seafood and signature sushi: an excellent selection ranging from the classics roll internationally inspired preparations based on fresh fish, ceviche and oysters;
- Great classics of the brand: Nikki Beach's historic dishes from around the world, designed for conviviality and refined sharing.
The 2026 signature dish: contemporary Sardinian fish fregola
Among the creations that best summarize this culinary philosophy stands out the Sardinian Fish Fregola, elected the absolute protagonist dish of the 2026 season.
Executive Chef Andrea Cirrone starts with one of the most iconic and historic ingredients of island cuisine—hand-worked fregula—to create a dish of great richness and depth of flavor:
- The structure and the aromas: the semolina pasta absorbs the noble notes of saffron and the intensity of the seabed;
- The marine component: the flavour and consistency are guaranteed by an abundant presence of clams, mussels and mullet bottarga;
- Freshness when raw: The dish is completed with a fine raw Sicilian red prawn tartare, embellished with lemon zest and fresh parsley.
A recipe that can become a narrative: a signature dish that tells the story of Sardinia to an international clientele, preserving the memory of local flavors and projecting them into a contemporary dimension.
Signature mixology and dedicated sommelier: beyond simple catering
The culinary experience at Nikki Beach Costa Smeralda finds its natural complement in the beverage offering, curated down to the smallest details to ensure harmonious pairings with the cuisine:
- The Cocktail List: alongside the reinterpretations of the great classics of world mixing, a series of signature drink tailor-made, characterised by the use of botanicals, perfumes and colours inspired by the Mediterranean scrub;
- The Wine List: Entrusted to the care of a dedicated sommelier, the selection ranges from the most prestigious international sparkling wines to the finest Sardinian and national wine labels, offering tasting menus designed to enhance both the delicacy of the raw seafood and the structure of the hot dishes.
Brand Value: Nikki Beach Hospitality Group
The new menu of the Porto Cervo branch confirms the dynamism of Nikki Beach Hospitality Group. Founded by entrepreneurs Jack and Lucia Penrod, the group has established itself globally as a pioneer of barefoot luxury hospitality, a format capable of harmoniously combining fine dining, music, entertainment, fashion, cinema and art.
In addition to the ongoing development of the historic Nikki Beach brand, the holding continues to expand its international portfolio with new restaurant concepts such as Lucia (launched in 2024) and Maison Mer (debuting in 2025), confirming the desire to constantly set new standards in luxury hospitality and fine dining sea view.
Photo credit: Nikki Beach Hospitality Group
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