There are restaurants that serve dinner, and then there are places that seem to understand the rhythm of summer. NAŌ belongs firmly to the second category. For 2026, the French hospitality group Annie Famose is taking its distinctive blend of Japanese precision, Mediterranean ease and late-night energy into a new chapter — with Saint-Tropez at the centre of the story and Sardinia providing its most exciting new setting.
After several seasons at Place des Lices, NAŌ Saint-Tropez has moved to the legendary harbour, trading the shade of the town square for a front-row view of the yachts. The change feels entirely natural. By day, the restaurant opens onto the water, catching the light for long, leisurely lunches; after sunset, the mood shifts almost imperceptibly, with music, cocktails and dinner carrying the evening towards its final hours.
The kitchen remains rooted in a contemporary Japanese vocabulary, but never feels bound by it. Binchōtan grilling, raw preparations, seasonal vegetables and carefully selected produce from the Var meet Mediterranean ingredients with a lightness that suits the setting.
Start with the Ebi Dashi, crisp shrimp tempura served with a delicate dashi sauce, or the Dashi Eggplant, where silky aubergine meets feta yoghurt and a touch of spicy pepper. Seafood takes centre stage in the Citrus Hamachi, a finely cut yellowtail carpaccio brightened with fennel, mikan, olive oil and cumin, while the Bibim Tuna combines tuna tartare, avocado, bell pepper and a soy-cured egg yolk.
The rolls are equally inventive, from the mango and salmon-filled Mango Shake to the King Crab Tobiko, layered with avocado and yuzu jelly. For the table, grilled octopus, tiger prawn yakisoba and Black Angus beef offer more substantial choices. Desserts keep the same spirit, with Sakura Pavlova, chocolate namelaka and playful popcorn tacos. It is food designed for the Riviera: precise, generous and best enjoyed without watching the clock.
And there is a good reason not to. NAŌ Saint-Tropez will remain open through Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, extending its season into one of the most anticipated weeks on the French Riviera. As the harbour fills with classic yachts and the town enters its annual sailing spectacle, NAŌ will continue to move naturally from lunch to aperitif, dinner and late-night celebration. DJs will set the tempo, creating the kind of soundtrack that makes a Saint-Tropez evening feel longer than it actually is.
But the most significant development for NAŌ this summer is happening further east. In Sardinia, the brand is opening NAŌ Sardegna on the island of Tavolara, in partnership with the celebrated Brazilian hospitality group Fasano. Accessible only by boat and set against one of the Mediterranean’s most striking natural backdrops, the new destination is less an outpost than an entirely new expression of the NAŌ philosophy.
Here, the journey begins before the table. The approach by sea, the rugged landscape, the intense Sardinian light and the sense of arriving somewhere deliberately removed from the usual summer circuit all form part of the experience. Natural woods, mineral textures and an architecture open to the landscape are intended to sit quietly within Tavolara rather than compete with it.
The cuisine will turn its attention to the island itself. Sardinian produce will be interpreted through NAŌ’s Japanese-Mediterranean lens, with Binchōtan cooking, raw dishes, bright citrus and seafood at the heart of the menu. Lunches will give way to sunset gatherings, followed by DJ sets and evenings shaped as much by the surrounding sea and landscape as by what is served at the table.
It is an ambitious move. The Costa Smeralda has no shortage of beautiful restaurants, but NAŌ Sardegna is chasing something slightly different: the feeling of discovering a place rather than simply booking one.
From Saint-Tropez to Saint-Barthélemy and now Tavolara, NAŌ is building a hospitality universe rather than a collection of addresses. Its common thread is easy to recognise — sophisticated but unforced, highly visual without becoming precious, and always tuned to the changing energy of the day. In Saint-Tropez, that energy will carry on through the sailing season and into Les Voiles. In Sardinia, it begins with a boat ride across the water. Both, in their own way, make the same promise: summer is not something to rush through. It is something to stay for.
Address: 22 Quai Jean Jaurès, 83990 Saint-Tropez
Phone: 04 94 49 76 63
Address: Via Tavolara, 08029 La Caletta, NU, Italy
Phone: +39 342 048 7815