If your client meetings usually involve hunting for a quiet corner in a crowded café, Bondz has a new alternative. The DIFC executive lounge has launched Executive Work Hours, a weekday concept that transforms its speakeasy-inspired venue into a stylish daytime destination for entrepreneurs, founders, executives and professionals.

Available Monday to Friday from 12pm to 4pm, the new offering is designed for everything from coffee catch-ups and brainstorming sessions to business lunches and back-to-back meetings.

The idea was inspired by founder & ex-banking professional, Ashish Agrawal’s own corporate experience. After years of hosting meetings in cafés, hotel lobbies and boardrooms, he recognised the need for a space that combines the comfort of hospitality with the privacy and sophistication professionals are looking for during the workday.

“Some of the most important business conversations happen outside the office,” says Agrawal. “But cafés can be crowded, hotel lobbies lack intimacy and most lounges only come alive after work. We wanted to create a space where professionals could meet, collaborate and build relationships in an environment that feels relaxed yet refined. While everyone celebrates Happy Hours, we thought it was time to celebrate Work Hours.”

Executive Work Hours includes three packages:

• The Espresso Stop (AED 45): Buy one coffee, get one free.
• The Desk (AED 95): Unlimited coffee for up to two guests, one starter and a complimentary house beverage.
• The Ritual (AED 195): Unlimited coffee for up to three guests, one starter, one main course and a complimentary signature beverage.

Each package is valid for up to four hours, making it suitable for everything from a single client meeting to a full afternoon of back-to-back appointments.

Located in Emirates Financial Towers, DIFC, Bondz has earned a reputation as one of the district’s stylish executive lounges. With the introduction of Executive Work Hours, the venue is extending that experience beyond evenings, offering professionals a more elevated place to work, meet and connect during the day.

Bondz’s menu thoughtfully pairs world-class cocktails with globally inspired cuisine. Beyond the Executive Work Hours offers, guests can elevate their meetings with signature cocktails and international dishes designed for leisurely business lunches and post-meeting conversations. Some of the best cocktails to try at Bondz are CoCotton, Dragon Breath, Monkey Boulevard, Rum Resolution, Secret Orchard and more.

For more than four decades, Signor Sassi has been synonymous with exceptional Italian dining, warm hospitality and effortless glamour. Founded in London’s Knightsbridge in 1984 and acquired by the renowned Italian family-owned San Carlo Group, led by the Distefano family, the restaurant has grown from a beloved London institution into an internationally celebrated luxury hospitality brand with locations spanning Dubai, Riyadh, Doha and Miami. Signor Sassi is recognised worldwide for attracting royalty, celebrities, international tastemakers and discerning guests who return time and again for its authentic Italian hospitality and vibrant social atmosphere.

Now, for the first time in its history, Signor Sassi returns home to Italy with the launch of Signor Sassi Mare in Porto Cervo, bringing its iconic dining experience to the heart of Sardinia’s glamorous Costa Smeralda for an exclusive summer residency.

Located at You Marina Restaurant and Lounge Bar in Piazza Azzurra, overlooking Porto Cervo’s iconic marina, Signor Sassi Mare combines the timeless elegance and celebrated cuisine of Signor Sassi with one of the Mediterranean’s most prestigious summer destinations. Set against the backdrop of Porto Cervo’s luxury yachts, crystal-clear waters and vibrant social scene, the residency offers a sophisticated yet relaxed celebration of Italian summer living.

Designed to capture the essence of long Mediterranean days by the sea, Signor Sassi Mare presents an elegant alfresco dining experience centred around exceptional seafood, premium seasonal ingredients and refined Italian classics. The menu pays tribute to the region’s rich culinary heritage while embracing the glamour and energy that have made Porto Cervo a favourite destination for international travellers, yacht owners and luxury seekers from around the world.

At the heart of the experience is a dedicated Pescheria, From The Sea selection, allowing guests to choose from the finest whole market fish and shellfish, prepared to their preference. Whether grilled, baked in salt crust, served acqua pazza style or paired with freshly made pasta, the menu showcases the freshest catch of the day in true Italian coastal fashion.

Alongside the Pescheria offering, guests can enjoy an array of signature crudo dishes, oysters, seafood towers, caviar and raw bar specialities. Much-loved Signor Sassi favourites also feature prominently throughout the menu, including lobster linguine, black squid ink spaghetti, seafood risotto and Milanese-style veal, celebrating the timeless flavours and culinary traditions for which the brand is renowned.

Reflecting Porto Cervo’s international summer crowd, Signor Sassi Mare will also introduce Yacht Sushi, an exclusive sushi menu featuring sashimi, nigiri, uramaki and signature rolls, designed to complement leisurely lunches, sunset aperitivos and elegant evenings by the water.

To conclude the experience, guests can indulge in desserts inspired by Italy’s southern coastline, from pistachio cake and lemon delizia to homemade gelato and classic tiramisu.

Marcello Distefano, CEO of San Carlo Group, said: “We are delighted to bring Signor Sassi Mare to Porto Cervo, one of the Mediterranean’s most iconic coastal destinations. As an Italian family business, it is particularly meaningful for us to bring the Signor Sassi brand to Italy for the very first time. Following the success of our expansion to locations such as Dubai and Miami, this opening marks another exciting chapter in the brand’s evolution. We look forward to welcoming guests to a truly vibrant celebration of Italian summer living on the Sardinian coast.”

Lorenzo Marras, President of Dining, Sunset Hospitality Group, said: “My connection with Signor Sassi runs deep; we first brought the brand to Dubai, and watching it become part of the city’s dining fabric was one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. This partnership with San Carlo Group feels like a story still very much in the making. Porto Cervo is a destination that demands the very best, and together, that is precisely what we intend to deliver. We look forward to welcoming guests to a summer they will not forget, and to many more ventures with San Carlo Group to come.”

As Dubai residents pack their bags for a London summer, San Carlo is quickly becoming the go-to booking for UAE travellers craving authentic Italian food, with two London locations ready to welcome them.

Tucked just steps from Harrods on Hans Road, San Carlo in Knightsbridge has been a staple part of London’s Italian dining scene for over three decades, loved for its glamorous dining room, classic menu and warm, family-run hospitality. On the edge of Mayfair, Cicchetti brings its Venetian-inspired, all-day small-plates menu to Piccadilly, with a fresh new interior that’s perfect for sharing good food and good company. Whether travellers fancy a classic, glamorous dinner or a laid-back share-plate evening, both spots sit just minutes from Knightsbridge and Mayfair’s favourite hotels and boutiques.

For the many UAE visitors who make London home for the summer, both restaurants offer something special, a dining experience that feels instantly familiar, like catching up with an old friend. In addition, both restaurants also offer private dining for those travelling with family or friends, making them a lovely choice for group bookings this summer.

Founded by the Distefano family in Birmingham back in 1992, San Carlo Group has won over food lovers across the Gulf through sister restaurants Signor Sassi and Cicchetti, with locations in Dubai, Doha, Riyadh, Al Khobar and Jeddah. The same spirit, authentic Italian food, genuine hospitality and no pretence, runs through every restaurant in the group, whether it’s in London or the Gulf.