NYBS Bartender Series
My name is Michele Lombardi, 31 yo, a proud Italian guy from south Italy working and living in London as Head mixologist for D&D company in Quaglino’s, a fantastic and old fashioned bar and restaurant rooted in the heart of Mayfair since 1929.
My journey in the bartending world have began when I was a teenager making cocktails for nightlife in my hometown in a bar owned by my father. After some bartending courses, my passion for this job definitely took over me. Discovering and tasting new flavours, trying to create something unique, was making customers happy and looking at their faces, I was flattered. After so many National cocktail competition and some experience all around my region in Italy (Puglia) I moved to Rome working in a beautiful hotel bar in the north but London was my dream, considered literally “the Mecca'' for every bartender who loves this job. Thanks to one of my old good friends and colleague Nicola Paterno (Head Bartender in one of the coolest bars in Singapore) I had the opportunity to join the Dirty Martini company as a Bar Supervisor.
Connections in London started to run really fast, having the opportunity to join a new company in The Shard for Aqua up to the 31st floor, started as a Senior bartender and then stepped as Head to be involved in the creation of the cocktail menu. After 2 fantastic years, a Michelin star restaurant lead by Jason Atherton, City Social, was looking for an Head bartender for lead the bar team and create a new cocktail list and I decide to get this new challenge which has been really successful when in December 2019 City social bar had a nomination for be awarded as a one the best luxury bar in London. After that I couldn’t say no to D&D company and Quaglino’s restaurant to join them as a Head mixologist of the company and here I’m creating menus and discovering new matches in a liquid form.
My name is Michele Lombardi, 31 yo, a proud Italian guy from south Italy working and living in London as Head mixologist for D&D company in Quaglino’s, a fantastic and old fashioned bar and restaurant rooted in the heart of Mayfair since 1929.
My journey in the bartending world have began when I was a teenager making cocktails for nightlife in my hometown in a bar owned by my father. After some bartending courses, my passion for this job definitely took over me. Discovering and tasting new flavours, trying to create something unique, was making customers happy and looking at their faces, I was flattered. After so many National cocktail competition and some experience all around my region in Italy (Puglia) I moved to Rome working in a beautiful hotel bar in the north but London was my dream, considered literally “the Mecca'' for every bartender who loves this job. Thanks to one of my old good friends and colleague Nicola Paterno (Head Bartender in one of the coolest bars in Singapore) I had the opportunity to join the Dirty Martini company as a Bar Supervisor.
Connections in London started to run really fast, having the opportunity to join a new company in The Shard for Aqua up to the 31st floor, started as a Senior bartender and then stepped as Head to be involved in the creation of the cocktail menu. After 2 fantastic years, a Michelin star restaurant lead by Jason Atherton, City Social, was looking for an Head bartender for lead the bar team and create a new cocktail list and I decide to get this new challenge which has been really successful when in December 2019 City social bar had a nomination for be awarded as a one the best luxury bar in London. After that I couldn’t say no to D&D company and Quaglino’s restaurant to join them as a Head mixologist of the company and here I’m creating menus and discovering new matches in a liquid form.
Let’s Get to Know Michele Lombardi
Can you tell us how is it to make cocktails for nightlife in your hometown in a bar owned by your father? What were your earliest learnings as a teen cocktail maker?
I would say that working during nightlife in my hometown was really fun and pleasant, people started to get more into cocktail world. One of my first bartending course that I ever made was the AIBES, (one of the first bartender association in Italy) learning all the IBA cocktails of that time.
What was the name of your father's bar? Do you still remember how it looks? What were the drinks that your father's bar is known for?
My father's bar name is Bar Lombardi, still up and running in my hometown known especially for Negronis and Spritz. Also, the time that I was there, I was making most of the time Tom Collins cocktail. The bar is very famous for sweets and cake in town (my father is a pastry chef) with with space inside and outside terrace during summer time for enjoy drinks, teas and coffees.
How was it moving to Rome working in a beautiful hotel bar on north? What was the year? What is the name of the hotel bar?
Rome was amazing, one of my favorite city in the world, I moved there in 2016 working for The Duke's bar in north of Rome (Parioli area).
As someone who has joined many National cocktail competitions, what was your most treasured moments there? Like where it was held, who were the opponents, did you won or lose or what was the prize?
The best thing about cocktail competitions is to get to know your colleagues and compare their ideas with yours. It is a great growth factor that leads you to have a broader view of the world of the bar. The Campari cocktail competition was the most important competition that I never took part, the final was held in Milan and I was in the 10 national finalist over thousand applications. Unfortunately didn't get the win and the final prize was to become the new global brand ambassador for Campari for 1 year.
Why did you say that London is the mecca for every bartender?
Why London is the "Mecca"? Just have a look in the 50 best bars list in the world and you will finds many places from London.
What do you think your best qualities why you became Senior Bartender then Head? What is the challenge or proudest moment of creating a cocktail menu?
Communication, knowledge and consistency can bring you to step up from Senior to a Head bartender. The big challenge is to create and link the theme of the cocktail menu to all the drinks created. Ingredients, homemade preps, story telling are little small details for make big differences for the final result. It is a big moment of pride for me when customers enjoy and understand what is drinking and why we create this. Every person has different taste and different view about cocktail world and when different people enjoy different cocktails I feel very flattered.
What is the feeling of working in one of the best luxury bars in London?
Honestly, you feel amazing and honored especially if the place is well known from the hospitality industry.
Please tell us how is the typical day of a Head Mixologist in this present company to D&D company and Quaglino’s restaurant.
The typical day for an Head mixologist doesn't exist, as much as you can schedule your duties, there's all time something to sort and look after. I can say that most of the time I'm with the bartenders, trying to teach them as much as I can with trainings, masterclass and internal competitions. Different story is when I'm starting to work for new cocktail menu, my focus is completely on that trying new preps, new ingredients for special matches.
How do you keep updated with the current trends in the industry?
There're many website that I use for keep my self up to date at all time. Many apps as well and blog which are really useful
What websites, blogs, podcasts or Youtube channels do you go to to learn something new about cocktails?
There're many website and apps that I use, Gronda is an app mainly for chefs but I do use to catch new techniques which are really useful for cocktails. Shoshin art club as well is a new platform created by Valentino Longo, an Italian head bartender working in Miami, super full of information and people of hospitality world from all over the world.
What cocktail creation are you most proud of and why?
The time that I was in City social, I created a clarified milk punch cognac based, chocolate and banana flavored with a Parmesan crisp
Is there anything else that we have not asked from you that you wanna tell us like a passion project, online course or a collaboration perhaps you just started or planning to do?
There're many collaborations going on at the moment like the new cocktail menu that I'm about to launch next week in collaboration with Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto, an Italian bergamot liquor super good that I really reckon to try. Also I'm about to start a new collaboration with Komi app for bartending masterclasses. Stay tuned.
If you can recommend a friend, colleague or just anyone you know on social media who post contents like yours - what's the name and how we can contact him or her?
I do reckon to follow one of my good friend and colleagues Fabrizio Donno ( fabriziodonno_ ) on Instagram. Really good stuff in there.
Please share your social media account links or websites that we can share with your bio and answers.
My name on insta is michele_lomba
https://instagram.com/michele_lomba
Also find attached a link where I've been nominated one of the best mixologist to follow in London.
https://londonspiritscompetition.com/en/blog/insights-1/londons-leading-bartenders-and-mixologists-you-must-follow-on-instagram-268.htm