Giacomo Giannotti, owner of famed Barcelona bar Paradiso, the No.3 best cocktail bar in the 50 Best Bars 2021 list, is heading to Australia.

Giannotti is currently on a guest tour of South East Asia and Australia, taking over some of the best cocktail bars in the region, including as The Loft at Waldorf Astoria, Bangkok; MO Bar at Mandarin Oriental, Singapore; W Hotel in Brisbane and Maybe Sammy in Sydney.

Originally from Tuscany, Giannotti (above) grew up in the family ice cream bar. Following his passion for mixology, he decided to fly first to London, to settle then in Barcelona.

At the end of 2015 he fulfilled his dream of opening his own cocktail bar when Paradiso was born. The Speakeasy-style cocktail bar is accessed through a retro-style fridge door inside a pastrami bar.

50 Best notes: “The majestic curved wooden panelling of Paradiso’s front bar is the last thing you expect to see after walking through the fridge door at the back of a pastrami shop in Barcelona’s trendy El Born district. To match the stunning décor, owner Giacomo Giannotti and his team have worked hard in Paradiso’s off-site laboratory to develop its Universo menu, which physically lights in the dark. The element of surprise continues with the elaborate drinks on the glowing menu, such as Space Colada and the Volcano Negroni, which is served alongside a mini dry ice volcano erupting over the glass. However, as well as its show-stopping cocktails, Paradiso also has its own signatures, including the Great Gatsby and Supercool Martini, which uses ‘supercooled’ water to build an iceberg in the glass before creating a personalised Martini right at your table.”

In 2020 he opened Galileo, his second bar in Barcelona, a cocktail bistro with an industrial-chic design that offers a modern reinterpretation of the Italian aperitif, offering a menu of innovative signature cocktails and tapas with traditional flavours of Italian cuisine signed by chef Gabriele Milani.

Giannotti continues to be very active on the international scene, traveling the world to do masterclasses and guest shifts. You’ll find him at W Brisbane from May 5-15 and at Maybe Sammy (ranked No.22 on the 50 Best Bars 2021 list) from May 16-17.