Cocktails in Paris

It’s always a genuine pleasure to sit down and chat with Giacomo Gianotti, the co-founder of Barcelona’s Paradiso bar opened since 2015 (World’s best bar in 2022 #1) and co-creator of Barcelona Cocktail Fest.

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to interview him several times, and each conversation leaves me inspired in new and unexpected ways. Beyond his undeniable talent and creativity as the founder of Paradiso, Giacomo has a unique ability to articulate the deeper layers of the craft.

This time, we meet to talk about Paradiso’s new menu Oltre—once again an ambitious and immersive project built around a strong central theme. Known for pushing boundaries, Giacomo has crafted a narrative that goes far beyond the glass, transforming the menu into a cohesive universe where drinks, presentation, and storytelling all connect. Each cocktail becomes a chapter, inviting guests to explore a concept that blends innovation, sustainability, and emotion in true Paradiso fashion.

What keeps drawing me back is the chance to pick his brain on a topic that has always fascinated me: creation.

Whether it’s a cocktail, an experience, or a full thematic journey like this new menu, Giacomo approaches the act of creating with curiosity, precision, and a touch of magic. In this conversation, we dive into his vision—how ideas are born, shaped, and ultimately brought to life behind the bar.

Paradiso has built a very recognisable identity over the years — how do you keep evolving that language without it becoming formulaic?

                  GG: For me, Paradiso has always been much more than a cocktail bar. It is a place built by people, ideas and a shared passion for creating something real. The moment you start repeating yourself just because something worked in the past, you risk losing the emotion that made it interesting in the first place.

What keeps us evolving is staying constantly curious, we look at what inspires us today, whether that comes from art, from Barcelona, from travelling, from conversations within the team or simply from everyday life. Paradiso has its own identity, but it isn’t something fixed just like people, it grows, changes and discovers new things about itself over time.

This is your first new menu in two years — what needed to shift internally before you felt ready to introduce something new?

                 GG: Honestly, we never felt pressure to create something new just because time had passed. A new menu needs a real reason to exist.

We spent those years experimenting, learning, and letting ideas develop naturally as a team. When we found a direction that genuinely excited us and felt meaningful for guests, we knew it was the right moment.

That is how Oltre came about, exploring flavour, perception and creativity through collaborations with local artists and producers. Creativity cannot be rushed.

At this point, do you think guests come to Paradiso for discovery, or to experience a version of the bar they already expect?

                   GG: I think they come for both, and that is something very beautiful. We have guests from the neighbourhood who have been with us for years and who feel at home when they walk through the door, and we also have people who travel across the world because they are curious to discover something new.

Our responsibility is to take care of both, we want people to recognise the spirit of Paradiso, but at the same time we want them to feel a sense of wonder. In my opinion, hospitality should always have a little bit of magic in it regardless of if someone is a new guest or someone we’ve known for years.

Surrealism can easily stay at the level of visual illusion — how did you push Oltre beyond aesthetics into flavour and experience?

                 GG: From the beginning, we knew that the visual element could not be the destination, it had to be the starting point. We wanted Oltre to be something people could truly experience with all their senses, which is why we collaborated with artisans and creative partners who could help bring these ideas into the physical world.

But at the centre of everything was always the cocktail itself, if the drink is not memorable, nothing else matters. The goal was never to create something strange or spectacular for its own sake. We wanted guests to feel part of the story, to interact with it and to experience it in a way that felt personal.

When you design a drink, what comes first today: the taste, the concept, or the interaction? And has that hierarchy changed over time?

GG: For us, taste always comes first, before the concept, before the presentation, before anything else because at the end of the day, we are creating cocktails, and people should enjoy drinking them.

Once we have the flavour, we can start building the story around it and thinking about how guests will experience it. Over the years we have learned how to connect those elements more naturally, but the foundation has never changed. The first question is still the simplest one: would I be happy to drink a second glass?

There’s a fine line between immersion and distraction — how do you decide when a concept is adding meaning rather than just complexity?

GG: For us, it always comes back to intention. We’re constantly asking ourselves, is this adding something to the experience, or is it just decoration? If something only surprises you for a few seconds and then disappears, it’s probably not enough.

A good example is Illusion. When the drink is poured, the glass changes from white to black, which creates this unexpected moment, but it’s not there just for spectacle. It ties directly into the idea behind the cocktail, playing with perception and inviting guests to question what they’re seeing.

In the end, it’s not about complexity for its own sake. The ideas that matter are the ones that create a real emotional connection, something that feels natural, memorable and genuine.

Paradiso is known for highly constructed serves — how do you reconcile that level of production with sustainability concerns?

GG: Sustainability is not a separate conversation for us, it is part of every decision we make. We are always looking for ways to reduce waste, reuse ingredients and work more responsibly without compromising quality. In many cases, those challenges actually make us more creative with our flavour profiles, garnishes and presentation.

Your work with local artisans and producers is central to this menu — beyond storytelling, what concrete impact does that have on sourcing and sustainability?

GG: Working with local artisans and producers is about building genuine relationships. It means we can support the people around us, cut down on unnecessary transport, and stay much closer to where our ingredients and materials come from. But it goes beyond that. It becomes a real exchange. We learn from each other, and when different crafts come together, it naturally sparks new ideas.

Looking ahead, do you think this kind of immersive, high-production cocktail experience can continue to evolve — or does it need to be rethought under current constraints?

                   GG: I believe it will continue to evolve, but perhaps with a different mindset. Today people are searching for experiences that feel authentic and meaningful, they want something that stays with them after they leave. I do not think the future is about creating bigger productions or more elaborate presentations, it’s about creating deeper connections.

The challenge is finding ways to engage the senses, tell stories and create emotion while remaining responsible and conscious of our impact. For me, that balance is where the most exciting ideas will come from.

As always, speaking with Giacomo Gianotti is both enlightening and invigorating. His approach to creation goes far beyond technique—it’s a mindset, a constant exploration, and an invitation to see the bar as a space for storytelling and emotion.

Each time we speak, I come away with a deeper appreciation for the thought and intention behind every detail at Paradiso. It’s this relentless pursuit of innovation, paired with a genuine passion for the craft, that continues to make him one of the bests.

Until our next conversation, one thing is certain: he will keep pushing boundaries—and we’ll be here, cocktail in hand, eager to see what he creates next!

Salud!