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He says: “Raffaello taught me how to create the perfect balance of flavours in a drink and to respect each individual ingredient. But, without a doubt, the most important lesson he taught me was how to be the perfect host. Signor Raffaello was charming and charismatic, a man who knew how to make things happen. I hope that I have lived up to his example over the years. “Too many bartenders think it’s all about making a good drink, but a great mixologist doesn’t necessarily make a great bartender and vice versa. You need to strike the perfect balance between technical skill and charisma, too much of one and not enough of the other will make for a bad drink and a bad experience. “Remember that it’s all about hospitality.
Tere has to be soul in the bar otherwise no one will come to enjoy your work.” Fortunately, an empty bar is a rare sight at
one of Salvatore’s establishments, which have welcomed the likes of Nelson Mandela, Her Majesty Te Queen, Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, Kevin Spacey and Jennifer Lopez. He says: “Te Salvatore experience is perfect hospitality, a relaxed environment, and, of course, some truly great cocktails. “It’s really about people. In the same way that
Keeper of the Quaich accolade, Drinking Out Excellence Awards’ Spirits Personality of the Year 2009 and, most recently, the record for creating the world’s most expensive cocktail – the aptly named ‘Salvatore’s Legacy’, which costs £5,500 a glass. He says: “For me it was not just about
breaking the world record, I wanted to create a lasting legacy. I want people to remember ‘Salvatore’s Legacy’ for years to come. “If there’s one thing you should know about
me, it is that I am a control freak. I worry about diluting my brand and losing the reputation that I have worked so hard to achieve. My son however, would love to expand the Salvatore name, and I’m sure he would only choose the right locations and venues, so wait and see what the future brings.” Referring to his bespoke bar at Playboy Club
London, he concludes, “I remember taking the double-decker bus when I had just come to London in the late ‘70s and driving past this amazing place at 45 Park Lane, which was the original Playboy Club. Everyone, from Frank Sinatra to Princess Margaret, was seen there and I loved the atmosphere of sophistication and elegance that it gave off. So having the chance
no one person is the same, no one cocktail will taste the same because each person has different tastebuds that determine what they experience from a drink. Tis gives me the opportunity to constantly create new concoctions and dream up flavour combinations that will excite and defy the expectations of every person that visits my bar.” In addition to an impressive client list,
Salvatore’s long list of achievements include the Italian equivalent of the OBE, the prestigious
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to bring that same sense of excitement and style back to London with my own bar was an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
For more information about Salvatore Calabrese visit
www.salvatore-calabrese.
co.uk or Salvatore’s Bar, 14 Old Park Lane, W1K 1ND, 020 7491 8586.
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