Simone Caporale: Being named the world’s best bar is nice, but life goes on

editor editor Photo: Visitchef.com

„It’s more important to know what to do after you win than to be obsessed with winning itself — to use it as a springboard for your next step. If you don’t have that clarity, don’t chase rankings,” says Simone Caporale, one of the world’s top bartenders and co-owner of Sips Barcelona, which ranked first on the prestigious World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2023.

“Guests come to a bar for the experience, and it’s our role to create a deeper connection with them. When you have a regular guest and know what they like to drink, you begin to build a...
“My family has deep roots in barbecue cooking, and I am proud of that tradition. It took me 18 months of experimentation and refinement to fine-tune the timing and technique of roasting duck and...
“We break the rules in the name of flavour. I see myself as a storyteller, because I spend most of my time talking about a bottle of Brockmans Gin and helping people discover new layers of taste. We...
“Blending Austrian and Greek gastronomy feels completely natural to me - it’s how I grew up. When I cook, something feels missing if it leans too heavily in a purely Greek direction. And I’m...
“When we opened the Handshake Speakeasy bar, there was a boom of secret speakeasy bars. At the beginning, even the employees of the hotel where the bar is located didn’t know where the bar was. And...
“In competitions like Bocuse d’Or, there’s always a feeling that you could have done something differently. But at the moment of decision, you have to stand by your choice. You can’t predict the...
"We always focus on what we already have in our portfolio, but of course we also look around to see what we could create as our next product. There is still room in the world for new gin brands, but...
“Some people say that alcohol will completely disappear in the next fifty years, but I don’t think so. Alcohol is fun and not entirely a bad thing,” says Pavel Sochor, Bar Director at Prague’s Alma...
“Our bar is exclusive — but that doesn’t mean luxurious. It means: less, but done well. We wanted to create a community, and most of our guests are close friends. We’ve been asked to open in...