Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Mixologist Riccardo Ciancilla is bringing a touch of flair to the island after taking up the post of beverage manager at one of the kingdom’s top hotels, where he hopes to inspire visitors with his creativity.
The Italian was recently appointed at The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain and is overseeing the launch of Bar de La Plage, which is the latest addition to the resort’s beachfront venue.
Drawing inspiration from the notable characteristics of five famous beaches – St Tropez, Portofino, Ibiza, Mykonos and Seef – the new lounge aspires to do more than just serve food and drinks. In fact, a special menu has been created with an innovative take on each location.
Riccardo, 26, is delighted to be part of the team, and believes it’s the perfect place to hone his craft.
He said: “It’s my first time in the Middle East and I feel very lucky because it’s a beautiful place and the property is the best place you could ever hope to work.
“They really believed in my vision of mixology and what beverages I could create using advanced techniques and specifications to fit the themes and push the boundaries of the outlet.
“I love how we have different specifications based on the different beaches, and how it makes me adapt my work. I’m looking forward to working with the team here and inspiring them to create their own drinks too.”
Riccardo was born on the island of Sardinia, but moved to Tuscany soon after. At the age of 18, he moved to Buenos Aires with his parents, who are Argentinian, in order to improve his Spanish.
It was during his three years there that his passion for mixology was ignited in his first serving job. He learned from talking to others in his profession, and then had stints in England and Spain to hone his craft amongst some of the world’s finest gastronomists.
He won numerous competitions thanks to his sparkling creativity and ability to demonstrate his skills under pressure, and became one of the hottest prospects in Europe.
However, Riccardo believes there is no golden ticket or shortcuts to achieving your dreams.
It simply takes hard, solid practice. “Honestly, the best advice I can give is to practice, practice and practice again in every spare moment you can,” he explained.
“Obviously, professional education is essential too, and I implore anyone considering it as a career to take courses, but in my opinion, one gram of practice is heavier than 100 kilos of theory!
“I constantly asked my teachers for how to improve, as you can only learn by asking more questions. You’ll never reach a point in mixology where you know it all.
“If you want to get into it, work hard and fight to show that you have the attitude that you deserve your chance, and that chance will come along.
“Finally, I just want to say that I love Bahrain and I’m so grateful for everyone at the Ritz for bringing me here and giving me the opportunity. There’s lots of pressure but it’s so rewarding to do this job, and I hope everybody enjoys our new lounge. I believe we sell experience, not just food and beverages.”
The Bar de La Plage is open from Monday to Saturday, from 7pm-midnight. For more information and reservations, call 17586499.
