What makes a cocktail bar's food pairing successful? - Interview with Giacomo Gianotti, founder of Paradiso

For me, there is no contradiction between playfulness and precision. The theatrical moment, the surprise, the emotion you see in the guest's eyes – all of this is only possible because behind it lies discipline, technique, and respect for the profession. We can only break the rules if we know them deeply.

At Paradiso, the show is never a decoration, but an extension of the drinks. Everything you see, every gesture, every serving utensil, every scent, must serve the cocktail. Otherwise, it's just noise. We seek poetry, but with the rigor of a laboratory.

Paradiso has now evolved into an international reference point for cocktail culture. What do you think has remained the same about the concept since its inception?

Curiosity. From that point on, our concept from day one was to create a place where we ask, “what if?” What if a cocktail could be experienced as a story? What if sustainability became full of creativity, not limitation? What hasn’t changed is the desire to surprise ourselves first, and then our guests. The human side, hospitality, is at the heart of everything we do, not rankings or accolades. When a guest feels welcome, everything else can build around that.

When putting together the bar menu, did you start with the cocktails and build around them, or do the food and drinks evolve together?

It’s definitely more of a dialogue than a predetermined process. Sometimes it starts with a flavor idea, like an ingredient or even a memory. Other times it’s a technique we’re excited to discover or a direction that comes from the food. We spend a lot of time talking things through together, with the chefs and bartenders challenging each other and building the menu as we go.

The food plays a supporting role, with mortadella sandwiches, cold cuts and small bites serving to complement the drinks rather than compete with them. The key is to strike a balance and create a seamless experience.

In your opinion, what makes a food pairing successful in a cocktail bar?

Both from balance and tension. A good pairing is not only harmonious, but also full of contrast that creates energy. The goal is for the food to open up something new in the cocktail, and the cocktail to change the way you think about the food. If everything tastes the same, it's boring. If everything clashes, it's confusing. The best pairings are like a good duet, where each voice is strong, but they listen to each other.

How do texture, temperature and aroma affect the relationship between food and cocktails at Paradiso?

These are the dimensions that transform taste into an experience, and at Paradiso we work with all three to build layers. Texture is an emotion, it can be creamy, airy, crunchy, it controls the perception of taste; temperature controls the intensity and timing, a cold cocktail seals certain notes and highlights others; and aroma is a memory that arrives before the taste. Sometimes we smell something before we taste it, sometimes we touch it before we sip it. It's a choreography of the senses.

Do today's guests want a full gastronomic experience when they visit a cocktail bar?

Yes, expectations are changing. Guests are traveling, curious, comparing experiences between cities and cultures. They don’t just want a good drink, they want a story, a journey, something memorable. Not necessarily formal fine dining, but a thoughtful, coherent and immersive experience. The cocktail bar is evolving into a space where the boundaries between bar and restaurant, art and technology, disappear.

If you had to describe Paradiso with three feelings instead of three words, what would they be?

Awe, because we want to keep that childlike curiosity alive. Connection, because everything we do is about people sharing a moment. Transformation, because we hope that even a small experience can change a guest’s perception of cocktails.

What does the future of cocktail bars look like from Paradiso's perspective?

I see a future where creativity is deeply connected to responsibility. Sustainability is not a trend, but a duty, and even a source of innovation. I also collaborations between chefs, artists, and scientists, making the cocktail bar even more multidisciplinary.

At the same time, we must not forget simplicity. The technology, the techniques, the storytelling, all of it is beautiful, but ultimately it is all about creating genuine feelings in the guests. If we lose that, we lose everything.