Gabor Molnar's journey in the culinary and hospitality industries is both exciting and impressive. Starting his career in Budapest, Gabor worked at renowned establishments like Morrisons Club and Le Méridien. 

In 2015, he moved to the United Kingdom, making his mark at prestigious venues such as Boisdale Live Music Restaurants & Bars, D&D London, and Issho Ni. His passion for hospitality and mixology eventually led him to The Pig Hotel, where he thrived for nearly four years before assuming his current role at The Nici Hotel. Gabor's approach to bartending is rooted in extensive hands-on experience, gained through various roles and his WSET Level 2 certification in spirits and wine.

He believes that the key to being an outstanding bartender is excellent hosting, ensuring guests feel comfortable and delighted. Read the full interview below for deeper insights into Gabor's journey, his creative process, and his perspectives on the evolving cocktail scene and sustainability in bartending. 

Here’s our conversation with Gabor Molnar.

Your current place of work / Last place of work.

The Nici Hotel

Can you tell us about your journey into bartending? What inspired you to become a bartender? 

I started in a club when turned 18 in 2011 and was legally allowed to work in bars and at night. I fell in love with hospitality and bartending. Finished college as a waiter and chef but have always been working on the bar side of the operations.Moved to London in 2015 and 2 blinks later it’s 2024.I remember when I first started to work in hospitality, I was watching videos of Luca Cinalli, Luca Corradini, and of course Alex Kratena and Simone Caporale, etc. This inspired me to move to London and work in the best city for hospitality in the world (before the whole world turned upside down).

What training or education did you receive to become a professional bartender?

I haven’t done any bartending school but learned everything on the jobs, working in the hotel bar, club, and tiki bar, and then in London's big operations, high-end restaurants gave me the training to be able to work in any environment in any style and feel comfortable and at home behind any bar. I have WSET 2 in spirits and wine and spirits which was very helpful in my career. 

What are the essential skills every bartender should possess?

No.1 be a great host! Skills and knowledge are teachable but being hospitable and love looking after people is a rare thing and not everyone has it naturally. Our main job is to make our guests comfortable and happy and create a great atmosphere for them. I guess the rest of the skills are to come with practice and requirements of the place you working at. As long as you have common sense and humility you can learn and achieve great things.

What do you look for when you plan to buy new products for your business? 

Quality, story, price 

How do you stay updated with the latest trends and techniques in mixology?

Talking to other bartenders, hanging out in bars, social media, competitions

Can you describe your process for creating a new cocktail? What inspires your creations?

Memory, Life, kitchen, food, music, art, literally anything can be an inspiration. Creativity is something that everyone has and there are so many great things surrounding us to take inspiration from

Source: Gabor Molnar

Can you discuss any innovative techniques or ingredients you’re currently experimenting with?

Techniques and ingredients come and go and many things have been done before. Constant experimenting with flavors and local ingredients, focusing on sustainability, or using ingredients that the kitchen would discard are always somewhere on the top of my list.

What are some current trends in the UK drinks industry that you find exciting?

I do find Daniel Nevsky’s recent experiments and guides about different enzymes in cocktails.

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How has the cocktail scene in the UK evolved over the past few years?

The cocktail scene is all over the UK not just in London anymore.

What are your thoughts on the growing popularity of non-alcoholic spirits and low-ABV cocktails?

It’s good to see that that are brands who are supporting this and creating great non-alcoholic products for the people who want to enjoy more than just a juice or soft drink at a bar. However, nothing will ever beat that first Daiquiri that you have before even start drinking on a night out.

Source: South Beach Restaurant & Bar, one of the top restaurants in Bournemouth

How do you handle difficult or unruly customers?

As Skipper says in Madagascar “Smile and wave boys, just smile and wave..”. Sometimes everyone can have a bad day, so just listen carefully to the guest's request or complaint and deal with it swiftly and with the best knowledge you can with patience and grace.

How does sustainability influence your work behind the bar? Are there any eco-friendly practices you implement?

Sustainability is always on the top of my list; however, depending on the environment and business, there is so much an individual can do to be sustainable if the place’s ethos itself is not based on being zero waste, etc. 

Any good customer story that you recall that comes to mind?

Always fun when guests come and they remember you from even years back. But to be fair, as someone working in hospitality, I have a good story for every single service we do. Hopefully, others can agree with me on this.

Source: Gabor Molnar

What are the biggest challenges you face in managing a bar, and how do you overcome them?

Inflation/price increases leading to price increases from our side might frustrate some of the guests we are trying to accommodate.Staffing is always another issue that everyone experiences. On a day-to-day basis, we face many challenges but we just have to think swiftly and sort and get things done. New term for bartenders - mixologists.

How do you see the role of bartenders evolving in the next five years?

I’m hoping to bring back the passion and love for this industry in the new generation as it seems to be lost a bit after the covid/Brexit and friends era.

If you could only use five ingredients behind the bar, what would they be and why?

Rum, lime, sugar, fernet branca, coke.

This gives at least 10 options to make a drink and well Daiquiri till death.

Source: Gabor Molnar at his Bar, #BournemouthRestaurant #SouthBeachBournemouth #THENICI

What advice would you give to someone looking to start a career in bartending?

Don’t let the hard parts/pressure of the job discourage you, don’t be afraid to sink but learn to swim, learn from your colleagues, love your guests ask questions, listen to their stories, and enjoy every service, especially the busy ones. Always go home with more (knowledge/friendship/etc) than with what you brought today.

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