Dream team: Elon Soddu, second from right, and his bartending staff
(Picture: Handout)A new bar helmed by the former head mixologist at the Savoy will open its doors in west London this week.
Amaro, which arrives on Kensington High Street this Wednesday (December 8), is the brainchild of Elon Soddu. Hired by the Savoy as a senior bartender in 2016, the Sardinian rose through the ranks over a four-year stint, becoming head bartender of the hotel’s Beaufort Bar in 2018, before being promoted to head mixologist of all the Savoy’s bars and restaurants last year.
Soddu will be joined by a team of four bartenders, two of whom have also previously worked at the Savoy, with the other two boasting experience at cocktail bars HomeBoy, KwÄnt and 69 Colebrooke Row.
The menu will cover 12 cocktails — two without alcohol — each offering a twist on classic drinks, from a pomegranate negroni to a pomelo and peach gimlet . They will be served from a black granite bar, which can seat 10, with space for a further 28 guests at the tables.
“Amaro embodies a passion for great flavours and experiences,” Soddu said. “Running the project from scratch, I had the chance to bring to life my own bar concept, combining the excellent service and mixology of a five-star hotel with the intimacy and approachability of a neighbourhood bar.”
In addition to the cocktails, Amaro will also offer a selection of Italian wine, champagne, spirits and liqueurs, accompanied by an Italian-rooted menu, ranging from Sardinian tuna tartare to small pasta bowls.
