Always against the flow, Salmon Guru Dubai is the place for a quirky, chic cocktail experience. Born in Madrid and ranked among the World’s 50 Best Bars, Salmon Guru's name comes from a previous tenant and the fish, which swims upstream to spawn.
The bar is divided into three zones with a 60s-style tropical bar, a neon-lit comic world and an Asian-inspired night market. Every cocktail is a blend of science and theatre, often using techniques such as sous vide infusions, seawater ageing or yoghurt clarifications, served in bespoke glassware.
Guru By Bangkok Post speaks to Franco Muñoz Moraga, head bartender at Salmon Guru Dubai, about moving to Dubai after working in his native Chile, and his cocktails.
How did you get into bartending?
I actually started just by chance. I’ve always been related to the hospitality, as a kid I was obsessed with TLC and theirs cooking programmes, specially 'No Reservations' by Anthony Bourdain. Since then I decided I wanted to be a chef and went to culinary school and worked in a kitchen. However, I soon realised the heat of the kitchen was not for me and a staff of the hotel I was working at offered me a position in an Irish bar in Santiago, Chile, and I fell in love with bartending in 2016.
Tell us about your journey from Chile to Dubai, after gaining recognition winning 'WorldClass Bartender Of The Year Chile 2023'.
The journey to Dubai from Chile it’s something that happened probably because I don’t like to keep still in a place for longer, so after getting the recognition of World Class Bartender of the Year 2023 Chile, I knew that I need it to use that platform to move to a bigger market, with even more space to keep growing. Seeking that, ended up in Qatar for two seasons before moving to Dubai where Salmon Guru became my house.
Tell us about your menu at Salmon Guru.
Our current menu in Salmon Guru Dubai is a perfect blend of cocktails for all the different palates and tastes. We’ve divide our menu into seven categories with five flavours profiles. This is to make it easy to find a cocktail for every guest. 'The Untouchables' are cocktails that everyone keeps coming back for so we can’t change them and for the drivers, we have mocktails.
How often does it change and what are your signature cocktails?
We change our menu once every year, in May before the anniversary.
What’s the 'Eat Your Cocktail' menu and how did that come about?
'Eat Your Cocktail' was an idea that we had and wanted to share with our guests. New experiences that are not just cocktails or not just cocktails in the way that usually consumed — drinking them. We took inspiration from the culinary avant-garde movement and using advance techniques we change the way our cocktail menu is consumed. You can literally eat your cocktails.
How do you blend your Chilean roots with where you are in the world into your drinks?
Even though I now live in Dubai, which is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, I’m primarily Chilean, so all my traditions, flavours and culture is always with me. I showcased this with the 'Banana Passport', which I showcased at the World Class UAE 2026. It is inspired by leche con plátano, a traditional Chilean milkshake that you find in every farmer's market the whole year around. This cocktail took me to the top 15, so my Chilean roots are always with my drinks and my journey.
What’s next for Franco Muñoz Moraga?
For now, do my best at the World Class UAE, aiming for the globals. Proudly representing my Latino heritage in the Emirates and soon the world.
