Nico
De
Soto
Globe-trotter bartender, Nico de Soto visited 108 countries and organized pop ups in 53 of them.
Avid traveler, Nico visited 419 of the Top 500 Best Bars 2023 list, and 60 of the 100 World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024.
/PRESTATIONS
1
Beverage
ConsultingMenu and concept creation - guidance and consulting for openings
2
Master Class
Master Class animation and events around brand creation and event or product launches
3
Pop up
Ephemeral event operations for bands, locations and launches
4
Brand
ActivationsConcept creation and guidance
ABOUT
NICO
DE
SOTO
Parisian born and raised, he first began bartending in Paris in 2005 where he was trained in the art of classic cocktails. In 2007, he moved to Australia and began work in Melbourne, where he spent a year crafting libation.
Nico de Soto then returned to Paris, working in China Club and became bar manager at Mama Shelter before joining Paris’s most respected cocktail bars, the Experimental Cocktail Club and Curio Parlor.
In 2010 Nico joined the opening teams at Dram and PKNY (former Painkiller) in New York and then became the head mixologist of the Experimental Group, opening back to back the very successful Experimental Cocktail Club in London and New York, respectively nominated 3rd best bar in Europe 2012 at Cocktail Spirits Awards and top 4 finalists World’s Best New Bar in 2013 at Tales of Cocktails and 26th best cocktail bar in the world by Drinks International.
In 2013, Nico worked at the awarded 69 Colebrooke Row and Happiness Forgets in London, names respectively Best Bar in the World at Tales of the Cocktails and 6th Best Bar in the World by Drinks International 2013.
In 2015, he opened his first cocktail bar Mace in East Village in New York ranked 28th best bar in the World at Drinks International World’s Top 50 Best Bars, for the fourth year in a row.
In 2016, he opened in Paris Danico, in the heart of the Italian trattoria Daroco, with his two restaurateur friends Julien Ross and Alexandre Giesbert. In 2018, he opened Kaido in the Design District of Miami with James Beard’s awards multi-nominated chef Brad Kilgore, a Japanese influenced cocktail lounge.
His approach of drinks is inspired by travels and cuisine, always trying to get new flavors, combinations and techniques. He uses a lot of modern techniques, like sous-vide to achieve the best flavors, centrifuge to clarify juices or rotovap to make his own distillates.
In 2023, Nico returns finally to London, opening Daroco Soho and , in the basement, the cocktail bar Wacky Wombat.
In 2024 he launched Kota, a pandan liqueur.
//Awards
Nico de Soto won the award of the “Most Influential French Bartender” at Cocktails Spirits Bar Show 2014 in Paris.
In 2016 he was ranked “40th Most influential French people in their thirties in the French gastronomy” (he’s the only bartender in the ranking).
In 2024 he is ranked 30th “Industry Most Influential Figure” by Drinks International.
This unique experience reflects on his work and his way create in mixology. He is known today, in France and Worldwide, to be the one who brought back and popularized the Clarified Milk Punch, but also being responsible for introducing the pandan as a new trend in the mixology. Since 2024, he even has his own pandan liqueur named KOTA.
Finally, Nico has his own line of bar tools created in collaboration with the World leader barware company Cocktail Kingdom.
/awards
2013
Grandlife
Top 5 NYC Most Legendary Bartenders
2013
Grandlife
Top 5 NYC Most Legendary Bartenders
2014
Cocktail Spirits
Most Influential French Bartender
2014
Cocktail Spirits
Most Influential French Bartender
2015
Drinks International
Mace ranked 38th at World’s Top 50 Best Bars
2015
Drinks International
Mace ranked 38th at World’s Top 50 Best Bars
2015
Playboy’s Magazine
Mace America’s Most Imaginative Cocktail Concept
2015
Playboy’s Magazine
Mace America’s Most Imaginative Cocktail Concept
2016
Atabula
40th Most Influential French People in their 30s
2016
Atabula
40th Most Influential French People in their 30s
2016
Tales of the Cocktail
Mace Top 4 World’s Best Cocktail Menu
2016
Tales of the Cocktail
Mace Top 4 World’s Best Cocktail Menu
2016
Drinks International
Mace ranked 28th at World’s Top 50 Best Bars
2016
Drinks International
Mace ranked 28th at World’s Top 50 Best Bars
2016
Bar Convent Berlin
Danico Top 4 Europe’s Best New Bar
2016
Bar Convent Berlin
Danico Top 4 Europe’s Best New Bar
2017
NYC Time Out Awards
Mace Most Creative Cocktail Menu
2017
NYC Time Out Awards
Mace Most Creative Cocktail Menu
2017
Tales of the Cocktail
Mace Top 10 World’s Best Cocktail Menu
2017
Tales of the Cocktail
Mace Top 10 World’s Best Cocktail Menu
2017
Tales of the Cocktail
Danico Top 4 Best New International Cocktail Bar
2017
Tales of the Cocktail
Danico Top 4 Best New International Cocktail Bar
2017
Tales of the Cocktail
Top 4 International Bartender of the Year
2017
Tales of the Cocktail
Top 4 International Bartender of the Year
2017
Drinks International
Mace ranked 42nd at World’s Top 50 Best Bars
2017
Drinks International
Mace ranked 42nd at World’s Top 50 Best Bars
2018
Time Out Awards
Mace Top 4 NYC Best Bar
2018
Time Out Awards
Mace Top 4 NYC Best Bar
2018
NYC Time Out Awards
Mace Top 4 Most Creative Cocktail Menu
2018
NYC Time Out Awards
Mace Top 4 Most Creative Cocktail Menu
2018
Tales of the Cocktails
Mace Top 10 World’s Best Cocktail Menu
2018
Tales of the Cocktails
Mace Top 10 World’s Best Cocktail Menu
2018
Tales of the Cocktails
Danico Top 4 Best International Restaurant Bar
2018
Tales of the Cocktails
Danico Top 4 Best International Restaurant Bar
2018
Drinks International
Mace ranked between 51th and 100th at World’s Top 50 Best Bars
2018
Drinks International
Mace ranked between 51th and 100th at World’s Top 50 Best Bars
2018
Drinks International
Danico ranked between 51th and 100th at World’s Top 50 Best Bars
2018
Drinks International
Danico ranked between 51th and 100th at World’s Top 50 Best Bars
2019
Tales of the Cocktail
Mace Top 4 World’s Best Cocktail Menu
2019
Tales of the Cocktail
Mace Top 4 World’s Best Cocktail Menu
2019
Tales of the Cocktail
Danico Top 4 Best International Restaurant Bar
2019
Tales of the Cocktail
Danico Top 4 Best International Restaurant Bar
2019
Tales of the Cocktail
Kaido Top 10 Regional American Best New Bar
2019
Tales of the Cocktail
Kaido Top 10 Regional American Best New Bar
2020
The World's 50 Best Bars
Danico ranked between 55th
2020
The World's 50 Best Bars
Danico ranked between 55th
2020
Tales of the Cocktail
Danico Top 10 Best International Restaurant Bar
2020
Tales of the Cocktail
Danico Top 10 Best International Restaurant Bar
2020
Top 500 Bars
Danico ranked 42nd
2020
Top 500 Bars
Danico ranked 42nd
2020
Top 500 Bars
Mace ranked 72nd
2020
Top 500 Bars
Mace ranked 72nd
2020
Top 500 Bars
Kaido ranked 279th
2020
Top 500 Bars
Kaido ranked 279th
2020
Drinks International
Nico ranked 98th “Industry Most Influential Figure”
2020
Drinks International
Nico ranked 98th “Industry Most Influential Figure”
2021
Drinks International
Nico ranked 45th “Industry Most Influential Figure”
2021
Drinks International
Nico ranked 45th “Industry Most Influential Figure”
2021
Top 500 Bars
Mace ranked 47th
2021
Top 500 Bars
Mace ranked 47th
2021
Top 500 Bars
Danico ranked 50th
2021
Top 500 Bars
Danico ranked 50th
2021
The World's 50 Best Bars
Danico ranked 69th
2021
The World's 50 Best Bars
Danico ranked 69th
2022
Tales of the Cocktail
Mace Top 10 US East Coast Best Bar Team
2022
Tales of the Cocktail
Mace Top 10 US East Coast Best Bar Team
2022
Tales of the Cocktail
Mace Top 10 US East Coast Best Bar
2022
Tales of the Cocktail
Mace Top 10 US East Coast Best Bar
2022
Tales of the Cocktail
Mace Top 10 World's Best Cocktail Menu
2022
Tales of the Cocktail
Mace Top 10 World's Best Cocktail Menu
2022
Tales of the Cocktail
Danico Top 4 Best International Restaurant Bar
2022
Tales of the Cocktail
Danico Top 4 Best International Restaurant Bar
2022
Northern America's 50 Best Bars
Mace ranked 35th
2022
Northern America's 50 Best Bars
Mace ranked 35th
2022
Northern America's 50 Best Bars
Mace Best Cocktail Menu
2022
Northern America's 50 Best Bars
Mace Best Cocktail Menu
2022
Drinks International
Nico ranked 51st “Industry Most Influential Figure”
2022
Drinks International
Nico ranked 51st “Industry Most Influential Figure”
2022
The World's 50 Best Bars
Mace ranked 93rd
2022
The World's 50 Best Bars
Mace ranked 93rd
2022
The World's 50 Best Bars
Danico ranked 85th
2022
The World's 50 Best Bars
Danico ranked 85th
2023
Northern America's 50 Best Bars
Mace ranked 18th
2023
Northern America's 50 Best Bars
Mace ranked 18th
2023
Drinks International
Nico ranked 23rd “Industry Most Influential Figure”
2023
Drinks International
Nico ranked 23rd “Industry Most Influential Figure”
2023
Tales of the Cocktail
Danico Top 4 Best International Restaurant Bar
2023
Tales of the Cocktail
Danico Top 4 Best International Restaurant Bar
2023
The World's 50 Best Bars
Danico ranked 51st
2023
The World's 50 Best Bars
Danico ranked 51st
2023
Top 500 Bars
Mace ranked 71st
2023
Top 500 Bars
Mace ranked 71st
2023
Top 500 Bars
Danico ranked 35th
2023
Top 500 Bars
Danico ranked 35th
2024
Drink International
Nico ranked 30th “Industry Most Influential Figure”
2024
Drink International
Nico ranked 30th “Industry Most Influential Figure”
2024
Tales of the Cocktail
Wacky Wombat Top 4 Best Europe New Opening
2024
Tales of the Cocktail
Wacky Wombat Top 4 Best Europe New Opening
2024
Tales of the Cocktail
Danico Top 10 World's Best Menu
2024
Tales of the Cocktail
Danico Top 10 World's Best Menu
2024
Tales of the Cocktail
Danico wins Best International Restaurant Bar
2024
Tales of the Cocktail
Danico wins Best International Restaurant Bar
2024
Top 500 Bars
Wacky Wombat ranked 272nd
2024
Top 500 Bars
Wacky Wombat ranked 272nd
2024
Top 500 Bars
Mace ranked 230th
2024
Top 500 Bars
Mace ranked 230th
2024
The World's 50 Best Bars
Danico ranked 49th
2024
The World's 50 Best Bars
Danico ranked 49th
//Consulting Work & Ownership
Wacky Wombat,
London,
2023
Danico,
Paris II,
2016 - Now
Mace,
NYC,
2015 - Now
Daroco,
Paris II,
2016 - Now
The Moore,
Miami,
2023 - Now
Mob House,
St Ouen,
2022 - Now
Miracle Pop Up,
NYC,
2014 - Now
Nowhere,
Geneva,
2023
The Raffles,
Singapore,
2023
Cap Karoso,
Sumba,
2023
Le Boudoir,
NYC,
2022
Fabula,
Paris I,
2022
Maiz,
Riyadh,
2022
Daroco,
Paris XVI,
2019 - 2021
Kaido,
Miami,
2018 - 2020
L’Avenue at SAKS Fifth Avenue,
NYC,
2019 - 2020
Zebra,
Paris XVI,
2018 - 2019
Lou Pinet,
St Tropez,
2019
Lido,
Paris IX,
2018
Perruche,
Paris IX,
2018
9 Confidentiel,
Paris I,
2018
9 Cesari,
Rome,
2018
Maison Breguet,
Paris XI,
2017 - 2018
Richard Mille,
Paris,
2018
Monsieur Bleu,
Paris,
2017
Alter,
Miami,
2016
Loosie Rouge,
NYC,
2015
Saison,
San Fransisco,
2013
Cocktails
Cocktails
(Selection)