Kristijonas Bazys – Scarfes Bar

My Life

I’m originally from Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. That’s where I grew up, studied, and played semi-professional football until I was about nineteen. In my family, education always came first. Football was important, but the rule was clear: if I didn’t study, I couldn’t train. That discipline stayed with me: whatever I do, I try to do it to the best of my ability.

Talking about hospitality, I must admit that it was never in my family background – so actually I’m pioneering here. My father worked in the criminal police bureau, my mother in insurance, my sister in finance. None of us had any connection to restaurants, bars, or hotels. I initially studied business management and engineering at university, later moving to Scotland to continue with economics, mathematics, and statistics. Numbers were always my strong suit, I’m pragmatic by nature, so equations and problem-solving came easily to me.

“I was always chasing that one perfect solution – a magical formula that doesn’t actually exist”

Kristijonas Bazys

But when I moved to Glasgow, I needed a job to pay my bills. That’s how I first stepped behind a bar. What started as part-time work in a 200-seat restaurant with an 80-seat bar, quickly grew into a passion. At 21, working long hours while finishing my studies, I discovered not only the craft of making drinks but also the deeper meaning of hospitality: creating moments, connections, and experiences for people. From there, my path took me through several venues in Glasgow, from Italian restaurants to large high-volume cocktail bars with dancefloors and eventually to Champagne Central at the Grand Central Hotel. I was still studying full-time, working 45+ hours, trying to balance football and social life, yet I thrived in the challenge. There I also learned to love Champagne.

Furthermore, this was my first working experience in a hotel and I must admit that in the beginning, I totally underestimated the massive culture of hotel bars. Thinking back, I would have gotten rid of myself the very first day because I was very very young with, I would say, kind of a cocky attitude. But this first management role taught me to grow up quickly. Soon after me another person started from whom I learned a lot. Today she’s the hotel manager and even today there are situations in which I think “okay, what would Katie do?”

When I think about why I fell in love with bartending, it really goes back to my time in the hotel. Every day felt like solving an equation — maximizing guest satisfaction, boosting revenue, minimizing losses, keeping the team happy. I was always chasing that one perfect solution — a magical formula that doesn’t actually exist.

But in that pursuit, something else happened. As I earned more trust, I gained more freedom – to experiment, to create, to dive deep into research and development. That’s where my geeky side for mixing drinks came alive. I never saw myself as a creative person; I’ve always been more of a math guy: direct, logical, structured. But behind the bar, I discovered creativity in precision. The more I learned, the more I realized there are no real limits. Every new discovery just expands the process, reshaping how I think, mix, and create.

After finishing my Master’s in actuarial science, I knew it was time for the next step: London. I transferred within the company, started at Fitz’s Bar, and eventually joined Scarfes Bar. My family, who once worried I wasn’t pursuing a “proper job,” now see how happy I am in this career. And that’s what matters most.

Scarfes Bar

Scarfes Bar is unlike anywhere else I’ve worked. From day one, I felt both inspired and intimidated by the level of professionalism and passion here. It’s the main job of every team member – it’s their career. People are here because they truly love the craft. When I joined (after two three hours interviews), I started as an assistant bar manager, but soon after, I was pushed into the manager role. Titles never mattered to me – what mattered was the opportunity to learn, to grow, and to be part of this incredible team.

The bar itself is a living, breathing concept. It’s not just about cocktails; it’s about storytelling. The connection to Gerald Scarfe (an English cartoonist and illustrator), the 1,000 antique books that surround the space, the menu designed like a book – all of these elements tie together in a golden thread. Our creativity doesn’t live in isolation; it reflects the history and personality of the bar itself.

What I’m most proud of is the culture we’ve built. For me, the legacy of Scarfes Bar is not awards or lists – those are only consequences of consistent, daily excellence. The real legacy is people. In the past two years, every bartender or supervisor who left Scarfes went on to a bigger role: bar managers, heads of mixology, F&B directors across the world. This place is a school of hospitality, and I’m proud to see colleagues grow into leaders.

The secret of running Scarfes Bar is that there is no perfect formula, but every night we get closer by working in sync — like a symphony where every detail matters, from live music to beverage program to the smallest guest interaction.

This is what makes Scarfes special: the ability to combine precision and creativity, discipline and warmth, history and innovation. It’s not just a bar. It’s a place where people come to feel welcome, inspired, and part of a story.

London Recommendations

My Mixing Philosophy

For me, balance goes far beyond sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami. At Scarfes, we think of it as seven points: technique, dilution, temperature, aroma, complexity, visual, and mouthfeel. Every cocktail must align with these. The choice of technique, the type of ice, the temperature of the room and glass, the garnish… all of it shapes the final drink.

Aroma is crucial; your nose has far more receptors than your tongue, so the first impression comes from the smell. Visuals matter too, not just for beauty but to tell the story. A garnish should always serve a purpose. I love how our cocktail Suspicious Lady illustrates this: a simple brush of pink cocoa butter on the glass, mimicking lipstick. It adds no flavor, but it completes the story. Ultimately, balance is technical, but also emotional. Guests rarely care how long we spent on a cordial, they want a moment, a smile, something memorable. That’s what we aim for with every menu, which we create once a year after about nine months of development.

The Future

The industry is shifting. For years, the trend was clean, elegant minimalism, but now textured and cloudy drinks, even forgotten classics like the Ramos Gin Fizz, are making a comeback. I think the future lies in blending tradition with modern techniques – while staying cautious not to over-rely on technology. A tincture, made simply, can often be more powerful than a complicated distillation.

Minimal intervention, like at Bar Leone in Hong Kong, is inspiring many of us to strip cocktails back to their essence. At the same time, the connection between bar and kitchen is growing stronger. Techniques are crossing over, and food is becoming an essential part of the bar experience.

The key for the future? Progress with purpose. Be smarter, not just flashier. Be that one percent better than you were yesterday and use innovation to elevate the drink and the story – not to complicate it.

Profile

Year born: 1994

Superpower: Patience

Free time: Hiking, rock-climbing, outdoor sports

Bartender since: 2016

Biggest fail: When I failed to pass the passion for bartending to someone

Most significant career step: Making the decision to join Scarfes Bar

Favorite cocktail: Vesper Martini – because it’s easy to approach and the flexibility of it, for example when I get to choose my own gin. If i have to choose a second one: Rum Agricole Daiquiri. When the Daiquiri is a single strained you still have ice shards on top of the cocktail. I enjoy the freshness of it and the different textures.

See Kristijonas’ recipe: King For A Day

Favorite bar: Bar Zest in Seoul. It’s a very cosy and small place which gave me the best impression and I really enjoyed my time there. The team is very knowledgeable and very passionate. Also with the design of the bar they break the boundary between the guest and the bartender because the bar station simply continues to the guest on the same level on the table.

London in three words: Dynamic, Challenging, Fun

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Images: ©Scarfes Bar