Worldwide Hospitality Awards

FROM LITERARY SPIRIT TO APOTHECARY SPIRITS

Distinctive has always been one of Clément’s main personality traits. After exploring literature and philosophy he decided to pursue his studies with international hospitality management, rather than joining prestigious French administrative schools.

His first work experiences in Paris highly contributed to his new choice of career within the luxury hospitality industry. Then travelling has considerably reinforced his enthusiasm for this vocation, gaining international experience, especially in Scotland where he was managing fine-dining restaurants. But something was missing, as he could not completely fulfil his creative dreams. Moving to kitchen could have been an option but he finally decided that mixology will become his new career path. Without any bartending background, opportunities were low at that time. But a luxury hotel in London allowed him to demonstrate his creative skills to develop its main bar. Self-taught and self-trained, he proved that determination, hard work, and boldness are rewarding. After an intense one-year experience, he returned to Paris to express his newly acquired bartending skills.

After developing beverage projects for luxury boutique hotels, The Shangri-La Hotel entrusted him with the keys to its bars to build innovative and unique concepts. The classic hotel bar was revamped as Le Bar Botaniste, with a strong, vibrant and uncompromising approach to botanicals, mixing unusual flavours and peculiar ingredients nature has to offer while serving drinks in astonishing vessels. Something never seen before in a Palace, Clément brought contemporary cocktail making to luxury hospitality, for the greatest pleasure of guests, from historic clientele to new cocktail aficionados.

Owing to Clément’s unique personality, his passion for mixology and his 19^th Century gentleman look, Le Bar Botaniste quickly became a place to be in Paris. As the night begins, you feel like you’re meeting Roland Bonaparte in person, willing to share his botanic secrets with you.

Only three years after its opening, Le Bar Botaniste is now considered by many professionals as a reference on the Parisian cocktail scene and has also gained international coverage with many press releases. It was recently listed in the 500 most influent bars in the world. Clément has been a finalist or won prestigious cocktail contests and is currently a jury member for international cocktail competitions. His unusual and disruptive approach to mixology, and his meticulously balanced and deep-flavoured cocktails have permitted to Le Bar Botaniste to be featured in major guides, such as Le Fooding, Louis Vuitton City Guide, or Guide Lebey.

In addition to this signature bar, Clement has developed other bar concepts within the property. Amongst them, Le Bel’Epoque, entirely dedicated to French spirits, but also the very odd and Shanghai-inspired Sòng Bar, nestled in a hotel suite, overlooking Paris and the Eiffel Tower. These original bar concepts and experiences have highly contributed to develop guest frequentation and loyalty, increasing turnover by half and doubling profitability.

While continuing to inject new energy to existing concepts, Clément wants to share his skills and knowledge to develop other thought-provoking bar projects within the Shangri-La Group.