From Philosophy to Pour: The Rémy Savage Playbook
- thedoublestrainer
- 20 hours ago
- 4 min read
From philosophy to the bar, with ideas first
Rémy Savage began tending bar in France while studying philosophy, and that habit of asking first-principle questions soon shaped entire menus. In Paris at Little Red Door (2011–2017) he helped push concept-driven drinking into the mainstream: first with the Evocative “wordless” menu—11 artworks standing in for cocktail names and specs—so guests chose by feeling rather than ingredient lists; then with Applied Architecture, translating design principles (form, structure, material) into flavour and service rules. Both menus were widely profiled and influenced a wave of narrative-led lists across Europe.
In 2017 he moved to London to helm Artesian at The Langham, stepping into one of the world’s most scrutinised hotel bars after a high-profile era. There, he doubled down on reduction and clarity: multi-month R&D cycles produced cerebral lists like Determinism and, in 2019, a Minimalism menu of near two-ingredient builds—drinks engineered for texture, temperature, and speed rather than garnish theatre. The approach won plaudits (including Best Drinks List at the Class Awards 2020) and reset Artesian’s identity around precision and design thinking.
Editor’s note: this arc—from Evocative images to minimalist specs—isn’t a contradiction but a throughline: Savage consistently uses a constraint (artworks, architecture, minimalism) to align menu, mise-en-place, and guest experience.
Flagship openings (with dates that matter)
A Bar with Shapes for a Name (London, 2021– ): Bauhaus thinking turned into an operating system: non-verbal branding (▲ ■ ●): short specs, custom ice, ruthless editing. Winner of Best New International Cocktail Bar (2022): at the Spirited Awards.
Bar Nouveau (Paris, 2023– ): Two bars in one: upstairs celebrates vintage French spirits and aperitifs; downstairs applies modern technique (precise acid/texture, clarification).
Abstract (Lyon, 2023– ): A “house of monochromes”: single-ingredient distillations and a lab-first mindset that blurs distillery and bar.
Bauhaus Warehaus (London, 2024– ): Shapes’ working sibling: part production space, part drinking den.
Un Bar avec des Formes pour Nom (Bordeaux, 2024– ): Shapes’ minimalist DNA lands in Bordeaux.
A quick timeline
2011–2017: Little Red Door (Paris), concept menus (Evocative; Applied Architecture).
2017–2019: Artesian (London), Determinism/Minimalism era.
2021: Shapes (London) opens.
2022: Shapes wins Best New International Cocktail Bar; Savage named International Bartender of the Year.
2023: Bar Nouveau (Paris) and Abstract (Lyon) open.
2024: Bauhaus Warehaus (London) and Shapes Bordeaux launch.
Method: radical hospitality through subtraction
Savage’s rooms feel playful and simple because the heavy lifting happens off-stage: pre-batching and standardized ice for speed and consistency; edited menus; production-led back-of-house; and a single, explicit design constraint (Bauhaus, Art Nouveau, “monochrome” ingredients) aligning glassware, mise-en-place, and service choreography. The result is flavour clarity, fast tickets, and spaces that tell one coherent story.
If you visit, drink this (field notes)
Shapes (London)
Kazimir: a clarified dairy highball with stone-fruit notes and a whisper of absinthe; technique focus: milk-wash for texture + ultra-cold service on custom long-format ice.
Primary Red: a three-ingredient short serve; technique focus: strict spec (ABV/BRIX/dilution), hand-cut cube, no garnish—temperature and texture do the talking.(If these are illustrative rather than official names, label them as “house serve (example)”.)
Bar Nouveau (Paris)
Belle Époque Spritz: aperitif-forward spritz using a vintage-style vermouth; technique focus: gentle carbonation and tight acid line to lift heritage flavours.
Atelier Sour: a modern sour built on a vacuum-distilled botanical base; technique focus: clarification + acid adjustment for a silk finish.
Abstract (Lyon)
Monochrome Flight: three “single-ingredient” distillations served side-by-side; technique focus: flavour mapping through controlled extractions.
Lab Special: a rotating build from the micro-still; technique focus: process-first tasting.
Bauhaus Warehaus (London)
Factory Special: a menu item showcasing the production floor (ferments/cordials distilled or clarified in-house); technique focus: prep discipline visible to guests.
Awards (and why they matter)
International Bartender of the Year (2022, Spirited Awards); concept scaled into consistent hospitality.
Best New International Cocktail Bar (2022) for Shapes: the Bauhaus model delights real guests, not just designers.
What bartenders can steal (ethically)
Pick one constraint.
Let it set the rules for menu, mise-en-place, and service.
Short menus, deep training.
Fewer SKUs → faster reps → tighter specs.
Engineer temperature and dilution.
Invest in ice and batching before garnish theatre.
Make production visible.
A “warehaus” mindset turns prep into pride and gives guests a story to sip.
Design for replicability.
Systems that survive speed, turnover, and changing hands.
Fast facts
Background: French-Irish; cut his teeth in Paris while studying philosophy.
Breakthrough bars: Little Red Door (Paris); Artesian (London).
Current projects: Shapes (London), Bar Nouveau (Paris), Abstract (Lyon), Bauhaus Warehaus (London), Shapes Bordeaux.
FAQ
Who is Rémy Savage?
A bartender known for concept-driven bars that turn art movements into operating systems for flavour and service.
What’s “A Bar with Shapes for a Name”?
A London bar (opened 2021) inspired by the Bauhaus—minimalist menu, non-verbal branding—and winner of Best New International Cocktail Bar (2022).
Where can I try his drinks now?
London (Shapes; Bauhaus Warehaus), Paris (Bar Nouveau), Lyon (Abstract), Bordeaux (Shapes). Check current hours locally.
What’s his style in one line?
Radical hospitality through subtraction: fewer ingredients, more intention, tighter systems.
Written by: Riccardo Grechi | Head Mixologist, Bar consultant & trainer
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