Founders
Jimmy Barrat
He left France in the 2000's and embarked on a global journey, firstly working in London with Zuma before moving in the region in 2008 to open Zuma Dubai where he creatively led the bar program to international recognition before becoming the Global Bar Developing Director for the brand.
He is credited with creating some of the most innovative modern classic cocktails including the likes of the Tomatini which he created for LPM restaurants in 2010.
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Jimmy has always pushed back boundaries and flown the flag for bars and the cocktail scene in the Middle East. In recognition of his dedication, innovation and passion for the trade, Jimmy and his team have received multiple accolades and awards. He also represented the UAE bar scene on the largest global stages including the 2011 and 2012 Diageo World Class contest, finishing as the #2 ranked bartender in the world in 2012.
In 2022 Jimmy launched Ergo in Dubai - which was his first independent bar project as owner, and later became a traveling concept, permeating the fabric of the cocktail world. Through Ergo, his philosophy for drinks and his vision for a creative bar express themselves fully, with elements of design, music, and an unorthodox imagination. This passion project "embodies everything that hospitality is meant to be".
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Jimmy Barrat Awards:
The bars under Jimmy's leadership have also been recognised by multiple international awards bodies including Tales Of The Cocktails awards and earning the rank as #1 in the Middle East on the World's 50 Best Bars list. in 2012 he was identified as a Tastemaker of the Year at Caterer Middle East Awards.
- 2012 - Diageo World Class UAE Bartender of the Year & Vice World Champion in Rio De Janeiro (Brazil).
- 2013 - Bols Around the World, Vice Champion, in Amsterdam (Netherlands).
- 2020 - Caterer Middle East: Jimmy Barrat is Taste Maker of the Year.
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Laura Marnich
Laura Marnich was born in Italy and first came into contact with the world of hospitality by attending a culinary school and working shifts in local bars and restaurants in her homeland in the north-east of the Italian boot.
Moved by an unwavering desire to see the world and being fully immersed in cutting-edge professional environments, she moved to London in 2005, on a whim and fully aware she did not speak a word of English. Ambitious by the cocktail capital's vibrancy, she was on her way to not only learning tje language, but also learning from the best on the bar stage.
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Laura gained extensive experience from experiencing different types of establishments in the bustling West end and made her way up from tending to managing them. Looking back, these were privileged years, where she was in the right place, at the right time. London was booming on the cocktail front and her passion grew from this creative energy, until it was time to push her skills farther East, to Dubai.
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Whilst taming the Middle East and working her way up at one of the country's most reputed properties - Zuma, where for 9 years she run with Jimmy Barrat the bar program for both Dubai and Abu Dhabi venues - Laura took part in two major bartending competitions, the Chivas Master's 2014 and Bacardi Legacy 2016, representing the UAE in the Global Finals.
In 2022 she joined Jimmy Barrat in the Ergo bar movement, as the General Manager of the cocktail lounge and as instigator of its now pop-up culture, uniting people over great drinks.
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International Awards
- 2011 - Zuma Dubai: World Best 50s #49th
- 2014 - Zuma Dubai: TOTC Top 4 International Restaurant Bar (1st ever bar in MEA)
- 2015 - Zuma Dubai: World Best 50s #44th | Best Bar MEA TOTC Top 10 Rest. Bars
- 2016 - Zuma Dubai: World Best 50s #81 | TOTC Top 10 International Rest. Bars
- 2017 - Zuma Dubai: World Best 50s #72 | TOTC Top 10 International Rest. Bars
- 2018 - Zuma Dubai: World Best 50s #69 | TOTC Top 10 International Rest. Bars
- 2019 - Zuma Dubai: World Best 50s #62 | TOTC Top 10 International Rest. Bars
- 2020 - Zuma Dubai: World Best 50s #23 & Best Bar MEA
- 2021 - Zuma Dubai: World Best 50s #17 & Best Bar MEA
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- 2023 - Ergo Dubai: World Best 50s #69 | TOTC Top 10 International New Cocktail Bar