11-08-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Top Hong Kong bartender Stefano Bussi talks about his new cocktail menu at The Aubrey
Stefano Bussi was born to be behind the bar.
'My family owned a small cafe in Italy. My mother often said I made my first negroni when I was eight years old,' he says.
His career started with working seasonal jobs at various hotels, with a secret aspiration to perhaps become a sommelier.
'But as soon as I touched the shaker for the first time, I felt safe, like I could express myself.'
Bussi's career has taken him around the globe. He has worked in prestigious bars and hotels in Italy, France, Spain, Germany, England, Australia, Macau and finally Hong Kong.
He was named bartender of the year for Hong Kong and Macau at the Diageo World Class 2024 cocktail competition. This year, he was recognised as one of the top 10 bartenders in Wine Luxe's 2025 Hong Kong & Macau Top Ten Bar Awards, in which he also won the Young Bartender Award.
