Meet Sébastien Barande, Bar Manager

From the vibrant Tiki Bar and its live scene, to the Lobby Bar offering the best view in Tahiti, and the scenic Lotus swim-up bar, Sébastien’s mission is to ensure the proper functioning of the three bars of the InterContinental Tahiti Resort & Spa,

BLOGS, Resort

September 13, 2021

Arrived in French Polynesia in 2021 after several experiences abroad, Sébastien Barande joined the team in August 2021 as a Bar Manager.

Sébastien first worked in a restaurant at the age of 16 as a seasonal worker. He loved this season so much that he decided to make it his profession. Bachelor’s degree in hand, he embarked on a professional diploma in Hotel / Catering, then did a bartending apprenticeship at the Carlton hotel in Cannes (which, anecdotally, was the first hotel of the InterContinental chain to open in 1950). He first worked as a bartender at the Hermitage in Monaco and for various properties in Australia before settling for four years in New Caledonia, where he held the position of bar manager for a local hotel group. Back in mainland France, he became a hotel manager for “Les Flamants Roses”, a 4-star hotel in Canet en Roussillon. But his thirst for discovery and adventure lead him once again to the islands, this time to Tahiti where he joined the InterContinental Tahiti Resort & Spa team in August 2021 as bar manager.

– Monthly selection of cocktails in Happy Hour at the Tiki Bar

– Sébastien Barande, Bar Manager

Work Better Together

Sébastien’s mission is to ensure the proper functioning of the three bars of the InterContinental Tahiti Resort & Spa, namely, the Lobby Bar, the Tiki Bar and the Lotus Bar. To do so, he must train and manage a team of 22 persons in order to guarantee quality service. Sébastien must also be creative, both in the menus which are renewed regularly and in the events organized in each bar. For Sébastien, it is essential to have fun at work. It is this passion and good humor on a daily basis that allows him to add value to the things he does.

– Breakfast with a view at the Lobby Bar

Each month, Sébastien makes sure to offer a new selection of cocktails on a different theme. In September, he decided to surprise us with his « Smash » cocktails. Smash means hit.

A Smash cocktail is an alcoholic cocktail, made up of fresh herbs that are shaken in a shaker to bring out the flavor and aromas.

The classic of the Smash cocktails is the Gin Basil Smash, for which he kindly shared the recipe:

4cl (1½ oz.) gin
2cl (.6 oz/1Tbsp + 1 tsp) fresh lemon juice
1cl (.3 oz / 2 tsp) liquid cane sugar
1cl (.3 oz/2 tsp) violet syrup
A sprig of fresh basil. Clap this in your hands before incorporating in the shaker to be smashed & shaken.

This cocktail can be served in a cocktail glass or on ice in an Old Fashioned glass. Sébastien recommends decorating it with a head of basil or an edible flower such as the clitoria ternatea.