Bar Manager (M/F)

Company Description

We are seeking an exceptional Bar Manager to join the pre-opening team of Delano London. Reporting to the Director of Food & Beverage, you'll take the lead on Rose Bar, shaping its beverage identity, service culture and atmosphere while playing a senior leadership role across the wider Food & Beverage operation, including Lana Lusa Restaurant, Room Service and the Private Dining Rooms. You'll help create a bar that feels unmistakably Delano - sophisticated but never stiff, energetic and relevant to London's ever-evolving bar and nightlife scene.

Set to open its doors in 2026, Delano London will fuse historic charm with contemporary luxury, reflecting a reimagined experience that pays homage to the original visionary concept. The 67-key luxury retreat will blend soft minimalist design, generous living spaces and park views creating a distinctive lifestyle destination where design, dining, nightlife and wellbeing seamlessly converge.

Job Description

What you’ll do…

• Lead the day-to-day operation of Rose Bar, setting the tone for a service experience that is polished, confident, warm and full of personality.
• Act as a senior member of the Food & Beverage leadership team, maintaining a visible presence in service and supporting the Director of Food & Beverage across the wider operation.
• Shape and protect the Rose Bar identity, ensuring the drinks, service, atmosphere and guest journey come together as one distinctive experience.
• Develop cocktail programmes and seasonal beverage menus that feel creative and current while remaining commercially sound and unmistakably Delano.
• Keep a close pulse on London's bar and nightlife scene, bringing forward ideas, talent and collaborations that keep Rose Bar relevant without simply following trends.
• Recruit, onboard and develop the opening team, building strong technical knowledge, confident service and a culture where personality and genuine hospitality can thrive.
• Lead beverage programme and training across Food & Beverage, raising product knowledge and confidence in Lana Lusa, Rose Bar, In-Room Dining and the Private Dining Rooms.
• Manage beverage purchasing, cellar organisation, stock control, wastage and supplier relationships with discipline and close attention to quality.
• Drive beverage revenue, average spend, GP and labour productivity, balancing creativity with strong commercial decision-making across all outlets.
• Own the Rose Bar guest journey from early evening through late-night service, maintaining energy, pace and standards as the mood of the room evolves.
• Lead and support beverage experiences across Lana Lusa, Room Service and the Private Dining Rooms, ensuring consistency while adapting the offer to each setting.
• Lead tastings, supplier partnerships, brand activations and beverage innovation, creating moments that add value to the guest experience and the reputation of the bar.
• Support pre-opening stock, equipment, systems, SOPs and training plans, making sure all bars are operationally ready and the team feels confident from day one.
• Ensure full compliance with licensing, food safety, Health & Safety, company policies and all relevant legal and brand requirements.
• Support Manager on Duty responsibilities and step across outlets when needed, bringing a collaborative, one-team approach to Food & Beverage leadership. 

Qualifications

What we’re looking for…

• You have strong bar leadership experience, ideally at senior management level within a luxury hotel, destination bar, premium restaurant or high-quality lifestyle operation.
• Previous pre-opening experience would be a real plus - you're excited by the challenge of creating a bar from the ground up and turning a concept into a living, breathing operation.
• You have excellent beverage knowledge, a strong understanding of cocktails, spirits and wine, and a genuine curiosity about what is happening across London's bar scene and beyond.
• You combine creative instinct with strong commercial awareness and are comfortable managing revenue, GP, labour, stock, wastage, budgets and supplier relationships.
• A natural at leading and developing others, you coach with clarity, lead by example and create an environment where your team can be their best self.
• You understand that a great bar is about more than drinks - you have an eye for atmosphere, pace, detail and the small moments that turn a night out into a memorable experience.
• You are comfortable with POS, inventory and rota systems, and you understand UK licensing, food safety and the operational discipline needed behind a successful bar.
• You are an excellent relationship builder, confident working with other hotel teams, senior leaders, ownership, suppliers and creative partners; you're passionate about what we can achieve together.
• Culturally aware and globally minded, you bring your own point of view while staying curious, and you're flexible to work the evenings, weekends and late-night moments when Rose Bar comes alive.

Additional Information

What’s in it for you…

• The opportunity to launch Delano London and shape Rose Bar from day one, with real influence over its drinks, culture and position within London's bar and nightlife scene.
• Join an innovative, fast-growing, international group that's committed to not just building new hotels but building a global brand.
• The chance to challenge the norm and create a bar with its own point of view - a place Londoners want to return to, not simply another hotel bar - in an environment that is creative and rewarding.
• Become part of a team that's passionate about creating great hospitality experiences, bringing together design, dining, nightlife and culture in a distinctly Delano way.
• A competitive package and plenty of opportunity for development as the hotel and the wider brand continue to grow.