Arnaud Volte has been head bartender at Bar Les Ambassadeurs in Paris’ Hôtel de Crillon since 2023, but in November he announced a return to the Cayman Islands to work at Library By The Sea, part of Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa.

“I can’t wait to be in the sun again and go snorkelling,” says Volte. “But also, just have some time to myself before starting a shift – the work-life balance is much better in the Cayman Islands. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of Paris as a city because it’s high paced and not the most relaxing place to be.”

Volte has some big names on his CV, including The London Edition and Lyaness and during his time at Les Ambassadeurs he’s overseen the development of six menus, including its seasonal A Sense of Taste series and this year’s A Sense of Memories sequel.

“When I joined Bar Les Ambassadeurs I promised I would do two years and I’ve almost done three,” adds Volte. “Last year the focus was on seasonal ingredients whereas this year we’re looking at memories brought to life from certain flavours. Last year it was intense, especially with all the guest shifts, because working with seasonal ingredients meant working on the next menu the second we finished a new one.

“We haven’t used the term ‘sustainable’ on our latest menu because, from my perspective, it’s a bit of a joke in the luxury hospitality sector. I think it’s a term used to make people feel better about what they’re doing. That’s not to say we don’t try to be more sustainable – we implement lots of techniques to reduce waste – but to say we’re being truly sustainable would be a silly thing.

“Consumers also make the link between using seasonal produce and being more sustainable without us trying to claim it. I think it’s more about us demonstrating good practices rather than claiming to be ultra sustainable.”

Valued experience

Although Volte is excited to reunite with the sandy beaches of the Cayman Islands, the French native has valued his experience at Hôtel de Crillon.

Volte says: “Every day I’m in the bar, I notice something new. The history and beauty of the space is amazing and I still get the same sensation walking into the bar now as I first did three years ago. The bar itself is an institution in Paris so you get a lot of recognition not just within the local bar scene, but from local Parisians too, which is a nice feeling.”

His second spell at Library By The Sea, this time as head bartender, is due to start in January. The bar currently sits at No.30 in North America’s 50 Best Bars, which is its highest since the ranking launched in 2022.

“I’m excited for the move because I already know lots of people there,” says Volte. “The bar itself is pushing to climb North America’s 50 Best Bars and it’ll still be intense, as all luxury hospitality is, but it’ll be a different kind of intensity. I think there will be more travel involved because in Paris you obviously have lots of the bar trade passing through, whereas the Cayman Islands are very much a destination, so we’ll be doing the travelling.”