You’ll find Luca Baioni at his Adelaide restaurant and bar Latteria; where he’s bartending at this bustling city spot. He proudly wears many hats – also consulting for DryMenTellNoTales; but it’s his deep passion for cocktails; from crafting them to telling stories behind the bar while serving them that steers his after dark narrative. As one ofAustralia’s leading bartenders, Luca was named in the Drinks World Top 100 Bartenders List 2026, awarded Best Bar Person of the Year at the Boothby SA Awards, and recognised in InDaily’s 40 Under 40.
MY CITY
I have a love/hate relationship with Milano. An astonishingly beautiful city, if you know where to look. It’s stylish, multicultural, modern, yet with a bygone era beauty. Alas, crowded with busy humans rushing everywhere, grey skies half of the year and cold foggy winter nights. Which are also so romantic though…it’s complicated.
FAVOURITE FOOD MEMORY
Devouring oysters at the oyster market on the coast of Cancale, Normandie, France. ‘Sampling’ an incredible variety of different oysters, all harvested within the bay. You can see the beds they were ‘til that same morning and have them shucked by the same fishermen who pulled them from the sea. Let me tell you, after three dozen, and few generous pours of Champagne, I truly enjoyed a nap on the beach, in the late autumn sun, raving about round two.
FAVOURITE BAR
Boadas Cocktail Bar in Barcelona has been my favourite bar since my first time there, in 2006. A classic, old school cocktail bar, with a unique character. Small, dark, attentive yet nonchalant hospitality, impeccable, open all day. My first drink would be a gimlet, made with high proof gin, and obviously in throwing…Boadas style.
BEST HANGOVER CURE
I’m a professional, I rarely get strong hangover, however I am approaching 40, and as professional, I also know myself. For me, a spicy Red Snapper or Bloody Mary, with extra horseradish if you are ready to tango on into a boozy lunch. If you need to get back on track and get your business together, a large Coca-Cola with ice and lemon, black coffee and a waterfall of mineral water…usually fresh as a daisy by midday
BEST INTERSTATE BAR
All streets lead back to the Pearl. When in Melbourne, despite calling for a quiet night early in the evening, all of a sudden, it’s 1am and I’m stepping through the doors of Black Pearl. If I’m in the mood of cocktails, I have a romantic attachment for the Death Flip, complex and so smart. A witch to make, but the team does not mind. The drink has been invented there over 15 years ago, and it’s a delicious Australian treasure. Friends and old colleagues I haven’t seen in a while are coming in for a hug and a laugh, sharing stories, ordering rounds of beers and martinis, the odd whiskey or mezcal for the more adventurous. We are on for the ride, thankful for the slice of take away pizza from the shop next door…life saver.
FAVOURITE WINE
Verdicchio Campo delle Oche by Fattoria San Lorenzo, Marche, Italy. All day, everyday wine. 36 months on lees for our best enjoyment. Genuine and moreish. I was gifted a magnum few months ago, just waiting for the first spring picnic to crack that open.
A WINERY YOU RECOMMEND
Couette in Swan Valley, WA. Tom, the winemaker, inherited the land from his father, who is still around helping with vintage. I had the privilege of having a private walkthrough, and a tasting of probably every wine they had in tanks and barrels, then bottles around a table full of local cured meat and cheese. It was incredible to see two generations of winemakers, with such different approach to grapes and wines, yet with the same deep passion, arguing about the best time to pick grapes for the best possible outcome. Early picking for acidity and grape expression, or full maturation for extra sugar and body? I guess the answer is more wine?
Also go visit Adelina in Clare Valley, South Australia – it’s owned and operated by two of the sweetest souls of winemaking, probably ever. Jen and Col, together with making delicious wines, have an incredibly ethic approach, passionate and intentional, and they were so happy to welcome us with the most beautiful and genuine hospitality. Thank you
NEXT DESTINATION
Mexico in 2027. I’ve always been fascinated by the food and drinking culture of Mexico, from the city street food vendor of Puebla, to the Mezcal Palenque in Oaxaca, and by the rich culture and history of the people who inhabit it. I am looking forward to learning about traditions and unique practices, different accents of the Spanish language, ruins of ancient civilizations, pristine surfing waters, forests and deserts. Incredible.
3 FAMOUS PEOPLE OVER FOR DINNER – GO!
Ricky Gervais would be a good laugh – doesn’t mind a drink and you’d assume he can eat. Shaquille O’Neil – funny, larger than life personality and I’m expecting unfiltered stories of ‘90s NBA. Lady Gaga. I’m not sure how it’d play out, but I would want to count on her Italian background to be good company around the dinner table, plus we’d need someone to bring extra style, and elevate the arty side of conversations. It would be an attempt to cook dinner together, to then just crack few bottles of wine and have one of their cooks to sort it out.
BEST THING ABOUT YOUR JOB
There’s so much I love about my professional career. I can say one of the greatest satisfactions, is to see young bartenders start working with the team as they move their first steps behind the bar and they can barely pull a pint, to then see them learn and grow in professionals who get offered great jobs and opportunities to shape their career and build a future for themselves. I have been lucky to have mentors who believed in me, and I’d love to be able to do the same for the people who are willing to work on our side.
