DNA Cocktail Room, located in Nicolosi just outside the center of Catania, has entered a new phase: a new address, a refreshed aesthetic and the same meticulous approach to cocktails. Bar Manager Alfonso Monaco reflects on the current state of mixology in Catania and explains how DNA Cocktail Room fits into this evolving landscape. He also shares his vision of hospitality and attention to detail, along with a few early hints about the venue’s upcoming drink list.
DNA Cocktail Room Changes Address and Identity
The relocation has been measured rather than radical. DNA Cocktail Room remains in the town of Nicolosi and, since its reopening on November 28, 2025, is now located at Via Gemmellaro 93. “We’re just a few minutes from central Catania,” says Monaco, “in a position that’s more convenient and more central than before.”
The interiors draw inspiration from the 1930s, though the intention was never to recreate the decade faithfully. “We were more interested in the atmosphere than the style itself. The idea was to transport guests into a parallel world, separate from everyday life — an elegant environment that doesn’t feel nostalgic, a place where people can step outside time without the space becoming overly rigid or theatrical.” The same philosophy shaped the outdoor terrace, designed in a relaxed boho-chic style.
A Bar Moving Against the Current
“The mixology scene in Sicily, and especially in Catania, is going through a very interesting moment,” Monaco explains. “There is greater attention to quality, technique and ingredients. In recent years the city has developed a lively and curious bar culture that is increasingly open to international influences.”
DNA Cocktail Room moves within that broader momentum while maintaining its own direction. “We follow this path, but without chasing trends. Our starting point remains classic and contemporary cocktail culture, though we work to build a clear identity of our own.”
“In some ways we move against the current. We avoid theatrical effects and instead focus on balance in the glass, hospitality and the relationship with the guest. At the same time we enjoy experimenting, especially with ingredients and inspirations linked to the territory, keeping everything simple and coherent.”
Omotenashi, The Art of Hospitality
The philosophy of DNA Cocktail Room finds its clearest expression in two areas: the way guests are welcomed and the structure of the drink list. Hospitality draws inspiration from the Japanese concept of omotenashi — a form of service rooted in sincerity, precision and the ability to anticipate a guest’s needs before they are even expressed.
Four Bartenders for Twenty-Four Seats
Upon entering DNA Cocktail Room, guests are welcomed with a warm oshibori—the moist towel traditionally offered in Japanese hospitality venues. A small gesture that reflects a broader commitment to attentive service.
The bar offers just twenty-four seats, attended by four bartenders: Paolo La Spina, Samuel Greco, Enrico Nicosia and Manuela Vasta, alongside Alfonso Monaco himself. Each bartender prepares the drinks and also serves the tables, creating a direct and personalized relationship with guests. The approach will remain unchanged during the warmer months.
“The terrace operates only during spring and summer,” Monaco explains. “During that period we plan to double the staff in order to preserve the same style of service. If today we bring warm oshibori to twenty-four guests at a time, there we’ll bring cold ones to many more people. We have no intention of changing the service model.”
The New Drink List
In March, just in time for the arrival of spring, DNA Cocktail Room will unveil its new drink list. “I can’t reveal too much,” Monaco says, “but it will move between revisited classics and cocktails that look toward the future in terms of techniques and ingredients. The chosen theme is ‘NO.’” The concept revolves around the great and small refusals people encounter in life — each one transformed into a cocktail.
“One drink, for example, draws inspiration from Rosa Parks, the African American activist who in 1955 refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Montgomery, becoming a symbol of the struggle against racial segregation. But there will also be lighter ‘no’s,’ like ‘No, I have a headache’ — the classic excuse to turn down a partner.”
While the drink list evolves, the commitment to spirits remains unchanged. DNA Cocktail Room offers more than four hundred bottles from around the world, roughly half of them whiskies.
DNA Cocktail Room ultimately presents itself as a place where guests can step away from everyday rhythms, experience the thoughtful hospitality of omotenashi and enjoy carefully crafted drinks—while reflecting, perhaps, on the importance of saying “no” at the right moment in life.
Images courtesy DNA Cocktail Room
