Born in Oppido Mamertina, Umberto Oliva is the winner of the MixFactor Relicario Experience 2018 and named Dallagiovanna Pastry Ambassador 2024, he fuses Calabrian flavours, ethical fermentation and pop culture—most recently in an ’80s-themed drinks list.
Raised between Aspromonte and the family pizzeria, Oliva fell in love with the bar at an early age. While studying Business Economics at the University of Messina, he taught himself classic and modern mixology, spending nights behind local counters in Reggio Calabria.
After early roles in provincial cocktail bars he moved to Milan, where he followed Bella Milano Bistrot (2019) and told the story of his homeland “in liquid form” with bergamot, citron and chilli. His “Savoia Plane” cocktail is now listed in Difford’s Guide.
In September 2018 he won the MixFactor Relicario Experience, a national competition that placed him firmly on Italy’s bartending map.
From October 2024 to March 2025 he has served as Bar Manager of Nik’s & Co—60 seats and an integrated kitchen-bar concept—where he launched the sixth menu, themed on the 1980s. Highlights include “Super Mario,” whose porcini-and-cocoa “water distillation” pairs with Chef Paolo Bertin’s dishes.
A champion of fermentation, Oliva published “Fermentation for Dummies” with Coqtail Milano (2025), advocating house ferments for complexity and zero waste.
