Maxime Verrier
Bar Manager
Four Seasons Tenure
- Since 2025
- First Four Seasons Assignment: Current
Employment History
- Sommerro House, Oslo, Norway; Pegasus Helicopters, Oslo, Norway; Kastellet, Oslo, Norway; Pakkhuset, Oslo, Norway; AY., Geneva, Switzerland; *ISM, Oslo, Norway; Hotel THE THIEF, Oslo, Norway; HIMKOK, Oslo, Norway; Pollen Street Social, London, UK; La Saulire, Courchevel, France
Birthplace
- Montpellier, France
Languages Spoken
- French (fluent), English (fluent), Spanish (basic), Norwegian (basic)
Over the course of more than 16 years in the bar industry, Maxime Verrier has done it all – and then some. Multi-awarded bars and Michelin restaurants. Beachside drinkeries and pulsing nightclubs. Glamorous Palais hotels and experimental event venues. Not to mention he’s also a trained helicopter pilot! It’s been an adventurous journey, one that has taken him across France, Switzerland, the UK and Norway before touching down in Japan.
Now bringing his unique mix of talents to Osaka, Maxime leads the Bar Bota team in delivering exceptional moments for guests. His mission? To build on the bar’s opening success and cement its reputation as the place to get a drink in town.
In his role as Bar Manager, he aims to evoke the French sense of je ne sais quoi – an indefinable charm – through meticulous attention to detail. Beverages, menus, music, service, storytelling - everything flows in tandem. As Maxime shares, “The bar is like a ballet. Each movement is carefully choreographed but the performance looks and feels effortless to the audience. That’s where the magic lies, in that sense of ease and joy.”
Prior to his current role, Maxime led the opening of Sommerro House in Oslo as head of bars, with the venue rapidly earning accolades such as Best New Cocktail Bar at the Bartender’s Choice Awards and a 50 Best Discovery listing. Previously, he served as bar manager at Kastellet, also in Oslo, which received the same prestigious honours.
His earlier roles span several inventive and award-winning bars, including AY. in Geneva and Pakkhuset and *ISM in Oslo. As part of the opening team at HIMKOK, which rose to fame as one of the World’s 50 Best Bars, Maxime gained expertise in-depth distillation methods and the use of local Norwegian ingredients. His eagle eye for detail can be traced back to his years in fine dining, during which he honed Michelin-level service skills at Pollen Street Social in London and La Saulire in Courchevel.
Between hospitality assignments, he also enjoyed a chapter as loadmaster for helicopter operations in Norway. In fact, until he accidentally fell in love with bartending, Maxime was on track to become a career pilot. Then came a serendipitous summer in Saint-Tropez, with a seasonal bar stint sparking a very different dream. During the winter lull, his curiosity pulled him to London, where he mastered new techniques and products to bring back to the French Riviera. Thus began a lifelong pursuit of learning and experiencing culture through mixology.
Through it all, what Maxime has loved most is seeing that spark in his guests’ eyes: “Whether it’s a thrilling surprise, a quiet deepening of enjoyment, or an authentic moment of connection, we as bartenders have the chance to be a part of people’s core memories. What could be more special than that?”
He also enjoys helping guests discover their new favourite drink, drawing on his vast experience to pull the perfect recommendation out of his cocktail shaker. “Life behind the bar is about connecting with guests, about reading between the lines to figure out what will resonate with them,” he explains. “At Bar Bota, there’s an added layer of discovery, with many of our cocktails revealing Osaka’s rich heritage, from craft traditions to regional flavours.”
Originally from a picturesque village in the South of France known for its dessert wines, Maxime was delighted to make the move to Japan, his dream destination for years. In his leisure time, he loves tracking down Osaka’s diverse flavours, cycling through its storied streets, and hiking in the countryside. With a background in engineering, he is also passionate about restoring old cars and bikes.
