i. Biography
The Path
Behind the bar is where Michael Hajiyianni’s craft was formed: long service, fast hands, and the discipline to stay precise while the room moves around you. From 2012, he worked at Quo Vardis and The Blind Pig in London, learning the cadence of a city bar where pace, timing, and attention to detail are part of the job. He then moved to Melbourne as bartender at 1806, before taking the role to Copenhagen and Ruby, where he worked as bartender from 2017–2020. Since 2020, he has been General Manager of Ruby, a progression that keeps the same house in view while shifting the responsibility from the floor to the full running of the room.
The Work Today
General management at Ruby places Michael Hajiyianni in charge of the systems that make service appear seamless. The work sits beyond administration: it depends on the room holding together under pressure, with drinks moving cleanly, staff working with direction, and the pace of the night staying controlled. What matters here is continuity — the ability to keep hospitality consistent from the first pour to the last call, without letting the room lose its shape. The drinks show that same preference for clarity. Nude Way is a cherry-based riff on a whisky Sour, using a familiar structure and shifting it through fruit. The kaffir lime leaf gimlet works in a similar register, taking a classic frame and giving it a bright, fragrant edge. Both signatures rely on recognisable form rather than excess, with one ingredient idea carrying the drink’s identity. Asked what he tends to drink there, he does not reach for spectacle.
Signature
Michael's signature dishes include Nude Way and kaffir lime leaf gimlet.
Acclaim
The recognition here is built through progression inside one bar rather than outside decoration: bartender at Ruby from 2017, then General Manager from 2020. That move marks trust earned over time, and it links his years on the floor with the broader responsibility he now carries over the room. His named drinks add a second measure of that standing. Nude Way gives a whisky Sour a cherry-based turn, while the kaffir lime leaf gimlet pushes a classic toward something brighter and more aromatic. Together, they point to a bartender working in plain, ingredient-led terms: familiar structures, handled with enough control to make the differences count.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Michael
What is Michael Hajiyianni's current role?
As of 2026, Michael Hajiyianni is General Manager.
Where did Michael Hajiyianni work before?
Michael Hajiyianni's earlier career included Quo Vardis and The Blind Pig, 1806, and Ruby.
