Bartender's year-long motorcycle trip across Asia inspires his craft

Motiejus Bubelis, known as Matt_The_Alchemist on Instagram, finds a connection between his childhood fascination with alchemy and his current role as head bartender at Fiskmarkaðurinn. He describes his early vision of an alchemist as a magician transforming ordinary elements into gold, a concept he now applies to mixology.

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In my mind, it was an old magician surrounded by mysterious bottles and bubbling potions, constantly searching for the recipe that could turn something ordinary into gold.

"For me, being a bartender has been about taking everyday ingredients, mixing them with knowledge, creativity, and curiosity, and hoping it becomes part of the guest's evening or a memory they take home," Bubelis explains. This philosophy guides the experience at Fiskmarkaðurinn, where each drink is intended to have a purpose and every guest should feel welcomed.

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For me, being a bartender has been about taking everyday ingredients, mixing them with knowledge, creativity, and curiosity, and hoping it becomes part of the guest's evening or a memory they take home.

Bubelis's journey into this role was unconventional. After eight years in the hospitality industry in Iceland and abroad, he and his wife planned a short break. This break evolved into a year-long motorcycle adventure through Asia, including Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Japan, and Turkey. The trip exposed him to new ingredients, methods, and hospitality approaches.

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We take everyday ingredients, mix them with knowledge, creativity, and curiosity, and hope it becomes a memory the guest takes home.

"What captivated me most were not just the cocktails themselves, but how food, drinks, and service flowed so naturally into a holistic experience," he notes. Upon returning to Iceland, Bubelis felt Fiskmarkaðurinn was the ideal place to continue this path, now leading the development of the restaurant's cocktail and spirits program. He emphasizes that the restaurant's focus on excellent Icelandic ingredients with refined Asian influences is now being translated into their cocktails.

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What captivated me most were not just the cocktails themselves, but how food, drinks, and service flowed so naturally into a holistic experience.