In the summer heat, Bar Finch—located on the legendary gallery destination of Cork Street—celebrated its official opening with aperol spritzes, hamburgers amongst friends.
Last night, A Rabbit’s Foot editor-in-chief Charles Finch celebrated the official opening of Bar Finch on Cork Street, Mayfair. Welcoming old friends and guests from across London’s film, art and publishing world for an evening that felt, from the first drink to the final mariachi song, the evening felt like a real celebration of summer.
Inspired by the kind of place a Paul Newman or Sophia Loren might drift into (somewhere between a Los Angeles supper club and a Roman trattoria) Bar Finch has been years in the making. The room welcomed visitors with honeycomb oak walls, a bar at its centre, leather booths with white cloths and original works of art above. Guests last night enjoyed the wine, champagne, and the restaurant’s signature martinis (a Swimming Finch) and margaritas, paired with cheeseburgers that have already made the place a neighbourhood staple.
The evening spilled across Cork Street, where the Helly Nahmad Gallery—displaying works by Picasso and Miró—kindly opened its doors to guests, whilst a mariachi band serenading the street outside. Among those crossing between gallery and restaurant were Mark Strong, Marisa Abela, Tom Blyth, Caitriona Balfe, Jared Harris, Sandy Powell, Seamus McGarvey and Lorna Tucker.
Later, the party gathered back inside, where a jazz trio played late into the night. Restaurant manager Jack Sadler took his turn on singing duties with Louis Armstrong classics, and barman Antoine kept the celebrations going. It was a perfect way to introduce Bar Finch not only to the local area, but also to Charles’s friends and longtime collaborators, for an evening few will forget.
