Soho's historic Bar Italia has opened a second branch just around the corner... at the wander-through enormo-screen that is Outernet.
"Both Outernet and Bar Italia are completely unique and so this is a natural partnership," Outernet CEO Philip O'Ferrall has said. I'm not sure I'd use the phrase 'natural partnership'; the Frith Street coffeehouse — which has been slinging cuppas to artists, musicians, Hollywood stars and other thirsty Sohoites for 75 years now — is one of Soho's few remaining 'authentic' bars: all steaming Gaggia machines, chipped china cups and chirpy barstaff with tea towels slung over their shoulder. Outernet, on the other hand, is like an elaborate Black Mirror set they forgot to pack away after filming ended.
Nevertheless, you can imagine that a pitch at what claims to be "the most visited cultural attraction in the UK" is quite the coup for the Polledri family business, and there will be no dearth of passers-by who'll be keen to suck on a decent Americano while squinting at projections of emoji showers and f**k-off massive butterflies.
Don't expect much in the way of Rocky Marciano's boxing gloves or panettone dangling from the ceiling though. Bar Italia 2 is a small concessions stand set up by some of the blaring screens of the NOW Building (10am-12am) — and will be selling a limited range of coffee, cakes and sandwiches. It'll have atmosphere alright, but a very different one to the kind they're peddling over on Frith Street.
Outernet tells Londonist there won't be any Bar Italia themed screenings. That feels like a missed opportunity. If they could blow up that iconic neon clock in wall-to-wall HD, people would be heeding the call all the way from Italy.
