The Finch – Year-old pub knows how to draw a young crowd
I’m still not over the loss of The Bullfinch, but its replacement is doing something right.
The Finch is buzzing nicely this evening. It’s warm, I can hear Friday after-work chatter from the garden as I enter, and there’s just space for one or two more tables before it’s standing room only. The sun is setting and the candles on each table are already lit, gently flickering and ready to welcome the night.
There’s a sense of anticipation – not just for the start of the weekend, but because Scotland are playing in the World Cup. We manage to squeeze into a tiny table inside what must have been a storage cupboard at some point – The Finch is full of reminders of previous pubs in this building – but soon move for a better view of a screen. A magician has gone table to table, and is just packing his cards away when he gives us one extra trick before he departs.
Despite its busyness, the bar staff treat me like the only customer in there, not rushing as we chat through some alcohol-free options and I try a taste of their wild pickle beer (I don’t order a pint of it). They seem supremely relaxed and in control behind the grand wooden bar. Behind them is the ornate and other massive gantry, dominating one side of the pub, standing as if it’s been there for a hundred years.
The Finch, in its current form, is not that old. In fact, I’ve inadvertently walked in on its first birthday. It was previously The Bullfinch, and before that The Pond, which by all accounts had a very different vibe to it. (I later learn about the reputation of Salamander Place just opposite.) I was a huge fan of The Bullfinch, run by Barney’s brewery, which expertly blended the modern and traditional boozer, which meant a mixed clientele as a result.
The Finch has gone for a younger crowd. The terra cotta walls are minimally decorated with some choice prints. The dart board is gone. The drinks list has been expanded. Food is served from a rotating menu of pop-ups. The Instagram page is active. And it’s worked. The whole crowd is in their 20s and early 30s, which is rare for any pub – even those set among the many newly-built flats of this part of Leith. It’s an achievement for which the management should be congratulated, and an example to those who complain young people just don’t go out any more.
Having said that, the finest attributes of The Finch are those left over from its predecessors. It would be crazy to get rid of the impressive bar and gantry, while the stained-glass windows are gorgeous, and the beer garden – a rare thing in this city – was one of the best features of The Bullfinch. Happily, there’s still an extensive beer list (still serving Barney’s) and the prices aren’t too outrageous.
We’ll gloss over the result of the match, but despite that, we emerge from The Finch at 1am with smiles on our faces. It’s been a good start to the weekend. In fact, this is the second Friday in a row I’ve come here. I doubt it will be the last.
Where is it?
Where next?
The Bowler’s Rest is one of the best.
The Bowlers Rest – Alone
I didn’t think I needed to hear a folk band made up of middle-aged men performing Rapper’s Delight. But then I went to The Bowler’s Rest.
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The Chaser – Edinburgh pub news
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