New Soho venue joins pack of bars inspired by Coyote Ugly
IT WAS the all-singing, all-dancing film about a raucous bar that became a Hollywood hit — and Coyote Ugly is still inspiring new venues 17 years later.
Dirty Harry’s, an American-style cocktail lounge and diner, will open in Wardour Street in Soho on Saturday. From 9pm, bartenders will get on the bar and crank up the music before dancing — sometimes spraying guests with beer for good measure.
In the hit romcom starring Tyra Banks, Adam Garcia and Piper Perabo, the latter plays a struggling songwriter who takes a job at a bar, Coyote Ugly, in New Yo r k , w h e r e servers dance and sing. The film, which also stars LeAnn Rimes and features her single Can’t Fight The Moonlight, was inspired by a real bar of the same name which opened in Manhattan in 1993. A chain of Coyote Ugly bars was later established across America and Europe, with the first UK venue set up in Cardiff last year.
The arrival of Dirty Harry’s follows a series of high-profile closures in Soho. In 2014, after cabaret club Madame JoJo’s shut, celebrities including Stephen Fry and Tim Arnold launched the Save Soho campaign. The bar will have live bands and dance shows throughout the night and host a team of street food chefs operating on a pop-up basis. From February to April, Cajun chicken specialists Otherside Fried and Burger and Beyond, a gourmet burger outfit, will be providing the food. The team behind the bar described it as a “rock ‘n’ roll blue collar bar”. Paulette Minott, Dirty Harry’s artistic director said: “Dirty Harry’s is going to be a great place to come after work or at the weekend and really let your hair down.”