On Thursday (July 14,) more than 300 VIP guests gathered on York Street in Sydney’s CBD to celebrate the launch of the very first La Bodeguita del Medio in Australia.
Over 300 guests gathered to celebrate the opening of Sydney’s La Bodeguita del Medio
Celebrities including actors Alex Dimitriades, Salvatore Coco and Christie Hayes, television presenter Lyndsey Rodrigues, radio personalities Mike Goldman and Bree Amer, fashion designers Nikkita and Zoe Sernack (Nookie) and Adrian Norris (Aje), artist Daimon Downey and Channel 10 news reporters Frank Coletta and Matt Doran all joined in raising a glass to toast the famed Cuban restaurant and bar.
Meaning “the bar in the middle of the block” La Bodeguita has seen international success with their London, San Francisco, Miami, Mexico City, Berlin, Beirut, Macedonia and Prague counterparts. Last Thursday, it was Sydney’s turn.
Upon entry, guests were encouraged to draw on the walls of La Bodeguita with each adding their own personal touch to the signature walls that are famous worldwide. Artist Andy Steele was perched on a ladder nearby, painting a live mural of a 50s style Cadillac convertible that took him just two hours to complete.
At various intervals throughout the night, bartenders wowed guests as they jumped atop the long stretch of timber bar and performed an entertaining flair show, tossing, juggling and spinning glass bottles of rum in the air.
Later, Cuban salsa dancers, including champion performer Eric Toro, took the floor alongside Armendito, an authentic Cuban band, and had guests busting out their best Latin dance steps. A plethora of Cuban canapés were on offer from the extensive menu, including goats cheese and beetroot cigars, croquetas de malanga, beef palm hearts with avocado mousse and smoked eel with apple caviar to name a few.
Boasting the largest Cuban rum selection in Australia, guests were also treated to Havana Club mojitos for the entire evening and, as the night progressed, the usually reserved social set descended to the basement bar to break out some wild moves and an impromptu Conga on the dance floor.
