The chef and restaurateur has teamed up with Ella Williams, formerly of Hausu, Mountain, Crispin and Cinder, who will lead the No. Forty Nine kitchen as head chef.
Located at 49 St John’s Wood High Street, a minute’s walk from Cinder St John’s Wood, No. Forty Nine will open daily from 8am, serving a morning menu of freshly baked breads and pastries, alongside coffees, juices and breakfast to go.
The bakery counter will feature pastrami pain suisse, burnt leek, cheddar & marmite swirls, alongside classic pastries, as well as a rotating selection of cakes and bite-sized sweet treats such as miso butterscotch canelé and candied orange financier.
From midday, an all-day menu will be served, influenced by New York-style bistro dishes with Mediterranean touches.
The No. Forty Nine snacks will include cornbread madeleines with scotch bonnet honey butter; and polenta batons with whipped ricotta and sage; while starters will range from crab choux buns to steak tartare with sour cream and onion crisps.
Daily changing salads, such as asparagus and Romano bean salad with Kalamata dressing; and red cabbage salad with orange and hazelnut dressing, will also be on offer as accompaniments, to have on their own and also available to takeaway.
Larger plates on the menu will include dishes such as tagliolini with prawns and bisque; roasted aubergine with ajvar & kumquat dukkah; and steak haché with five peppercorn sauce, in addition to a limited 7-inch pizza menu with toppings such as oxtail & guindilla; and courgette, peaso & rocket. Desserts such as baby Guinness sundae with coffee fudge and graham cracker crumble; and crack pie with sea salt and crème fraîche will be offered to finish.
By night, No. Forty Nine will transition into a wine bar, with a list of Old-World wines. A small selection of low-intervention bottles will also feature, alongside a list of classic cocktails and a selection of nonalcoholic serves.
At the front of the space will be the bakery counter and takeaway offering, alongside high-top and banquette seating. Larger tables will be positioned towards the rear of the venue, while a street-facing terrace will offer al fresco dining throughout the warmer months. The back of the restaurant, which will also house a piano, is intended to host private dinners and one-off events.
Originally from London, Finn began his career at restaurants including Coya, La Petite Maison and The Ritz, where he was one of the first students to participate in its culinary mentorship scheme and mastered the art of refined French cuisine.
He brought the live-fire restaurant Cinder to Belsize Park in 2021 and a second site to St John’s Wood a year later.