Best finish for a bar top?

[Adam Herd]

I’m making a home bar and using dark walnut for the top. What is the best finish for it?

[Philipp Jaindl]

For anythings thats in contact with food or drinks clear coat is your best bet, easy to clean and doesn't leave stains when something does spill. At least thats my opinion.

[Bennett Ostroff]

Clear coat isn't really a type of finish. I'd recommend an oil-based varnish like polyurethane, or a non-poly varnish like Waterlox. You could also use a table/bar top epoxy.

[Robert Engel]

+1 epoxy.....

[Rob Luter]

Walnut would make a nice looking top, but if the bar sees much action it will get pretty beat up in a real hurry. If I was building a bar I'd save the Walnut for a different project and use a different material for the top. I saw a bar a while back that had been topped with a sheet of thin copper. It went down with contact adhesive like laminate. It's soft enough that glassware won't get chipped and hard enough that it won't get dented by normal activities. The cool part was the patina that developed over time. Here's an example.