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Bar Pompette

Toronto

Somewhat ironically, Bar Pompette promises vibes that echo the look and feel of France’s most sophisticated cafés, despite being located in the Little Italy neighbourhood of Toronto. The bar has a welcoming, minimal-chic ambiance marked by sparsely decorated, white-washed brick walls, Cognac-coloured leather banquettes, vintage café chairs and sturdy hardwood floors. A leafy open-air back patio offers a breezy respite from the bustling neighbourhood during the day and morphs into a romantic oasis under glowing string lights at night. Last year, as the bar that entered the 50 Best list in the highest position, Bar Pompette was named the winner of the Disaronno Highest New Entry Award 2023.

The bar staff are knowledgeable and welcoming, so nothing distracts from the main event: the pitch-perfect cocktails. With a name that means ‘tipsy’ in French, the drinks menu offers an array of flavourful modern and classic cocktails – some on tap, others made to order – that rotate seasonally. Expect creations like the carbonated Fire Escape, made with Scotch, spruce tips, lapsang souchong, elderflower, orange blossom and grappa, or the Nitro Colada, where rum, pineapple and coconut are supercharged by curry leaf falernum and nitrogen gas. When paired with small bites from sister to French brasserie Pompette, you’ll be hard-pressed to remember the bar is in Toronto and not Paris. No reservations.

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