Well-intended little spot but everything seemed to be missing a note that would have made it oopf. Tuna crudo- good but remarkably small 5 pieces of tuna. Not worth the price. Missing something- maybe a sweetness or perhaps more acid? Beef tartare- underseasoned imo. Otherwise, portion was nice. Parisian gnocchi- they explained to me that it's not made with potato and I'm not sure I was into it. The mushrooms that it come with were A++ though. Buttersquash ravioli- I liked this when I tried it but bf said it was just ok. Probably wouldn't come back. read more

Vinoteca Pompette - Parisian gnocchi and butternut squash ravioli. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Possibly regretting not coming here for dinner instead... Heard they were open Sunday 3-7. I was working in the area and decided to have late lunch there. I went by the patio to get to the host area. Nobody on the patio. I was actually thinking of sitting out on the patio solo. Instead the host took me to the bar. There was one table of 2. Then me. The host didn't ask me if I want to sit outside, inside, at a table or the bar. He just took me to the bar. I'm starting to think the host doesn't want me to be out on the patio solo to make them look bad or he personally has not dined solo I'm totally fine sitting alone at a table. I'm in a summer dress, I really didn't expect to be climbing up a bar seat. Limited menu to add this turn. I ordered the gnocchi with snails & side salad which was not on the menu. The gnocchi was flat. No density. Are they not made with potatoes or were they simply overcooked? I don't know. The sauce was aromatic with the butter, chives. Snails are the big burgundy snails. Don't think they cooked them much in the sauce. Smelled great but everything tasted flat. No taste on To give you an idea of myself, I like Sugo & enoteca socials, baldassarre I used to be a waitress in my university days. I still tipped them 18% even though I really didn't want to tip them much. Don't think they read the Unreasonable Hospitality. Nice friendly people but something is missing if I'm paying $70ish for salad, gnocchi and a cocktail. read more

Vinoteca Pompette - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Outstanding. The name sounds French. But the menu seems Italian. But the waiters have French accents. And the restaurant is actually called Vinoteca Pompette (not to be confused with Bar Pompette or Bakery Pompette, their sister spots). Okay so it IS Italian? Oh wait...it's billed as a "French Italian eatery." Got it!! :) Whatever -- it's outstanding. The whipped ricotta and anchovy toast is so good. The mussels 'nduja is the second best mussels dish I've ever tasted (first place was in the Greek islands). Forget eating mussels the usual way -- these are already opened and dressed, just slurp them like oysters. I could lick the plate (and did). Divine!! Wagyu beef carpaccio with fried capers is a yes for me. And the PASTAS, wow. My head swiveled as the diners around me received their pastas -- I want that one! No, I want that one!! I settled on the gnocchi with cream sauce and mushrooms. Oh hells yes. Oui. Si! (They also make a proper cheeseburger?!) Can't go wrong here. Loved everything! read more

Was excited to try this restaurant. On entry, the coat rack is open right by the front door. This is a bit unsettling as all someone has to do is open the door and quickly snatch. I didn't leave my coat there. You then enter through a set of curtains. These curtains didn't do much to reduce the cold draft that blows in when the front door is open. Cold. On entering, we were promptly greeting and seated by the staff. I was a bit surprised that the staff was so casually dressed - jeans. I wasn't sure they were they staff. For ordering, we were kindly offered any assistance we might need. Questions were readily answered. We started out with the escargot and gnocchi. This was very good and the gnocchi was nice and fluffy. There was a lot of sauce left after we were finished and one staff noticed, so he gave us some bread to used so sop up as to not waste the 'best part' of the dish. That was very nice of him. The rest of the meal was good. The duck breast was very tender and the sauce that accompanied it was rich and tasty. The carrot - 1 carrot split in 2 was also a good side. It would however be more fulfilling if they provided more sides with this dish, especially at this price. It was like being served meat only as your dish. The duck confit/cassoulet was just OK. Both desserts were good enough. Nothing extraordinary. Service was very attentive. This was a good experience but not sure if I would return considering the prices for what you get. read more

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Pompette (the restaurant not the bar) is a quaint casual fine dining restaurant with French inspired dishes. They have a standalone bar just down the street a few steps but also have a great in-restaurant bar. We came for a celebratory dinner and really enjoyed our experience. FOOD (4.5/5) The menu is largely comprised of shareable style dishes to allow the table to sample a variety of items. We opted for the Escargot and the Duck Confit For Two. Our waiter recommended we don't order anymore than one starter if we were getting the duck dish as it's quite large - and so he was right! We ended the meal with the Mille Feuille. The escargots were well seasoned and made with a beurre blanc and tomato sauce that had a great balance of richness and acidity. I wish there could have been more breadcrumbs and parmesan. The duck confit for two is duck served two ways: the first being a medium rare cut sliced and served with a jus, and the second being a standard confit duck leg over a savoury hash. The sliced duck provided the mouth feel and bite of beef steak and the jus was delicious to add moisture. The confit duck wasn't anything spectacular but provided a good crispy textural contrast to the chewier sliced duck. The hash underneath was AMAZING. Good mix of potatoes, bacon/panchetta, and sausage and has a good punch of smokiness and saltiness. The Mille Feuille was pistachio based served with a caramel sauce. The pastry was very flaky but seemed a bit overcooked and darker than golden brown. Still great flavours and a nice light dessert but I prefer the mille feuille at Alobar any day over the one at Pompette. DRINKS (5/5) I've heard that the drinks here were great and indeed it met that expectation and more! I can't recall the names of the drinks but we ordered a guava inspired drink and a pina colada inspired drink. The pina colada one was SO GOOD. Great flavours, light and not overly sweet. The guava drink was good but not as great as the pina colada one. SERVICE (5/5) All staff was super nice and helpful with explaining dishes and making reccos. We noted in our reservation the dinner was for a birthday and they served our mille feuille with a candle and birthday wishes which was a nice touch. AMBIENCE (5/5) Quaint dimly-lit dining room that adds an intimate feel to the dining experience. VALUE (4/5) Definitely not a cheap eat, but the price you pay shows through with the quality of food and drinks, and the overall ambience. OVERALL (4.5/5) I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Restaurant Pompette. Amazing quaint and cozy vibes, great French inspired food, delicious cocktails, and service you can't complain about. I highly recommend for a higher budget date night. Make a reso if on Fri-Sun since there aren't all that many tables. read more

Vinoteca Pompette - Interior by the bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Our visit to Restaurant Pompette was perfect! Everything about the food, drinks, service and ambiance makes our visit so pleasant. Between 2 people, we shared the gnocchi a la parisienne, bone marrow, beef wellington and mille feuille. Bone marrow was my favourite dish of the night - who knew prawn tartare worked so well with this dish. If I were to do Pompette differently, I would order the beef Wellington if we were a group of 4 (just to explore more starter dishes). It felt like we might've missed out on other dishes. Highly recommend ordering the Aiguenoire as a drink of choice. This drink stood out the most after trying 4 of their cocktails. read more

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A very nice fine dining experience. My wife and I went to this restaurant to celebrate my wife's birthday. It was also my first fine dining in Toronto. Although it was a little pricy, it was totally worth it! I think each dish was dedicated, special and tasty. My favourite dishes were the duck breast and the octopus. The octopus dish was a very creative dish. I had never seen anyone cook octopus in that way. The sauce was just delicious and we even dip it in the bread after finishing the octopus. The duck breast was one of the main courses. The layers of flavours were very apparent when having it. First, it was the crispy part with a mild smell of coal. After putting it in your mouth for several seconds, the strong taste of duck poultry busted out in your mouth. It would have different tastes when enjoying it with the sauce. I highly recommend ordering these two dishes. It was a shame that my wife was pregnant and could not have any alcohol. We didn't have dessert and left pretty soon after we enjoyed all the meals. I have a feeling that we'll go back there next time with friends and have a wonderful dinner time. read more

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Pompette is a quiet French restaurant located in the heart of Little Italy. The restaurant serves contemporary French cuisine where they use fresh and seasonal produce to create their dishes on the menu. The interior of the restaurant is simple yet sophisticated where there is table and bar seating. They also have a fully covered patio as well. All the staff can speak French which makes it feel like you are in Paris. Reservations are recommended. My partner and I dined at Pompette on a Saturday night in June. We had made reservations ahead of time. When we arrived, the restaurant was half full. We were promptly greeted and seated at our table. I opted for the Aiguenoire (orange blossom, citrus, simple syrup, chartreuse cuvee M.O.F., egg white, fennel bitter, and citadelle gin) and my partner opted for a beer as our beverages. I saw quite a few tables order the Aiguenoire cocktail - definitely did not disappoint and is likely one of their signature cocktails for a reason! Food wise, we shared the following dishes: - Tuna carpaccio (bagna cauda, tonnato) - Tamarack pork cromesquis (tarragon mayonnaise) - Bone marrow (turmeric croute de pain, crispy shallots, chives) - King Cole duck (petits pots a la francaise, jus) - Millefeuille vanilla strawberry (served 2, for dessert) All the dishes were well balanced, well composed and delicious. We were super full after our dinner! The tuna carpaccio was fresh and the tamarack pork cromesquis were stuffed with meat (very heavy!). The bone marrow was unique where the croute de pain served as the vessel to eat the marrow with. The duck was cooked to perfection and the jus complemented the dish well. The millefeuille was a huge portion (definitely serves 2) and the layers were crispy with cream and fresh strawberries in between. Service was excellent. Staff made sure we had our waters filled and that they explained each dish when it arrived at our table. The pace of how the food came out was perfect, not too fast and not too slow. Overall, a delicious experience! read more

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I will say, it felt like I consumed a stick of butter during this dinner. It was a very dense meal. It is on the more expensive side. The service was lovely, everyone is French! Food tasted great but again, so much better. read more

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I wish they named it pompous not pompette because its everything i dislike about overpriced food that leaves you hungry and is more about being bougie than it is about quality food There was lots of disappointment. They ruined the PEI oysters with overpowering lemon hollandaise on it, tasted like a mouth of lemon curd. Wish they put it on the side but it was all over so youre eating that flavor profile no matter what you do... then you get a $30 tuna dish for essentially a few pieces of smoked salmon flavored sashimi. The beef chunk was bland, paired with unseasoned carrots and root vegetables floating in unsalted butter. DO NOT COME HERE read more

A memorable dinner! We had fish, duck, pasta, mussels, octopus. A real night out! Very friendly service. This was our first time, I know we'll be back. read more

Vinoteca Pompette - We'll never forget the brandy. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

this place is sooo pretty and had amazing ambiance but unfortunately the food was not very reflective of that. the only "wow" factor I got from this meal was from the bone marrow with argentinian shrimp, and lemon gel. unfortunately, the main confit duck courses were also underwhelming and had monotonous flavours. the mille feuille was pretty good with hints of pistachio. I can imagine this being a cute place to grab a drink and small apps! the service was great and attentive but it's just not enough to bring me back a second time for dinner read more

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Came here to for my brother's birthday dinner. From the appetizers to the desserts every dish was very delicious and unique. We wiped all the plates clean. The service was also very good as staff were attentive and knowledgeable. The atmosphere was also very nice as well. Highly recommend! read more

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3.5 stars. Cute cozy place with heated and covered noce patio. My friend booked this for my belated birthday and he called 3 days before the date to ensure they were aware it was a bday celebration to ensure the dessert would have a candle - the person said it was noted on file and will be taken care of. He was very keen on ordering the dessert even though we were so full only to be disappointed with no birthday candle. They totally forgot... food was good. The cocktails were very nice and unique. Gnocchi in my opinion was the best dish - so buttery and flavorful. As for the duck - i would pass on that as it had some gamey taste to it. read more

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Pompette, which roughly translates to "tipsy" or that place in between sobriety and inebriation, is a trendy but high quality French cuisine. Maxime, Martine and Jonathan are French trained and you can feel that they work as a family and are passionate with what they do. The menu changes with the seasons and their innovation. Old fashioned cocktails with a modern twist. Each course is a masterpiece of textures and balanced flavours. And it wouldn't be French without Martine's perfection in sauce making. Definitely being seeing me here again. read more

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There must be an inside joke somewhere about the name being replaced by pompous :) We liked the location and the patio so we tried it. Couldn't get out fast enough. The cocktails come in sample size glasses. The flatbread that says it has smoked eggplant, is actually a pita bread -and not a fresh one- with a brown sauce on it and THAT is all the "Aubergine" that you're getting. The staff with their exaggerated french accents judge you if you just get drinks and appetisers but it's fine, because Casa Paco is right across the street and I rather take my money and appetite there read more

We couldn't attend a reservation because my partner's mother had a medical emergency. Given the turmoil (we were at the hospital) we didn't call to cancel until after the reservation was scheduled to begin. Vinoteca charged us $50 for failing to show up and refused to refund, despite the already difficult circumstances. The manager's lack of understanding/empathy is quite shocking. read more

This place is SO GOOD. Everything is seasonal, fresh and yes, it's French cuisine (one of my favourites). The restaurant is beautiful and they have a shaded outdoor patio too. It's very rare that I go to a restaurant and I like everything I ate. A literal wow factor to every dish and Pompette definitely hit the mark. I also wouldn't say Pompette is a very pricey place but a good and reasonable date night spot. As for the best dish I had, it was the Zucchini Flowers in a shrimp bisque and my God, it blew my mind. Not sure if it'll show up on their menu again but get it if you see it. Again, their menu changes each month but I'm confident that everything on their menu will be good. read more

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Best dinner experience i have had in a long time. Service is truly great from when you in the door until you leave. Food is amazing and the staff will recommend great wine for you. I never get desserts and o had to as i didn't want it to end. Same: very good. If you didn't figure it out: highly recommend it read more

Pretty decent food and service. We booked the patio, and I was pleased to see that the waitress took special notice to fix the uneven/wobbly table. I also really liked the bread + butter here. Food was unique and tasty. We enjoyed the experience and would come again! read more

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One of the best French restaurants in Canada Didn't get any mains - several different appetizers, highlighted below: Salmon Roe - My sister usually finds salmon roes fishy but loved this dish, and so did I. Perfectly balanced flavour that bursts in your mouth! Scallops - Too much butter and fat (from bacon) for me, but I can see how some people might this savoury. Zucchini flowers - Loved the lobster bisque at the bottom! Big zucchini fan and this dish did not disappoint! Bone marrow - Not a huge fan of the way it was cooked with the bread, which turned out to be a bit too hard. I find the cooking concept interesting (using the bread to soak the fat to make it juice) but still found the bread too hard for me. French 75 - Just amazing with my choice of brandy... YUM! read more

A fresh and beautiful addition to local area! Love the thoughtful renovation details throughout. Had an outstanding meal with my parents on the patio this summer - excellent food, excellent service. read more

Food was unique but nothing too special in terms of taste. 3 stars because portion sizes were so tiny that I had 3 dishes and still left hungry. The chicken dish I had barely had any chicken in it. For the price, you'd expect bigger portions. read more

Still great! They're persisting with the outdoor patio during Covid has been a haven for refined cocktails and wine. Their smaller patio menu is also a welcome surprise. Love buying stuff from their small shop in the front--amazing jams and in particular their hazelnut spread. They are starting to have pick up dinners. Uber eats isn't an option with their killer rates! read more

I heard an interview with the chef on CBC radio. She opened the restaurant in Spring 2020. We've had some rough times lately so I thought we deserved a lovely French meal, to balance things out a bit. And wow, did we have one! (I woke up happy and smiling the next morning, recalling our experience) When we arrived, I mentioned that we'd heard the interview, so the Chef introduced herself. Very friendly and a modest person too; she is from Mauritius and among other things, worked at a Relais et Chateaux establishment there; the bartender worked at Hotel George V in Paris! We started off w cocktails: I'd never had anything w whipped egg white and lavender before and it was so delicious! This eventually deteriorated into licking and wiping off the inside of the glass lol. Meanwhile my husband discovered Left Field IPA...this is one of the beers on offer and it was super (well balanced) too. We had dried beef and grilled scallops for appetizers, both of which were so tasty: the latter was accompanied by fresh, new squash which was perfectly cooked. The quiet moans began lol. Then we moved on to another different Left Field beer for him, and the house wine for me, a lovely Chianti! The restaurant has oodles of cidres, gins and deluxe cocktails to offer as well as non-alcoholic options. Our mains were sweetbreads for me : unusual but scrumptious, w a delicious sauce and cauliflower two ways. Husband adored his pepper steak and fingerling spuds. Waiters were friendly and informed and helpful, mais bien sur, this is a French restaurant lol! They are all young and also recently come to Canada. The meal was pricey but the ingredients were superb and the cooking was exceptional, so it is good value. I look forward to our next meal at Pompette! Please come out and support this great new restaurant. read more

Vinoteca Pompette - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Toronto Life: Little Italy's new all-day French café? Are they kidding me?? [Note: this review is for Bar Pompette NOT Restaurant Pompette] Just because the bar has a French name doesn't make it French. In fact, there's absolutely nothing French about this joint. Their 'selection of cheese' is two Canadian cheese, and you select just one (a generous small triangle cut for $12) doesn't include fruit, nuts, veg, compote, crackers or bread, 0 effort in presentation Served with a big steak knife! You can order baguette for $2. Honestly, I'm all about supporting local businesses, but this was a rip off! The former owners of Walton did a much better job on the food selection, menu design, portion (generous with all the extras) and food presentation. Current owners inherited the beautiful space from Walton. The former occupant was definitely more French than the present ones, and they didn't even try to label the space as a French café or bar. And just because it doesn't have a kitchen on site, you can still have a small toaster oven or griddle to serve up savoury items such as french quiche, tartlette, pies, grilled French sandwiches. How about a bistro salad like Salad Niçoise? Non-complicated food items that doesn't require a kitchen or a chefy chef onsite. Oh, and the server forgot my tarragon popcorn from my small f&b order, I mean... Consider expanding your menu, and perhaps add a few French touches, for real. read more