It was a short-but-sweet run for one Toronto French restaurant that closed after just over a year, but what’s about to replace it might just be even better.
In Toronto, “pompette,” the French word for tipsy, has become synonymous with excellence over recent years, thanks to ventures like Vinoteca Pompette, Bar Pompette and Bakery Pompette, all headed up by — you guessed it — the Pompette Group.
It all started with Pompette, a Michelin-recommended French restaurant in the heart of Little Italy, which closed in the summer of 2024 to transform into Vinoteca Pompette.
A slightly more stripped-back version of its predecessor, with an added Italian slant, Vinoteca Pompette may not have secured a spot on the Michelin guide, but it certainly got — and kept — the attention of Toronto diners.
Still, a hair over a year after it opened, Vinoteca Pompette closed again, due to undergo yet another conceptual overhaul: a then-vaguely-defined new project called Bar Allegro.
A few doors down, Bar Pompette, which opened in 2021, has been going strong. Year after year, the cocktail bar earns recognition among the best bars in the world thanks to its inventive drinks and breezy Parisian feel.
It only makes sense, then, that the team would hone in on what’s really working, and Bar Allegro is the end result.
Soft-opening on Wednesday, Jan. 28, before expanding its hours on Feb. 12, Bar Allegro is described as a “European-inspired wine and cocktail bar.”
The new concept marks a return to form for the Pompette team, who initially set out to open bars in the city before being subtly thrust into a more food-forward approach with Pompette 1.0.
Still, Bars Allegro and Pompette will be markedly different experiences, allowing each concept room to breathe in such close quarters.
“While Bar Pompette is defined by a highly curated, experience-driven approach, Bar Allegro offers a more relaxed expression of the same philosophy—focused on pleasure, familiarity, and ease,” reads a release by the Pompette Group.
The vision for Bar Allegro, co-founder and owner Martine Bauer says, is for the bar to be an approachable space people can visit any day of the week for any occasion. Offering absolutely no reservations, Allegro is a walk-in-only operation; a physical manifestation of the easy atmosphere the team hopes to create.
The cocktail menu is built on the foundation of classic cocktails reinterpreted in different variations, while, in terms of wine, you can expect a tight, intentionally curated selection from regions around the world, with a particular focus on France, Italy and Spain.
And since drinking on an empty stomach is an absolute no-go, drinks will be complemented by a food menu centred around small, shareable plates that draw inspiration from Italian and Spanish tradition.
Perhaps the best part of all, we only have to wait another week to experience it for ourselves.
Bar Allegro, formerly Vinoteca Pompette, is located at 597 College St.
Lead photo by
Fareen Karim at Vinoteca Pompette
Dining and Cooking