At the height of the evening, Bar Pompette is alive with a buzzing atmosphere. There are no reservations, so plan to arrive early or be prepared for a short wait. On Sunday evenings, there’s live jazz, and in the summer, the back patio offers a breezy, relaxed spot to linger over cocktails. Where do we even start with the drinks? The drink program is a mix of Bar Pompette signatures and seasonal creations. We couldn’t make mention of the drinks without talking about the Cornichon, their house martini, made with dill pickle distillate, London Dry gin, Cocchi Extra Dry vermouth, and house dill oil. One of the longest-running cocktails—and a fan favorite on tap—is the Nitro Colada, with clarified pineapple juice, coconut-oil–washed rum, housemade falernum, and coconut water. That’s just a glimpse of what’s possible. Rooted in French technique, the cocktails are precise, playful, and endlessly inventive.
