Name: Bar Đêm Contact: 308 Dundas St. W. (alleyway entrance), dzovieteatery.com, @bardemto Neighbourhood: Downtown Core Owners: Jackson Mou, David Tong (Dzô Viet Eatery) Chef: David Tong Accessibility: Not accessible
Jackson Mou and David Tong always intended to open a bar on the sprawling top floor of Dzô Viet Eatery, their contemporary Vietnamese restaurant with a menu of resolutely non-traditional dishes like “photine” and banh mi sliders. But the timing was never right—the restaurant launched in March 2020. Now that things are on the up and up, the duo was finally in a position to renovate the space and launch Bar Đêm, a vibey cocktail bar with the same playful ethos as the restaurant.
During the day, the top floor functions as an extension of the main-floor eatery. But, Thursdays through Saturdays from 10 p.m. onward, a glowing red lantern in the graffiti-strewn alley behind the restaurant signals the transition to speakeasy. There’s a DJ on weekends and special events throughout the month, including stand-up comedy shows and drag brunch. “Our inspiration is nhậu, a Vietnamese word that basically means chilling—drinking and snacking with your friends,” says Tong.
The food
A few items, like the pho-poutine hybrid, carry over from Dzô Viet, but it’s a mostly new menu of snacky but substantial tidbits meant to accompany drinks, be they boozy or not. Essentially, it’s a freewheeling interpretation of Vietnamese food. There’s a charcuterie board that’s essentially a deconstructed banh mi, tacos inspired by chicken vermicelli bowls and borderline addictive Sriracha wings sprinkled with crispy shallots.
The centrepiece of Bar Đêm’s drink list is a creative collection of signature cocktails with Vietnamese flair, including a killer Viet-coffee-inspired espresso martini with whipped coconut foam as well as a rose-hued sour spiked with lemongrass and kumquat. Mocktails, like the orgeat-infused Hoi An Sunrise, are complex and uncompromising. There’s also a solid menu of classic cocktails (old fashioned, sidecar, mai tai), a small selection of local beers and house wine.
The space
Strung with colourful criss-crossing lanterns, filled with greenery and postered with Vietnamese art printed on rice paper, the space is inspired by Hoi An, a city in Vietnam (and a UNESCO World Heritage Site) with a picturesque blend of Vietnamese and colonial architecture. A few large skylights open when the weather allows, which gives the space the uncanny feel of a night market. There’s a large bar lined with rainforest-inspired wallpaper and plenty of room to lounge. The entrance is down a much-graffitied alley—look for hanging lanterns and a mural of a lady slurping pho.