Wellington East just got a little bit fancier with the arrival of East Thirty-Six, Toronto’s latest cocktail bar and restaurant from the people behind Boutique Bar. Mixologist Julien Salomone formally of Auberge du Pommier and Nota Bene joins forces with Chef Brent Maxwell of LUMA and Canoe to create something cooler in the east where regulars can visit after work for plenty of old New York charm, unparalleled hospitality, hold the pretension.
We had a chance to sit down with Salomone a couple weeks back before East Thirty-Six opened to the public to talk about his years working as a bartender at 5-star hotels and french beach clubs before coming to Canada. A bartender over fifteen years, Salomone was raised in hospitality and has an air of confidence as he free pours his latest cocktail creation inspired by old New York.
East Thirty-Six’s cocktail list is edited yet well balanced, hitting almost every palette with an original complex cocktail. For experienced cocktail drinkers (like us) Salomone always recommends the bartenders choice, which is always an option at any good bar. If you’re lucky you might even get to try one of their many infusions like their house made rum or the coriander tincture found in the French Connection cocktail on the current list, or one of many decanting currently around the bar.
If you haven’t yet had a chance to experience East Thirty-Six’s perfect marriage of cocktails and small bites, we urge you to visit post work to unwind.
Take a look through our photos of the space and find out the secret to their ‘Borsalino’ cocktail below.
The Borsalino
1.5 oz Lot 40 Rye
½ oz Cynar
Splash of lime juice
Splash of maple syrup
Method
Stir ingredients over ice in a cocktail mixing glass until well chilled. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice and garnish with a twist of lemon.
