Philadelphia, PA - The newest addition to the Marquis & Co. empire Bar Bombon, opened in August 2015. This restaurant builds on Nicole’s Puerto Rican heritage and Old San Juan roots bringing new Latin flavors to Philadelphia. The name comes from Bombón- the Spanish word for candy or, in Nicole’s words, “delightful little thing.”
Events and Specials: On Friday May 5th, Authentic Latin street food and drink specials will be served all day at Bar Bombón, Rittenhouse Square’s cozy corner eatery. The plant-based restaurant will be offering a wide range of snacks and cocktails for Happy Hour from 2:00pm to 6:00pm and again from 9:00pm to close. $5 street corn on the cobb and $8 strawberry margaritas will be offered all day and free tequila tastings will begin at 4:00pm.
From midday to late night, café to cocktails, cocina to corazón – all is veg-based and love-based. Bar Bombón is food for life. At Bar Bombón, we take authentic Puerto Rican recipes and add a twist (not just of lime). Made-to-order fresh, plant-based meals satisfy temptations in a healthy way – so you can fiesta now, siesta later.
True to fashion all dishes served at Bar Bombon are made with plant-based ingredients. The proteins are made with non-GMO soy and organic grains. They’re even serving homemade tortillas for tacos- made the old way, just like Abuela did. ¡Buen provecho!
The team at Marquis & Co. have created an Old San Juan-style, 10-seat barroom and 30-seat dining room and have added new windows so diners can enjoy lots of bright natural light inside the restaurant. Outside seating is also available. There is even a take out section by the front counter with a warming box for customers on the go. Enjoy lunch or dinner on weekdays and brunch 11 am- 3pm on the weekends.
Like any good bar, the drinks here are delicious and strong. We had to order some margaritas, because nothing pairs better than tequila with Latin food. Available by the glass or pitcher we opted for the Pineapple Fresno with El Jimador Blanco, Aperol, Combier, pineapple, and Fresno chili and the Smoked Prickly Pear with El Jimador Blanco, Del Maguey Vida, Combier, prickly pear, and lime. Both drinks were so beautiful in color we couldn’t believe it. We also enjoyed the playful names of other cocktails on the menu such as Evita made with Fernet Branca, pisco, ginger, kola nut, pineapple, and lime or El Coqui (named after small frogs native to Puerto Rico) made with Bacardi 8yr, Stumptown espresso, Licor 43, and gomme syrup. Bacardi rum is also manufactured in Puerto Rico.
The food served at Bar Bombon also pays homage to Nicole’s family with Puerto Rican empanadas (from her mom’s side), arepas (inspired by Marquis’ aunt and uncle in Venezuela), and tacos (“because everything is better on tortillas,” she said). We of course had to start with Tortilla y Salsa and Guacamole Fresno which is traditional guacamole with tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro. We can never get enough of crispy, salty, tortilla chips and the Salsa Roja was a great compliment as well as the guacamole. They also serve Salsa Verde and Guacamole Picante with habanero and jalapeño peppers if you’re more of the spicy type. We also had to try the Empanadas, an authentic street food. Given the option of “chorizo” or leek, mushroom and currant, we couldn’t decide between the two so we had both. The vegetable empanada might have been the winner for us.
For an entree we tried Nicole’s favorite Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos (which no matter what changes on the menu, will always be available) with refried black beans, avocado, green goddess dressing, and mirepoix. These two tacos were loaded up with crispy and spicy fried cauliflower, cooled down with the dressing and slice of avocado. We can easily see why this dish would be popular with many customers and we might just be back for more.
And of course no meal is ever complete without dessert. We sure are glad we didn’t skip this Tres Leches Cake with tropical fruits like starfruit, strawberries, grilled pineapple and toasted coconut. This dense cake was extremely delicious and the coconut flavor was strong without being overpowering. Vegan or not this is one of the best Tres Leches we’ve had in the city. Definitely worth stopping in for! Other dessert options include the Anjou Pear & Squash Galette with raisin molido, and vanilla bean ice cream or Xocolatl Rice Puddingwith candied hazelnuts, strawberries, passion fruit foam, and condensed milk.
Reservations are available via Opentable and delivery is offered by Caviar. So the next time you’re looking for a delicious plant based meal, you’ll know you don’t have to go further than HipCityVeg in Rittenhouse Square, Charlie was a sinner, or Bar Bombon to enjoy the delicious work of Marquis & Co.
- Bar Bombon
- Address: 133 S 18th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
