Pompette at The Star Brisbane has figured out a very effective way to make people come back: give them a good reason to.
The French restaurant already has the food to support a long, lingering dinner, but its special events add another layer to the experience. A Bastille Day dinner becomes an excuse to explore cognac. A seasonal occasion becomes a reason to gather around a specialised menu. The restaurant’s one-off events give diners something to look forward to, while the regular menu means you don’t have to wait for a special occasion to eat well there.
I got a taste of the former during Cognac de Nuit, Pompette’s one-night-only Bastille Day dinner. The five-course menu was paired with five different cognacs, giving the evening a little extra ceremony and a chance to sample some very good things in very good glasses.
The best part for anyone reading this after the event? Several of the dishes from the dinner are part of Pompette’s regular menu, so you can still go and eat them whenever you like.
I began with a beef tartare tartlet paired with Hennessy VSOP, while the oyster-eating people at the table had freshly shucked oysters with a cognac and blood orange granita. I am not an oyster person, but I am very much a beef tartare person and this was a lovely little start to the evening.
Then came the twice-baked Gruyère soufflé, paired with Frapin VSOP cognac. I had eaten this on my previous visit to Pompette and it had been my first ever soufflé. I loved it so much I nearly cried, which is a fairly dramatic response to baked cheese but one I continue to support.
It was just as good this time. Golden and puffed on top, rich and cheesy within, it is the kind of dish that makes you want to point at the menu and tell everyone else at the table what they should order. If you see it at Pompette, you must, must, must get it.
The duck à l’orange arrived next, paired with Jean Fillioux Cigar Club. I am very picky about duck à l’orange. The duck needs to be beautifully tender, the sauce needs to have a proper citrusy zing and the whole thing needs to taste like the dish you were hoping for when you ordered it.
This one was heavenly. The duck was perfectly tender and the zesty sauce had just the right amount of brightness. It was a gorgeous version of one of my favourite dishes.
Then came the cheese course, because the French understand that dinner is a journey and you should probably enjoy yourself for as long as possible. A plentiful platter of cheeses, fruit, crackers, breadsticks and quince paste arrived with Delord Armagnac Tenarese 1976.
The Armagnac came in its own box with a sliding lid and wax seal and was considerably older than I am, which felt like a lot of pressure for a drink. It was also my favourite of the evening. Rich, smooth and deeply delicious, it was the kind of thing that makes you understand why people get very serious about aged spirits.
Dessert was a classic crème brûlée topped with a macaron and the cutest little white chocolate Pompette sign. Alongside it was a special cognac cocktail created for the evening, with Grand Marnier, raspberry and a chocolate twist dusted in raspberry powder.
Tart and fruity with a chocolatey finish, it was exactly how I like dessert: a little sweet, a little sharp and very easy to keep eating or, in this case, drinking.
Cognac de Nuit was a good example of what Pompette does particularly well. Take a menu of very good French food, add a special occasion, bring out some interesting bottles and give people a reason to immediately text other people that they’re gonna need to come back here next time to try the [insert literally any dis we ate that night here].
So, if you have been meaning to try Pompette, go. Order the soufflé. Try the duck à l’orange. Then keep an eye out for the next special event, because this is a restaurant that seems to understand the appeal of giving people a little extra reason to make a booking.
Pompette, The Star Brisbane, Level 4, 33 William Street, Brisbane City. p. 07 2111 6888
In her spare time, she likes long walks down the makeup aisle and performing in Brisbane theatre. You can follow her adventures on Instagram and TikTok @thebeautypalate.
