Bar Roma is the newest cocktail bar to join the Ossington Strip, offering fusion-forward drinks and delectable small plates.

Shareables range from crisp Cajun Zucchini Chips served with green olive yogurt to mouthwatering braised Lamb Puri Tacos topped with fried avocado and cashew crema. 

The 52-seat space, designed by Solid Design Creative, blends modern and vintage elements.

What first caught my attention was the warm, floral gantry above the bar that serves as a focal point to the room. 

Dimly lit, the atmosphere is cozy, charming, and romantic, serving as the perfect backdrop for intimate dinner conversations with friends or a date night. 

With no detail left unconsidered, the space is complete with moon-like textured walls and rich earth-tone banquettes. 

For first-time restaurant owner Jagan Atla, the space is reminiscent of an enchanted midnight garden. 

Atla, who has previous experience in Chicago's restaurant industry, dreamed of opening a cocktail bar that celebrates global spices and flavours with shareable, punchy small plates and a drink menu to match. 

There's a wide selection of signature cocktails that offer a riff on old-time classics, including a Coconut Negroni, Smoked Blackberry Mezcal Sour, and Kashmiri Spiced Margarita. 

Leading the bar program is mixologist AJ Whitener, whose expertise helped shape the globally inspired menu.

"The whole menu is world fusion. So we've taken a lot of different elements from different cultures," described Whitener. "Like the Roma Vesper uses East Asian black tea and Italian olive oil." 

The savoury and slightly bitter Roma Vesper ($19) is crafted with black tea-infused gin, olive oil-washed lillet, and vodka. A nod to James Bond's iconic cocktail of choice, this Vesper is shaken until ice-cold and served with stuffed olives.

Another signature savoury cocktail is the Black Pepper Old Fashioned ($20). Warm and peppery, it's made with bourbon, black pepper cardamom syrup, and old-fashioned bitters. It's finished with a large ice cube topped with freshly cracked pepper. 

For every beverage, the liquors and bitters are made by Whitener in-house. 

The Ginger Earl Gray Manhattan ($20) combines rye whiskey, cherry bitters, averna, and sour Amareno cherries. Boozy and bittersweet, it's the colour of a dark cherry cola. 

The Coconut Negroni ($20) features a coconut oil-washed gin, Campari, and vermouth for a vibrant, tropical spin to the classic Italian cocktail. 

Staying true to the global fusion concept, the menu showcases crispy  Fritto Misto with a spicy sambal mayo and keftedes that closely resemble the appearance of arancini. 

The Roma Keftedes ($15) are made with grated zucchini and goat cheese. Fried until golden, the inside is tender, and the exterior is perfectly crisp. The keftedes are served with a roasted sweet pepper sauce and tangy tahini yogurt. 

Fresh oysters are also always on rotation. The Raw Half Dozen ($24) comes with a vibrant jalapeño mignonette and spicy shaved horseradish. 

In a twist on Greek-style tzatziki, the Cajun Zucchini Chips ($13) are paired with a delightful green olive yogurt dip. The zucchini is cut thin on the bias, so each chip has enough surface area for plenty of the dip. They're crispy, crunchy, and dusted in a fiery Cajun seasoning. 

Another great shareable is the Baked Mediterranean Feta Dip ($15). While baked feta dips continue to trend across social media and restaurant menus, Bar Roma's version is easily one of my favourites. Warm, savoury, and served with jammy tomatoes and crunchy grilled garlic butter toast, it's deeply comforting. 

Be sure to save some of that bread for this next dish, or better yet, order some on the side. 

The Pomegranate Chicken Skewers ($20) are an absolute must-order. Tender chicken thighs are marinated in a roasted sweet pepper sauce and grilled. Served on a thick, flavourful Greek yogurt and pomegranate molasses spread, I couldn't help but use some of the bread to sop it all up. 

While Roma is often linked to Italian heritage, the restaurant's name draws inspiration from a Sanskrit word for the goddess of wealth.

"It's a very, very old and powerful name in my family back home," shared Atla. "So that's the reason why we took it." 

Bar Roma is located at 229 Ossington Avenue.