To a muggle, The Lockhart bar looks like any other charming hipster establishment.
But to a Hogwarts expert, it’s so much more.
The bar, which opened last week in Toronto, makes no mention of Harry Potter on its website, on its menu or in its decor. But true fans will notice all sorts of “Easter eggs” that nod to the series, along with some hints so subtle they may not even be able to recognize them.
The coasters feature images of a deer — the Potter family’s recurring Patronus — and drinks names include The Shacklebot, Ludo’s Debt and Befuddlement beer. The neon sign may look simply like a pleasant piece of furniture, but peer closely and you’ll see that it reads “All was well,” the final words from “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”
The bar is organized like an apothecary. There’s an assortment of small Harry Potter bobble-heads, and even the bar’s name, The Lockhart, is a reference to the half-blood Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
The bar’s owners told NOW Toronto that the Harry Potter reference in one drink title is so obscure, they’ll give a free one to any customer who can figure it out. Oh, and be sure to look for the “hidden Deathly Hallows symbol” around the place, too.
A photo posted by The Lockhart Bar (@thelockhartto) on Sep 9, 2015 at 11:10am PDT
A photo posted by All that I meet, eat & more! (@meetandeats) on Sep 5, 2015 at 5:20pm PDT
A photo posted by The Lockhart Bar (@thelockhartto) on Sep 4, 2015 at 5:50pm PDT
A photo posted by Nat Manzocco (@natomaton) on Sep 8, 2015 at 7:22pm PDT
The bar is one of many public Harry Potter nods worldwide, from the fairly obvious Hogwarts Express train at Orlando’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter to the secretly Severus American Airlines employee who looks just like Snape.
Then there’s the teacher who took HP love to a whole ‘nother level:
Also on HuffPost:
H/T NOW Toronto
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