Intended as a homage to the city of La Rochelle in Western France, this bar – which has replaced the feminine definite article of its namesake with the less harmonious ‘le’ – is a warming, relaxed, retro haunt with a brilliant cocktail menu. Packed with trendy thirty-somethings, the bar is done out in particularly hodgepodge fashion, with Formica-topped furniture, garish wallpaper designs, a Beatles soundtrack, wicker chairs and dated games tables.
Regulars enjoy drinks like the delightful house La Rochelle, which blends gin, limoncello, thyme liqueur and pressed lemon (€10), and the intensely lush Go Love, with cream, rhum, syrup and guava juice. Aside from cocktails, there are beers at €5 during happy hour and various wines, which go well with appetisers like bread and Lou Gascoun pâté.
TRANSLATION: HUW OLIVER