So I asked Séverine and Tristan, because they’re young, what the coolest bar in town was, and they simultaneously said “Ink Bar” and pointed up rue Thiers towards the church, adding that it was “way down there by the kebabs” (it’s like 24 seconds past the church 🙄). They also mentioned a couple others, which I’ll get to for sure. Stay tuned.

I went to Ink Bar around 6 pm on a Friday night, and there were only a couple of people there. An hour and a half later, it was getting lively. But I’m old, so I went home to make dinner and watch Netflix with my dogs. I enjoyed my time there: chatting with the guys, my Licorne beer (which I chose because my 5-year-old granddaughter is currently a unicorn freak), and the great – loud 👍🏻 – old-school rap and hip hop… It’s been way too long since I heard Insane in the Brain by Cypress Hill…

I went there on that particular day because 1) I had allowed myself to be talked into doing an Instagram takeover and had to pretend I have a life, and 2) I’d heard there was an English conversation group that met there every Friday (from a sign posted in the Lempereur shop!). Except I’d remembered the day wrong: it’s Wednesday.

Aurélien, the owner, opened Ink Bar in late 2019. Despite the seven months during COVID when absolutely everything was closed, Ink Bar survived. When I asked him if he’d picked the location because it was right next to a very popular shawarma place (line out the door when I left, review coming soon!), he replied that he’d chosen the space for the ceiling beams. I can totally see that.

He completely transformed the interior, knocking out a wall to double the size of the ground floor. He created a cozy, welcoming back patio (Yes, patio, I’m from California), and turned the insurance agency office upstairs into a roomy space with its own bar. Out front, there’s a covered space with a tropical theme (I heart fake palm trees!) and a few tables that fill up fast when the weather’s nice.

For several years, Aurélien owned a bar in his home town of Évreux (an hour from Bernay) before deciding to open Ink Bar. Philippe, his friend of over 20 years, comes to help tend bar on weekends. Ink Bar is bursting with personality. You can really feel the love and creativity Aurélien has put into it.

The pics: Philippe and a vodka pomme (😱) in the foreground, Aurélien in the back; Aurélien always has some saucisson sec from the marché for you; Aurélien and Philippe; Licorne among the beers on tap; Cocktail menu on the ardoise; Fancy coasters that light up your drink featuring Aurélien’s VER!D!CK brand logo (more later).

In addition to the saucisson sec, Aurélien puts out these little pots of bonbons that look like gumdrops, which I don’t understand (unless they’re edibles, which they can’t be…), and which I didn’t try because germs and also candy with beer.

Here are pics of a couple of the spots in the back patio. I’ll get back to you on who did the art. (I’m such an old nerd I thought they were stormtroopers at first, but then I realized they’re motards.)

And here’s the upstairs with a totally different vibe. Ice cream social-y on one side, wine bar-y on the other. I lean more towards the edgy, hip hoppy, inky downstairs. But if I ever need to reserve a place for a party, it’ll be at Ink Bar:

Aurélien, who has a background in sales, has also launched a brand: VER!D!CK. It’s a play on véridique (I also heart wordplay), and you can check it out on his Instagram account. I didn’t ask what véridique and the doigt d’honneur had to do with each other. Maybe you can ask him.

As for the conversation group… I went back on a Wednesday, hoping to find a mixed group of French Bernayens and anglophones who might have Bernay stories to share. But, hélas, there were no anglophones. I did meet three lovely French locals who were there to practice their English, one of whom was Christine, the group organizer, who had no problem telling me that she preferred British English (I told her my feelings weren’t hurt and that Americans love those accents too), and Marie-France, who will be doing some work at the 24 heures du Mans this summer and wanted a refresher, and Léo, a talented young artist and a manga/anime fan. I only went into teacher mode when, as an ESL instructor and human being, I felt it was important to do a little vowel work on Lady and the Trump.

With Ink Bar, Aurélien set out to create a space where people of all cultures, ages, and backgrounds would feel welcome, and he’s done it. He was very nice to me, even though I’m old. People come to Ink Bar with their kids, and Aurélien doesn’t mind if you bring in food from outside (I’m thinking of that döner kebab next door…). Ink Bar is open Wednesday through Sunday till about midnight. See you there!

Ink Bar, 18 rue du Général Leclerc, Bernay.