This Is What Happens When You Eat Vodka for Breakfast.Merkato 55, part 2.

After parting ways with the Swedish sensation, I ventured over to a cluster of young ladies doing an unusual version of the cancan atop the establishment’s downstairs seating. It was not the flailing legs or hiked-up skirts that grabbed my attention, but their accomplice: a cable-sweater-clad man drinking out of, brace yourself, a plastic pink flamingo.

“What is that?” I had to ask.

“It’s a flamingo I use for drinking Rosé.” Obviously.

Clearly delighted by both the company and the view, his look and demeanor suggested that he was more suited to attend a beer-pong tournament in the basement of some slimy frat-house than an ultra-posh brunch at a chi-chi downtown restaurant. However, he was quite a good sport, for when I requested a demonstration of his marvelously tacky drinking device, he playfully sucked rosé from the flamingo-funnel and even posed for a few pictures (strictly for documentation, of course).

But I think it was my next acquaintance that most perfectly embodied the Merkato mood. A feisty blond in a cheeky newsboy cap, Lola was the most fantastic human being of the afternoon. And no, that is not her real name.

“What’s your name?”

“Lola.”

“Oooo how charming!”

“It’s a nickname. I chose it to protect the innocent!”

Hardly an innocent, Lola tossed back her head and released this wonderful raspy cackle while advancing towards the bar. What was she drinking? Tequila shots. Amazing. Unexpectedly unassuming, Lola wasn’t a hyper-aware social parasite: she wasn’t there to immerse herself in the uppity scene or to find a European banker to take her to Cartier; she was merely there because she loves fun and doesn’t really give a damn what anyone has to say about it. And if you’re going to get smashed in public at noon, that’s the attitude you need to embrace.

Café de Flore it is not: there is no intelligent conversation and you will inevitably lose your voice while yelling over the bongos and electric violin. But if you enjoy a casual afternoon rave, aren’t afraid of a little dirty dancing and consider a vodka cranberry to be an acceptable mid-morning appetizer, you should most definitely drop a few names, slip the host a healthy bribe and try to get on the list.