Riverdale: 10 Hidden Details About La Bonne Nuit You Never Noticed
No other teen in the world has a life as exciting as a teen on Riverdale. Cults, drugs, serial killers, and the FBI are a part of their daily schedules, but Veronica Lodge takes the cake with her various businesses and Godfather-esque vendettas. She runs her own rum empire, owns a diner, participates in gang wars against her own father, and operates a secret speakeasy, all at the tender age of 17.
La Bonne Nuit exists, unsurprisingly, in the basement of Pop's Chock'lit shop and quickly becomes a nightly haunt for the teenagers as well as the adults of Riverdale. Dimly lit and opulently decorated, the speakeasy is reminiscent of the Prohibition era and its debauchery. Let's take a look at some details of La Bonne Nuit which are easy to miss in the complex world of Riverdale.
10 The History
The idea of a secret speakeasy was not a novel one. The basement where La Bonne Nuit was situated used to be a speakeasy back in the 1920s, according to Pop, during an era of flapper dancers, tail coats, and cigarette girls.
Veronica decided to revive the old establishment in the season 2 finale of the show, as a way to keep the cash flowing, provide great entertainment to the townspeople, and let the North and South siders mingle peacefully.
9 The Front Door
Gaining entry into La Bonne Nuit is not as easy as walking into any other bar. The door to the club is disguised with a plaque that read "Riverdale Telephone Mfg Co." (to keep its customers safe during Prohibition, presumably).
When Kevin visited it for the first time, he had to pick up the telephone next to the door and say the password. A hatch on the door opened to let Reggie peek through to see who was outside, and it was on this hatch that the plaque was fixed to.
8 Mocktails To Cocktails
At the inauguration of La Bonne Nuit, Veronica clearly stated that the speakeasy won't actually serve any alcohol. This made sense since she was a minor herself, and her patrons would be her high school friends.
However, this changed fairly quickly and inexplicably as the club started being frequented by an older crowd. Suddenly, customers were ordering shots and cocktails (including the underage crowd), which also made sense since a large part of the joint was a bar full of alcohol bottles.
7 The Name
True to Veronica fashion, the name of the bar was borrowed from the French. The name literally translates to "Good Night", and it definitely assured that patrons would have a great night when they visited.
The name of the bar, however, is not seen so often in the show. It is placed right above the main stage where Josie, Veronica, Cheryl, and the others performed making it easy to miss.
6 Veronica's Portrait
Hiram had put up a grand portrait of Veronica in his study, but that was before his daughter began to wage war on him. He then proceeded to remove the portrait, replace it with one of himself, and gift the Veronica portrait to her at Pop's.
Veronica went on to hang the portrait in the bar that she owned and loved, and fans get to see fleeting glimpses of it in La Bonne Nuit if they really pay attention.
5 Old Photos At The Bar
This detail is really easy to miss and only the most eagle-eyed fans would be able to spot it. The lavish bar at La Bonne Nuit doesn't just hold large amounts of alcohol bottles, but also an ode to its historical predecessor.
On the inner walls of the arches that house the booze, Veronica has stuck a bunch of old school polaroids and black and white film photos, as well as some handwritten notes and currency.
4 Mermaid/Snake Lady Mural
The main stage of La Bonne Nuit is semi-circular, with red velvet curtains and draperies fringed with gold. This is where all the major musical and cabaret performances took place. However, on FP's birthday celebration, fans discovered that behind the lush crimson curtains on the stage, there was a mural of a lady who looked very much like a mermaid but was draped in snakes.
Whether this was a permanent fixture or specially made for the Serpents is something fans will only know in future seasons.
3 Old-World Booths
In most scenes at La Bonne Nuit, there seem to be individual round tables with vintage chairs strewn all around the bar. People either hang out at the bar or sat at these tables.
On closer inspection, audiences can see that the speakeasy also contains circular old-style booths which are elevated but a lot more private. They are comprised of sofa-style seating for large parties and are used a fair bit to conduct business deals in the show.
2 The Ceiling
The extravagance of La Bonne Nuit makes it easy to miss the ceiling. It appears to be made from wood and gices a true tunnel effect, thus increasing the feeling of being underground in a forbidden place.
The ends of the ceiling feature murals which depict the sky, sun, and stars in a surprise astronomical twist.
1 Ownership
After several tiffs between Veronica and Hiram about the ownership of Pop's Chock'lit Shop, and consequently the bar in its basement, viewers were left a bit confused about who owned the lavish La Bonne Nuit.
The ownership rested with Veronica and her mother Hermione, equally, the last time fans checked into Riverdale. Who's to say that won't change?