Loa Bar

In the Voodoo faith tradition, "Loa" are divine spirits with roughly a one to one correlation to the pantheon Christian saints. The name suits the bar at International House because in it the city's contemporary spirit is evident. In the flickering glow of candlelight which someone playfully noted "softens not only the features but the defenses". In the opulent mix of texture and pattern selected by designer LM Pagano, the intangible exotic mix of Haitian French- Caribbean ways, with refined European sensibilities and in a sort of Sistine Chapel-esque religiosity found in heavily Catholic New Orleans. It's clear in the devoted patrons too, an effortless blend of visitors coupled with a nightly mix of young artists and entrepreneurs who fuel an impressive creative culture of invention in this long-admired city. Says Walter, "In this setting, the cup is literally replete with "spirits" possessed of the power to sharpen the tongue and dull the sword."