Cocoon Finds A New Home...

For over a decade F1 driver Eddie Irvine's Cocoon Bar was the place to be seen for hip Celtic Tiger cubs. Alas, the darn recession pulled the plug on the suave drinking den, but fear not dear reader - thanks to the savvy Cafolla brothers - Cocoon lives once again. Huzzah...

Paolo Cafolla, Ivano Cafolla

Back in the day, if you walked into the Cocoon Bar just off Grafton Street of a Saturday night you would no doubt see Ivano Cafolla on the decks and his cute Afterdark.ie girlies circling the venue taking snaps of the hottest punters for their website. Ah we miss those days.

Paolo Cafolla, Ivano Cafolla

Sadly Cocoon couldn't swim in the economic downturn and its regulars found themselves set adrift on a plethora of mediocre replacement bars and Saturday nights were never the same again. Seeing this opportunity, Ivano and his younger brother Paolo have recreated the iconic bar as an individual lounge inside Ron Blacks on Dawson Street and aptly named it 'Cocoon Lounge'.

Hayley Ryan

Perched above the busy Ron Blacks bar, the Cocoon Lounge unapologetically tips-its-hat to the aesthetic of its predecessor with dark wooden panels on the wall and floors, brushed steel fittings, and of course, the cream leather couches. Throw in Ivano providing the tunes and a bevy of young models and Cocoon is back baby!

Hayley Ryan, Kerri Ingram, Danielle Kiernan

The Cocoon Lounge launched last Saturday night with the main body of guests assembled from the old bar's regulars which was always going to include a smattering of Assets models who always seemed to frequent the place back on the heady days of yore... Guests on the night were headed-up by the matriarchal mother of Ivano & Paolo - Cindy Cafolla. Other peeps there included Hayley Ryan, Kerri Ingram, Danielle Kiernan, Courtney O'Hara, Simon O'Riordan, Kieron Ducie, Elaine Buggle, Tracey McDermot, Eva Warren, John Foley, Aoife O'Malley, John Paul O'Sullivan, Rob Lawless, and many many more... It was heaving.

Courtney O'Hara, Simon O'Riordan

So there you have it folks - Dublinites now have somewhere to get tanked-up on champers and strawberries before they head-off to Lillies or Krystle on Friday and Saturday nights. And all this only a mere few steps around the corner from the old hallowed Cocoon site...

Tracey McDermot, Eva Warren

The social dynamic of Dublin may have been irreversibly transformed by the recession and the death of Celtic Tigerism but everyone and anyone loves a mountainous dose of nostalgia. And that's exactly what the Cocoon Lounge serves up. In heaps.

Aoife O'Malley, John Paul O'Sullivan

The new Cocoon Lounge in located above Ron Blacks on Dawson Street - see you there next Saturday night!

Rob Lawless & Hayley Ryan