Rhum Runner is a story of a tropical spirit that refused to disappear. Lisa and Valentin were once employees of the original Rhum Runner — a cocktail and rum bar born in 2015 — and when economic troubles in the wake of Covid forced it to close in 2023, they couldn't bear to let that unique, tropical atmosphere vanish from Montpellier. So they rolled up their sleeves (out came the sanders, the screwdrivers, and the shakers) and decided to revive it: same name, same spirit, but with a more modern touch, a cleaner décor, and a fresh visual identity. After ten months of intense work, in July 2024, the Rhum Runner was reborn — and they couldn't have been happier to find the place, and their regulars, again. The name itself is no accident: it nods to the little boats that once smuggled rum, a wink to the history and authenticity of its tropical world.
This is, first and foremost, a "tropicool" tiki bar where you can taste more than 70 different rums, all hand-selected, alongside homemade cocktails made with fresh ingredients. The motto is simple: no fuss. Come as you are and with whoever you like — your mates, your mum, your crush, your banker, your dog, or just yourself — settle in, and let the team take you on a journey without your feet ever leaving Montpellier. Behind the bar, Valentin (the maestro and resident DJ, who dreams up most of the cocktails and the puns that go with them), Lisa (the ball of energy you'll hear before you see), and apprentice Ashley pride themselves on balanced, flavour-packed creations.
The cocktail is a genuine culture here. The syrups, infusions, and preparations are all homemade, the fruit always fresh, and even the glassware is one-of-a-kind, shaped by a local ceramicist. Emblematic classics are treated with real respect — a perfect Piña Colada, a Mai Tai, a Zombie — while the signatures send you travelling: the cachaça-and-prickly-pear King Cobra, the coffee-infused Piscola crowned with vanilla ice cream, the Japanese-leaning Hakushika, the Sex on the Pilou served in a flamingo, the playful Rhumoni (a rum take on the Negroni), the verdant Verditas, and the tamarind-and-peanut Tamariño — most around €13, some shareable for two (€22) or four (€42). There are alcohol-free creations too, like the Vanille sur Pilou and the Tamarina (€10–11), and if nothing quite fits, the team will craft a bespoke cocktail just for you (€14, or €11 without alcohol).
The rum, of course, is the heart of it — a voyage around the world from Guadeloupe and Martinique to the Grandes and Petites Antilles, the Indian Ocean, Latin America, and beyond, even as far as Japan, served in measures of 2, 4, or 6 cl. Whether you want to discover, deepen, or compare, there are discovery flights (the Jus de Canne, Britannique, Hispanique, and Tri Party trios), homemade rhums arrangés, and the traditional Ti-punch, with attentive advice always on hand to match your palate and your mood. And because a good cocktail tastes even better with something to nibble, there's a tapas menu built for sharing — creole-and-world bites like creole hummus, cod accras, beef samoussas, chicken bouchons, achards, cheddar nachos, and rum babas (around €5–16).
Relaxed, authentic, and full of good humour, Rhum Runner is an invitation to travel and to share — a warm, festive tropical haven where you come to drink, eat, chat, and simply have a tropicool time, on rue Jules Latreilhe in the heart of Montpellier.