Three weeks later, towards half-past eleven, one beautiful sunshiny day, Gervaise and Coupeau, the zinc-worker, were each partaking of a plum preserved in brandy, at "l'Assommoir" kept by Pere Colombe.

Coupeau, who had been smoking a cigarette on the pavement, had prevailed on her to go inside as she returned from taking home a customer's washing; and her big square laundress's basket was on the floor beside her, behind the little zinc covered table.
Pere Colombe's l'Assommoir was at the corner of Rue des Poissonniers and Boulevard de Rochechouart.

The sign, in tall blue letters stretching from one end to the other said: Distillery.

Two dusty oleanders planted in half casks stood beside the doorway.

A long bar with its tin measuring cups was on the left as you entered.