The small bars in Grande-Anse are not tourist establishments and do not pretend to be. They serve ti-punch — white rhum agricole, cane syrup, and a wedge of lime to squeeze yourself — local beers (Lorraine and Corsaire are the ones to know), and cold soft drinks. The furniture is plastic, the music comes from a phone or a small speaker, and the pace of conversation is island pace, which is to say unhurried.
In the evenings these bars are where the island's social life happens. The population of La Désirade is small enough that everybody knows everybody, and visitors who stay more than a day begin to know people too. Ti-punch is the handshake. Order one, find a chair, and let the evening take its time.
Hours are informal — bars open when they open and close when the last drinker goes home, which is not late.