Tomorrow evening, Venice Ale House owners Spoon Singh and Thomas Elliott officially open Bank of Venice in a beach-adjacent building at the corner of Pacific and Winward. Since it’s days as an actual bank starting in the late 19th century, the structure has been spirited through too many incarnations to count. Bank of Venice is hoping to tap into the beach city’s modern moment by providing $10 to $12 soju cocktails, freshly squeezed juices, California brew on draft, and a menu of international comfort food selections from sustainability-minded chef Jason Freeher of Hawaii’s Palm Cafe and Canada’s Sooke Harbor House.
The space, which until recently was the home of Dry Tour and later, Code, hasn’t changed much at all, relying on the striking room of vaulted ceilings and the original bank floor to provide its atmosphere.
Though both partners seemed to have different ideas about the future direction of the menu, for now, you’ll find many of the same dressed-up bar food dishes as you would at their Ale House, along with semi-successful servings of bangers and mash with natural sausage, Alaskan wild salmon sandwiches topped with pickles and lemon aioli, quinoa bowls for the veggie set, and grass-fed meatloaf, all priced $11 to $14.
Come take a look at our slideshow as we delve into Bank of Venice, opening just steps from the sea tomorrow at 12:00 P.M.
