Venice’s Reborn Waterfront Cafe Shines Along the Boardwalk

There’s a new name to know along the Venice boardwalk. Or, rather, a reborn name landing in a rather iconic location. Welcome to the Waterfront, a sunny new multi-functional restaurant space doing cocktails, tacos, all-day salads, and much, much more.

The Waterfront lands inside the former On the Waterfront Cafe space, which shuttered last year after a 23-year run. The bones were good and the views remained, though, so in came Jake Mathews, a developer with 9Mile Investments, to turn the place around. Now the Waterfront has been pulled back to the studs and opened up to reveal a colorful, plant-filled patio, tall ceilings, and the usual accoutrement of skate and surf details that define this stretch of the city.

As for the food, the new Waterfront carries a few different mantles at once. Up front is a beer garden area alongside Boardwalk Tacos, a simple grab-and-go affair with stool seating. Beyond that is the all-day cafe, with coffee, takeaway items, salads and cocktails and the like, and there’s a patio pushed into the back. Expect some overlapping former favorite menu items to remain under chef Adele Sun, like the signature soft pretzel. Brunch will land on Saturday and Sunday as well.

The Waterfront officially opens on October 24, keeping all-day hours that start at 8 a.m. and run until midnight in the lounge.

The Waterfront. 205 Ocean Front Walk, Venice, CA.

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