Café Nat Goodwin at the foot of Hollister Ave in the Ocean Park, Santa Monica, California, 1917

Café Nat Goodwin at the foot of Hollister Ave in the Ocean Park, Santa Monica, California, 1917If you were looking for a good time in Los Angeles in the mid 1910s, you’d do well by driving to the Ocean Park section of Santa Monica. At the end of Hollister Ave you’d find Bristol Pier, which was renamed Crystal Pier where successful actor, vaudevillian, and bon-vivant-around-town, Nat Goodwin, opened his eponymous Café Nat Goodwin. It was more than just a café, it was also a cabaret, ballroom, and gardens. It was no wonder that he billed it the “Most Beautiful Café Over The Sea In The World.” Goodwin later sold it to the ubiquitous Baron Long, who renamed it the Sunset Inn. Neither the building nor the pier still exist.

Cafe Nat Goodwin, Main Dining Room Santa Monica Cafe Nat Goodwin, Santa Monica, California (2) Cafe Nat Goodwin, Santa Monica, California (1)Cafe Nat Goodwin - Most Beautiful Café Over The Sea In The World Menu at the Cafe Nat Goodwin, Santa Monica, 1913

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6 responses to “Café Nat Goodwin at the foot of Hollister Ave in the Ocean Park, Santa Monica, California, 1917”

  1. Gordon Pattison says:

    “Please can we go there for just one afternoon,” he said longingly.

  2. Cole Horsfall says:

    Some days l long for a Stuffed Tomato Surprise. Just how surprised can a tomato be?

  3. Rich Ramsey says:

    Even a “June Gloom” brunch in this beautiful cafe would be just… heaven.

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