The Only Coffee Bar by Day, Wine Bar by Night You'll Find on the Westside
“Coffee Until Wine”, a slogan you’ll see and embrace when you’re at Bodega Wine Bar. A coffee and wine bar, you’ll find yourself sitting for hours adoring the indoor/outdoor flow of the spot (Even if it’s just from the patio now that indoors are restricted) Having first opened in 2006 with just wine and beer, Bodega Wine Bar has grown into so much more, just like it’s original hometown, Santa Monica. Over the years Santa Monica has adopted the nickname, “Silicon Beach” as numerous tech companies started moving into the area. A sleepy beach town bringing in just a small amount of foot traffic to the wine bar. But the tech rush of over 500 companies relocating to the sunny shores of Santa Monica has turned this slow beach-side town into an industrial hub, making the possibility of a thriving coffee bar by day and wine bar by night the reality it is today.
Though the indoor seating is currently shut down, a pop up sidewalk patio still gives you the view of the indoor/outdoor set up. The front windows (complete with window seats) on both sides of the bar retract completely, giving fresh air to two ‘living room’ areas on one side, and a cool martini lounge on the other. The newly built patio is small but the patio lights hanging above you make it all the more magical. During the day, coffee (and beer and wine if you need it) is served and laptops are welcome until 5pm. You’ll find lunch bites ranging from a veggie burrito, breakfast burrito, to flatbreads and pizzas, with delicious flavor profiles. (The ‘Goat Cheese and Brussel Sprout’ and ‘Spiced Chicken and Bruschetta’ are delicious.)
Though most streets in Santa Monica can be tricky for parking, this one seems a little extra complicated. Some streets are permit only and some meters are allow for one hour, but there are plenty of meters ranging up to 9 hours of parking time. You may have to circle a few times but there is free parking and worth the extra time finding it.