When one thinks about the Venice boardwalk, sobriety isn’t usually the first word to come to mind. But a breezy, fun sober space is rocking just a block away from the beach, with plans to stay for the summer at the crossroads of Brooks and Pacific Avenue.
At Bar Nuda, a DJ’s música tropical beats circle through the air as plates of pollo verde-loaded nachos and sushi-grade ahi tostadas are passed to tables of lively guests, sipping on zero-proof cempasuchil carajillos, mock margaritas, and chrysanthemum-based, non-alcoholic wine that gets fermented in the Kunlun Mountain snow.
Bar Nuda comes from Pablo Murillo and Morris Ellis, who together launched the Aguas Locas brand of healthier aguas frescas during the pandemic, using an unemployment check Murillo, formerly a manager at Venice’s Rose Cafe, had received amid the forced shutdown of restaurants.
The duo launched Bar Nuda in Venice two years ago with bartender Bryant J. Orozco, setting up in different neighborhoods and locations. This summer, they’ll be opening Nuda Wednesdays through Fridays in the evening in the Shepard Fairey-and-surf book-scattered space of Little Lunch, a cafe by day in Venice.
After two years of pop-ups, this more stable arrangement is a great step in the evolution of the sober party.
“Now we have the opportunity to host people in our own space and set the tone and the vibe while also offering food, which is something that we've never done,” says Murillo. “Before it was like, just come to the Bar Nuda and have a drink. Now we're able to curate the entire experience.”
The experience takes the form of a banging party in which alcohol is not needed or missed, hinging on Orozco’s drinks, which are as beautiful as they are complex. We enjoyed a Magón, a deep red shroud coating the inside of a Nick and Nora glass garnished with dried hibiscus, woven from the interplay of beets, ginger, and grape tannins, with a base of the non-alcoholic spirit brand Optimist’s Fresh.
We also had the Rosa Nuda, in which rose hips and bougainvillea vibrated around a core of zero-proof Tequila. And savored the stunning flavor in a refreshing glass of United Ferments’ Snow Chrysanthemum N/A wine. While kicking back, talking with neighboring tables, and digging into tostadas layered with sushi-grade ahi with sweet onion and mango-habanero shrimp, as well as a dynamite braised beef tamal from a vendor named Petra.
“What we're really hoping is that people see it for more than just a place to grab a non-alcoholic drink, but as almost like a third space where they can go to after the beach, they can go to after work,” says Murillo. ”To have some more fun while, you know, while letting loose, but also, you know, feeling great the next day.”
For Murillo, who is celebrating over two years of sobriety, running Bar Nuda has given him the chance to try and be a role model for both his two children and those around him.
“We launched Bar Nuda to create a sober, social, safe space where people can go out, make connections, get those deep belly laughs, and without the pressure of drinking booze, while also celebrating our beautiful Mexican culture,” he says. “My own father passed away from alcohol-related issues. And so to be able to change the narrative of my family and to also help others do that same thing, while creating a space where we can, in a sense, heal while enjoying a night out and enjoying wellness.”
Murillo’s father passed away in 2017 after being deported to Mexico, three months after the birth of his eldest daughter.
“They never got the chance to meet,” he says. “That's why Bar Nuda is so special to me. It allows me to honor him and my culture at the same time while, you know, setting the example not only for my own kids but for my community.”
Murillo was raised on Catalina Island, is a punk guitarist, and has organized beach clean-up events. Bringing Bar Nuda back to Venice is a full-circle moment.
He tells L.A. TACO Bar Nuda tends to get three types of guests. People seeking community and a cultural experience. People who are sober due to a variety of reasons, be it religion, health, or something more personal, who are seeking this kind of space. And those who are just curious about what a sober party space might look like.
“We're very conscious of that so we try to curate and really try to do our best to be there for everyone and be super inclusive,” he says. “This elderly Muslim couple, who is completely sober and had never been or had a bar experience in their lives before, [were] super thankful for us to be able to create a space for them to be able to enjoy that experience that they've never had in their lives.”
“There are others who are, you know, very grateful to have a space like this because they don't drink or recently stopped drinking or their friends don't drink and they feel like, ‘wow, this is somewhere that I can really see myself, you know, coming back to because there's never really been anything like it.’”
Whether you’re sober or just looking for a great vibe with incredible zero-proof drinks and some beach day-friendly Mexican eats, Bar Nuda will be here through the summer.
Murillo says he and his partners are planning various collaborations and activations, too, such as nights devoted to Selena, Sade, and hip-hop. He's also offering a craft mocktail workshop on Wednesdays. The Venice pop-up may also work as a sort of test to see if a more permanent brick-and-mortar version could be around the corner.
Whatever is to come, the summer is almost upon us. And now you know a rare safe and sober space right off the Boardwalk to bring friends and family after soaking up some sun.
Bar Nuda ~ Wednesdays-Fridays, 7-10 PM ~ 50 Brooks Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90291
