Sail into Captain’s Quarters, a nautical bar with tapas and cocktails in Pacific Beach

Ever wondered what it would be like to have a fancy cocktail in a high-class, decorative nautical bar? Now you can.

Captain’s Quarters at 910 Grand Ave. in Pacific Beach is open for business accepting online bookings and limited walk-ins aboard its speakeasy-style sophisticated bar offering nightly booze cruises.

The new escapist establishment is the brainchild of Matt Spencer, who also owns The Grass Skirt, previously Good Time Charlie’s, and the former Tiki Bar in PB. Those restaurants are part of SDCM, a hospitality group employing some 600 at local restaurants and bars including Ketter Exchange, Waverly, and Camino Riviera,

Regarding the origin of Captain’s Quarters, Spencer said: “We bought Good Time Charlie’s, which had its time and was a PB staple, and opened The Grass Skirt and The Poke Shop, which were effectively one business. The Poke Shop was open during the daytime and would close at night and the Tiki bar would open up, and The Poke Shop became the hostess stand for the ‘secret door area’ for The Grass Skirt.”

Post-COVID, Spencer decided to drop The Poke Shop concept in favor of something altogether novel, and a departure from the community’s more garden-variety establishments where he noted people went “to eat and drink, and then go home.”

“We wanted to have a new kind of restaurant experience,” Spencer said pointing out each of SDCM’s restaurant locations “give you some kind of experience you take away and talk about.”

So Spencer took The Grass Skirt’s “secret door” concept a step further in creating Captain’s Quarters, reminiscent of the captain’s quarters in vintage 1800s Spanish galleon-style ships with a window in the back and room for about 75 seats for drinking and dining. “It’s only about a third, maybe half as big as The Grass Skirt, though it seems a lot bigger,” Spencer said adding, “We have a tapas menu with a Spanish influence to it. We wanted to do something a little bit upscale for PB, but also casual and approachable.”

Why gin in the nautical bar?

“Gin is making a big comeback,” answered Spencer adding, “I did some research and that was the drink on 1800s sailing ships for officers, whereas crews drank rum.”

Captain’s Quarters opened recently and has a grand opening planned soon. Reservations are not required but are highly recommended. Walk-ins are allowed in the new establishment, which opens at 5 p.m. and closes at midnight or 1 a.m.

Concluded Spencer of Captain’s Quarters, “It is a work of art and it is going to be in PB for years to come.”

CAPTAIN’S QUARTERS

Where: 910 Grand Ave.

Info: thegrassskirt.com, 858-412-5237.

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