Venice's oldest bar, opened in 1915 by Cesar Menotti, operated an underground Prohibition speakeasy supplied by rum-runner tunnels; longtime owner Frank Bennett, who died in 2003, is reported to haunt his favorite corner booth.
52 Windward Ave, Venice, CA 90291
Research updated June 2026
Age
21+
Cost
$$
Bar admission is free; drinks priced individually. Check the venue website for live music and event cover charges.
Access
Limited Access
Basement speakeasy requires descending a staircase. Street-level bar is accessible.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1915 · Prohibition-Era Speakeasy · Venice History · National Trust for Historic Preservation
Cesar Menotti opened what became Venice's longest-running bar at 52 Windward Ave in 1915, naming it Menotti's Buffet. The original tile spelling of the name remains visible near the entrance. When Prohibition took effect in January 1920, Menotti adapted: the street-level space became a grocery store, while the basement operated as a concealed speakeasy known as the Del Monte.
Supplying the underground bar required logistics. Ships anchored beyond the three-mile coastal limit — outside federal jurisdiction — and smaller boats moved the cargo through a network of tunnels that wound through the streets and canals of Venice, which at the time still had an active waterway system. Police appear to have looked the other way. The operation ran for the duration of Prohibition, ending when the Volstead Act was repealed in 1933.
After repeal, the grocery store closed and the upstairs bar reopened. The basement Del Monte eventually became a live music venue. Frank and Annie Bennett acquired the operation in 1966; in 1968, Frank replaced the original trapdoor entrance to the basement with a proper staircase. Frank Bennett lived above the bar and made the establishment his home base for nearly four decades, drinking at his favored corner booth until his death in 2003. Louie and Netty Ryan purchased the venue in 2007 and undertook an extensive restoration, preserving the basement's Prohibition-era aesthetic while reopening both floors. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has recognized the venue's significance.
The name 'Del Monte Speakeasy' refers specifically to the basement bar. The street-level operation retains the 'Townhouse' name.
Sources
Frank Bennett spent nearly four decades at the Townhouse, living in the building and drinking at the same corner booth in the basement Del Monte. After his death in 2003, reports began circulating of a man seen sitting at that booth in the basement bar — a figure who does not respond to questions and is not present when staff check the seat directly. Discover Los Angeles and Amy's Crypt, a paranormal documentation site, have both published accounts attributing this sighting to Bennett's ghost.
A second, distinct account involves the women's restroom. A female visitor reported that while alone in the bathroom, she felt her hair pulled by something she could not see. The incident is single-witness and not corroborated by staff or other patron accounts from the same visit, but it has been cited in multiple haunted-bar roundups covering Los Angeles.
The tunnel system that supplied the speakeasy during Prohibition adds texture to the location's reputation. Some accounts claim the tunnels still exist beneath the building, though their current accessible extent is not publicly documented. The combination of a basement venue, genuine criminal history, and a proprietor who died on the premises gives the Del Monte more raw material for a haunting tradition than most bars in the city.
Notable Entities
Descend to the basement Del Monte Speakeasy, a restored Prohibition-era underground bar with period aesthetics, live entertainment most evenings, and the original tile reading 'Menotti's Buffet' still visible near the entrance. The bar is open to adults 21+ during regular business hours.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
West Hollywood, CA
The building opened on New Year's Eve 1935 as Club Seville, a Hollywood nightclub with a crystal dance floor. By 1940 it had become Ciro's, operated by William Wilkerson, which ran until 1957 as one of the Sunset Strip's premier celebrity venues. Gangster Mickey Cohen was among its most notorious regulars, conducting business from the building. Mitzi Shore purchased the property in 1976 and built the Comedy Store into its current form.
Los Angeles, CA
German-born brothers Charles and Adolph Bernheimer completed this Japanese-inspired hilltop palace in 1914 to house their extensive Asian art collection. They sold the property in the mid-1920s; it passed through use as an exclusive club, a military school, and a brothel before Thomas O. Glover purchased it in 1948 and discovered ornate woodwork hidden under layers of paint. Glover developed it into Yamashiro Restaurant, which has operated since the early 1960s.
Hollywood, CA
French immigrant Firmin Toulet opened Frank's François Café at 6669 Hollywood Boulevard in 1919. In 1923, Joseph Musso joined as partner, the name changed, and the restaurant expanded to 6667 Hollywood in 1936. The Mosso family acquired full ownership and has operated the restaurant continuously since. In 2019, it became the first restaurant to receive a Hollywood Walk of Fame star.