I was born and raised in Southern California and never tire of finding new things to see, experience, and of course, eat and drink. For the past eight years, I have lived about an hour north of Los Angeles in Oxnard, and I have my favorite local spots, of course. Unlike the big city, we don’t have a ton of new restaurants and attractions opening all the time, but I am still discovering things to do in Oxnard’s hidden gems, like this little speakeasy downtown. I had heard about the place for a while, but it was only recently that a friend and I finally decided it was time for a visit. I don’t know if it was exactly what either of us expected, but the charming 1901 speakeasy in Oxnard, CA, may become a new favorite place to spend an evening with friends.

Downtown Oxnard is fairly small, but has lots of unique little eateries, coffee shops, a movie theater, and an adorable block of historic homes called Heritage Square. The restored houses each have a unique design, loads of vintage character, and are now occupied by businesses.

Up this staircase in the pretty yellow house is quaint Italian restaurant called The 1901 and is the same building where the speakeasy is located. We had considered eating at the restaurant first, but decided to take our chances with the bar menu instead. We were actually in for a pleasant surprise.

To find the 1901 Speakeasy, we headed around to the rear of the house and down a set of stairs to the basement. This is not quite like speakeasies in SoCal with highly creative hidden entrances, passwords, etc., although you do need to know where you’re going to find it.

We arrived a little on the early side (they open at 4 p.m.) and had the place to ourselves for a short time, so we grabbed a seat on one of the couches by the fireplace.

There are cool historic photos and the interesting story behind the building on the walls, fun vintage items on the fireplace mantle, and really old cartoons and movies playing on TVs in each corner, which was a fun touch.

Remember the little surprise I mentioned? Well, it turns out that since the restaurant upstairs and the speakeasy have one owner, you can order food from the bar menu (which is actually pretty great), the fairly extensive restaurant menu, and a Specials menu!

We decided to start with drinks. The cocktail menu is on a chalkboard above the gorgeous bar and it has quite a few Prohibition-inspired drinks. (You can also pull up the drink menu on your phone and there is free wifi, so you don’t have to leave your seat).

If none of the more inventive concoctions sound good, it’s a full bar, so you can order your favorite drink.

I decided on the signature “Prohibition Punch,” which the bartender told me was made with some 30 different liquors (how is that even possible??) - basically most of what you see behind the bar. I have to tell you, it was delightful - even the glasses were so pretty and old-fashioned.

When we were ready to eat, we moved to one of the cute little high-top tables and started with Arancini - a fried risotto appetizer - and tomato basil soup, and we split an incredible wedge salad.

If you love wedge salads, this one is so worth it - it has two full wedges so it is perfect for sharing or for an entree, and is piled high with all the classic goodies! We know the dressing is homemade because we asked for extra and it turns out they were making a batch right then!

While we were eating, a local band was setting up to play. There is live music several nights during the week, and on the Friday we were there, the music was Latin and a bit of jazz.

Choosing a main course took a while because so many things on the menu looked amazing (just more reason to go back!) My friend settled on the Blackened Salmon and I ordered the gorgonzola-stuffed Pork Loin. Literally, nothing we ordered was disappointing, from the soup to the mashed potatoes.

The vibe of The 1901 speakeasy is intimate and comfortable, not overly formal or casual, not too quiet to comfortably chat or too loud to hear each other (before the music anyway), with cozy lighting and a nostalgic atmosphere.

By the crowd that filtered in after us, we could tell it was a place where locals like to hang out after work, but it never felt crowded. It is open Tuesday to Thursday 4 p.m. to 12 a.m., and Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. One thing worth noting is that the only restrooms are up a full flight of stairs in the restaurant.

When it comes to finding things to do in Oxnard, it is hard to beat a cozy evening full of excellent food, cocktails, and music. Although this wasn’t the mysterious, secret-entrance kind of speakeasy I kind of expected, it was such a lovely evening, I know we will be back again soon. If you haven’t had the chance to try this place, you can find information and menus for the speakeasy and the restaurant on The 1901 website.

If you are visiting Ventura County, The 1901 is a great place to kick back after a day of adventure like a trip to the Channel Islands or a whale-watching cruise with Island Packers!