I am brave enough to admit that one of my favorite pastimes is getting dressed up to sip a cocktail and gossip with my girlfriends. However, finding the perfect place to carry this out is difficult; it requires a location that is cute, affordable and somewhat private. And I’m happy to announce I have found a pretty strong contender.
Located atop The Bower Hotel is Dive, a rooftop bar and restaurant. The Bower Hotel, which opened March 21, 2025, replaced the Villa Capri by the Sea motel. Dive is an homage to Villa Capri’s diving girl logo. It is perfectly Instagram-able with trendy decor and views overlooking the bay, ocean and Hotel del Coronado.
The lunch menu, while sparse, covers a lot of ground from a gochujang chicken crunch salad to a wagyu slider. The cocktail and mocktail menu, on the other hand, leaves no stone unturned. From specialty cocktails to a wide liquor and wine selection, I feel confident everyone could find a drink that they like.
While I waited for my order to come out – a gin-based passion fruit cocktail and hearty salad – I enjoyed the outdoor ambiance: a plush booth and under a big striped umbrella, ocean breezes gently rustling the surrounding foliage. While fighting the temptation of an afternoon nap, I noted that the tables felt secluded enough to spill even the most juicy information. Perfect.
The space is small, but maximized and not crowded, with a bar, table and booth.
The cocktail menu piqued my interest, with combinations I haven’t seen elsewhere. I was drawn to the Capri Cream, which features infused vanilla vodka, matcha and coconut milk cold foam. The Hollywood Mirage looked equally intriguing with tequila, giffard piment d’espelette liqueur and house tepache syrup.
I decided to go with the Duchess cocktail, the lemon and passionfruit cut the gin perfectly and the demerara brown sugar balanced all the components. And while I am jaded by the price points at upscale bars, I felt $16 to be perfectly fair.
Next was the Villa salad, with Persian cucumbers, figs, tomatoes and a chunk of ash-coated goat cheese on a bed of dressed arugula. I will say I was not blown away by it. It felt easily reproducible and simple. Ultimately $24 felt too steep, especially for the fact there was no protein on it.
The menu says Dive is both casual and cosmopolitan, and I agree with that evaluation. Opening in 2025, Dive balances the old and new, embracing modern looks and taste but holding reverence for the iconic motel that came before it. It even features the Villa Capri logo behind the bar. While I wasn’t blown out of the water with the food and beverages, the space is undeniably enjoyable and unique. The only thing missing was my girlfriends and a healthy serving of gossip.
Dive is located at 1417 Orange Ave. in Coronado. They are open 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. Sunday. You can learn more at https://www.divecoronado.com
