Prince O’Whales is hard to miss, a bright blue building part of one of Playa Del Rey’s busier streets capped by an immense, vertical sign proclaiming the name of the bar and a few of its signature amenities including “cocktails” and “darts.” Tinted windows run the length of the exterior wall, ushering in more light than might be typical of a true, dingy dive bar, a shift that takes advantage of the areas obvious beach vibe. Blue paint, blue window trim and a giant blue sign provide a solid drinking beacon among a string of businesses leading to the beach.
The space inside is divided into multiple distinct drinking areas, the foyer of sorts an indoor-outdoor hybrid that is actually more of a dive bar courtyard than anything else. A handful of hightop tables can be found in this dive bar waiting room, the blue paint scheme replicated inside to complement a massive whale mural along one of the area’s walls. Entrances to two bars can be found here, one a bit more television-intensive, the other a bit more minimalist. Whether both bars are operating at a given time depends on the density of the crowd.
To the left, a long bar occupies a narrow room underneath, you guessed it, an actual bowsprit as homage to the Playa Del Rey dive bar’s original moniker. A handful of beer taps can be found here, as well as some limited seating mostly limited to the chairs that line the bar and a few hightop tables. The dive bar decorations in this first bar consist of rusted license plates, framed posters and a few odds and ends found set against the wood paneling that lines the space.
