The Aquarium Café
The Aquarium Café was built in 1931 in the North Beach area of San Clemente. Noted architect L.C. Smith designed the building in the Spanish Colonial Revival style in keeping with Ole Hanson’s “Spanish Village by the Sea.” It was built by the Strang Brothers Construction Co., which was the builder of most of the noteworthy San Clemente structures in the 1920s and 30s. The main portion of the building has an octagonal shape, reflected in a centered, octagonal turret that rises above the roofline. There were four large aquariums, two fresh water, two salt water, on the sides that were filled with fish and sea life. It has had a succession of names including The Anchor Inn, Margarita’s Village, Ichibiri Japanese Restaurant, OC Fresca and Landers. It is a contributing structure in the North Beach Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
San Clemente, Orange County
Photographer: Andrew Schmidt