Bar Fortuna Is Open on Main Street, and There Is an Espresso Window

Brian Bornemann's second Santa Monica restaurant opened on October 21. Bar Fortuna is at 2917 Main Street, one block from Crudo e Nudo, in the space that last held Vamos Vamos.

We wrote about this one in August when it was still an ABC filing and a target date. The room is now serving, and a few things about it are worth updating.

It Is A Bar First

The spine of the place is a long white marble bar, and Bornemann has described the concept as drawing on the historic Italian bars he spent time in while he was learning to make pasta. Ocean Park is his home neighborhood, and the pitch is a room people walk into rather than book.

The team is deep for a neighborhood bar. Jose Morales, who has cooked with Bornemann for more than a decade, runs the kitchen as chef de cuisine. Noah Castellanos is bar director. J.D. Plotnick built the wine list.

What Is On The Plate

• Gemelli with Italian sausage, fennel pollen, grapes and rosemary.

• Fettuccine nere with squid, 'nduja, yellow tomato, fennel frond and lemon zest.

• Shaved vegetable salads, which change with the market.

• Early diner favorites. Reviewers have called out the meatballs, the zucchini carpaccio, a squid ink fried rice and a lobster tagliolini.

The early read is not uniformly glowing. Several opening-week diners praised the cocktails and the antipasti while calling the pastas uneven, and at least one regular of Crudo e Nudo came away disappointed. That is a normal shape for an opening week and worth knowing before you expect the finished version.

The Drinks And The Window

Five Negroni variations, spritzes and a list of specialty cocktails. Plotnick's wine list runs California and Italy, with affordable glasses sitting next to rare bottles, including 40-year-old California Cabernet and hard-to-find Barolos.

The detail we like most is the to-go window Castellanos runs. Four morning espresso drinks: espresso, espresso con latte, caffè corretto and shakerato. Antipasti, sandwiches and fresh pasta by the pound are planned, with the bar aiming to grow into morning and lunch service.

An Italian bar that opens for coffee and closes on Negronis is the actual model Bornemann said he was copying. Most places that say that only build the second half.

If You Go

• Bar Fortuna, 2917 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405

• Hours: not yet published. The restaurant's Google Business Profile had no hours listed as of October 25, 2026.

• Nearby: Crudo e Nudo is one block away on the same street.

Because the hours are not posted anywhere yet, call or check Instagram before you drive over, particularly for the espresso window.

Sourcing

The opening date, team, menu, beverage program and to-go window come from Los Angeles Magazine's reporting. Early diner impressions are drawn from public Google reviews posted during opening week and are identified as such. Address and listing status come from Google Business Profile, checked October 25, 2026. Food Journal Magazine has not eaten at Bar Fortuna.