Setting the Bar

 

Named after a summit in Ojai, CHIEF'S PEAK - brainchild of dynamic duo Ariane Aumont and Joya Rode Thomas, whose serendipitous meeting and playful sugestion "Lets open a bar one day!" cae to frutation last summer - is Ojai Rancho Inn's latest addition. A hotel room turned lounge open from noon to 10 pm every day, it's small and friendly with a view of the garden and pool and attracts visitors and locals alike. With both indoor and outdoor seating, it's a place where it's easy to start a conversation or begin a friendship. Inn owners Chris Sewell and Kenny Osehan's refreshing design is keeping with the rest of the property's decor. Heather Levine ceramic lights illuminate the bar, which is stocked with local beer, wine, soju, sake, quirky nonalcoholic beverages and a clutch of cocktail shrubs made by Nostrum. Vintage board games, membership mugs that hang on the wall, and a record player for lo-fi vinyl entusiasts (music is curated by Warbler Records & Good's Kurt Legler) round the space.