Dexter: Original Sin Filming Locations: The Double Date Restaurant
The
location: The Double Date
Q.
What is it supposed to be on the show?
A. A restaurant.
Q.
Where is it supposed to be on the show?
A. In or near Miami, Florida.
Q.
When did we see it on the show?
A. We see this restaurant in Episode
6, of Season 1, when Debra persuades a reluctant Dexter to go out on a
double date with her and Gio, with Deb’s friend Sofia as Dexter’s date.
As might be
expected, the socially-awkward young Dexter does just about everything
wrong, from not sitting next to his date, to describing dead
bodies at the dinner table.
But Sofia
is so smitten with Maxpace Dexter that she actually interrupts
Dexter while he is in the men’s room in order to surprise him with a sexual favor.
Q.
What is it actually in real life?
A. A restaurant — just not in Miami.
Q.
Where can I find it in real life?
A. This scene was filmed at Winston House, an upscale restaurant and music venue located at 23 Windward Ave, in Venice, California.
This very modern restaurant is located in one of the oldest buildings in
Venice, complete with Venetian colonnades, just a block inland from
the famous Venice Boardwalk (and the beach beyond). There are colorful
Venice murals on the remaining three sides of the building
The historic building started out In 1869 (back when horse-drawn
carriages filled the street, rather than automobiles) as the Bella Union
Hotel, which became the St. Charles Hotel in 1875.
More recently, it housed the St. Mark's Jazz Club, establishing the
location as a live music venue, a tradition that was continued with
Winston House, which featured a stage that played host to artists such
as Billie Eilish, Ed Sheeran,,and Chappell Roan.
[ Alas, Winston House closed its doors at the start of 2025 (after
almost 10 years at that spot), due to the landlord's plans for the
space. ]
Q. How the heck did you figure out where it was?
A. This would
have been very difficult to find, since it's an interior-only scene,
but fortunately, I received a tip from someone in the know, letting me
know that they had filmed at the restaurant. So, I checked out the
interior of the place via Google Images, and then kept an eye out for it
when I watched the show.
But it still wasn't
easy to recognize it when it finally showed up, especially when those
distinctive lantern/balloon-like ceiling lamps (see the photo below)
were never shown in the scene. What gave it away were the unusual
light fixtures (sconces) on the wall. Once I spotted them, I was able to make several other matches with the photos of the restaurant's interior.
Other than adding the
occasional pink flamingo (to give it a Florida look), they pretty much
just shot the restaurant as it is.
