Do you ever get the craving for a good piece of fish and a strong glass of alcohol? Well, sometimes I do. This usually causes me to head over to the local sushi spot, Canal Club, for one of the Westside’s best happy hour deals. The half-priced sushi is undeniably the biggest draw at Canal Club, as it features everything from traditional rolls like spicy tuna and California rolls ($6) to inventive rolls like eel and Avocado to Sunset (baked salmon) ($6), all prepared right before your eyes at the cozy sushi bar.

But the sushi isn’t the spot’s only draw. Canal Club also features an eclectic menu from Mexico to Japan. Marrying cultures together with appetizers including Brie and grape quesadillas ($7), machaca taquitos with salsa verde ($6) and popcorn shrimp with Thai sweet and spicy dip ($9) reflects the many faces of the surrounding Venice neighborhood. Even the decor, a bright, tropical theme, keeps the mood light and relaxed with art by local artists, including Billy Al Bengston and Canal Club co-owner Daniel Samakow.

The sunken sushi bar is situated behind illuminated marble walls and seating arrangements are on ivory stools. Hovering over the sushi bar is a tiki-inspired room, the Palapa Room. This small hut houses up to 20 people and gives 360-degree views of the entire restaurant. The Lagoon Lounge, a liquor bar next door to the sushi bar, is wrought with decorative metal seats.

Canal Club specializes in a variety of mixed drinks like pineapple mojitos, made from fresh pineapple, an impressive Saki list and the Venice Volcano. The Volcano arrives in a large bowl with a flaming center of Bacardi 151 and two large straws. Indeed, as the straws indicate, this is a drink that insists on being shared.

If an entrée seems more appealing, Canal Club offers plenty of noteworthy selections. The famous carne asada ($20) is mesquite grilled and served with guacamole, black beans, pico de gallo and corn tortillas. Grilled wild king salmon ($19) is made according to your tastes, in my case medium rare. Served with wasabi mashed potatoes, garlic green beans and a tart shittake mushroom, it is best paired with a crisp white wine. The servers are very knowledgeable about wine pairings, especially since Samakow is a Wine Spectator award winner.

In keeping with its eclectic theme, Canal Club also has a Cuban sandwich ($9), made with chicken in lieu of pork and pressed with Monterey Jack cheese alongside shoestring potatoes. The half-pound burger ($12) is topped with cheese and accented with sauteed green chiles.

Canal Club is located at 2025 Pacific Ave., in Venice. Hours: Dinner is served 6-10 p.m. Sun-Tue and 6-11 p.m. Wed-Sat; sushi happy hour is nightly from 5-8 p.m. For more information, call (310) 823-3878.