Malibu has long been a playground for the rich and famous, PCH road-trippers, and everyday people looking to make the most of their Saturday. It’s the Hamptons of Los Angeles, only with way better beaches. But the food situation? It often leaves something to be desired.
Take a drive along the ocean, and you might notice a random KFC and a few old seaside restaurants that have seen better days. But scratch a little deeper, and there’s more in Malibu and its surrounding areas to discover. From roadside seafood shacks to brunches with spectacular , if you’re eating poorly in this town, you didn’t do your homework. Luckily, we did it for you. Here are the best places to eat in the Malibu area.
Editor’s Note [8/28/25]
After being closed for several months due to wildfire damage, public access to Malibu via Pacific Coast Highway is reopen, but drivers should still expect traffic delays due to road construction and allow extra time for travel.
Unrated: This is a restaurant we want to re-visit before rating, or it’s a coffee shop, bar, or dessert shop. We only rate spots where you can eat a full meal.
THE SPOTS
Did you really think we were going to kick off this list with anyplace else? Nobu is the unofficial restaurant of Malibu. Combine fancy sushi, the most stunning space on the coast, and celebs in oversized sunglasses, and you’ve got a Visit California ad brought to life. To be clear, you are going to spend some money here. A lot of money. But this is the flagship restaurant of the Nobu empire, where you eat rock shrimp tempura on a beachside fortress patio that could belong to a Bond villain—and oh look, Meryl Streep just walked for a lychee-tini.
Reservations are released 30 days in advance, though we rarely have luck making them online. If you call and speak with a host, however, your chances go up exponentially. Walk-ins during weekday lunch are also usually accepted.
When it comes to seafood restaurants in Malibu, there’s a big gap between sashimi at Nobu and baskets of fried clams at Malibu Seafood. Clark’s Oyster Bar fills in the middle nicely. Originally from , this upscale seafood spot functions like a local yacht club with parents in cashmere splitting jumbo-sized shrimp louies and curated oyster platters. We like the lobster roll at nearby better, but if you want somewhere to sip an ice-cold martini while eating fancy raw bar plates like rockfish ceviche with finger lime and wood-fried shrimp toast, Clark’s is a very useful option to have in your back pocket.
In a perfect world, we'd live in a bathing suit and eat mezze with an ocean view every day. That’s still a pipe dream, but at least we can glimpse the fantasy at Pita’ Bu. This casual Israeli spot across PCH from Surfrider Beach sets up a few long tables on its front patio, so you can walk up with sand in your trunks. The fully pescatarian menu includes pitas, plates, and dips, like smoky baba ganoush scooped up with falafel. If you want a sampler of the hits, get the salmon kofta plate with sides of hummus, pickles, and chopped salad tossed in tons of sumac.
Whenever we need a break from the chaos of this century, we drive to The Old Place. Up in the Santa Monica Mountains, it’s on the grounds of a 19th-century general store turned steakhouse, decked out with a Wild West aesthetic not unlike . The menu changes every so often, but generally involves bone-in ribeyes, mashed potatoes, and glorious fruit cobblers. The dark and cozy dining room is full-service, but you can also eat outdoors, which is more of a to-go operation where you grab a bench and watch peacocks patrol the grounds.
There’s no shortage of quality seafood along Malibu’s coast. But for our money, it doesn’t get better than Malibu Seafood. From the fish and chips to the fresh shrimp cocktails, everything at this tiny roadside shack is fantastic. There will definitely be a line on the weekends, but you will not care. The sun is out, there’s sand in your hair, and you can smell the ocean from your spot in line.
Surf Canyon Malibu is full of ceramic studios, artisan sandal shops, and, our favorite vendor, Casita Basqueria, a Spanish mini-mart that sells the best sandwiches in Malibu, which sell out by 1pm. Their secret is the bread: chewy pan de cristal imported from Spain. The fillings are different each day, from chicken roasted in duck fat to wood-grilled steak to crispy cured ham with manchego and garlic-tomato mayo. There’s no menu, so you just have to show up and see what he’s making. And grab a latte while you’re there—Sebastien is also skilled on the milk frother.
Lucky’s is a steakhouse that originated in the A-Lister commune known as Montecito, and though this location might lack Oprah and Meghan Markle sightings, the dining room crowd will still keep anyone entertained. You’ll spot locals sipping martinis and intentionally placing their hands so everyone can see their jewelry, and surfers who didn’t even bother changing out of their board shorts. Lucky’s is more than a people-watching sideshow, though—the food is solid, too. Do your best not to fill up on their excellent table rolls, start with a shrimp cocktail and the prosciutto chopped salad, then go for whatever big piece of meat catches your eye.
Broad Street isn’t just a great place to eat along PCH—it’s a seafood destination worth braving gridlock. The move at this counter-service spot is to come with friends for a late lunch. That way, you’ll be able to order a bit of everything: oysters on the half shell, steamed mussels in white wine broth, and a cup or two of their elite clam chowder. Just make sure to include their lobster roll. We like it served hot and smothered in butter, a luxurious sandwich that’s sure to impress even the pickiest of seafood eaters. Yes, we’re looking at you, New Englanders.
This kitschy seafood diner on the north end of town is arguably the most popular pullover spot on the entire PCH. And while the swarms of brochure tourists can get intense, we’re never mad we went. The food is good (get that clam chowder or anything deep-fried), and the retro 1960’s California vibes are unparalleled.
There’s something about being tossed around like a rag doll in the ocean that makes you want a burrito the size of a Nerf football. And we’re clearly not the only ones because wait times at Lily’s often hit 45 minutes. These hefty breakfast burritos are loaded with a big scoop of refried beans (which we’re into), plus the usual fluffy eggs, cheese, and bacon. Add avocado, ask for all three kinds of salsa, and make sure to call in your order ahead of time while you’re bombing down PCH.
Located in the back corner of Malibu Country Mart, away from the revving Porsches and toddlers in Gucci, Taverna Tony's is an oasis of great Greek food. This romantic indoor-outdoor space is a quintessential Malibu date spot, but not nearly as over-the-top as the restaurants near the water. Consider it for a post-beach dinner where you can stretch your sand-covered legs on the lush patio and split grilled octopus, bowls of creamy taramasalata, and whole grilled branzino. And if you’re looking for a little entertainment, they typically have live music and belly dancers on weekends.
Let us be clear—Paradise Cove does not have the best food in Malibu. And that ticketed parking lot of theirs can be a certifiable nightmare. That said, once you’re actually in the place, all that fades away. Most restaurants in Malibu advertise themselves as being beachfront, but Paradise Cove is the only one literally on the beach. And if you think Mom and Dad (or a date) want anything else besides sipping a Bloody Mary with their feet in the sand, you’re wrong.
This white tablecloth Italian restaurant is a bonafide Malibu classic. It's been around since the early ‘90s, and is the kind of charming pasta den that plays Pavarotti while a vested server dusts your ravioli with fresh parm tableside. It’s ideal for a family meal that avoids any Malibu sceney-ness, though you still might see a celebrity or two. The menu ticks the usual osteria boxes with calamari, caprese salads, and braised short ribs in wine sauce, but the pasta dishes are the highlights, especially their jumbo-sized gnocchi in a cheesy veal ragu.
A pit stop before a day at the beach? Head to Howdy's. This casual Mexican spot has poke bowls, salads, mariscos, and other things you’d want to eat a few hundred feet from the coast. But we usually focus on their burritos. From a classic carne asada with guac to sushi burritos with lobster and spicy mayo, Howdy’s wraps are more modest in size than , but offer a lot more variety. If you want to dine in, Howdy’s has a large covered patio where you can cool in the shade and sip agua frescas.
A general rule of thumb is that the closer a restaurant is to a pier, the more awful the food is. And if the restaurant is actually on the pier? Forget it. Malibu Farm, however, bucks the trend. This breezy all-day restaurant has a simple, crowd-pleasing menu filled with light, kind-of-healthy salads, protein plates, and tacos—nothing groundbreaking, but good enough to get the job done. Plus, those views off the Malibu pier never hurt. If you want a quintessential Malibu experience without having to take out a home mortgage, Malibu Farm is a reliable option.
The post-surf breakfast burrito is basically a Malibu way of life, and Country Kitchen is where the locals get theirs. This place is right on PCH, with a walk-up window, an awkward parking lot, a handful of seats, and a giant menu of burgers and sandwiches. If you see the breakfast burrito on the menu, order it. It’s simple—with a choice of meat (get the bacon), egg, hash browns, cheese, and salsa—and not too filling, and if you show up in a wetsuit, you can pretend you actually know how to surf.
Saddle Peak Lodge has a storied history that dates back to the Pony Express era, but in current times, a meal at this upscale steakhouse is like eating dinner at Richard Branson’s Montana hunting retreat. The space has three separate floors, themed rooms, and a full patio overlooking the Santa Monica mountains. Chances are high that you’ll be seated next to a roaring fireplace, staring point-blank at taxidermied animals, and eating plates of seared elk with bacon-blueberry jam or stuffed quail with curried peaches. Be sure to save room for the bread pudding.
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