Where to eat in Malibu with ocean views

In Malibu, you have so many opportunities for scenic dining. From restaurants steps from the ocean to hidden places nestled in the mountains. Here are a few of my recommendations for where to eat in Malibu with ocean views.

NOTE: As of the update of this post, 12/06/2021, COVID-19 regulations are still in place for Los Angeles County. You can find a cheat sheet here.

Eat what is around you

The theme for Malibu is seafood. Many of the restaurants here are focused on things you can pluck from the ocean– from the fancy outpost of Nobu Ryokan to the fried fish shacks that pepper the twenty-seven miles of Malibu’s beaches.

My recommendations gravitate toward the more casual, come as you are options. These are great post-hike post-swim/surf places. Personally, I might have been scratched by brush, might be sweaty from a hike, or salty from ocean water. I couldn’t imagine trying to get into a fancy place with my trail running shoes. 

Also, the salty air always makes me want salty things. Do you find this to be true?

Malibu Seafood (Fishmarket & Patio)

The first one on my list is a place I keep coming back to. In fact, it doesn’t really matter if I have eaten already, I always stop here. At Malibu Seafood you can order fresh fish to take home or freshly prepared seafood to eat on the patio. They have everything you could possibly want shrimp, fish, scallops, clams all deep-fried with a side of fries.

There is a good ratio of well-seasoned batter to fish–the batter thick and crispy enveloping a meaty piece of fish. The batter doesn’t overwhelm. If you are looking for healthier options they got you as well.

There are a couple of things you need to keep in mind. One is that parking is pretty awful. They have a smaller lot, but there is parking along the PCH. Two this place is popular meaning lines can wrap around the building. Since it is an order at the counter and then wait for your number to be called set-up, you might be in for an hour and a half lunch. If this isn’t an option for you, check out my next suggestion.

Hours, cost, and other information

• Website: https://malibuseafood.com/
• Location: 25653 Pacific Coast Hwy
• Cost: Fish taco $4.50, 2 piece fish and chips $13.75, and Sea Bass with two sides $29.95 (the most expensive item on the menu.)

Neptune’s Net

This fish shack is farther north up the coast, just past Leo Carrillo State Beach. Although the menu hits the same notes as Malibu Seafood, the approach is different. Here the fish is the star, and the batter the highlight. Again, although seafood is the star at Neptune’s, the menu includes great bar classics with burgers and melts, tacos, and salads. So, if any of your friends dislike seafood, they can still enjoy Neptune’s Net and its views of County Line Beach. 

You might recognize this place from several movies including Fast & Furious and the movie it is based on Point Break. When doing research I see that the Gary Busey himself has done some spoken word here. Neptune’s Net is a popular restaurant with bikers and there is usually a row of Harley’s parked outside. This is a great place to go after those drives along the Pacific Coast Highway.

My experience has been on the Seafood Side of the restaurant where you order at the counter, grab a number, and come up when it is called and sit wherever.  No experience with the Restaurant Side.

Hours, cost, and other information

• Website: https://neptunesnet.com/
• Location: 42505 Pacific Coast Hwy Malibu, CA 90265
• Cost: World famous clam chowder $6.75, 2 piece fish and chips $13.75, and the seafood sampler is $36.75. (The most expensive item on the menu)
• Other: They DO NOT allow dogs and have made that clear several times over on their website. Service animals are exempt. They DO NOT take reservations.

Paradise Cove Beach Cafe

This is a popular restaurant hiding in its own cove in Malibu. It is one of the places I love to take out-of-town guests because it gives you that quintessential California experience–uninterrupted ocean views, quiet beaches, and surf. A little fun fact about this place is that it was a setting for those popular 1960s surf movies and television shows like Beach Blanket Bingo and Gidget. 

The menu is pretty expansive and if you have a taste for it, they will have it. So if you want a burger, your friend wants paella, and their significant other wants a Chinese chicken salad, Paradise Cove has you covered. I am a fan of their huevos rancheros on their breakfast/brunch menu/ One thing you will notice is that all of the dishes are monstrously huge almost teetering toward family-style. Not only are the meals huge, but the tropical drinks that they serve as well. Perfect for a post-lunch beach nap. (See above)

The restaurant is sectioned into three distinct areas, these are in my order of preference:

1. Patio–The patio feels more like an extension of the beach than it does the restaurant. Put your toes in the sand floor while sitting in a booth made from surfboards.
2. Beach–Paradise Cove has its own beach and provides service to the Adirondack chairs that face the ocean. Here you can have access to the outdoor bar where you can order drinks and bar food. 
3. The restaurant–The interior is a modernized longhouse with plenty of seating. It is actually rather huge and at least has a window view of the ocean. 

Paradise Cove Beach Cafe also runs the beach rentals next door, The Beach Hut. There you can rent a chaise lounge or a palapa–a larger fenced-in area best for a group. You can grab food to-go during your beach stay.

Reservations are strongly recommended for all sections of Paradise Cove. Between the beach, chaise rentals, and eating it is possible to spend a lot of time there. 

Here are a few things you should know about this location

• Your day at Paradise cove is going to be pretty expensive–Because you are a captive audience you will pay a premium for parking which at least $30 and the food although huge comes at a higher cost than you would expect. $22.95 for guacamole and chips, that Chinese chicken salad your friend’s significant other ordered is $25.95. That Palapa rental is $600 on the weekends and doesn’t include food.
• This is more of an ambiance pick than a food pick. 
• ADVANCED RESERVATIONS recommended. You may wait for your reservation, but they won’t wait for you. Be there on time, with your whole party there or they won’t seat you and they will give your table away. Leave plenty of time to find parking. It doesn’t matter if you were in their lot looking for parking at your reservation time. There is always a walk-in to take your table. You may need to tell your friend who is always late that your reservation is thirty minutes earlier.

Hours, cost, and other information

• Website: https://www.paradisecovemalibu.com/ (I also think they have one of the best restaurant websites)
• Location: 28128 Pacific Coast Highway
• Cost: See above paragraph
• Parking: This is the most detailed, but also rather confusing so I just going to share the website here. https://www.paradisecovemalibu.com/parking-info/
• Other: There is a lot of outdoor seating. There are even picnic tables at the end of the pier which you can get take-out and sit there as well. These are first-come-first-first serve, no reservations required.

I would like to re-recommend Broad Street Oyster Company from this post. There you will find my hours, cost, and other information that I always include in my food posts.

I am going to stop now and give this post room to grow. The truth is that I haven’t eaten at all of the places in Malibu with ocean views. I think that the menu and spectacular views are very enticing at Malibu Farm, which is at the very end of the Malibu Pier. I have not eaten at the iconic places like Duke’s—that I mention here, or Mastro’s, or Geoffrey’s. If you have, let me know in the comments. I would love for the comments section in these posts to become conversations. 

Next up…Where to eat in Malibu with mountain views.

If you have a trip to Los Angeles or visitors to Los Angeles, you can pin all of the photos in my posts on Pinterest for future planning.