Where to eat in Malibu with mountain views

Malibu stretches along the coast and over the mountains. I spent my last post talking about places you can eat with ocean views, but those restaurants only tell one side of the story. Today, I will be taking you up winding roads, through canyons, and to the top of mountains. These are my recommendations for where to eat in Malibu with mountain views.

NOTE: As of the update of this post, 11/24/21, COVID-19 regulations are still in place for Los Angeles County. You can find a cheat sheet here.

Inn of the Seventh Ray

When the moon is in the seventh house and Jupiter aligns with Mars…

Sorry, I digress, that 5th Dimension song always gets stuck in my head when I talk about this place.

Getting to the Inn of the Seventh Ray is pretty transportive. For me, it is a frustrating drive across the city on the 10, hitting beach traffic and crawling up the Pacific Coast Highway, somehow always hitting every red light. Then like someone turned off a switch–suddenly you are alone with fantastic ocean views and driving up the peaceful winding roads of the twenty-seven. It is easy to be lulled into a bit of wonder and then completely miss the turn for the restaurant.

When you arrive at the Inn of the Seventh Ray, the first thing you see is woods and a gift shop. The restaurant is secluded from the road and you wouldn’t know it was there if it weren’t for the sign surrounding a wooden archway at the entrance. A terraced walkway descends toward a creek that you can hear serenading you as you make your way to your table. The seating is almost completely outdoors–some tables with creekside views. The Inn has been voted the most romantic restaurant several times and it is easy to see why.

The menu is extensive and highlights options that are vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free. This girl doesn’t shy away from a good buffet and I really love their breakfast buffet, which also has many of those veggie-friendly options. 

There is a gift shop which you can visit during your time at the Inn of the Seventh Ray. There they sell crystals, jewelry, oil, and many new age and healing books. 

Hours, costs, and other information

• Website: https://www.innoftheseventhray.com/
• Location: 128 Old Topanga Canyon Road Topanga, CA, 9029
• Cost: Sorry for this laziness on my part, but I am going to link the menus here as there are many–with pricing on them. There is a Sunday brunch menu, a lunch menu, dinner, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and many holiday menus in between. 

Malibu Cafe

Higher into the Santa Monica Mountains is Calamigos Ranch. It is a five thousand acre outdoor venue that hosts retreats, company picnics, and dozens of weddings each year. Although much of the ranch is closed to private events, you are able to experience the beauty of this place at the Malibu Cafe. 

This restaurant is open to the public for lunch and dinner and a lot in between. There are many picture/Insta worthy moments here from the decor, the grounds, and beautiful food. There is a lake with paddleboats, outdoor games–like cornhole, giant Jenga, and giant chess. Malibu Cafe also features wine tastings from local wineries.

The food is California cuisine–classics made with local ingredients. Lunch, during COVID, is grab-and-go. When you get your food feel free to picnic wherever you want. Dinner is full-service and its menu focuses on large format meats and things to share. If it is date night, I would see if you could get a table under a chandelier.

Hours, cost, and other information

• Website: https://www.themalibucafe.com/
• Location: 327 Latigo Canyon Rd.
• Cost: Lunch offers a smaller menu with items floating around the $20 mark. At dinner, the small plates are around $20, larger format plates range from the half chicken at $35 and a 42 oz tomahawk ribeye at $130. 
• Other: Open for outdoor dining. The only difference now is that lunch is grab-n-go instead of sit down.

If you are looking for wedding venues that aren’t your typical country club vibe, I recommend you check Inn of the Seventh Ray and the Malibu Cafe out. This is not to say that you can’t come as you are to these places for lunch with friends. I am just saying that they are on beautiful grounds and it is always a safe bet to check the websites before making the trek in case any are closed for events. If you are planning your own weddings, I would get dinner at either place to check out the food without paying that catering dinner fee.

Malibu Wines & Beer Garden

I am saying this is a place to eat on a technicality. Yes, technically they do have food, but this is more of a where to drink with a mountain view pick. 

This is the second location of Malibu Wines. The first, nestled in a vineyard at the top of the Santa Monica Mountains recently succumbed to fire. The new location in West Hills has a similar set-up in a grove of pepper trees with plenty of space to picnic and sip local beers and wine–in a less fire-prone area.

There are a few options of how to enjoy your time here:

• First things first, you need to make a reservation as they are practicing social distancing.
• Gather some friends, pack a picnic that would go well with wine or beer—I am always pro cheese board—and buy a bottle of wine and hang out for a couple of hours.
• Join the wine club, pick up your box at Malibu Wines & Beer Garden and share them onsite with your friends and grab a pizza at the on-site mobile vendor Basil’s Pizza Bar. They serve Neopolitan-style pizzas with a chewy crust with a bit of a char.
• Get a wine flight or sip beers in tasting pours and hang out.

There is a wide range of varietals here, from sweet muscats to tannic reds. Be sure to chat with the people who work here as they aren’t there just to push wine at you, but are passionate about the wines they create. They can help point you in the right direction of what would go well with your crudite with lemon aioli or your pepperoni pizza.

Malibu Wines also offers wine hikes where you tour the vineyard while talking about wine. The drinking comes after.

Hours, cost, other information

• Website: https://www.malibuwines.com/
• Location: 23130 Sherman Way, West Hills
• Cost: Wine flights range from $20-$28 and beers come in $4-$5 pours. Beers also come in larger pours. Bottles of wine are $45 for the least expensive and $95 for the most. Being a club member gives you a pretty big discount.
• Other: Open by reservation only. They do not allow you to bring outside wine to the venue. This is a 21+ establishment and kids–even infants –are not allowed. CA has some strict and strange alcohol laws.  

I hope this post gave you some ideas for where to eat in Malibu with mountain views. These are beautiful locations that you need to visit at least once. They are sure to impress.

Did I miss your favorite restaurant in Malibu? I would love it if my comments section became conversations. It will also help others make decisions.

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