While I was in California, I visited three totally different restaurants… Moonshadows, Paradise Cove, and Dukes. Each had their own character and were great experiences! Amy, Matt and I went out exploring after our workshop on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Moonshadows was a semi-highclass restaurant with extremely high prices. When we drove up we were directed to valet, apparently that’s the only kind of parking you can get if you drive to a restaurant in Malibu. The atmosphere was calm and the décor was relaxing. We decided on outdoor seating, which wasn’t too hard to find, however the majority of the seats were large ottomans and cushions. The view totally made up for it though….having a drink right on the water, hearing the waves crash on the rocks was an experience I didn’t mind paying for; the margarita I ordered was $14, and it was only a small 7oz glass! Our only other complaint was the heating elements they had on the deck were turned up to scolding. So when another couple left we moved closer to the water and further from the heat to finish our drinks before we headed back to Pepperdine.
The next night we decided on a place a little less classy and a bit more fun, Paradise Cove Beach Café. This place was by far my favorite of the three because the atmosphere was so fun inside and their outside patio was right on the beach. We literally ate with our feet in the sand. The wait staff was also a lot friendlier. As we watched meals being brought out to those around us we noticed the portion sizes were triple what a normal meal would be! We felt it was a little much for one person. This would be an awesome place to take your family to eat while on vacation. Wednesday nights are all you can eat shrimp, however the plate costs $29 for an enormous portion, and no sharing allowed. I ordered their Parmesan Crusted shrimp appetizer for $19, which came with 8 shrimp stuffed with parmesan cheese and garlic butter sauce. They were rich but very delicious. They also offer amazing mixed drinks served inside pineapples and watermelons! The pineapple-mango margarita I had was $13, served in a pineapple and oh so tasty. It was wonderful sitting on the beach enjoying our drinks while getting to know each other a bit better.
The last restaurant we had the pleasure to eat at was Dukes Malibu. Jeanne, Matt and I stopped to eat lunch on our way to our Los Angeles hotel after the workshop was over. There were many different seating options, we went with window seats because the restaurant is located right on the edge of the coast overlooking the rocks and ocean. Dukes food was the best out of the three restaurants, and the waitress we had was delightful. We ordered steamed pork buns, Korean marinated pork, pickled vegetables, hoisin, cilantro, sriracha, steamed rice bun, and the hummus trio (gf) Edamame, macadamia nut, roasted red pepper, herb flatbread, seasonal vegetables, for our appetizers and let me tell you I would order them every time.
I ordered fish tacos for the first time in my life and I am glad that I waited to have them at Dukes. The amount of fish they gave you in each taco was perfect and the Cajun grilled spices were just right. Lunch was wonderful but the few was simply breathtaking…and it made my experience so relaxing.
Next time you find yourself in Malibu, I suggest you check out Dukes for Lunch and Paradise Cove for dinner…and if you’re into expensive drinks and people watching maybe head on over to Moonshadows.