Photo by Danny Liao.
Published as part of LA Weekly’s Best of L.A. issue 2017.
The best parts of Malibu are way better than what Baywatch may have led you to believe. Instead of a beach populated by Pamelas and Hasselhoffs, the top spots in Malibu reflect the region's historically sleepy vibe, dabbed with a touch of class. Malibu Farm Cafe is the perfect collision of these two worlds. Perched on the edge of the Malibu Pier, the cafe is an Instagram-worthy outpost offering farm-to-table food with a side of insanely gorgeous sunsets. Helmed by rancher-restaurateur Helene Henderson, the cafe offers an unmissable mix of hearty items such as a grass-fed beef burger topped with Havarti and a cauliflower pizza on lavash. Grab some tumblers and a pitcher of peach sangria and head up to the patio, where you can breathe the fresh ocean air and gaze over surfers, or the young boardriders of the surf school, navigate the curling waves below. Everywhere you look, there's a heart-stopping view that could foment FOMO in even your most envy-impervious friends. For a moment, among the golden rays and rumbling waves, you could be forgiven for thinking that all those Beach Boys songs were actually about you.