Malibu Beach Staycation

by Alyssa Ramos

One of the many, many, things that I love about living in LA is how many different areas there are. If you get sick of the hustle and bustle of Hollywood, you can take an easy 30 minute drive out to the beach (even though it’s only 10 miles away) for a change of scenery. It’s an especially nice treat for us when we do make it out there, since we hardly do, because we all without fail claim that the beach is too far away.

But the weather was a perfect 78 degrees with a slight breeze and not a cloud in the sky last weekend, so saying no to a trip to the beach wasn’t even an option. There’s an obvious reason why no one complains about driving for miles down the Pacific Coast Highway (even if they complain about the drive to get there) – it’s a never-ending, breathtaking view of billowing cliffs over the vast, glittering ocean. A mix of adorably rustic and jaw dropping imperial houses and restaurants sprinkle the coastline to the left and the base of the hills to the right as you drive north on the PCH towards Malibu. Although I tried to beg to stop at every cute little spot I saw, we knew we didn’t have much time on our Staycation, so we made very careful executive decisions about where to go.

Rosenthal Wine Tasting

(18741 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu 90265 | Ph. 310.456.1392)

The sign for this beachfront wine tasting room and patio jumped out at us like a deer in headlights. What could possibly be better than tasting wine by the ocean?? Tasting wine by the ocean on a grassy patio with live music and a lobster food truck. That’s what. Tasting flights are only $12 to taste four of the Rosenthal Vineyard’s signature labels, and bottles of wine can be purchased to take out back and enjoy while listening to the band and chatting amongst friends and fellow winos.

You may have heard that we love our food trucks in LA, and to be honest, I never understood what the big deal about them was, but this food truck explained it all. After I thought I was done drinking the best fresh lobster bisque I’ve ever tasted in my life, I took a bite of THE BEST lobster roll I have ever, and probably will ever, eat in my life. For someone who usually hates the chewy texture of lobster, I pretty much inhaled the buttery, melt-in-your-mouth goodness of this one. I didn’t even give my little Pomeranian Oscar any, which says a lot, considering he eats whatever I eat.

Malibu Beach Inn

(22878 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265 | Ph: 310.456.6444)

This gorgeous, unique boutique hotel is located on the shores of the exclusive Carbon Beach, on a strip of seashore nicknamed “Billionaire’s Beach”. Although it’s only a mere 45 minutes from my home, I felt like I was miles and miles away at a luxurious resort in Waikiki. If you have time, there are a ton of incredible things to do from beach yoga, to paddleboarding, to visiting one of the many high-end boutiques nearby. We indulged in a short but much enjoyed walk down soft sands of the shore, then headed back for some wine and tapas.

The Carbon Beach Club restaurant provides the Malibu Beach Inn with California coastal cuisine complemented by an elaborate list of hand selected boutique wines from vineyards in California’s premier wine regions. Although I was saving room for dinner, my mind was still once again blown at how delicious the food was. We devoured a cheese and charcuterie platter with fresh honeycomb, quince paste, and nuts, oysters with blood Mary cocktail sauce, and Szechuan crusted Albacore.

My wine of choice was a Far Niente – a 2010 Napa Valley Chardonnay, with fresh citrus and kumquat notes combined with fig, hints of hazelnut, and toasty oak.

Nobu

(22706 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA 90265 | Ph. 310.317.9140 )

Although I’ve been to the West Hollywood location several times, it in no way, shape, or form compares to the Nobu location in Malibu. Aside from the ambiance – the glossy wooden patio illuminated by warm lighting that shone just brightly enough to highlight the breaking waves along the shore below us – the food was better than any dish I can recall having at their other location.

Granted by this point I had consumed a lot of wine throughout the day (my excuse for constantly yelling “shark!” whenever a big wave would crash below us), the food was not something I can easily forget. My favorite dishes were the Bigeye tuna Miso Chips and the Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeño to start, followed by the Chilean Sea Bass with Dry Miso. We kept eating and drinking until we shut the place down, then very slowly made our way back to the Inn.

Our random little Malibu Beach Staycation was the perfect blend of fun and relaxation, and highly recommended for anyone in need of a short adventure or escape from the norm! Please don’t drink and drive, Uber is cheaper than a DUI!