Malibu California is a beautiful coastal city in California west of Los Angeles. This post is entitled “Things to do in Malibu this weekend” because it is a year-round destination. From surfing to shopping to wine tasting to visiting a museum, there is plenty to do all year long.
Malibu is known for celebrity homes with spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. 27 miles of beachfront is enough reason for you to visit. During a recent trip to Los Angeles, I did my research and found things to do in Malibu to last an entire weekend or for a week!
Things to Do in Malibu: Dining
Malibu has numerous great restaurants to choose from. Start your day by having breakfast or lunch at Malibu Farm Restaurant or Malibu Farm Café. Both are located on the Malibu Pier and are known for farm to table food. The Malibu Farm brand is Black-owned by Helene Henderson and has locations in Newport Beach, Cabo, Lanai, Miami, New York and even Tokyo!
Malibu Farm Restaurant has alfresco dining and serves breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays with delicious items such as acai bowls, steak and eggs, “salsa verde egg-wich”, vegan gluten free chocolate oat banana pancakes and poblano lobster burrito. They also serve lunch and dinner during the week.
Malibu Farm Café has outdoor and to-go dining. They are open Monday-Friday 9am-3pm and Saturday & Sunday 8am-4pm. Breakfast items include farm scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, surfers’ rancheros and lunch items of crab cake sandwich and Malibu mushroom wrap.
Malibu Seafood Fresh Fish Market & Patio Café: I read about this place online and knew that we had to check it out. The reviews on Yelp for their seafood dishes including the Fish and Chips were excellent.
They are known for having long lines and wait times. However, since it was a cloudy Monday in June, the line was not long. However, parking was very tough. There was a small parking lot and the paid lot was full. My husband had to park on PCH and stay in the car while I got the food. There is an outdoor patio to eat if you find parking. Since it is located right on PCH I watched dolphins frolic in the water while I waited for our food (pretty cool).
The fish and chips were light and crispy and plentiful! We couldn’t eat it all. And the New England clam chowder was chunky and delicious.
Neptune’s Net: Another popular place for seafood in Malibu along Pacific Coast Highway is Neptune’s Net. They are open 7 days a week and patio and outdoor seating is available. They offer two different kitchens. The “restaurant side” has fried food, bottled and canned beverages. The “seafood side” has fresh and live seafood and draft beer.
Nobu: One of the most popular things to do in Malibu is to dine at Nobu. Nobu is a stylish chain of Japanese restaurants by Chef Nobu Matsuhisa. The Malibu location has a large plush outdoor seating area. It is a well-known spot for celebrity spotting. They are open for both lunch and dinner but obtaining a reservation can be a bit of a challenge. Reservations become available exactly 30 days in advance and can be made on Open Table or by calling their reservation line. We were lucky enough to get one for dinner. The food was delicious and I loved the views and the ambience. My husband saw actor Don Cheadle while I was in the bathroom 🙂
Visit The Getty Villa Museum:
One of the best things to do in Malibu is to visit the Getty Museum. On my first visit to Los Angeles in 2000 my friend took me to The Getty Center located in Brentwood. It was amazing. I had no idea there was another location in Malibu.
The Brentwood location features European art while The Getty Villa displays ancient Greek and Roman art. The Getty Villa is the original home of the Getty Museum. The art is displayed in a recreated Roman country house. 4,000 years of art is displayed among gardens, an amphitheater and views of the Pacific Ocean.
There are borrowed collections from museums around the world including the Louvre and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But, a lot of the art is from J. Paul Getty’s own art collections.
Admission is free but there is timed entrance so you must reserve your tickets online. Also, there is charge for parking.
Go Shopping in Malibu:
If you are not a museum person, you may prefer to shop till you drop in Malibu.
Malibu Country Mart is an outdoor shopping center with shopping, dining and wellness options. There are over 75 boutique shops located here.
Malibu Village is a collection of local boutiques, restaurants, well-known brands and services all in one place. You will recognize names like Fred Segal, Lululemon Athletica, Sephora & Chipotle.
Point Dume Village has larger stores, smaller boutiques and cafes to suit all your family’s needs. Most of the stores here are local shops. You will find a juice bar, a yoga place, health food store, bookstore and a day spa.
Go to one of several Malibu Beaches:
Of course one of the best things to do in Malibu is go to the beach!! There are several to choose from. Malibu is especially popular among surfers. But first let us talk about the best time of the year to visit Malibu if going to the beach is at the top of your list.
The peak time is June to September. However, you may have heard of “June gloom”. This refers to cloudy, overcast skies and cooler temperatures that occur late spring into early summer. We experienced this during our visit the first week in June. If you plan to spend long days at the beach and to surf, I suggest going in July and August which are the driest months and September which will be less crowded.
Of course with 27 miles of beachfront you have a lot of beaches to choose from in Malibu.
Here is a guide to Malibu beaches.
Zuma Beach is a large beach with picnic areas, volleyball courts, restrooms, concession stands and lifeguard stations. Broad Beach and Canyon Beach are in front of beautiful beachfront homes-a lot of celebrity homes :-). El Matador State Beach has sea stacks on the beach that are a popular backdrop for photographers and Instagramers. North on the beach there are also caves and arches in the rocks. For surfers, Topanga Beach, Surfrider Beach, County Line and Zuma Beach are quite popular.
Go Wine Tasting at Rosenthal Wine Bar & Patio:
Did you know you could go wine tasting in Malibu California? Malibu Coast is an AVA (American Viticulture Area) and several varietals are grown there including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zinfandel and Chardonnay.
My husband and I had a great time trying the wines at Rosenthal-The Malibu Estate Wine Bar & Patio. They have 3 collections of wines 1) Rosenthal which are 100% estate grown wines 2) the “G” collection which is a blend of estate grown & grapes sourced from other regions in California 3) the Surfider label-sourced from California grapes. Part of the proceeds from the Surfrider label supports oceans, waterways & wildlife.
All their wines were delicious but my husband and I really enjoyed the Rosé, the Albarino and the Pinot Noir.
The Rosenthal tasting room is located across from the beach in Malibu and the outdoor patio gets full on the weekends. There are food trucks, live music and DJs. Reservations are recommended on the weekends. Check their website for the most up to date event information.
Enjoy Sunset on the Malibu Pier:
No matter how you spend your day in Malibu I suggest ending it watching the sunset. If you are at Nobu or at an outdoor restaurant on PCH then you can enjoy it there. But, if not, head to the Malibu pier.
I found these beautiful pictures on Instagram…
I hope you have found my list of things to do in Malibu this weekend informative. As you can tell, Malibu is not just for beach lovers and it is a year-round destination. There is such a variety of things to do in Malibu California. I can’t wait to return to this scenic city by the beach. If you are looking for a place to stay in Malibu, I am in love with posts from Malibu Beach Inn. It is definitely on my bucket list!
