Nobu Malibu Los Angeles

Nobu Malibu sits on the Pacific Coast Highway, positioned between the surf breaks of Zuma Beach and the wider stretches of Point Dume State Beach. It is a twenty-five-minute walk from the Malibu Pier.

The room runs smart and elegant, but the real draw is the proximity to the Pacific, which is an immediate argument for choosing this location over the city’s landlocked sushi spots. While other Japanese restaurants in Los Angeles focus on the intensity of the counter experience, the scale here trades intimacy for the sprawl of the coastline. It is a louder, more exposed dining experience than the traditional sushi dens found deeper in the county, and it succeeds because it leans into the spectacle of the water rather than trying to replicate a quiet, contained city interior.