Malibu Farm
On my latest visit to Southern California, I - very luckily - happened upon Malibu Farm. I'm constantly curating lists of restaurants to try in places I wish to explore, but upon arriving in SoCal I found my Malibu section was lacking. Being in a health-conscious, Californian state of mind, I googled "farm-to-table restaurants in Malibu" and was led here.
A drive along the Pacific Coast Highway, a walk down the picturesque Malibu Pier and you'll arrive at Malibu Farm. What started as a single pop-up restaurant is now a thriving business with three locations on the pier: a restaurant, a bar, and a café nestled at the end. (They've branched out to Miami and Hawaii too!) Attracting locals and tourists alike with high-quality fare and stellar views of the coast along the Pacific, the company's growth and success doesn't come as a surprise.
Swedish-born chef and Malibu Farm owner, Helene Henderson, is the visionary behind it all. She started the original Malibu Farm, an actual farm at her home, where she would host dinners and cooking classes. That eventually led to the pop-up on Malibu Pier and the rest is history. Henderson's love for honest cuisine proves to be her inspiration in both her personal and professional life, and Malibu Farm was the puzzle piece that linked everything together.
Produce from Henderson's farm is served at the restaurant, as are the eggs from the chickens she raises. The rest of the food is sourced from other local farms. With the quality food the restaurant brings in, even greater meals are brought out. The dishes at Malibu Farm are diverse enough to appeal to a broad audience, but are all similar in the sense that they are simply prepared. You won't be finding any unknown ingredients on this menu. Just simple, whole foods.
The simplicity seen in the food is also reflected in the interior design. Malibu Farm's look is reminiscent of Henderson's Swedish upbringing - clean and functional, yet attractive and warm. The generous supply of natural light, a pillar of Scandinavian design, highlights the restaurant's earthy tones and enhances its understated elegance. The exterior, too, has a distinctly Scandi feel with its white washed wood, accents of blue, and minimalistic ornamentation. String lights, bits of greenery, grey linens, and shearling seat covers are about the only added decor you'll see here. It's visually pleasing, but not enough to distract you from the true star of the show: the Pacific Ocean.
If you want to enjoy some delicious food, relish in the beauty of the West Coast, or watch surrounding surfers in action at one of the top surfing spots in Malibu, put this place on your list. It's what California dreams are made of!
