The Surfrider Malibu

The restaurant was the best part of our latest stay. My friend and I loved every dish we had, at dinner, breakfast and lunch. Everything felt thoughtfully prepared, and I still can't stop thinking about that steak sandwich. I've loved The Surfrider Malibu since visiting before COVID, when I had my very first Malibu surf lesson here. Such a special memory. I love their own-brand candles too and still drop in for one whenever I'm in LA, even without a room booked. Some reviews complain about the restaurant being for guests only, but the website says that clearly. To me it keeps things relaxed instead of crowded. The chef deserves much more recognition for the food, though. Service was lovely throughout this stay, with a warm, friendly and attentive team both at reception and in the restaurant. Always somewhere I'm happy to come back to.

They called at noon on the day of our anniversary dinner to say they wouldn't honour the reservation. I've never had that happen before and found it incredibly unprofessional. We'd been trying for months to eat here. On an earlier visit to have a look, we were told the rooftop and dinner were only for hotel guests. So when I spotted a rooftop dinner reservation on RESY, I was thrilled and booked it for our anniversary. That made the last-minute cancellation all the more frustrating. Now the wait to try this place is indefinite. Why spend our time and money celebrating somewhere with service like that? It brings to mind Jerry Seinfeld's reservation joke: anyone can take a reservation, but keeping it is the part that matters.

we liked dinner so much on the first night that we stayed for breakfast and lunch the next day too. we'd ordered 3 mains at dinner and each picked a different favourite, always a good sign. the food was outstanding, the cocktails were excellent and the atmosphere was lovely. every dish afterwards lived up to it. we even came back after checking out for another veggie bowl with chicken, definitely try that. then there's the view: sunshine sparkling on the water, surfers lined up catching waves, the Malibu pier, and The Endless Summer in your hand. heaven. the service made just as much of an impression. reception and the restaurant team made us feel at home from the start, and every interaction felt kind and genuine. our cosy room had beautiful natural light and lovely furnishings, right down to those incredibly soft robes. complimentary coffee in the morning and electric car charging were nice surprises too. the little gift shop is great, with candles, clothes, prints, essential oils and sunscreen if you need it. we brought home 5 candles, our favourites, 2 sweatshirts and a lovely print. after checkout they messaged about something we'd forgotten and offered to post it if we couldn't come back. we were actually excited to have an excuse to return. we love boutique hotels and beautiful stays, and this went beyond even our high expectations. thank you for looking after us so well, Surfrider team.

I've brought clients to the rooftop bar at The Surfrider Hotel on PCH before showing them beach colony and Carbon Beach properties. The ocean views and understated luxury get across the Malibu lifestyle straight away, especially to buyers who are still unsure. The staff are genuinely welcoming and the food and cocktails are solid. For a buyer drawn to something authentically Malibu rather than polished and corporate, this place captures exactly what's appealing about this coastline.