Paradise Cove Beach — Attraction in Malibu

SERVICE DEGRADED TO ZERO This place calls itself a “CAFE”, but they offer you a menu with 4-start restaurant prices, yet the quality of the food is at best, mediocre and the service is even worse! Honestly, I have been visiting this place for over 18 years, and during that time prices grew 200%, but the service degraded to zero. Our Paradise Cove waiter had the attitude of a California jail janitor serving time for three strikes for bestiality, suffering the rare delusional disease of believing that he is Prince Harry doing his one week charitable internship at Skylight Convalescent Hospital. He was throwing the plates with food at our table as though it was an aluminum bowl filled with cockroaches, and he was afraid to touch the plates lest he get some nasty infection. The plates in fact were not from aluminum, but from melamine, very scratched and not very clean. The bread was twice as small as before, very hot and very dry – it seemed as though it had been warmed up at least 3-4 times before. The clam chowder was almost cold. Finally, my double espresso was served in a little glass cup on the huge plastic plate, coupled with a table spoon so huge that it almost would not fit in the cup to stir the sugar. Surprised, we called the manager. The manager came. He was not dressed in any kind of uniform identifying him as an employee of the place. Perhaps he was the new owner? He had a dirty ponytail, smelling and looking like he had not showered for two weeks. I was so shocked that I had to verify “Are you really the manger?” “Yes”, he assured me. He was openly hostile. He had the attitude of a meth-addicted dirty pimp, proprietor of some truck stop brothel in the middle of nowhere. I know that in our area we have a lot of people dreaming of being an actor one day… Most of them work as waiters. Perhaps, our waiter at the Paradise Cove Cafe was rehearsing for the part of Prince Harry, and the manager was rehearsing for the part of a dirty pimp. If this is correct – then they should really succeed on the stage or on the screen. I was just hoping that when they are at work – that they would be rehearsing for the “good waiter” and “nice manager” parts. But then… who knows… maybe it is a modern trend to yell at customers? So the manager yelled at me, explaining that this was the smallest plate in the house, that they do not serve a f…g lemon twist with their espresso anymore and that I should go and never come back. All I can say – I am sorry for this place. Once it was a really nice, friendly cafe that I admired. I hope that the owner of this place is doing well, I hope he can find a little moment in his busy schedule to visit his business to make sure it lives up to its reputation. Reputation is hard to earn but easy to lose. As of today this place deserves just 1 star, and this star will be for location only. In the picture – my double espresso served tonight at...

Paradise Cove Beach: A Curated Slice of Coastal Escape

Tucked beneath the bluffs of Malibu, Paradise Cove Beach feels like someone tried to bottle up a dream and nailed it pretty close. It's not just a beach—it's a curated coastal vignette, complete with white Adirondack chairs, swaying palms, and a restaurant that smells like grilled shrimp and nostalgia. If Malibu is the quiet hum of wealth, Paradise Cove is its gentle, Instagram-ready whisper.

The beach itself is narrow but serene, framed by dramatic cliffs and softened by calm surf that laps at the shore like a lazy metronome. It’s the kind of place where you instinctively lower your voice, even if you don’t know why. The waves are gentle, the sand warm and soft, and there's an almost cinematic quality to the light—especially in the late afternoon when everything turns gold.

Paradise Cove is a rare blend: accessible yet exclusive, casual yet composed. You can sip a cocktail on the beach in your flip-flops while watching dolphins arc in the distance, all without sacrificing the creature comforts of a well-run beachfront café just steps away. It’s one of the few places where you can rent a lounge chair, eat a plate of calamari, and feel like you’re both in California and on vacation in some coastal corner of the Mediterranean.

But make no mistake: this isn’t a hidden gem—it’s a well-loved one. The parking lot can be brutal (and expensive), and the restaurant often teeters on the edge of chaotic during peak hours. Still, the vibe never feels frenzied. Even when crowded, Paradise Cove has a way of keeping things soft around the edges.

Rating: 8.8/10 — A carefully composed escape where beach day meets beach dream. Come early, come calm, and let the cove...

My husband and I were in LA on vacation for a couple days from Philadelphia Pennsylvania and Paradise Cove was recommended. We decided to go for the day. We arrived there early had a really nice breakfast and then waited for the beach club to open. We picked out two great chairs in front of the ocean and thought it was such a peaceful beautiful place. We proceeded to fall asleep for an hour. We awoke to screaming children digging and playing right in front of our chairs. A Family had rented two seats next to us, but was six people sharing two chairs with very rambunctious kids. The grandmother and mother were actually coming over to our side in front of our chairs taking pictures of their children playing, completely blocking our view of the ocean. We spent $250 to spend a peaceful day on the beach and had to leave after only being there for about an hour because we were so disgusted and could not relax. It is fine to have children, but people should be considerate and not allow them to play in front of people who have spent a lot of money for their chairs. Maybe have a separate area with families with children. I will not recommend Paradise Cove to my friends because it is a huge waste of...