Moonshadows Malibu — Restaurant in Malibu

tl;dr: awful service, supermarket refrigerator-section quality food, tip fraud

I read the reviews saying the food is not why you come here before booking, but I still managed to be disappointing in the quality of what we were served. Add on truly awful, disrespectful service, tip fraud, the $12 cash-only valet experience, and the prices they charge for what we got, and I cannot recommend this place, no matter how good the views are.

First, the food. We ordered oysters, crab cakes, a lobster Caesar salad, and a pasta dish. The oysters were at least fresh, but I don't think any of the other seafood could have been, considering the complete lack of flavor. All I tasted in the crab cakes was the fry oil and breading, which is surprising, because it looked like a decent amount of crab was in the center. The Caesar dressing tasted like it came from a shelf-stable bottle (not freshly made), which is disappointing from a restaurant charging these prices, and the croutons were 100% from a bag. I asked my companion not to order dessert, because everything else was bad, but he did, and the dessert was also mediocre. I would have maybe been satisfied to pay a fraction of these prices at a supermarket refrigerator aisle, but this restaurant should be embarrassed about what they're serving here.

Food aside, our server seemingly decided he hated us after our first interaction, and made it clear by ignoring us. My only guess as to why this might have been the case was that he came up to us within 30 seconds of us sitting down and asked if we want any drinks or water and we said we needed a minute to look at the menu, but then I added that I would take water with no ice. He seemed annoyed at this request, made a face, and walked off before my companion could say anything else. When the busboy eventually brought our water, the cup was filled with ice. I never did get any water with no ice.

After asking if we want drinks, the server refused to come back to the table for another 15 or more minutes. We looked over our menus, discussed options in-depth, received and finished our waters and bread from the busboy, put our menus on the far edge of the table to make it very clear we were no longer using them, and waited. And waited. The server was chatting away with other tables, but wouldn't look at us or come over, nor did anyone else who passed by take our order. I eventually had to wave emphatically, which he clearly did not like either.

We were determined to try and have a good time despite being off to a bad start, so we ordered 2 alcoholic beverages, 2 appetizers, 2 mains, and a dessert. The server never checked on us or tried to help us with anything else until almost the end of the meal. Thankfully, the busboy (who might have actually been a manager - I asked him later to get a manager and he claimed to be a manager, but then just said sorry sheepishly when I said our actual server had been awful compared to him) actually did pay attention enough to replace our side plates and refill our water.

At the end of the meal, the server asked if we want anything else, and then walked away when my companion was mid-sentence. He clearly did not care to redeem himself at any point during this meal, and we had seen him chatting away with other tables, so it's not because he was too busy. Accordingly, we gave him a low tip (which we almost never do), and now, several days later, we saw on our credit card that he changed the tip to give himself an extra $10. We have disputed it with the card company. I've never had to do this before. I'm honestly upset now, because even with the dispute, it just corrects it to the original tip we gave this person, and I don't think he should get ANY tip after trying to steal extra money from us.

Yes, the water views were kind of cool, but you can see the water from a lot of places along this road. Please go elsewhere if you don't want to feel robbed (quality wise) or actually get robbed (with...

My wife and I recently had the pleasure of dining at Moonshadows in Malibu, and it was truly an unforgettable experience.

We started with the BBQ octopus and a dozen oysters, both of which were exquisitely prepared and presented. The octopus was tender and flavorful, and the oysters were fresh and succulent. For our main course, we shared the Lobster and Crab Linguine and the Miso Glazed Black Cod. Both dishes were absolutely divine! The linguine was perfectly cooked with a so fresh and good taste tomato sauce that was shocking, and the seafood was fresh and flavorful. The black cod was cooked to perfection, and the miso glaze was the perfect complement to the delicate flavor of the fish.

But the highlight of our experience was the breathtaking view. We had reserved a window table for 4pm, just in time to witness a spectacular sunset over the Pacific Ocean. The colors were simply unbelievable, and it was the perfect backdrop for our romantic dinner.

The service at Moonshadows was impeccable. Our server was attentive and knowledgeable, and he made sure that we had everything we needed. The cocktails were also top-notch, and we enjoyed a couple of delicious drinks while we watched the sunset.

Overall, we had an amazing experience at Moonshadows. The food, the service, and the view were all exceptional. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a special dining experience in Malibu.

A few tips for those planning to visit:

Reserve a window table in advance, especially if you want to enjoy the sunset. Keep in mind that window tables have a two-hour limit. Check the sunset time for the day of your reservation and book your table accordingly. I recommend booking it for 30 minutes before sunset to enjoy the full spectacle. Don't miss out on the cocktails! They are expertly crafted and delicious. I hope this...

I first went to Moonshadows when I was in my early teens and now 20 years later, I stopped in for dinner with friends and had another great experience. I have fond memories of the last meal that I had there when I was very young and can confirm here in late June 2024 they still serve great meals and experiences. The selling point of the restaurant is that it’s right on the water in Malibu. It’s almost on the Santa Monica/Malibu border so not deep into Malibu at all. There is very limited parking on the west side of the street so the best option is $12 for valet parking or you can park across the street, but then would have to run across it fighting the fast traffic. Our server was very polite and everything we ordered came out fairly quickly. It is a bit expensive, but that is due obviously to the location, but I see this restaurant as more of a celebration spot versus a frequent dinner location.

I reserved a table a month and a half in advance and requested right along the water, however we were seated at a booth away from the water which was probably the only part of our meal that we were disappointed with. We still had a view of the water, but obviously not as close as the tables right against the glass. The food was very good and made up for the seating. I started off with the Beet Salad and thought it was very light and fresh and it really hit the spot. The goat cheese really made it for me. For my entrée I chose the fish special of the day, which was the Chilean Seabass. Seabass is my favorite fish and they did a great job with this fillet. It came with a light sauce on the side and the wilted spinach was honestly very good.

Overall it was a great dinner, even though I believe it’s a little more expensive than it should be. I would definitely recommend it to anyone searching for a dinner with...