Nobu Malibu

The most scenic outpost of Nobu Matsuhisa's global empire, perched over the Pacific on Malibu's PCH. The Japanese-Peruvian canon is exactly as you'd expect — black cod miso, yellowtail jalapeño, rock-shrimp tempura — executed cleanly and priced for the zip code. But the real draw is the setting and the scene: a sun-drenched oceanfront deck that's been a celebrity fixture for years. Come for the sunset, the people-watching, and sushi that reliably delivers. Less a culinary pilgrimage than a quintessential Malibu afternoon.