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Some dinners are about the food, and some are about the view out the window. Along the Southern California coast, you can often get both at once, with the Pacific on one side and the mountains rising up behind you.
The six restaurants on this list sit on harbors, wharfs, piers, and the edge of Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Barbara and Malibu. Prices vary from casual fish and chips to fancier plates, so there is a table here for most budgets and moods.
1. Brophy Bros. Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
Few dinner tables in Santa Barbara let you see the harbor, the ocean, the pier, and the mountains all at once. Brophy Bros. sits right on Harbor Way, so the boats in the marina are practically part of the decor.
The menu leans on local seafood and a busy clam bar. Popular picks include the cioppino, calamari, seafood pasta, ceviche, oysters Rockefeller, and classic fish and chips.
If you want a lighter meal, the clam chowder and house salad combo is an easy choice. Chowder fans can even take home a full quart.
Plan on spending roughly $20 to $30 per person, though prices can change. The restaurant is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., which gives you time to catch the evening light over the water.
There is usually a wait, especially on weekend afternoons and Friday nights. Reservations are accepted, and Tuesday nights tend to be the quietest.
Families are welcome, with a kids’ menu and high chairs available.
2. Santa Barbara Shellfish Company, Santa Barbara, CA
Walk out onto Stearns Wharf and keep going until the wooden planks almost run out. That is where you will find Santa Barbara Shellfish Company, a casual spot built around seasonal seafood.
The outdoor patio is the seat to grab. From there, diners look out at the boats, the city beach, and the mountains behind town, with a fire pit adding a nice touch on cooler evenings.
Lobster is a big part of the appeal here. You will find a lobster roll, lobster tacos, and lobster pasta, along with coconut shrimp, shrimp tacos, a calamari sandwich, and onion rings.
One practical note: the restaurant does not take reservations, and a wait is common. Arriving early in the evening can help, since it closes at 9 p.m. daily.
Prices run roughly $20 to $70 per person depending on what you order. Dogs are welcome on the outdoor seating, which makes it an easy stop after a wharf stroll with your pup.
3. Moby Dick Restaurant, Santa Barbara, CA
Just a few doors down the same wharf, Moby Dick Restaurant offers a different kind of meal. It is a family-friendly place with big windows, a patio facing the bay and mountains, and a menu that goes beyond seafood.
Sunset dinners here are a local favorite for good reason. Window tables catch the light coming off the water, and the patio looks right back toward the mountains.
The menu covers a lot of ground. Seafood lovers can order fish and chips, a seafood platter, cioppino pasta, creamy New England clam chowder, or half a dozen oysters.
Anyone in the group who would rather skip fish can go for the Wharf Cheeseburger or the Wharf Salad. Breakfast fans should know about the lobster omelette on weekend mornings.
Prices are moderate, around $20 to $30 per person, and there is a daily happy hour with food specials. Hours vary, with later closings on Friday and Saturday at 9 p.m.
Reservations are accepted.
4. Malibu Seafood, Malibu, CA
Picnic tables, paper plates, and a million-dollar view. Malibu Seafood is a fish market and cafe right off Pacific Coast Highway, and it keeps things simple on purpose.
You order at the counter, then find a seat outside. Depending on where you sit, you will be facing the Pacific or the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains.
The fish and chips get plenty of attention, served with thick-cut fries and tartar sauce. Other options include fish tacos, mahi mahi, a lobster roll with coleslaw, crab salad, and Dungeness crab with bay shrimp.
Because it doubles as a fish market, you can also take home fresh seafood to cook later. That makes it a handy stop on a coastal drive.
Plan for about $20 to $30 per person, though prices may have changed. Note the early closing time of 7:30 p.m. daily, so this works best as an early dinner.
Weekdays are much calmer than weekends.
5. Malibu Farm Restaurant at the Pier, Malibu, CA
If you want to dress up a little, this is the Malibu dinner to plan around. Malibu Farm Restaurant sits at the base of the Malibu Pier, with tables overlooking the ocean and the Malibu hills.
The kitchen focuses on fresh coastal cooking with plenty of organic dishes. Standouts include the 21 Mile Crab Cake, lobster mac and cheese, a lobster roll, and Malibu Farm shrimp tacos.
Vegetarian and vegan diners have real choices here, not just side salads. The zucchini crust pizza and carrot linguini are two good examples.
Dinner reservations are recommended, and there is often a wait without one. The restaurant is open daily starting at 9 a.m., closing at 8 p.m. most days and 9 p.m. on Saturdays.
Expect to spend roughly $20 to $70 per person. Paid lots and street parking are available nearby, so budget a few extra minutes to find a spot on busy weekends.
6. Malibu Farm Pier Cafe, Malibu, CA
Walk past the main restaurant and head farther out over the water. At the end of the Malibu Pier, Malibu Farm Pier Cafe offers a more relaxed take on the same farm-to-table idea.
The setting is the real draw. Rooftop seating and outdoor tables look out over the Pacific, with the hills curving along the coast behind you.
The menu is casual and easy to share. Build-your-own fish tacos, shrimp tacos, lobster mac and cheese, and the grilled chocolate cake for dessert are all popular orders.
Morning visitors can grab a cappuccino, a seasonal juice, or scrambled eggs with smoked salmon. Surfers Rancheros is a gluten-free friendly option too.
Reservations are not accepted, so weekdays are your best bet for an easier table. Hours match the restaurant, closing at 8 p.m. most nights and 9 p.m. on Saturday.
Dogs are allowed inside and outside.
Whichever spot you pick from this list, aim for a seat outdoors around sunset. That is when the ocean and the mountains share the spotlight with your plate.
