(310) 317-9140

3835 Cross Creek Rd Ste 18A
Malibu, CA 90265 34.0364 -118.6856

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Neighborhood: Eastern Malibu

NOBURESTAURANTS.COM

Price:

$$$$

Last updated 1.06.12

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Discover, Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Special Occasion Dining, Celeb Hangout, Outdoor Dining, People Watching, Dine At The Bar

Cuisine:

Japanese, Sushi

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Nobu Malibu

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The Scene – Tucked away in the bustling Malibu Country Mart shopping center, this casual dining space is accented by a long, gleaming sushi bar and bouquets of roses, tulips and wildflowers. Dressed-down regulars and off-the-clock celebs take front-room tables, while the rest are relegated to the enclosed patio. Service is quick and efficient. – – The Food – Chef Nobu Matsuhisa has built an empire on dynamic fish dishes and ultra-fresh sushi. The octopus arrives in the kitchen alive, and it isn't cooked and carved until it's ready to be eaten. Dishes are dressed…

Editor's Tips

What to Drink:
The wine menu boasts 80 bottles (ranging from $25 to $490) and 16 wines by the glass, including and a sampling of champagne and sparkling wine.
Where to Sit:
Avoid sitting next to the patio door; every time it opens, a big gust of chilly air blows into the dining room.
ambiance
70.83000183105469% positive
  1. “Yaman, our server, was so funny and truly made our experience unique and fun.”
  2. “This place is very overrated, no stars, no ambiance, I felt over dressed.”
  3. “have been to Nobu NY, Miami and Matsuhisa and I would have to say I enjoyed my experience at the Malibu location the most.”
  4. “6-10 review - I have been coming to Nobu in Malibu since 2001 - Always greeted by the same or similar head maitre de with the attitude of "its not the tip you give me it's who you know" [she actually said that] - What once used to be a dinner that rivaled”
  5. “The extraordinay desserts of years past were ordinary and the proof was in the great pieces left untouched by all - Sake was great - martinis were either too sweet or too dry - Nobu Malibu has slipped and slipped again down notch after notch over the ye”
  6. “Honestly I cant figure out why this place is such a hot spot because the food is lousy, the decor is non-existent, and the waiters are amateur.”
  7. “The paparazzi's were in full force in the parking lot, so we knew someone was inside.”
  8. “Great for business dinners - not so with romantic dates.”
  9. “Great food, Good prices, cute atmosphere and the staff is always really nice.”
  10. “The sushi is delicious, the atmosphere is nice, and the saki is good.”
  11. “have never had a bad meal at Nobu Malibu, the kitchen is always consistent and some of the best staff work at this location.”
  12. “If your children like Japanese cuisine good place to go because noisy which allows children to be themselves and have fun too.”
dessert
65.0% positive
  1. “We sat down at 6:30 and by 9 we were having dessert (a chocolate suffle with green tea ice cream on the side--really good), though we needed to take off to head over to meet some friends so we felt a bit rushed because of that at the end.”
  2. “Nobu offers fresh sashimi, innovative cooked items and great desserts.”
  3. “Best to order in stages and eat family style--first cold dishes, soup, hot dishes, then sashimi/sushi, dessert.”
  4. “The extraordinay desserts of years past were ordinary and the proof was in the great pieces left untouched by all - Sake was great - martinis were either too sweet or too dry - Nobu Malibu has slipped and slipped again down notch after notch over the ye”
  5. “Despite the not so great service, the food AND seeing Sting was AMAZING and they have THE best desserts, try the chocolate springrolls!”
drinks
80.0% positive
  1. “Dave behind the bar at Nobu is awesome.”
  2. “Our server knew nothing about wine, but he was attentive (as was all of the staff) and kept a perfect balance between hovering and ignoring.”
  3. “Simply the best drinks, great personality, good to look at, funny and Ive never seen a faster bartender.”
  4. “We sat down at 6:30 and by 9 we were having dessert (a chocolate suffle with green tea ice cream on the side--really good), though we needed to take off to head over to meet some friends so we felt a bit rushed because of that at the end.”
  5. “the service was horrible, with the wrong dishes brought to the table, drink orders forgotten, and a serious lack of attention to detail(s).”
food quality
81.18000030517578% positive
  1. “love sushi.”
  2. “Honestly I cant figure out why this place is such a hot spot because the food is lousy, the decor is non-existent, and the waiters are amateur.”
  3. “(but so is the fish at ANY other "nice" sushi restraunt.”
  4. “There are many daily specials that are not on the menu, some of which are the best dishes they make (ie: king crab tempura, seared scallops with truffle).”
  5. “Our family loves sushi & have frequented many establishments for many years throughout the world, so we decide to take our daughter in law there for her birthday--there were six of us.”
  6. “would highly suggest ordering the Nobu special hot and cold dishes, while skipping the sushi.”
  7. “Great sushi and great sake.”
  8. “If you want simple good sushi with very high quality fish, this is the place.”
  9. “In the past it was no problem getting a reservation and we have enjoyed our meal and service seeing people that we knew a friendly local establishment.”
  10. “the service was horrible, with the wrong dishes brought to the table, drink orders forgotten, and a serious lack of attention to detail(s).”
  11. “Nobue is a great local Malibu sushi restaurant.”
  12. “Sushi is sushi, and I felt as if the items were a tad overpriced, and the service was not fabulous.”
  13. “Another reviewer's statement to the contrary, Nobu IS the best food in Malibu, maybe the best on PCH!”
  14. “The yellowtail jalapeno is the best I have had, the rock-shrimp tempura (though common in most resturants) is delicious!”
  15. “celeb frequented and great food”
  16. “The sushi is good, but perhaps better does exist; however nothing tops their Tiradito, which is fluke levitating in citrus, with a Peruvian touch (aji panca or aji amarillo) and their hot items, like the Lobster and Shrimp with shiitakes and china peas, a”
  17. “Very good sushi but a little expensive.”
  18. “Very good sushi”
  19. “At one point my girlfriend got a roasted eggplant dish that was really good, and she said her spicy tuna roll was the best she's had anywhere.”
  20. “Terrific sushi, very accomodating service and half the price.”
  21. “If your children like Japanese cuisine good place to go because noisy which allows children to be themselves and have fun too.”
  22. “If you have the money to spend, this is a great place to eat tasty sushi”
  23. “Since this was the end of our meal, the incident left us with a bad taste.”
  24. “Go for a good time (not to gawk at celebrities) and to enjoy some innovative cuisine that has since been copied all over Los Angeles.”
  25. “for as much ink as this place garners, the food was mediocre at best.”
  26. “You don't need a reservation and it's much more interactive, you get the best food and the sushi chefs are the nicest around.”
  27. “The soft shell crab spring roll was good as was the chilean seabass.”
  28. “The sushi is fresh, I give it that.”
  29. “Best to order in stages and eat family style--first cold dishes, soup, hot dishes, then sashimi/sushi, dessert.”
  30. “Great food, Good prices, cute atmosphere and the staff is always really nice.”
  31. “have never had a bad meal at Nobu Malibu, the kitchen is always consistent and some of the best staff work at this location.”
  32. “If you want to enjoy a meal at Nobu, I recommend the following: 1.”
  33. “The service is a bit less than mediocre, it's crowded (as are all Malibu restraunts) The sushi is prepared poorly, although the fish is fresh.”
  34. “for the prices they charge, the food and the service should be flawless.”
  35. “Nobu offers fresh sashimi, innovative cooked items and great desserts.”
  36. “But if you're into wild delicious flavors, high-quality product, and attentive service try Nobu Malibu.”
  37. “okay, so the fish is very fresh, and there are some exotic choices.”
  38. “Despite the not so great service, the food AND seeing Sting was AMAZING and they have THE best desserts, try the chocolate springrolls!”
  39. “I'm not a big seafood eater and definitely not a sushi eater but I had some fish thing here (cooked) that was simply amazing.”
  40. “The service was excellent but I thought the food was very overpriced.”
  41. “The extraordinay desserts of years past were ordinary and the proof was in the great pieces left untouched by all - Sake was great - martinis were either too sweet or too dry - Nobu Malibu has slipped and slipped again down notch after notch over the ye”
  42. “Nobu caters to diners looking for creatively delicious food.”
  43. “The food is always good and I highly recommend the Taradito and Black Cod with Miso which melts in your mouth.”
  44. “we want to be seen, it is not about the food, there are a zillion great sushi places in LA.”
  45. “6-10 review - I have been coming to Nobu in Malibu since 2001 - Always greeted by the same or similar head maitre de with the attitude of "its not the tip you give me it's who you know" [she actually said that] - What once used to be a dinner that rivaled”
  46. “It is no secret that nobu is good, but other sushi places are just as good.”
  47. “However, the best dish on the menu is the kobe steak that melts in your mouth!”
  48. “Another item of note was kobe beef tataki with ponzu sauce that was really good.”
  49. “Delicious, fresh and deceivingly complex rolls make this a Japanese restaurant you don't want to miss.”
  50. “I'll say that the sushi was decent, but I've had much better.”
  51. “The prices, though high, are not unreasonable considering the quality of the food and beautiful place settings.”
  52. “That said, there are some great classics that are now being duplicated at sushi restaurants all over the globe.”
  53. “Our waiter was friendly and was making many food suggestions ,.”
  54. “Great food, poor attitudes.”
  55. “Nobu always has good food and the best sushi but the waitress who was serving us was a little rude and had some attitude.”
  56. “It certainly was a tasty treat foraging through the fanatically fresh and unusual maritime fare.”
  57. “Excuse me, but sea eel is one of our favorite dishes.”
  58. “The sushi is delicious, the atmosphere is nice, and the saki is good.”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “However, the best dish on the menu is the kobe steak that melts in your mouth!”
  2. “There are many daily specials that are not on the menu, some of which are the best dishes they make (ie: king crab tempura, seared scallops with truffle).”
  3. “okay, so the fish is very fresh, and there are some exotic choices.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “Nobue is a great local Malibu sushi restaurant.”
  2. “If you have the money to spend, this is a great place to eat tasty sushi”
  3. “If your children like Japanese cuisine good place to go because noisy which allows children to be themselves and have fun too.”
  4. “If you want simple good sushi with very high quality fish, this is the place.”
service
83.6299991607666% positive
  1. “Simply the best drinks, great personality, good to look at, funny and Ive never seen a faster bartender.”
  2. “However, the staff is NOT as welcoming as you'd expect such a beautiful place to have.”
  3. “have never had a bad meal at Nobu Malibu, the kitchen is always consistent and some of the best staff work at this location.”
  4. “the service was horrible, with the wrong dishes brought to the table, drink orders forgotten, and a serious lack of attention to detail(s).”
  5. “Sushi is sushi, and I felt as if the items were a tad overpriced, and the service was not fabulous.”
  6. “The service was very good and overall the experience was memorable.”
  7. “Yaman, our server, was so funny and truly made our experience unique and fun.”
  8. “Honestly I cant figure out why this place is such a hot spot because the food is lousy, the decor is non-existent, and the waiters are amateur.”
  9. “Now I must say that I go out a lot and I want to pay a compliment to one of the best bartenders in Los Angeles.”
  10. “Nobu always has good food and the best sushi but the waitress who was serving us was a little rude and had some attitude.”
  11. “Expect good service only if you have your publicist call ahead to announce your arrival.”
  12. “Throw in eager, friendly but far less than professional informed servers you find at outstanding Italian and French restaurants, for example, and average service isn't worth top dollar, either.”
  13. “for the prices they charge, the food and the service should be flawless.”
  14. “But if you're into wild delicious flavors, high-quality product, and attentive service try Nobu Malibu.”
  15. “Our waiter was friendly and was making many food suggestions ,.”
  16. “The waitstaff were attentive, except for two.”
  17. “Terrific sushi, very accomodating service and half the price.”
  18. “Our server knew nothing about wine, but he was attentive (as was all of the staff) and kept a perfect balance between hovering and ignoring.”
  19. “Despite the not so great service, the food AND seeing Sting was AMAZING and they have THE best desserts, try the chocolate springrolls!”
  20. “The extraordinay desserts of years past were ordinary and the proof was in the great pieces left untouched by all - Sake was great - martinis were either too sweet or too dry - Nobu Malibu has slipped and slipped again down notch after notch over the ye”
  21. “Great food, Good prices, cute atmosphere and the staff is always really nice.”
  22. “In the past it was no problem getting a reservation and we have enjoyed our meal and service seeing people that we knew a friendly local establishment.”
  23. “The service is a bit less than mediocre, it's crowded (as are all Malibu restraunts) The sushi is prepared poorly, although the fish is fresh.”
  24. “Service is good and the people watching is great.”
  25. “think this place is great for people who have no appreciation of fine dining but are under the false impression of receiving it once having been here.”
  26. “The service was excellent but I thought the food was very overpriced.”
  27. “6-10 review - I have been coming to Nobu in Malibu since 2001 - Always greeted by the same or similar head maitre de with the attitude of "its not the tip you give me it's who you know" [she actually said that] - What once used to be a dinner that rivaled”
  28. “The servers love celebs, but we have never been short changed by the wait staff; they are attentive to us unknowns too.”
value
77.2700023651123% positive
  1. “The prices, though high, are not unreasonable considering the quality of the food and beautiful place settings.”
  2. “Very good sushi but a little expensive.”
  3. “The presentations are nice, too, but simply not worth the price.”
  4. “The service was excellent but I thought the food was very overpriced.”
  5. “for the prices they charge, the food and the service should be flawless.”
  6. “Throw in eager, friendly but far less than professional informed servers you find at outstanding Italian and French restaurants, for example, and average service isn't worth top dollar, either.”
  7. “Great food, Good prices, cute atmosphere and the staff is always really nice.”
  8. “If you have the money to spend, this is a great place to eat tasty sushi”
  9. “Sushi is sushi, and I felt as if the items were a tad overpriced, and the service was not fabulous.”
  10. “Terrific sushi, very accomodating service and half the price.”
  11. “The extraordinay desserts of years past were ordinary and the proof was in the great pieces left untouched by all - Sake was great - martinis were either too sweet or too dry - Nobu Malibu has slipped and slipped again down notch after notch over the ye”
4 Star Rating: Recommended

01/05/12

Sushi or Kobe?

by olebatB at Citysearch

I don't know what I like more here!!

Both are pretty good.

Service could be faster/better

It's a hit and miss, sometimes you get the best waiter, others you get the wanna be actress who keeps staring at whatever actor is there sitting at the next table and getting every order wrong.

If all the waiters and waitresses in LA could act like they LOVE their jobs, well, then I guess they would be good actors and working as such instead of messing our orders.

Restaurant owners:

start hiring people who want to work as WAITERS, who are not as young or as good looking but they can bring you what you actually order to the table.

I could care less how they look, if our waiter has been working on his biceps or the waitress just had a touch of Botox on her forehead, or her augmented lips get to our table way before the rest of her face, if they are unable to retrieve food from the kitchen and bring it to the table in the right order to the right person his/hers good looks are not going to make me less unhappy

Back to the Sushi

It is the BEST in town!............

When and if it makes it to the table.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

01/28/11

Great

by justme2266 at Citysearch

i must say.... the sushi is pretty good! :)

2 Star Rating: Below Average

06/12/10

Still has the arrogance without the Great Food

by jimmmyboy at Citysearch

6-10 review - I have been coming to Nobu in Malibu since 2001 - Always greeted by the same or similar head maitre de with the attitude of "its not the tip you give me it's who you know" [she actually said that] - What once used to be a dinner that rivaled the food served on Mt. Olympus, Nobu Malibu has gone steadily downhill over the past decade relying on name and location and celebrity prestige - Having brought our friends there for an Omikase dinner for 4 @ $150 apiece we hoped to get the best Nobu offered - Over sauced flavorless dish after dish was served with great waiter fanfare - Yes the service was good - Years ago what used to be creative with the most subtle and delicate of flavors has deteriorted to a mocking somber shadow of its former self - I was embarrassed in front of my friends with this meal since I had talked it up and relayed the past gastronomic dreams of culinary delight Nobu once produced - Of course my friends were polite and never said a word - Nor did they say "wow this food is great." Omission is as loud as commission. - The extraordinay desserts of years past were ordinary and the proof was in the great pieces left untouched by all - Sake was great - martinis were either too sweet or too dry - Nobu Malibu has slipped and slipped again down notch after notch over the years - The waiter proudly told us that they were moving to a new and bigger location after years of waiting for a permit - Judging by the empty tables on a Saturday night they might be looking at even fewer tables of customers in their new location - At over $1100 for four people we were willing to spend the money for a meal that promised a memory - Alas I have already forgotten the food yet not the overpriced experience of a once proud and quite unique resataurant.

  • Pros: Has the name
  • Cons: Relies on past glory and fails
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

02/25/09

Amazing Birthday Dinner

by dmenkes at Citysearch

I can totally understand why people go there and have an average experience. Their regular sushi looked totally run-of-the-mill. We sat at the bar (which looked like it seats about 15 people total, though we were on the end with another couple), and I asked for omakase. The chef said that there are three standard levels of omakase; 99, 150, and 200. He could tell I wasn't digging the whole pre-fab idea so he said "I'll make you something special." My girlfriend explained what she liked (she'll only eat tuna and veggie dishes) and I just said I didn't want Uni. The couple sitting next to us were ordering totally average stuff that you could get anywhere, and it looked totally average. At one point my girlfriend got a roasted eggplant dish that was really good, and she said her spicy tuna roll was the best she's had anywhere.

We sat down at 6:30 and by 9 we were having dessert (a chocolate suffle with green tea ice cream on the side--really good), though we needed to take off to head over to meet some friends so we felt a bit rushed because of that at the end. A couple of highlights: freshwater eel and fois gras stacked in a bowl with a kind of semi-sweet teriyaki sauce that was insane, not too overpowering. Another item of note was kobe beef tataki with ponzu sauce that was really good. Total bill with drinks and tip: $310. Fantastic evening. Do I have a burning desire to fly back tonight and eat there again? Nah. I'd go to that place at the Santa Monica airport before I'd make a special trip to Nobu again. But still, sitting at the bar was great, especially on the end like we did as we could see everyone in there.

  • Pros: atmosphere, service, star sightings
  • Cons: hard to find, parking lot fills up on weekends, bit pricey for the quality
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

10/30/08

WORTH THE TRIP, WORTH THE MONEY

by milla97 at Citysearch

If you're a sushi novice, pick somewhere else to dine like Katsu-ya or some other Hollywood smash and grab fish place. But if you're into wild delicious flavors, high-quality product, and attentive service try Nobu Malibu. Yaman, our server, was so funny and truly made our experience unique and fun. Even people who weren't our waiters were helping us out explaining all of the dishes and getting us our food. They make every table feel like a celebrity - especially since we were sitting next to Cindy Crawford! Try the newstyle, yellowtail with jalepeno, and the ribye. And don't forget to ask for Yaman - He's the best! Great for business dinners - not so with romantic dates.

  • Pros: Service, Food
  • Cons: Limited and poor wine list, poor ambience.

The Details on Nobu Malibu

Place Categories:

  • great food
  • good sushi
  • good accomodating service
  • great place
  • best mr nobu
  • best dish
  • overpriced experience
  • great staff
  • bad service
  • never bad meal
  • no secret other sushi places
  • nice cute atmosphere
  • mediocre food
  • great personality
  • fresh rolls
  • great sake
  • expensive very
  • terrific price
  • bad attitude
  • professional informed servers
  • outstanding black miso cod
  • very fresh fish
  • unusual maritime fare
  • great people watching
  • great desserts