Charlie's Malibu

08/05/08

Good place for Italian

by m_raven415 at Citysearch

After a wonderful hike in Malibu, we stopped here for dinner. Now I was reluctant to eat Italian since I had it recently. Luckily, the food here was great that I had no probably with eating Italian again. The atmosphere was romantic. The only complaints I had was with the service. The waiter ignored us a good part of the evening. But I would go back again for the food and maybe we will have a better waiter next time.

07/10/08

Great little Italian place

by kiercemartin at Citysearch

Love this place. Great selection of wine, really laid-back and cozy. Great place to take a date for dinner, or even a large group. The service was really helpful, and gave great recommendations--The lobster raviolli is make-you-close-your-eyes good. Parking can be kind of a problem if PCH is busy, but if you get there early it's no problem. If you're looking for a table primetime on the weekend, definitely call ahead as it's a pretty small place. If you're looking to score points call in a to-go order and walk across the street for a beach picnic.

06/07/08

The open air second story patio is perfect for a romantic evening

by tjthurli at Citysearch

Unquestionably the best Italian cuisine in Malibu. If you ask any Malibu local where to eat, 9 of 10 will direct you to this cozy restaurant just down the road from the Malibu Pier, and it's easy to see why. The minute we stepped in, it was obvious we were in for a treat. The cacophony of smells and sounds was incredible, and by the time the hostess had led us on a winding walk through tables laden with some of the most visually appetizing food I've ever seen, we felt right at home. Our waiter was superb. He recommended a bottle of wine to match what we ordered for dinner, and paid us the respect of choosing one in the middle of the price range, rather than simply picking the most expensive one on the list. Our salads were some of the freshest we've ever had at a restaurant, and no less than 5 minutes after we had finished them, our entrees arrived piping hot, and visually stunning. We were in love after the first bite, and even though we were stuffed at the end of the meal we decided to go for a dessert. It was the best decision we made all week. I don't know what was the best part of the evening. The service, atmosphere, and service were truly remarkable, and we're still comparing the food at other restaurants to this one. Next time we find ourselves in Malibu, Allegria will be the first stop we make!

Insider tip - Ask your server to recommend a bottle of wine for you. Allegria has one of the better cellars we've found lately, and they often have special selections that aren't on the regular wine list.

• Pros: Service, food, atmosphere, wine list
• Cons: Parking, especially on weekends