BeauRivage brings a little taste of the Mediterranean to Malibu.
By Kim Devore / Staff Writer
As you pass Pepperdine University, winding your way up PCH, you’re bound to notice an inviting pink palace covered with bright bougainvillea vines looking out over the Pacific. The restaurant is BeauRivage and for more than 25 years, Daniel and Luciana Forge have called it home. “We are the oldest restaurant in Malibu under the same ownership,” Daniel Forge proudly points out.
The one-time Mexican cantina sure didn’t have that European charm before the Forges took over. “It was a chicken coop,” jokes Forge, who lovingly restored the place over the course of several years. The couple put their heart, soul and pocketbook into the project.
“Are you kidding?” Forge exclaims. “We spent nearly a million dollars.”
Today, there are posh furnishings, an underground wine cellar and an upstairs ocean view reception area that can seat 75 people.
The menu consists of classic fare-seafood, game, beef, poultry and homemade pastas. There are French favorites like onion soup gratiné, lobster bisque and of course, escargots a la Bourguignon, dressed up with garlic, butter, parsley and white wine.
If your tastes lean toward something Italian, they’ve got that too. There’s the caprese made with tomatoes, fresh basil and buffala mozzarella and carpaccio Venezia, a local take on the Harry’s Bar favorite. Branzino alla Griglia, that classic Italian sea bass, is always a good choice and for shellfish lovers, there’s ravioli à la arragosta and linguine vongole.
In addition to flavors from the Mediterranean, there are tasty twists on California cuisine like a Norwegian salmon steak with a champagne-raspberry sauce, orange roughy with mushrooms and sweet peppers, Cajun style ahi tuna and rack of lamb Cypriot, which is stuffed with a purée of mushrooms, onions and feta cheese, served with a fresh mint sauce.
The place is a popular weekend retreat with the brunch bunch featuring eggs benedict, gazpacho Valenciana, Maryland crab cakes, and smoked Scottish salmon with bagels and cream cheese.
The bar is cozy, filled with flickering votives, fresh flowers and the sound of live music, which is served up nightly. The ocean view upper terrace is a great place for weddings, birthdays and special occasions. It’s a combination of all those elements that seem to make the place attractive to out-of-towners and locals alike.
“Johnny Carson used to eat here,” Forge said, “and Dick Clark has been coming since the first week we opened.”
But whether it’s brunch, dinner, drinks or a big celebration, BeauRivage has something for everyone and Mediterranean ambiance to boot.
As Forge puts it, “It’s rustic and romantic and there’s no better looking place along the coast.”