food was good, but i felt it was way overpriced. i had the seafood pasta and my bf had the steak. maybe the service would have made up for it, except it didn't. we were left standing at the door for 30 minutes with only one courtesy "we'll be with you in just a moment." Â the staff seemed extremely friendly to others (maybe regulars, idk) Â no refills on our water or drinks. our waitress didn't check on our table once, except when we had to practically flag her down to get the check. we won't be back.
Review Source:Saw the sign they were open for breakfast and decided to try them out. Â The experience was unremarkable. Â The potatoes tasted like they were out of a bag sprinkled with rosemary absent onions, peppers or spices. Â Two eggs and a muffin that needed resuscitation. Â Coffee was great, fruit was fresh. Â Salt and pepper bowl was delivered with a used spoon. Yuck. Â Server, although attentive, should have check the spoon for use.
For $40 plus, for two, you can get a better breakfast at Starbucks. Â Could be a great place because of its location. Â Needs a chef with imagination.
Kristy's is the best addition to our neighborhood. Â The service is friendly and the food is fantastic. Â The daily specials never disappoint and in addition to making amazing wood-fired pizzas, they are masters at cooking fish to perfection. Â The owners are incredibly kind and always make a point to ask how my family is doing and remembers all of our shared times. Â A very nice touch that keeps us coming back as often as we can.
Review Source:I met my parents here for a wonderful lunch. Â The place was very quaint and pretty. Â There is a wonderful view is of Zuma beach from the restaurant. (too bad about june gloom.) Â Our Server was very nice and laxed. Â She explained the specials to us and we ended up getting the salad Fresh Tuna salad with grilled asparagus, mixed greens, lemon vinaigrette as well as the chicken sausage pizza.
I really liked the pizza, Â It was crispy and thin like a cracker. Â The broccolini and chicken sausage where cooked to perfection. I would definitely go back.
I just completed a 3 week trip through Southern California and it's not even close...my  dinner at Kristy's in Malibu was definitely the best & most memorable meal of the entire 3 week vacation.  And No, I did not dine at any Applebees, TGI Fridays, Red Lobster or any other similar style chain restaurant so I'm not comparing Kristy's against those sorts of places. I prefer independent, family owned establishments or small local chain restaurants over the big nationwide chains. Now that I've got that disclaimer out of the way...Kristy's has it all in my opinion...gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean from either the outside deck & patio or inside dining room tables (we moved inside once the sun was setting and the temps dropped along with the sun), delicious & beautifully presented food & attentive service. Â
I'm shocked to read that anyone gave this place low ratings...as our experience was the opposite of theirs...and the girl (Hannah P) who said in her review that there's no view of the ocean from the Patio seats, needs have her eyes examined cause the Ocean is definitely there to be seen and stared at, we all took pictures of it...maybe Hannah thought it was a lake?
Our dining party (4 total) shared both the Salt & Pepper Calamari & Pan Seared Scallops appetizer dishes and all of us remarked that the Calamari was one of the best Calamari dishes we've ever eaten. The Scallop appetizer was also good...cooked perfectly & beautifully presented. Though I was tempted to get the Kurobuta Pork Chop, I exercised some restraint & instead I ordered the grilled chicken pizza...I figured Kristy's is a "Wood Oven" restaurant...might as well get one of the dishes that's prepared in their wood oven, plus I'm a sucker for capers and feta cheese. Â The staff was very accommodating at serving my pizza without the included pepperocinis thankfully. Â The crust was crispy...exactly what you'd expect for a thin crust style pizza prepared in a wood oven. One of my dining companions got the mushroom pizza and we traded slices, it was also very good though I preferred my choice of the grilled chicken. Â I planned to eat half of my pizza and take home the other half, but ended up eating the whole thing as it was impossible to stop eating. For desert our table shared the chocolate layer cake which for this chocolate fan was excellent...moist cake with thick, dark rich layers of chocolate fudge icing. We also shared the mango sorbet which was served in a mango shell...I'm not usually one to rave about a sorbet, but this was the best one I've had in my memory (and no I do not have memory problems...except after heavy nights of drinking). Â Oh yeah...and the mixed drinks were outstanding as well...it's amazing the difference fresh squeezed lime juice used at Kristy's has on a drink vs the mixes and concentrates served at the majority of other places. Â
Service was very attentive. We arrived close to the shift & menu changeover from Lunch to Dinner so our servers switched during the shift change and also switched again when we asked to move to an inside table once the temps dropped outside. Very rare to have an opportunity to evaluate 3 servers during one meal, I must say though I was impressed as all three servers were personable, knowledgeable and helpful so whoever is in charge of training the servers...keep up the good work...you've got some great consistency! Also the owners were there and both stopped by our table at different times to see how we were enjoying our meal.
Everyone else in my party was thoroughly impressed with their meals & dining experience and all plan to go back again soon. Unfortunately I live in Vegas so I'll have to wait until my next trip to Southern California. I will definitely be including Kristy's in my dining plans anytime I am in the Malibu area. Â Thanks for a great dining experience!
I went to Kristy's last Saturday for drinks and dinner with friends. Kristy herself was there and was a wonderful host from the moment we walked in. Andy was our server and was amazingly attentive as well.
I can honestly say this was one of the best dinners of my life. Sounds dramatic but the perfectly crafted drinks, delicious food and gorgeous sunset all produced a night to remember. I highly recommend visiting this establishment even if just for drinks and atmosphere.
Additionally, I am allergic to gluten and was elated to find they have many gluten free options. They have gluten free pizza and pasta and I chose the pizza. This pizza crust is BY FAR the best I have ever tasted. Kristy informed me that they order it straight from Italy. Their attention to tasty gluten free options shows they truly care about the quality of their food.
I will absolutely be coming back!
What I ordered:
Salad of the day (grilled chicken, asparagus, goat cheese, Greek vinaigrette) Â $18
POG cocktail  $12
Food and drinks were good but not great/amazing. Therefore, I found this place to be very over-priced. I guess the price-tag accounts for the ambiance. However, I went with 6 other friends and none were impressed with their food.
Customer Service:
The server was very nice and so was the owner. However, the food came verrrry verrry slow. We were there for close to 3 hours (no one ordered appetizers or dessert) because the service was at a turtle's pace. This really ruined everyone's meal. The first person's plate came out an hour before the last person's. We are a polite group, which meant that we waited an hour to eat while our food was getting cold in front of us. Also, the server accidentally ordered an extra drink, then he asked if anyone wanted it. I said "sure"...he later mentions it's not for free and we saw that it cost $12 on the bill.
Tip:
required 20% tip for parties of 7 or more. So if you have a bad experience like we did, you still have to leave a large tip.
Tip: The ambiance is nice, but there is no view of the ocean from the patio seats. However, still a nice environment for a romantic dinner or a special occasion.
I have to say that eating at Kristy's was probably one of the worst experiences at a restaurant I've ever had. Â I was set to meet a work colleague this past weekend for dinner. Â She has a disability which requires her use crutches and wear a leg brace. Â She inquired in advance regarding handicap accessibility and was treated very rudely and inappropriately by the owner. Â The worst part, however, was that when she arrived at the restaurant to meet me at the bar, the owner of the restaurant followed her and very rudely informed me that he was sorry that I had to eat with her. Â He then proceeded to state very loudly to the hostess that he would like us to be seated at the worst table in the house. Â I cannot believe that the owner of a restaurant could treat somebody so unkindly. Â I will never eat at Kristy's again and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else.
Review Source:Seriously, I only went here due to the good reviews. So when I got their I was shocked to the shitty service and the crappy food.
Example of shitty service: we waited at the hostess table for 15mins while serveres, busy boys and the hostess themselves passed by us the whole time. We sat down, didn't have order taken for another 15 mins. The waitress came up to us and took our order like she was being forced. We then heard the owner and staff talking loudly and rudely about customers. I was appalled.
Now for food: I ordered the mushrooms pizza. It tasted like moldy mushroom/dishwater. And it was burnt and my partner said the same thing about her pizza.
I was so disappointed after all this. And to top that all off. I got food poisonig. Would never recommend this place to my worst enemy
The location and interior design is fine.  On our first visit,  on a Friday lunch,   the food was just OK, the prices high, the attitude of the staff was arrogant and insincere and  the room was very noisy so we could not hear ourselves talk across the table.  We took  leftovers which were thrown all together into one box and it was a big mess.  We will not go back and we live nearby.  Sorry!!
Review Source:My friends and I came here after running Pepperdine's C4C race up at Zuma Beach. Â We wanted brunch and saw this place. From the sign it looked like a casual place but when we got there, we discovered it was a bit fancy. We were in our running gear so we felt a bit out of place.
The waiter was very friendly and took our order. I got the omelet special of the day which was with scallops, spinach and cheese. Â Both of my friends are vegetarians and one ordered the standard breakfast without the meat. Â My other friend wanted to order the granola but asked if there were nuts because she was allergic. The waiter said he was 98% sure there wasn't, but he'd check with the kitchen. Â He came back and said there were no nuts but it was made in a factory that has nuts but the kitchen recommended that she didn't get this dish. So she hesitantly ordered the bananas royale french toast.
My muffin and fruit came out first, it had strawberries, apples and oranges. It was nice. The food was really good and the portions were big. My omelet was delicious and had big pieces of scallops. Â I tried some of my friend's french toast and it was yummy but super sweet.
Overall a good place, friendly service but a lil fancy and a lil pricey. We each paid $22 each for breakfast/brunch. Â Guess if I was in the neighborhood and dressed appropriately, I'd come back.
I like food. I like food that tastes good. I like food that tastes good, the people are sincere and attentive, prices are fair AND you have a killer view.
If you like all of the above, you won't be disappointed with Kristy's.
A friend and I went in for a quick bite just around sunset. There really isn't a bad seat in the house, indoor or outdoor. It's quiet and not loud, at least not while we were there. Â
The sunset was spectacular, which is always the case in Malibu. However, when you are in Malibu trying to find a place normally you have to 1) wait forever in a restaurant for a table with a view, 2) food is not worth remembering PLUS it's pricey, 3) parking blows 4) not always family friendly, 5) or there are just too many people and you aren't really being taken care of by your server.
I was impressed by this place, mainly because it actually feels like, well, Malibu. It's relaxed. People are genuinely nice. Families came in for dinner with young kids after a beach day. It wasn't pretentious.
The menu prices are fair, it's still malibu but there are plenty of options. I recall the server mentioning special custom burgers on Wednesday...something that's not on their menu. Burgers. Done. I need to go back just to try that alone...
The calamari was fab, probably because we devoured the garlic aioli. Their breakfast menu looks amazing too. Yes, i am the person that went for a bite and asked to see the breakfast menu! Hey, in my defense, once I found out what I had on a plate in front of me was amazing--i had to know the best options for my next visit!!
Thoroughly enjoyed the food, the view, the super nice servers AND the fact that not many people were there.....hmmm, maybe you should disregard my review. I don't want you to fill up this gem and create valet parking and a wait list for my return to Kristy's.......
Sought refuge at Kristy's during a long drive up the California coast. Unknown to those of use from out of town, this is the time of year when it not only rains in LA (isn't that illegal?) and when, on days like these, the fog rolls and blankets the cascading hills in a cool mist. Not the kind of thing perhaps you may have pictured on the postcard in your head, but altogether beautiful country nonetheless, and prime for a stop for a glass of wine and some charcuterie.
They've been turning out some fine fare here for awhile, judging by the looks of things, and Kristy's exudes a sort of vacation calm prevalent in these parts: on clear days (which again, this was not), you can even climb the stairs and hit the observation deck. On the day we stopped in, a couple of glasses of wine and a large format organic indie brew were the order of the day, paired with the meat, cheese and olive nosh we ordered. Service was attentive without hovering, and we emerged relaxed, victorious. Kristy's is a winner.
It does smell like sewer walking up the driveway, but a lot of Malibu has that issue occasionally. The restaurant didn't smell though. The pizza margherita was really tasty and had that great wood oven flavor and crispness. Service was slightly slow, but so was the crowd so I guess it's ok. I was a little thrown off by my 4 dollar diet coke, I know Malibu is expensive, but that's just a little much. If I go back I'll have water I guess.
Review Source:Pizza was a mess...way too greasy...Not worth the money...what a shame!(in Gordon Ramsay's voice)
They say online(Facebook) the chef is a genius...lol...wtf!!!
The risotto balls looked like they came out of a box...you can't be serious...um I mean I guess it was genius.(they were grey inside)
I guess the wine was the least offensive part of the meal...my girlfriend made me order white...it was ok...for a white.
I wish they would put this place on kitchen nightmares...I'm sure it would be a good laugh!
The view was ok...but the walk to the bathroom...I wish I took a picture. weird.
Early on in yelping, I realize that I was too generous with the 5 star reviews. It has to be great to get a 5 star. I had a 5 star experience here. This is not your surf and turf, seaside crap...this was a surprisingly perfect experience.
We had the white ginger tea, wild mushroom arancinis, Â apple and prosciutto salad and a sampling of a few other little menu items. It is not a wildly inventive menu, but every dish ( although simple ) was perfect. I could not find fault with one thing...unless I got really picky and updated the menu a bit.
Thank you for the warm welcome & great food! I hope Kristy's continues to do well.
I'm so glad Jonathan W. brought it up... the first thing you notice when you show up here is the smell of SEWAGE. It's in the parking lot just below the restaurant, by the little inn right by there. I was terrified that the smell was going to waft up to the restaurant area.
Luckily, it doesn't, but it's not exactly a promising way to start a meal. It was bad, like hold-your-breath-and-run-or-risk-throwing-up bad.
My group had just come from the beach and wanted a snack before going up in the hills for a wedding. Unfortunately, I can't comment on the pizza (my companions said the mushroom pizza was absolutely delicious), but I was full, so I had the Tea Forte tea service... for $8.
I guess it's a Malibu thing to do the whole Tea Forte service? It's beautifully presented, mind you, and it's high-quality tea, but I'm not sure if it's ever going to be worth $8. The tea itself retails for $1.50-$2 per bag, but that's a pretty remarkable mark up for the water/labor/presentation for it. Regular iced tea runs the price of a soft drink.
As a local, I cannot even begin to describe the enthusiasm of having this family business so close to home. The Chef, who studied under Wolfgang Puck in Vegas, has a perfect palate. And the owner's, Kristy and Greg, welcome you into their restaurant as though it were their living room. The food is phenomenal, and the drinks are divine! Try one of their signature bloody mary's with a hint of ale in it. Always helpful, and most of all, heartful and mindful.
Love,
Victoria Persichetti
Reviews well-deserved. Nika was absolutely lovely.
During a stay at the Malibu Country Inn, we were able to visit Kristy's. Portions just right. Breakfast/brunch options were delicately handled and light, but flavorful and filling. All dishes were also beautifully presented.
Yes, pricing will lean to the higher end of comparable places, but the ingredient quality and finished meals surpassed similar places in the region. Basically, it's fantastic food without the dockside surf-and-turf.
Stunning views and relaxing atmosphere. Bring your sunglasses if sitting outside.
My husband and I stopped at Kristy's on a weekend road trip. With all the great reviews that yelp provided, we thought this would be a great dinner option for us. We selected the following:
--Side Mixed Green Salad: A pretty basic salad, great portion for your dinner entree.
--Mushroom Arancini's: Â Rissotto balls that are to DIE for! Â Loved all the flavors here and the Garlic aioli made this even more Irresistible. I'd HIGHLY recommend.
--Mushroom pizza: This seemed like a huge favorite of yelpers so I ordered this one since I love mushrooms. It contained roasted mushrooms, garlic, caramelized onion, mozzarella, goat cheese and rosemary. Â I thought the flavors here were VERY flat - and the caramelized onions were not so caramelized. I added rep pepper flakes which helped but certainly wasn't enough flavor in that pizza dough was the problem. I was looking forward to the pizza too w/ all the great reviews but was terribly disappointed. Â
--Free Range Chicken Breast: Â My husband ordered this and he really enjoyed. I personally thought the chicken was a tad bit overcooked but it didn't seem to bother the hubs. The mashed potatoes were really smooth and pureed perfectly. Very tasty!
--A $14 glass of local Cab recommended by the waiter. It was ok - a little on the earthy side.
I thought the views here were stunning. Our table along the window provided a perfect view to the Pacifc. It was a little early in the evening so the sun was still high but I can imagine what a great place this would be to come during sunset for cocktails and appetizers. Definitely the arancini's! Â
Overall, I thought this restaurant was a solid 3 star. I wish I could give it a better review but it must've been an off-night or too early in the night for them to get into their grove. I'd be willing to try them again but not after trying other restaurants in the area first.
What a great little find in Malibu! I was so pleasantly surprised when stopping in for lunch this weekend. They have true gourmet pizzas! We shared the proscuitto with mascarpone, balsamic and arugula and it was excellent! The crust was thin and crispy. We devoured it! All the other food coming out of the kitchen looked excellent as well, particularly the sandwiches and the coconut cake (maybe next time!)
They have a nice patio or great ocean views if you sit inside. Service was fantastic and really friendly. They have really nice wines by the glass too. I will definitely be back.
Met a friend here last week for lunch and was excited to take in the view, have great food and conversation. The ambiance was lovely, the service good enough but the food was bland, bland, bland and overpriced for what you're served. My friend and I both got the same grilled shrimp salad special (say that 5 times fast :).
There were only 3 shrimp which were the tastiest thing about the whole salad and then a whole lotta lettuce with a tiny bit of feta...I even had them add avocado to add a little more flavor and to offset the amount of  lettuce. Needless to say when asked if we were happy with our food and we let them know how bland it was they did nothing, not even offer an apology. The salad cost $20, way overpriced for the quality of food.
I will happily pay $20 for a salad elsewhere where their is flavor and quality ingredients and a honor in serving delicious food. They were so blase about us not liking the food that I don't see me supporting this establishment again, there are other spots I'd try that have just as great of a view and hopefully much better food.
We went to dinner craving pizza. And although the pizza here is really, really good... it's not someplace you can roll into and order a custom pie.
It's a dressy place with a beautiful view. Good wine selection but only 3 beers (which I'd never heard of). Fabulous cheesy mushroom aranchini and the sausage pizza was tasty. The coconut cake could have used a lot more coconut flavor.
Perfect! After driving for 3 hours from South Orange County, my girlfriends and I had a very blessing time and food here. The sandwiches ( Chicken and Fillet) were awesome! So tender, juicy and hot.... The salads were good also, Greek pizza was very nice.
The staff were so friendly. We didn't try the drinks I wish I would have!... The parking is kind of scary tho! :))) It's up the hill and you have to drive up there and park the car.
I came here with the family to grab some lunch before we hit the beach, we were driving by and saw the place and thought we'd give it a try.
The first thing that we noticed was walking up to the restaurant there was a strong smell of sewage. Â Based on the other reviews I'm going to guess that this was temporary, however it wasn't a pleasant start to our experience.
It was a busy Saturday around lunch time, and the wait for a table wasn't too bad, however once we were seated the real waiting started... it seemed forever before someone came to take our drink order, and then another long wait for the drinks to come... when the waiter dropped off the drinks we were ready to order, however he disappeared for another 10 minutes. Â We didn't place our order until we'd been sitting for about 30 minutes.
We also waited for our food to be brought out to us. Â From the time we walked into the restaurant to the time we got our food was close to an hour... if the kids weren't starving we probably would have left... however:
The food was AMAZING. Â Even though it wasn't hot by the time it hit our table, it was just delicious! Â I'm a stickler for good service, so you know that the food had to be spectacular to make up for the debacle that was the service we received...
I plan to come and eat here again and if the service is better I'll be updating this review and adding a star, because I really want to like this place, the views are amazing and the food is great!
My husband and I woke up early this Memorial Day weekend and decided to head to Malibu for breakfast. Â Without a real plan in mind we headed north..... Â About 5 years ago we spend the weekend at the Malibu Colony Inn and had dinner at the adjoining restaurant. Â We love the food and the view. Â My husband suggested we go by and see if they were serving breakfast. Â As we approached we were thrilled to see their sign that says Now Serving Breakfast! Â
We were seated outside and had a great view of Malibu Colony and the beach. Â The waitress told us about their Spicy Bloody Mary's. Â We felt so comfortable and had a sense we were on vacation, we order the Bloody Mary... Â It was such the right choice! Â Oh my, It had enough spice to kick you in gear.. yummy!
The waitress came back to take our order and told us about their specials. Â When I heard her describe the Eggs Benedict, she had me on the first several words; brown butter, truffle hollandaise..... Â Anything she said beyond is a blur. Â We ordered the Eggs Benedict. Â When they arrived it was beauty on a plate. Â The eggs were cooked to perfection, the hollandaise sauce looked like a yummy blanket covering something special and the bread had been slightly grilled, the ham was thick and flavorful. Â My first bite I was in heaven! Â The potatoes on my plate were roasted with rosemary and cook to perfection. Â I loved my breakfast.
Oh, and the coffee!!! Â Absolutely one of the best cups I've had in a long, long time. Â It took us back to our vacation in Italy! Â Simply wonderful.
If you are looking for a great restaurant with great waitstaff and chef, this is the place to go!!
Rolled right off Zuma beach and into Kristy's yesterday. Â My sand-encrusted family received a big, warm welcome, and we were allowed to select any table we preferred. Â (Of course we had to be ridiculously indecisive over which table offered the best view of the ocean, but the agreeable staff let us bicker amongst ourselves until the six-year-old won out and we finally sat down.)
The pizza here is absolutely delicious. Â My son (the aforementioned six year old table-chooser) got a plain cheese pizza that was big enough to share-- which is a good thing, because my husband, the baby, and I couldn't keep our hands off of it. Â Ultra-thin, crisp crust, plenty of hot gooey cheese, and perfect tangy tomato sauce. Â The overall flavor and cheese-to-sauce ratio reminded me of Pino's La Forchetta pizza in Brooklyn, which I grew up with-- and that is high praise indeed. Â Whatever mysterious attribute in LA water that doesn't make good pizza crust and bagels is somehow miraculously absent in Malibu water. Â Who knew?
My husband got a spicy chicken sausage pizza that was out of this world, and I had a pasta special with shrimp, mushrooms, spinach, and a creamy sauce. Â The pasta was perfectly al dente; the shrimp and mushrooms were done just right. Â Yum.
Okay, so it took a long time to get our menus after we sat down, and the risotto ball appetizer came out after our entrees... but the staff is super friendly and accommodating, the place has a relaxing laid-back vibe, and we just sipped our pinot gris and didn't mind. Â The views are lovely, the garden and pool setting at the entrance let you pretend you're on vacation. Â We will definitely head back to Kristy's for another lunch in the near future.
We were skeptical even with the high Yelp review; it didn't seem possible that a place so close to the beach would be able to produce decent food for a two dollar sign price.
But we were wrong. Decor was lovely. Service was great. The chicken sausage pizza was tremendous.
All in all, a delightful (almost)beachside dining experience.
It sounds like some Yelpers have had spotty service in the past, which might be while manager and owner types came by to check we were receiving our wine in a timely fashion and enjoying our meal. I definitely saw who I think must have been a manager keeping up with the servers, bringing food to tables, etc so perhaps some image rehab is under way.
The service we received on a decently busy Sunday evening was awesome! Very attentive, friendly and ready to make recommendations. From bussers who were on top of the water refills, to great timing for our meal, I had absolutely nothing to complain about.
The location is awesome - of course I came at night when you can't see anything but I would definitely return during the day. Kristy's interior is great as well, not going for overdone but instead uses clean lines and a simple color palette for a relaxed dining environment.
After scoping this restaurant out for a couple of months on Yelp I had to sample what so many people recommended: Wild Mushroom Arancinis and Proscuitto Pizza. The Arancinis do not taste overwhelmingly of mushroom so if that deters you then it's cause to celebrate. These perfectly crispy on the outside yet creamy and gooey on the inside mushroom, risotto and garlic balls are a must-try. Mix anything with risotto, deep fry it and I'm sold, but these are especially good. The pizza didn't disappoint after such a great appetizer. While prosciutto and pear combine in one bite to give you a great earthy, salty-and-sweet flavor. All this action rests on thin albeit fluffy crust. Awesome.
We were too stuffed to sample sweets but our server pretty much convinced us to come back sometime just for the coconut cake. I never have room for dessert so this is probably the best way to go.
All this paired with a decent wine selection chalks up to a dining experience I would highly recommend next time you are that deep into Malibu.