Clark's Oyster Bar Malibu just opened and overall we had a really great experience. The whole area around it is nice too with other restaurants and shops nearby, so it's a good place to walk around before or after dinner. There's also a huge parking structure. We went on a Saturday around 3pm after the beach and it was busy, but we still got seated right away for 2 people. We sat inside near the windows and honestly it still felt like we were part of the outdoor seating with the ocean breeze and open vibe. Our server Brandon was great..super friendly with a good attitude and made the experience even better. We started with 2 dirty martinis with goat cheese stuffed olives. I'm not a huge drink person so I can't overly critique cocktails, but they tasted like a proper martini and were made well. Apparently they're known for their martinis. Of course we got oysters..4 east coast and 4 west coast. The east coast oysters were smaller and I personally liked those more. The west coast ones were creamier and a little bigger, but both were very fresh. Food wise: * Clark's burger was simple but really good. Thick patty, cheese, amazing pickles (seriously I could eat a whole jar of those), and skinny fries that were almost chip-like. I personally would've liked the fries a tiny bit less crispy so they felt more potato-y, but still good overall. * Tuna carpaccio was delicious and came with this garlic aioli-type sauce on top that was sooo good. * The crudo plate was super refreshing with capers and this citrusy sauce that honestly stole the show. I asked for lemon on the side and squeezing that on top reallllly elevated the flavor. The sauce was so good I started dipping my tuna carpaccio into it too lol. Overall it was a vibe. Great atmosphere, fresh seafood, good service, and a really pretty setting. I'll definitely be back to try their dinner menu too. If you want outdoor seating (which I highly recommend if the weather is nice), definitely reserve ahead because that area fills up fast. read more

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Excited we have a new dining option, I must say, the oysters are an absolute hit. The waiter guided us to his favorites based on our preferences and they were fresh, clean and beautiful texture. We had the Tuxedo and Blue Hill bay for starters and they were right on point. The steak tartare was excellent. My cocktail, the salty surfer, was not the most exciting, lacked depth, would not order again. My entree was the halibut with the chimichurri and paprika sauces. Not sure if the fish was bland and completely lacking flavor because the sauces were on the side, in which case that would be my fault, but it was meh. My Husbands sea bream was far more flavorful and a better choice. One of our party had the burger and was very happy, and another, the lobster roll. The Kale is a very strong smoke flavor with an acid topnote, very different, but not sure in a good way. Likewise, the fries were just overly salted plate decor. Dessert of pote de creme was delish, as was the key lime tort. I did not care for the chocolate mousse cake, it was not overly sweet (good), but also not a very developed chocolate flavor as it was overpowered by the fruit rather than complimented by it. The ambience is festive, which is to say loud. It is located in one of our new strip malls and had it been warmer, the patio would have been the better choice for conversation. The staff is friendly, attentive and at no point did we feel rushed. Our waiter really knew his menu and was excited about the food. This is a great option if you order the right items and such a treat to have a quality choice for dining in Malibu! read more

We honestly just stumbled upon this place while heading to Kith, the cute aesthetic immediately drew us in. We arrived right as they opened and were seated on the patio on the most perfect sunny February day. It turned into the ultimate girl breakfast: champagne and eggs. The eggs were honestly some of the best I've had, super creamy and perfectly topped with chives. We also loved our server, I wish I remembered his name, who made the experience even better. Overall, such a great experience. We'll definitely be back to try a full meal because everything smelled amazing, even right when they opened. read more

Clark's Oyster Bar - Champagne - Desserts Near Me - Malibu, California

Nice space, some hits and some misses on the menu, but subpar service. To start, the space - beautiful patio, casual restaurant, small bar, very little staff. What we ordered - Wedge salad: pretty good, get it chopped, spicy dressing which was interesting Bluefin tuna carpaccio: beautiful dish, thin layer of tuna with lots of interesting flavors and textures making every bit different Jumbo shrimp cocktail: classic, nothing special Crudo plate: nice ponzu style sauce with three types of sliced fish Wood grilled oysters: favorite dish! Steaming hot with aioli and croutons, delicious! Mussels and clams: great sauce that just makes it shine Linguine and clams: great pasta dish Hamburger: terrible, flavorless and dry, SKIP Branzino: beautiful, tasty and impressive Roasted cauliflower: undercooked, but good Grilled broccolini: raw and inedible, SKIP Grits: awful, SKIP Key lime tart: amazing! MUST ORDER Basque cake: okay, not memorable The food was good, but the service was bad, no one at the desk, waitress was hard to get to our table, food took forever. read more

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Good vibe good food. Came with a large group ordered a bunch of stuff. Standouts were the lobster roll, cooked oysters, and burger. Would come back. read more

Clark's Oyster Bar in Malibu is the perfect blend of coastal charm and elevated dining. We came here to celebrate a birthday after attending the Malibu Potteries for a Goats + Wheel Workshop, which was a 5 minute walk away. The moment you walk in, the ambiance was bright, airy, and nautical without trying too hard. I loved the floor to ceiling windows which provided soft lighting and a beautiful atmosphere. The service was extraordinary. Our server was warm, attentive, and incredibly knowledgeable about the menu, offering thoughtful suggestions that made our experience even better. Their recommendations truly guided us toward some of the best dishes. And the food - absolutely outstanding. We started with fresh oysters, which were fresh and perfectly chilled. The Oak Grilled Spanish Octopus was tender, smoky, and seasoned nicely. The Grilled Tuscan Kale offered a surprising depth of flavor, while the Mussels & Clams in white wine and herbs were fragrant, delicate, and cooked just right. The white wine sauce was amazing and went great with the bread they provided for dipping. The standout was the Oak Grilled Whole Spanish Branzino - beautifully charred, flaky, and deeply flavorful. The nice part about this dish is that they remove the head and bones, which makes it so easy to eat. Every bite was perfection. The Hand Cut Clark's Fries with Rosemary were nice and crisp and impossible to stop eating. One of the best fries that I've had, every bite was nice and crunchy, which I liked. To finish, we ordered the Butterscotch Pot de Crème which was silky, rich, and just sweet enough. We also had a cake in which the server brought out and lit the candles for us. They provided all the plates and utensils, which was great. Clark's Oyster Bar in Malibu is a place where ambiance, service, and exceptional food come together seamlessly. We'll definitely be back! read more

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Clark's is many things. It's an old fashioned but modern community seafood restaurant that meets the vibe expectations of social media influencers with its ambience. This was a 50/50 shot that delivered a 10/10 experience. The bartenders and staff were friendly and attentive. The food was wonderful. We started with the crab salad that unexpectedly delicious. The chilled shrimp cocktail was fresh, tender and cooked perfectly. It reminded us of the taste from Langosteria in Portofino. The fries were a miss but that's just preference. They kindly changed the order to the marbled chimichurri potatoes which were out of this world tasty. Last but not least the John Dory was simply EXCEPTIONAL. Cooked perfectly tender, flaky, with a delicious garlic and herb butter sauce that left us wanting more. Come, enjoy and be happy in Malibu. If you can afford to dine here, you are lucky. Just be chill like the Shrimp read more

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Beautiful location with friendly servers. Once we were seated they served a house made sourdough with butter which was fresh and delicious! The fries were the highlights of the meal for us, 100/10, amazing. I do wish they had a salmon main entrée, though. Service could've been better considering they weren't busy. They forgot our second order of bread and they didn't put the capers on the side of the dishes. Overall 7/10. I don't like shellfish but definitely worth a try if you do. read more

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I have visited Clark's in Austin and Montecito so I was excited when Malibu opened. Upon arrival hostess was not welcoming and barely acknowledged us however shortly after Charlotte came over and helped us immediately. The service was chaotic and took a little bit to order but after the flow was decent. Little things like new plates after different entrees came and waters being filled were missed. We decided to share lots of different items on the menu so new plates after apps would have been nice. We l owe the food minus the linguine (too cheesy) Overall food and drinks were great and that's most important. read more

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Cool atmosphere. Gorgeous patio for outside dining. That whole center is a fun place to walk around. Ordered the burger. Way too much salt. Also, a small patty for an pricey burger. I don't know about the seafood. But the burger was not as good as Wendy's. (Wendy's has great burgers.) My girlfriend says that her swordfish was very good, and that she knows her food, so you should not listen to me (according to her). She's a great girlfriend, but for restaurants she pays more attention to the presentation than the actual food. So for the taste of food, trust me, not her. The burger comes with fries, which are string fries. Basically, potato chips, no soft potato inside. As to comparing it to Wendy's, let me add context that Wendy's makes a really good burger and fries. I'm taking my girlfriend to Wendy's tonight so we can resolve this important controversy. It's primarily a fish place and a successful chain, so just avoid the over-salted burger and fries and you'll like the place. The mac and cheese was very good. Shell shaped pasta, fitting for a beach place. The staff was very nice. That center, Malibu Country Mart, is a fun mellow place. A beautiful place to walk around, and easy free parking. I'd park as far into the center, where the parking is easy, and more mellow. For dessert, go to the ice cream place, Kith Treats Malibu. It's right across from Clark's. read more

Apr 24, 2026 - Extremely unsafe and unprofessional experience We came to Clark's to celebrate a girls' night and graduation dinner, expecting a high-end experience. For context, my friend and I are Asian, and the rest of our table was a diverse group including individuals who are white, Latina, and Middle Eastern. I normally would not mention this, but after reading other reviews and reflecting on how we were treated, it is hard not to notice a pattern in the level of dismissiveness and lack of care we experienced. The night started normally until my friend picked up her drink and the glass literally shattered in her hand. Glass went everywhere across the table, onto the seat, and onto me, as I was sitting right next to her. It was immediately alarming, not just because of the injury risk, but because we were genuinely concerned that glass shards could have gotten into our drinks. I went to the bathroom with her to clean up, and when we came back, nothing had been properly handled. The table was still wet, broken glass was still on the floor and on the seat, and she ended up sitting back down on a chair that still had liquid and glass on it. We had to request to move tables ourselves, which should have been immediately offered. While we were in the bathroom, the manager, Nic Vascocu, told our group that he would replace all of our drinks. However, once we moved tables, he completely backtracked. Instead of replacing them, staff simply moved our original drinks over. When we asked the server about it, we were met with, "So you guys are requesting to get all your drinks replaced?" as if this had never been promised in the first place. We asked multiple times to have the drinks replaced due to the risk of glass shards. The manager acknowledged us once and did nothing. It took three separate requests before they were finally replaced, and when they were, the drinks were noticeably smaller. Even after moving tables, there was still glass not properly cleaned on the table, floor, seat, and even in our bread. We had to repeatedly ask staff to clean what should have been an obvious safety hazard. The situation escalated when I calmly addressed the manager. Instead of taking accountability, Nic Vascocu became extremely rude, dismissive, and unprofessional. He said things like, "What else would you like me to do?" and "Does this usually get you anywhere?" implying we were trying to get something out of the situation. At one point, he began gaslighting the situation, saying he didn't appreciate how I was speaking to him, when in reality I had remained calm and respectful, and he was the one escalating the interaction. Instead of de-escalating, he continued to push back against us as customers, which is the opposite of his role to ensure guests feel safe and respected. He also made a strange and unnecessary comment asking if I knew what "Clarke's" was, and when I asked him to explain, he said, "I'm not here to educate you." I have never been spoken to like this by a manager, especially at a place that presents itself as "luxury." At the end, he said he would comp the entire meal if we never came back. We said that wasn't an issue. Despite that, he only comped the drinks, which felt petty given everything that had happened. What is most concerning is that this was not just bad service it was a serious safety issue involving negligence. A glass shattered and was not properly cleaned, and there was a clear and foreseeable risk that glass shards could have ended up in our drinks or food. If we had not spoken up, someone could have been seriously injured. Under California premises liability standards, restaurants owe their guests a duty of care to maintain a safe environment. That includes properly handling hazards like broken glass. In this situation, that duty was clearly breached the area was not cleaned, the risk was ignored, and the manager showed no urgency or concern. This reflects a clear failure to take reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable harm. To make matters worse, as we were leaving, Nic Vascocu continued staring at us in a very unsettling and uncomfortable way, which only reinforced how hostile and unprofessional the entire experience felt. After reading other reviews, it is concerning to see similar complaints about service and treatment, which makes this feel less like an isolated incident and more like a pattern that should be taken seriously. My friends and I have traveled all over the world from Asia to Europe and have dined at countless establishments. I have never witnessed a situation handled this poorly. This was not just disappointing it was completely unacceptable and unsafe. PS. The food was mid just go to other restaurants and clam chowder was worse than a canned/ jarred read more

Clark's Oyster Bar - Mid food - Desserts Near Me - Malibu, California

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Walked in at 1pm and asked for a table for two. After being asked if we prefer inside or outside, we said no preference. Then suddenly they said the wait was now over 1hr. Place was not busy and there were several of 2seater booths available and they claim they were all reserved. Very unlikely and more likely that they just didn't want Asian people in their restaurant. After realizing what this bs was we just left. Maybe someone needs to do some investigative journalism here. Probably the next great white anti Asian fiasco. read more

This is a new Malibu offering with other established restaurants, and I'll start with the good. The servers are really friendly, and the setting is very nicely designed. The menu is interesting. The food appears well-prepared, and everything I've tried (about five dishes by now) tastes good. However, the service is quite uneven. The hostess asked for my name and phone number to put me on their guest list. I've never been accosted like that before, ever. What an oddly pushy way to try to market to me. The first time we went, we had a few different servers, but no one seemed to take ownership. Maybe that's because they were new and we were seated in the bar area, but it was jarring. Things take too long to come out--things like salads that just don't take that long to make. The food quantity is extremely uneven to the point that I wonder if the proprietors have sat down and tried their own menu. For example, on one occasion, I ordered the muscles. It was massive--there must have been two pounds of muscles! The flavors were a little boring and sour, but no complaints about the quantity. Conversely, I more recently ordered the $28 burger (which means it is roughly the same price as steakhouse burgers at places like Lucky's or Mastros), and it was minuscule. Although slightly thicker, it was basically the same size as a McDonald's burger, which, for $28, is awful; especially compared with competitors who load up 12 if not 16oz of beef. My friend's salad had copious lettuce but fewer shrimp than he was promised. My "this is the largest oyster we sell" was like a diminutive Kumomoto. For the price, I expect far more consistency in service, substance, and quantity. read more

Service was good, ambiance was fine. The food was some of the most flavorless, yet expensive seafood I've ever had. The oysters were really good, the crudo was pretty good, but everything else, including the lobster, the prawns, and the ceviche was utterly devoid of flavor. It all looked lovely, like those really huge bright red strawberries in the supermarket. But like those strawberries, it all tasted like nothing. I don't even know how you'd remove the flavor from such lovely looking seafood TBH. read more

Really great - sat at the bar and had a feast - we frequent the Aspen Clark's - first time here. Pasta and clams great - chowder tasty - good drinks and great liquor selections - Fortaleza and Whistle Pig! Great bartenders. Lottie nitpick - the check in team didn't know people can sit at the bar - they turned us away and said too busy - even though plenty of empty spots. I had to let them know plenty of "first come" bar service - they had to ask - they realized ok and gladly sat us - just training issue. We LOVED this place - great atmosphere and great food and great people!!! A+ read more

Clark's Oyster Bar - Grilled oysters "ok" - Desserts Near Me - Malibu, California

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I reallllly want to like Clark's! Malibu does not have a huge choice of restaurants, and everyone is very excited they have opened. While most restaurants need a few months to work out the kinks, I was hoping since Clarks is an established restaurant and other locals, they would have their ducks in a row sooner. The good: the ambience is lovely... Makes you want to linger at the bar or on the patio. The staff was very friendly, though not communicative enough as to why our food courses were taking absolutely forever and did not really rectify the situation in a way that's not meaningful. The not great: we ordered appetizers and main courses. The food took forever to come out. About 35 minutes to get the appetizers, which did not arrive at once. We waited another 35 to 40 minutes between courses. And the entrées came out at different times about five minutes apart. There is no real acknowledgment of this or explanation as to why. We also realized they completely forgot one appetizer when the bill finally arrived. The food: not memorable. The Cesar was the best part of the meal. The vegetable sides were overly salty and oily. The burger had zero flavor and was very dry, and the burger patty very small. We got two orders of their fries. One was hot, crispy, and delicious and the other was soggy and bland. Malibu is a tough crowd to please - no question. I really hope they are able to quickly focus I'm fixing these very basic elements that may make a well run restaurant and offer better quality food so they can remain open! read more

Sooo sadly disappointed in Clark's Malibu! We've visited other Clark's locations and were very excited to try in Malibu but I would never go back there. We ordered the crab louie and lobster roll as our entrees. We chose a cold lobster roll which the server described as "tossed in mayonnaise". When it was brought out, while it was definitely tossed with mayo, it was also tossed with an overwhelming amount of red onion and chives. I removed about 1/4 cup of red onion.... it was accompanied with fries that were so soggy and chewy which is a hard consistency to achieve with matchstick fries. The crab louie was also so overwhelming dressed it was practically a soup at the end. They brought us a blood orange and thyme sorbet as somewhat of a consolation prize which tasted like you walked outside and liked a thyme bush.. almost offensive. The sourdough is phenomenal, I appreciate that there is not "minimum" on how many oysters you must order as not everyone at your table may enjoy them, and the decor is admirable. Hope they are able to do some quality control at this location as we know what their potential is. read more

Food was great, tasty, and most of the servers were great. We were a party of 18 people for a birthday and they seated us on the patio where we were the only people. The sun was shining directly on our table. We asked if one of their several umbrellas could be shifted to help with sun. The manager Paige was the most unhelpful manager I've experienced in a long while. She refused to move the umbrella, saying it was too heavy. I asked the waiter and he said you could definitely move it but they weren't allowed to without her permission. Paige then said we could move to a shaded couch area instead of a table. I asked if we could move to the several empty tables under the umbrellas since we were eating and a couch wasn't conducive for 18 . She said no again and that those were held for reservations. There was literally not a soul on the patio the entire time we were there. No reservations, not even a single person, even as we finished and left. One member of our party had skin health issues and did move away from our party to sit by herself on the couch. All in all, for a restaurant where service should be a top priority, the manager and her response and attitude were severely sub par. read more

Clark's Oyster Bar - Desserts Near Me - Malibu, California

This was our second visit and we took friends they have restaurants because we loved it so much the first time. Hosts were lovely, food was excellent but our waiter, Sean was snippy, grumpy and seemed to resent serving us and the table behind us. All the way through our meal he was unpleasant. It's really put me off going back incase we have him wait on us again. read more

Really fresh ingredients and a thoughtful menu. Nice ambiance and service. What a great addition to the Malibu food scene!

Went on a Saturday night. Ambiance is excellent, really nice. Food was also excellent, we had oysters, octupus, crab cake, and Branzino. Service was also very good. issues were the restaurant tends to nickel and dime you. Branzino was $60, if you want bones out an extra $10. For $60 you shouldn't need to deal with bones. Also stay away from martinis, they are tiny for $25. All in it was good and we will go back. read more

Not a fan. The service is awful. Our waiter openly ogled my girlfriend every time he came to the table and made our experience feel weird. He also lost my credit card which was a nice touch. As a Malibu local, I won't be back. read more

Wonderful birthday dinner! Crab cakes were divine and desert outstanding. Fantastic service and drinks and nice ambience.

Hi I would recommend this spot but they need to have better hostesses the two young ladies are nice and know how to communicate with customers but there's an older lady.that needs to get some lessons on how to talk with customers. read more

The good: oysters are great !!! The bad: when they say skinny fries they mean piling up a bunch of fried strings of potato leftovers...I've eaten the bottom of a bag of chips and enjoyed it more. Service and Ambiance are good read more

Unfortunately waited forever to get our drinks and then super long wait to get food when server told us they are short staffed in kitchen. Food was horrible. Amazing atmosphere but food and service was way below standards. read more

The food here is absolutely amazing! I've been to the Austin location and was so excited when i found out one of opening in Malibu. We ordered Shrimp cocktail Lobster roll Crab cake Wedge salad Shrimp toast The burger Crispy rockfish And butterscotch pot de crème Everything was top notch. Not one complaint. The atmosphere was super cute and we loved the fire place. Will definitely be frequenting Clarks! read more

I was excited to have a new restaurant in the area. Sadly it did not live up to our expectation. Ordered a swordfish dinner and the piece was very small and thin. I remained hungry after the meal so I ordered a soup. A young lady who introduced herself as the manager greeted us and asked how everything was. I mentioned the size of the fish dinner and she said that it was likely the last piece of the evening. Having been a restauranteur, I can share that this piece of fish should have never left the kitchen. Worse was that there was no apology nor any gesture to make things better. Obviously this was a non experienced restaurant manager. The upside was that the restaurant has a very nice patio but I have very little desire to give it a second chance. read more

Would be 5 stars. Food was incredible... EXCEPT shoe string fries. Sorry excuse for French fries!