Enjoy the Best Beach in Town in High Style

Paradise Cove  in Malibu may be the nicest little beach you’ve never heard about.

You can’t see this lovely cove from the road; it’s tucked off the Pacific Coast Highway, but a big sign marks the turnoff. The beach is picturesque enough to have attracted location filming of, among others, Baywatch, Rockford Files, and Gidget, and there’s a great fishing pier. Somewhat protected, the Cove generally offers calmer waters, making it ideal for families.

With or without kids, the Paradise Cove Beach Café--all dressed up in vintage photos of the California Coast--is a first-rate restaurant, with style and no attitude. The sign inside the door says it all: “Dress Code—None.” The place is famous for its crispy calamari appetizer served in a bucket-size martini glass, but a close second must be the heaping (no portion here is small) fish tacos. Tuesday and Thursday nights feature live jazz, and if you eat at the restaurant, parking is free.