June 16, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Come for views, stay for food at The Sunset in Malibu

[KGVID poster=”http://smmirror.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/The-Sunset-Restaurant_thumb66.jpg” width=”600″ height=”338″]https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wst-uploads/media/The-Sunset-Restaurant.mp4[/KGVID]

Owner Franco Simplicio.
Owner Franco Simplicio.

Born in Bari, Italy and raised in the restaurant business with a passion for seafood, The Sunset in Malibu is the perfect home away from home for owner Franco Simplicio.

Simplicio moved to California as a teenager, studied at UCLA as an undergraduate, and went on to get his doctorate degree from USC.

He says his destiny was the restaurant business and he went on to open many successful restaurants in the Los Angeles area, including Padri, Allegria, Tanino, Ca Del Sole, Il Pastaio, Frascati, Moonshadows, and the latest – The Sunset.

“My passion is seafood with a Mediterranean influence,” Simplicio says. “I love making people feel welcome in my restaurants and will always have a great bar environment where people can be casual and gather with their friends or make new friends while they enjoy exceptional food and service.”

Some of the seafood offerings at The Sunset.
Some of the seafood offerings at The Sunset.

The Sunset restaurant started out in the 1970s as a very hip restaurant/bar called “Splash.”

It was a celebrity hub with the likes of Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davies, Johnny Carson, Dean Martin, Sonny & Cher, Warren Beatty, Dick Clark, Dick Van Dyke, and many others.

It then became “Monroe’s” – named after Marilyn Monroe who was a frequent patron.

After that, it was named “The Grey Whale” as grey whales migrate right in front of the restaurant twice a year, in the fall and in the spring.

Simplicio remembers when he took over the restaurant in 2003 and as he was remodeling, he would watch the amazing sunsets everyday.

He says that’s how he decided to call it The Sunset.

“What I love the most about this restaurant is that a lot of the times it’s full of local celebrities and other locals and at times it transforms into this eclectic crowd of beach dwellers and foreign tourists,” Simplicio says. “It makes coming to work fun, especially listening to people tell me how breathtaking the views are and how they did not expect the food to be so good.”

Chef Enrico Glaudo.
Chef Enrico Glaudo.

At the helm of the kitchen is Italian chef Enrico Glaudo, who is from Piemonte, Italy.

His last position was at Cipriani in Beverly Hills and before that in Italy at a Michelin star restaurant.

The menu is seafood inspired (there is a Seafood Bar), but the restaurant also features Italian specialties as well as several non-seafood dishes.

Highlights of the seafood menu include the Sunset Seafood Stew (with a lobster-tomato broth, clams, mussels, and prawns), Mussels & Frites (sautéed in white wine, fennel, tomato, garlic, shallots, and basil), and Jumbo Diver Scallops (pan-seared with porcini mushrooms, English peas, and Arborio).

When asked what he loves most about The Sunset, Simplicio says it’s the fact everybody can just walk to the beach across the road.

“Zuma Beach (where the restaurant is located) and Malibu have become more popular over the years and especially in the past two years,” he says. “We are seeing record number of visitors.”

He says his motto is “come for the views and stay for the food.”

The SunsetThe Sunset

Lunch: Monday-Friday 12-4 pm
Dinner: Monday-Saturday 4-10 pm
Dinner: Sunday 4-9 pm
Brunch: Saturday-Sunday 11 am-4 pm
6800 Westward Beach Road
Malibu, CA 90265
310.589.1007
www.thesunsetrestaurant.com

Related Posts

Chagee Now Open in Century City, Emily Ratajkowski Attends Opening Ceremony

June 12, 2025

June 12, 2025

Global Tea Powerhouse Opens Its First U.S. Location at Westfield Century City Model and actress Emily Ratajkowski joined Chagee for a ribbon-cutting...

Chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken Serve Up Pride Month Specials That Give Back

June 12, 2025

June 12, 2025

Limited-Time Food, Cocktail Offerings at Socalo and Alice B. Support LGBTQ+ Centers In honor of Pride Month, acclaimed chefs Susan...

World-Class Chefs and Local Farms Bring Culinary Magic to Santa Monica This June

June 12, 2025

June 12, 2025

3 Nights, 3 Unforgettable Dinners: Santa Monica’s Michelin + Farm Feast Series A trio of exclusive culinary events is set...

Immigrant Opened Her Doors to Injured Deputies and Demonstrators Offering Water, Aid, and Compassion

June 12, 2025

June 12, 2025

Salvadoran Restaurant Becomes Unexpected Refuge During L.A. Immigration Protest As immigration protests swept through parts of Los Angeles County over...

Mastro’s Malibu Reopens With Ocean Views, Signature Steaks, and Nearly Entire Staff Intact

June 11, 2025

June 11, 2025

Iconic Oceanfront Steakhouse Returns With Its Beloved Butter Cake, Nightly Live Music, and Sunset Glamour After a five-month closure due...

Jason Momoa to Perform and Bartend at The Bungalow Santa Monica’s Night Market

June 9, 2025

June 9, 2025

Minecraft Star Returns to the Bungalow With Live Music, and Top L.A… Food Vendors Actor Jason Momoa will make his...

James Beard Winner Sean Brock to Debut First L.A. Restaurant in West Hollywood This Summer

June 9, 2025

June 9, 2025

Acclaimed Southern Chef Brings Live-Fire Cooking and Appalachian Flavors to Restaurant Darling Acclaimed Southern chef Sean Brock will open his...

Peacock Declares ‘BLSH*T Day’ with Free Burgers Across L.A. to Celebrate “Poker Face” Season 2

June 5, 2025

June 5, 2025

Streaming Platform Partners With 13 Burger Spots for One-Day Giveaway on June 7 To mark the return of its mystery...

Erewhon and LGBTQ Singer Kali Uchis Serve Summer Smoothie for a Good Cause

June 4, 2025

June 4, 2025

The Sincerely Smoothie Blends Passionfruit, Pitaya, and Malk Coconut Milk LGBTQ singer Kali Uchis has teamed up with Erewhon to...

Levain Bakery and Wanderlust Creamery Team Up for a Sweet Cause This Saturday

June 4, 2025

June 4, 2025

Lily Rosenthal and Chef Mason Royal Host a Cookie & Ice Cream Celebration Larchmont’s Levain Bakery will host a community...

Vietnamese Street Food Pop-Up ‘Little C’ Returns to Crustacean for Limited Lunch Series

June 4, 2025

June 4, 2025

After a Sold-Out Debut, the Fan-Favorite Phở-Forward Concept Reopens  Following a sold-out debut, the Vietnamese street food concept “Little C”...

Fogo de Chão Unveils Fiery Off-Menu Cocktail, the Paper Flame

June 4, 2025

June 4, 2025

Tequila-Based Drink Features a Dramatic Tableside Presentation Fogo de Chão has unveiled its first-ever secret cocktail, the Paper Flame, an...

Marelle Launches ‘The Guest List’ With Renowned Chefs and Friends Alan Wong and Raphael Lunetta

June 4, 2025

June 4, 2025

Santa Monica’s New Chef Series Debuts With a Culinary Celebration of California and Hawaiian Flavors Marelle, a coastal dining destination...

Culver City’s Citizen Public Market Launches Summer Lineup of Food and Art

June 4, 2025

June 4, 2025

From Brats to Biryani: Citizen Public Market Unveils Fantastic New Flavors  Culver City’s Citizen Public Market is rolling out a...

Salt & Straw Unveils Summer Pie Series with Five Seasonal Ice Cream Flavors

May 29, 2025

May 29, 2025

Five New Flavors Inspired by Classic Summer Pies Will Be Introduced Salt & Straw is giving summer a scoopable twist...