Few travel delights can equal sitting down with a spectacular waterfront view to eat a delectable meal. Something is amazing about seeing the horizon, the water, possibly a sunset...and your own beautifully plated plate. Here to help us chase that experience is research from swimwear experts Pour Moi, who analyzed data from Instagram posts to come up with the world’s most beautiful waterfront restaurants...and Malibu’s own Nobu snagged the top spot.
Nobu offers Japanese cuisine with an international presence throughout the world. At the Malibu location, you get vast panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and the coastline. The next two restaurants on the list are in Greece and Croatia, respectively, but the U.S. appears on the list again at #4, with Mama’s Fish House in Maui, Hawai’i. This powerhouse in Paia (on the road to Hana) also appears on our list of the best seafood restaurants in America; you must try the Tristan Island lobster tails from the most isolated island in the world!
Next is a restaurant in Spain, but the U.S. is in full force with #6’s listing Seaspice in Miami with waterfront views and outdoor hot-stone and crudo lounge. At #10 is Grand Banks in NYC—which is actually in the water, as an oyster bar aboard a historic wooden schooner docked on the Hudson River’s Pier 25 in Tribeca. Try #11, also an oyster hotspot: Hog Island Oyster Co. in San Francisco’s Beaux Arts Ferry Building with views of the Bay Bridge and Treasure Island.
Landing on the list at #16 is Santa Monica’s Shutters on the Beach, part of the grand Santa Monica Hotel right on the L.A. coastline, and Miami has its second listing at #17 with Zuma, a minimalistic Japanese restaurant overlooking the Miami River.
In total, seven American restaurants are featured on this list, which shows us that Americans are good at Instagramming their meals (some may not find this the most relaxing way to dine, though!). The only other country that comes close is Italy, with four spots featured on the list. The methodology: The study identified 300 waterfront restaurants worldwide and then looked at the number of hashtagged Instagram photos to calculate the most popular of the most beautiful!