Gem Nikita

Wrangling a coveted VIP table along the oceanfront at Malibu’s hottest new beachside restaurant Nikita took almost as much precision as a Special Ops raid, however once I secured a table overlooking the ocean, surrounded by lush trees and beautiful lighting with cool ambient music streaming through the warm Santa Ana winds, I wasn’t even thinking about the food. In fact, if I wasn’t reminded I was in LA, I could have been in Bali, Rio, or some other exotic destination that requires a passport. The alfresco eatery is located in Malibu’s prime spot, Carbon Beach – otherwise known as Billionaire’s Beach, home to David Geffen, Eli Broad and other bold face names- and is owned by Carbon’s biggest land owner Larry Ellison, the Oracle CEO who named the restaurant after his girlfriend, Ukranian actress Nikita Kahn.

Nikita opened in July, where the Italian inspired menu was created by Michelin-starred chef Massimiliano Blasone of Apsleys in London, and also features the world’s first tea sommelier, Karl Kessab. Ellison reportedly spent $140 million on acquiring nine homes on Carbon Beach- Nikita and his other gem, the adjacent Nobu being part of that land, as well as a Japanese concept hotel in the planning. And he certainly seems to put his money where everyone else’s mouths are, as he transformed this stretch of Pacific Coast Highway that was known for its fast-food into the go-to destination for fast-players. Although there were some glitches- the pizza oven was closed, real bummer, and some wine was sold out, bigger bummer- the servers were attentive once they circled around us, carefully navigating the tight crowd that was filled to capacity. But again, who cares about the food- the few small plates we did sample were fine- when you have Bali. By the way, those golden arches across the street we cringed at managed to provide some apres dinner nourishment- if that’s what you call it- for my still-hungry friends after we left… and their service was impeccable. www.nikitarestaurants.com