Meandering in Malibu

Not in a hurry? Feeling kind of laid back? Check out the eating in Malibu. Beau Rivage, 26025 Pacific Coast Highway. (213) 456-5733. Style: Twinkling Mediterranean serving safe suppers. Setting: Carmel, 1972. Recommended dishes: Tomato-and-white bean soup; goat cheese salad; monkfish with chives. Cost per person: $25-$45.

Geoffrey’s, 27400 Pacific Coast Highway. (213) 457-1519. Style: Costly California cuisine on a cliff top. Setting: Carmel, 1976. Recommended dishes: Steak in peppercorn sauce; rack of lamb. Cost per person: $35-$75.

La Scala Malibu, 3874 Cross Creek Road. (213) 456-1979. Style: Offspring of the Beverly Hills institution. Setting: Carmel, 1980. Recommended dishes: Bean soup, smoked salmon in truffle sauce; rigatoni Malibu. Cost per person: $25-$45.

Malibu Sea Lion, 21150 W. Pacific Coast Highway. (213) 456-2810. Style: Malibu favorite serving huge portions of average food. Setting: Carmel, 1954. Recommended dishes: Salad bar (more than 100 items); steak chili; a slab of 12-inch-high chocolate cake. Cost per person: $10-$25.

Malibu Adobe, 23410 Civic Center Way. (213) 456-2021. Style: California Mexican with a pedigree. Setting: Carmel, 1987. Recommended dishes: Quesadilla with wild mushrooms, goat cheese and pine nuts; grilled tuna; smoked pork loin with ancho-almond salsa. Cost per person: $10-$35.