Romance and watery rumpus

A reader called recently looking for a recommendation for a restaurant by the beach. He’d be entertaining somebody from the East Coast whose one request was dinner in view of the Pacific.

The guy didn’t want much. He wanted sunset on the ocean, good food and the opportunity for conversation, somewhere within a short drive of the Westside. But that meant I couldn’t send him to Montage in Laguna Beach, where the restaurant sits perched, literally, at the edge of a cliff overlooking sea pounding on rocks. It has the killer view and also serious food.

Geoffrey’s I couldn’t recommend; it’s been coasting on its Malibu panorama for far too long. Gladstone’s? Unh-uh.

And the other places along the Malibu coast are really just hangouts for surfer crowd drinking and noshing -- not a scene you’d like to show off to someone from the East, unless he has a fascination for surf culture.

OK, I had it: Moonshadows. But I hadn’t been there in a while, not since the chef had changed. Hence, a checkup visit to see what’s going on now.

On a weekend night, the parking lot was packed with posh rides. Inside, every table was occupied. Something on the outdoor deck? Maybe one of those booths along the wall, or even one of the lounge pads so close to the water beating on the rocks you can feel the spray? Not a chance.

We waited, just minutes, before a table was free. And we lucked out. It was in the far corner and yes, there was that view.

The noise from the rowdy crowd broke over us in waves. Tables were mostly big groups of family or friends, all ages, sizes and ethnicities. In fact, it was one of the most diverse crowds I’ve seen anywhere in L.A. We couldn’t help noticing, though, the couple two tables over, both dressed rather formally for this beach scene, and clearly in love.

We ordered up seafood and mango spring rolls, flash-fried calamari with chipotle-lime aioli, and grilled hanger steak and shishito pepper skewers. It was a thrill to see something like grilled baby octopus and arugula salad here, or mussels with chorizo and saffron. This is a better menu than at many other places along the oceanfront, though not something you’d drive miles out of your way to eat unless you had to have that view.

I got up at one point to stand in the tiny bar open to the elements. As I threaded my way back toward our table, clapping erupted in the dining room. Remember that couple? The man had gotten down on his knees to ask the woman to marry him, and everybody was whooping and hollering.

It takes guts to do something like that. And for the rest of the meal, the two were beaming, if it’s possible, even more than before, taking turns calling everybody to tell them the news.

We sampled red curried tiger shrimp with kaffir lime and lemongrass oil, tried the Southern California bouillabaisse made with mostly local fish. There was even Atlantic cod with cockles and chorizo, which made a nice presentation. One of the girls insisted on getting Kobe-style short ribs instead of fish.

Again, everything was fine but not particularly distinctive. This is a production kitchen, and it shows. Move ‘em on in and move ‘em on out again.

Maybe on a weeknight the crowd settles down, but Moonshadows is not for the serious foodie ... or anyone bent on actually having a conversation with a guest. The noise level is too raucous.

So I’m still stuck. Take away any one of the requirements -- view, food, driving distance, quiet -- and I can make a recommendation. But I can’t get all four of those qualities in one place.

Meanwhile, Moonshadows rocks for its close connection to the sea and fun-loving crowd on the weekends.

*

Moonshadows

Where: 20356 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu

When: Lunch 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; dinner 4 to 10:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 4 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 4 to 10:30 p.m. Sundays. Full bar. Valet parking.

Cost: Dinner appetizers, $6.95 to $12.75; main courses, $18.95 to $29.95

Info: (310) 456-3010

www.moonshadowsmalibu.com