Malibu Country Mart

With the sun shining brightly on Saturday morning, a girlfriend and I head down south to our beloved sister city Malibu to spend the day at Malibu Country Mart.

Arriving after a beautiful coastal commute, we are excited to fuel and nourish ourselves with SunLife Organics smoothies and acai bowls. With a menu composed of delicious and nutritious snacks, juices, and bowls, it’s difficult to decide on one option. Having the intent of fueling up for a fun day ahead, we decide on the protein packed Mystic Smoothie—blended with superfoods including spirulina and maca plus a young Thai coconut base to keep us hydrated throughout the day. To accompany our smoothies, we order the Dragon Bowl—a vibrant pink and hearty blend of dragon fruit, raspberry and mango, topped with granola, fresh fruit, hemp seeds, and coconut shreds. Enjoying our smoothies and acai bowl on SunLife’s covered patio tastefully decorated with plants, crystals and inspiring quotes like “be here now” covering the walls, we indulge in a little people watching, observing friends enjoying a good laugh over a smoothie, families spending quality time together, and couples boutique hopping hand in hand.

The Malibu Country Mart has an open and relaxing atmosphere, with intimate boutiques, an outdoor playground and various restaurants to satisfy any craving. Feeling hydrated and refreshed, we make our way throughout the Mart, exploring intriguing shops.

We begin around the corner at Faherty—a clothing boutique whose mission is to create clothes for life’s greatest moments, the ones spent by the water, around a bonfire, catching waves, or watching sunrises. With just two locations in California, we feel privileged to explore the boutique. Sifting through lightweight linens and beachy attire, I feel right at home in Malibu, and personable associates make the experience noteworthy.

SunLife Organics

Sipping our refreshing smoothies as we stroll around, a gleam of light reflecting from amethyst crystals catches my eye and draws us into the Malibu Colony Co. Walking in, I immediately realize that I have found my destination for at-home odds and ends—from Diptyque candles to decorative boxes—and more importantly, a place to find gifts for friends and family.

Roaming around the Mart, we become fascinated by the window display and the chair lined with Beanie Babies at Canvas Boutique and Gallery—a two-story boutique that showcases contemporary art from creatives both locally and internationally alongside unique clothing pieces curated globally. We have a long chat with one of the owners, Arlington, about the history of Malibu and his intention behind opening the store. He shows us pieces from Malibu Collection, a line designed by him and his wife, Jac, which are manufactured in downtown Los Angeles. Arlington pulls a few pieces of clothing for us to try, and we immediately recognize the passion and attention to detail that went behind designing the line.

Sunroom

Canvas Boutique & Gallery

Intrigued by the array of unique shops, we feel inspired to keep exploring. With bright and airy interiors, we are drawn to Burro—a boutique opened by California native Erinn Berkson. Browsing through swoon-worthy goods thoughtfully arranged on shelves lining the store, I find everything from coffee table companions and handcrafted 14k gold necklaces to clothing and playthings for infants. My girlfriend selects a “Picchu the Alpaca” stuffed animal, and the Magic Bunny book alongside an adorable card for her nephew’s upcoming birthday celebration.

Sunroom

I make a mental note of the fitness studios I want to try on my next visit, including 5 Point Yoga and Pure Barre Malibu. As exploring the Mart in almost a workout on its own, we find a bench to sit and rest our legs. I begin to think, with a spacious outdoor playground (complete with swings, sandboxes and a jungle gym), an upscale hair salon, remarkable boutiques, and outstanding restaurants, the Malibu Country Mart is truly a one-stop shop with something for everyone—a perfect day vacation, a place to run errands, shop endlessly, entertain children, and unwind from the stresses of the week.

As we happily soak up Vitamin D, I spot a boutique called Victoire, which looks like it carries items that could accompany me on my upcoming travels around Europe. We soon learn that their Malibu location is their only U.S. store, with other locations in big name cities including Paris, St. Barth, St. Tropez, and Portofino. I select a dress by Mes Demoiselles and mentally scratch that task off of my to-do list.

Burro

Canvas Boutique & Gallery

We browse through a few more shops including Malibu Shaman, a Malibu Country Mart staple that has been in business since 1983. The metaphysical bookstore carries a large assortment of music, books, one-of-a-kind crystals, a variety of incense and oils, greeting cards, and candles. Last stop, Sunroom—an Austin based women’s clothing and accessory boutique that combines a West Coast inspired aesthetic with an urban sensibility. The boutique offers easy to wear and stylish pieces for every woman.

After a long day of exploring and shopping, we’re ready to indulge in a feast. We head to Taverna Tony, an authentic Greek restaurant with a fun and inviting atmosphere. With the intention of having a full Greek experience, we ask the server to bring out what she recommends. We sit back and enjoy the live Greek music echoing throughout the restaurant, which excitingly turns into a dance party as the night progresses. Our meal begins with the taramosalata dip—a red caviar dip combined with olive oil, lemon juice and onions which leaves our mouths watering and eager for our entrees to arrive. Planted comfortably in our seats, we enjoy glasses of Kouros white wine and good conversation until our server brings out our main course. For me, perfectly seared halibut with a light tomato sauce topped with spring onions and fresh herbs. My girlfriend has the lamb tenderloin—charcoal grilled and deliciously spiced with a light black peppercorn sauce. We give each other a quick glance indicating our satisfaction with the decision to leave the ordering to our server and dig in. Our palates are craving a sweet treat to finish the meal and we compromise with the bougatsa—a superb and delicate semolina custard pie in crisp filo pastry dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar.

As the brisk night air settles in, we recognize our cue to make our way back up the coast for a restful sleep after a full day. We discuss our upcoming schedules and coordinate a plan to return to Malibu Country Mart to test out our yoga abilities and spend the day with family and friends.

malibucountrymart.com

Photographed by Jacqueline Pilar | Written by Kim Hashemi