Serving Looks, Brunch, and Nostalgia: Malibu Barbie Café Rolls into San Diego – and She’s Fabulous

By Cesar A Reyes

Darling, cancel your boring brunch plans and clear your calendar—Malibu Barbie Café is skating into San Diego starting July 11, and she’s bringing pink power, ’70s flair, and pure joy in a roller skate.

This immersive pop-up, taking over the Hilton Hotel Bayside’s Kitchen and Bar in downtown San Diego, is a deliciously campy tribute to the iconic 1970s Malibu Barbie we all secretly wanted to be (or date). Created by the geniuses at Bucket Listers in collaboration with Mattel, the café is part dining experience, part photo fantasy, and full-on Barbiecore heaven.

After slaying in New York, Chicago, Miami, and Austin, this limited-run pop-up is making a sun-soaked splash just in time for Comic-Con—and trust, it’s giving everything it needs to give. Think: retro roller rink, pastel dream interiors, and an all-day brunch menu curated by Chef Becky Brown (yes, she of MasterChef and Chopped fame). We’re talking salads, desserts, and cocktails as fabulous as your favorite drag queen’s wig collection.

Yes, there’s pink. Yes, there’s glitter. And yes, you will want to take a hundred selfies. But honey, it doesn’t stop at just looking cute. Expect themed events like cupcake decorating, paint nights, and adults-only skate sessions where you can werk that disco energy under the lights. Oh, and $1 from every skate rental goes to the American Red Cross for California wildfire relief—because Barbie’s got heart and style.

Tickets start at just $25 and come with a dining credit and access to limited-edition Barbie merch (you know the gays love exclusive merch). So hop on the waitlist at BucketListers.com and follow @barbiecafeofficial for sneak peeks and thirst traps—I mean, previews.