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Since this posh bistro sprung to colorful wallpapered life just beyond downtown in the spring of 2021, it has been the toughest ticket in town to score—and Michelin agrees that it's worth the hype. Hoping to be the culinary manifestation of British photographer, artist, and Renaissance man, Cecil Beaton, the meaty menu is rich, flavorful, and full of financial and caloric splurges (caviar-topped deviled eggs, Wagyu tomahawk steaks), as well as fundamentally familiar dishes (roast chicken, steak frites, Bibb-lettuce salad, lemon tarts), but chef Gabe Woo adds unexpected touches like seasonal chutney atop a smoked pork chop. There's also a wild visual feast to be consumed (even in the bathrooms!). The look is splashy yet chic, centered on a marble and wooden bar, an enviable art collection that includes Calder and Warhol, and a showpiece custom light fixture. Start the reservation hunt early, and, if unsuccessful, show up before the restaurant opens,and pray for a cancellation or that one of the bar's grommeted, electric-blue, stool-chair hybrids, reserved for walk-ins, is available.
1555 S. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, California, 92264, USA
Known For
- Charming patio where you might spy celebrities
- Perfect vegetable accompaniments
- Complex and elegant cocktails, including a $50 martini
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon., Reservations essentials, Cash only; only serves parties of 6 or less
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At this charmer of a bistro in downtown’s historic La Plaza, you can cross the pond without a passport by tucking into Provençal-style staples like sweet or savory crepes, bouillabaisse, croque-monsieur sandwiches, and omelets—all made from scratch using true-to-the-name ingredients, plenty of dairy products, and amour. Savor breakfast and lunch daily as the sun warms your skin; the setting becomes even more magical after dark thanks to string lights, clinking wine glasses, a gurgling fountain, and a five-course prix-fixe dinner offering.
6 La Plaza, Palm Springs, California, 92262, USA
Known For
- Seating in a fragrant, flower-filled courtyard
- House-made jams, French press coffee, baked-Brie board
- Boozy brunch
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Wed. and Thurs.
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Chef Michael Beckman's Uptown Design District hot spot pairs high-quality California cuisine and classic and creative cocktails with sleek, utilitarian, concrete-and-leather design inside a repurposed historical theater and outside on a lively patio. Everything is delicious, but this team particularly excels at anything involving duck, from duck fried rice to duck breast with beet and blood orange jus.
800 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, California, 92262, USA
Known For
- Most ingredients sourced from within a 100-mile radius
- House-made ice cream and sorbet
- Communal seating options
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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Perched on the seventh-floor rooftop of The Rowan hotel, where stunning mountain and city views unfold from nearly every table, 4 Saints serves modern American farm-to-table dishes in a distinguished dining room crafted from leather, wood, and metal and on the outdoor patio. The menu features hearty, sophisticated steak, seafood, and pasta dishes made with global flair and fresh-daily produce.
100 W. Tahquitz Cyn. Way, Palm Springs, California, 92262, USA
Known For
- Creative and classic cocktails
- See-and-be-seen scene
- Attentive service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No lunch
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From the photos, trophies, and other memorabilia to a menu filled with The King's favorite dishes like meatloaf and Latrobe banana splits, golf champ and restaurant namesake Arnold Palmer's essence infuses the spacious dining room and pub where families gather for new American cuisine and good times. It does brisk birthday and Sunday dinner business yet the service is always attentive.
78164 Ave. 52, La Quinta, California, 92253, USA
Known For
- Chopped BLT salad, double-cut pork chops, baked mac and cheese
- Top-notch wine list
- Entertainment most nights
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential, Closed Sun. and late May–mid-Sept.
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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At this restaurant, known for its beautifully prepared Mediterranean cuisine, you can dine inside or under the stars in the atrium. The service here is attentive, and the menu roams Spain, Italy, California, and beyond.
70026 Hwy. 111, Rancho Mirage, California, 92270, USA
Known For
- House-made limoncello that stews for three months
- Cheese and charcuterie boards
- Tons of desert choices
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This romantic bistro with a spacious outdoor atrium decked out with flowers, twinkle lights, and pops of the namesake color has several weekly specials (e.g., no-corkage-fee Sunday) and a lengthy menu of fancy meats, seafood, and old-school salads. Always save room for dessert.
78--073 Calle Barcelona, La Quinta, California, 92253, USA
Known For
- Live music on the patio and in the fireside lounge
- Prime rib Thursday
- Extensive locavore menu
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch. Closed June–Sept., Reservations essential
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Yes, Palm Desert is landlocked, but there's no hesitation when it comes to recommending this seafood specialist, which has drawn residents and visitors for choice surf and turf for 15 years. Fish arrives daily from San Diego, is cooked to perfection, and is served on the rooftop and inside the dining room on the second floor of the Gardens of El Paseo shopping center. If the thought of twin lobster tails, grilled mahimahi with chipotle corn salsa, or sugar-spiced salmon make you seasick, note that the menu also includes chicken, steaks, meal-size salads, and vegetarian pasta dishes.
73505 El Paseo, Palm Desert, California, 92260, USA
Known For
- Several cold dishes for hot summer nights
- Happy hour daily
- Reduced-price two-course sunset menu from 3:30 to 5
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch June–Aug.
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The swank steak house and Sunday-brunch stalwart occupies a historic mid-century modern structure in the Palm Springs Tennis Club at the base of the San Jacintos. Between the club connection, ritzy ambience, and selection of old-fashioned fancy food (veal chops, duck, creamed spinach), Spencer's clientele skews toward power lunchers and socialites. If you do find yourself craving crisp-skin whitefish or liver and bacon with raspberry vodka essence, try for a table on the low-lit and dreamy deck.
701 W. Baristo Rd., Palm Springs, California, 92262, USA
Known For
- French–Pacific Rim influences
- Loyal waitstaffers who know the menu up and down
- High prices
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential for Sunday brunch and dinner, Closed Tues. and Wed.
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Discerning diners, even those whose names don't appear on the registry of The Colony Palms Hotel, know to book a table here for contemporary takes on white tablecloth staples like beef Stroganoff (here, made with short ribs and fresh pappardelle), green beans almondine (jazzed up with a brown-butter-and-cider glaze), or shrimp "cocktail" (barely recognizable but lip-lickin' good). Now overseen by chef Michael Hung—who cut his teeth at Daniel, Aquavit, Jardiniere, and La Folie—the restaurant emphasizes California seasonality and sourcing from farms and aquaculture operations to pack punch into everything from the small—say, preserved lemon compote and ginger scallion relish—to the large, like chicken schnitzel or vegan meatloaf. Take breakfast or weekend brunch on the sunny patio with the gleaming pool in view, but, after dusk, never settle for anywhere but the elegant dining room, with its grandiose floor tiles, avian wallpaper, and doting maitre d'.
572 N. Indian Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, California, 92262, USA
Known For
- Wine Wednesdays with discounted bottles
- Attentive, knowledgeable service
- Chic dining room dinners, sunny poolside brunches
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