Fodor's Expert Review The Colony Club

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'.