Cork Tree RestaurantLoved it once again!Food, ambiance and service are all 5 star. Keeps us coming back again and again! Don't change a thing!6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Experience!The food is always amazing, but the service was outstanding! She gave great descriptions and recommendations. Very attentive and knowledgable. Great spot for a great meal with our pretension.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMperfectWe love the Cork Tree. Everything we have tried is fresh and delicious, and meticulously prepared and presented. You can't go wrong here.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent California FoodThe food at the Cork Tree is excellent. Everything is well prepared and the ingredients fresh and not over-cooked. Not the cheapest restaurant, but the quality of food is worth the cost. Although our waiter was not particularly personable or attentive, one nice touch was he checked on our wine order to see if it was non-oak (chardonnay), found out what we ordered was not and came back with another recommendation. The wine was perfect. Great service there!
Although somewhat subdued lighting, the ambience at the Cork Tree is one of sophistication and the right table appointments and lighting that reflect the quality of the food.
Highly recommended.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was great. Had a largeFood was great. Had a large party and everyone loved their food. Great presentation6/5/2013 12:00:00 AMSpecial Eveningthey have a wonderful and varied menu. The presentation of the meal was beautiful and delicious. Very generous servings. they didn't rush us .5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was excellentBeautiful restaurant, delicious food, great ambiance and very friendly, excellent service. I'm lactose intolerant and waiter went out of his way to accommodate me.5/28/2013 12:00:00 AMWe've dined here a numberWe've dined here a number of times and never have had a bad meal. The food has always been excellent and the presentation spectacular! It's on my shortlist for special occasions and as a recommendation to visitors.5/28/2013 12:00:00 AMA Must Go!So happy we dined at Cork Tree! Everything about our experience was fabulous! Cork Tree is pricey, but worth the money!5/26/2013 12:00:00 AMOur Palm Springs favoriteSince eating here for the first time about 6 years ago, we always make it a point to eat here when we're in Palm Springs. The soups are terrific and the entrees always tasty. For the budget-concious, I would hold off on the salads are they are expensive for what you get.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMLove this placeFollowed the advice on Trip Advisor and it was right on. Great food, I had the braised short ribs, fantastic! Had a great Pinot with them and friends had a great time and meal as well. Look forward to returning soon.5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMnew dinner placeWe come to Palm Desert every year to enjoy our time share. My husband was lucky enough to play golf with a gentlemen who recommended this restaurant. Top notch. We both enjoyed our dinner. I especially love to have a special dinner , one that I can not duplicate at home. We are putting Cork Tree on our return visits and telling our friends that this is a spot to dine.5/22/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat presentation of allGreat presentation of all food types. I had the salmon and it was delicious. My husband had the rack of lamb and the portion was way too small for the expensive price. Friends had the short ribs and they loved them! Appetizers: the escargot and duck tacos were yummy and the mushroom ravioli was amazing! Our waitress was very attentive with a wonderful personable personality. Nice place for a fine dining experience.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMDiamond in the ruffDon't let the strip mall location and nondescript name fool you; this restaurant is for dining! Elegant interior, attentive wait staff, and delicious food beautifully presented make this a new favorite in the Desert. Servings are perfectly proportioned, and the flavors are profound and nuanced. The shrimp and crab cakes are served with a buerre Blanc sauce that comes separate so you can add as little or as much as you desire. The mini Cork Tree salad is sized as an accompaniment. The Patagonia Miso coated sea bass was sublime, and I look forward on a future visit to try their other signature dish, 36 hr braised pork shank! We were celebrating our 34th anniversary and the chef prepared a lemon bar with mini scoop of blackberry sorbet. Yum!!5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMYummyEverything each person ordered was delicious. The salmon was the best I have ever tasted. The salads were crispy and tasty yet not overwhelmed by any one flavor. Look forward to returning next time I am in the desert.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMSpecial Mother's DayWe made reservations after reading reviews on TripAdvisor. We were pleased with our experience. We were first seated outside, but requested to be moved inside because it was so hot on the patio. The staff was very receptive to our needs and comfort. The food was excellent, and the service was perfect. It was a great Mother's Day experience for two friends who were treating ourselves to a wonderful dining experience.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways a great experienceCork Tree is always a great experience - very good food and service and friendly staff.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMEnjoyableWe had an extremely enjoyable evening. The service started off very slow but improved once our waitress introduced herself to our table. Our food was excellent and will recommend to friends as one of the best restaurants in the desert area.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent palm dessert GemWhat a great find, wonderfully inventive California menu. Like eating at an Iron Chef competition!
We tasted the Raviole Appetizer, yummy. The scallops were amazing particularly the Black Rice. Wish we had saved room for dessert! Definitely worth visiting5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMSurprise find in the desertCork Tree was a surprise even after reading the reviews. It is an elegant, romantic restaurant inside. From the street it looks a little like a chain restaurant. The booths are private and spacious. The food is inventive and delicious. The service was attentive and the have a good wine selection. I took clients and they were very impressed. My dinner, the kale salad and scallops, with a bite of the apple dessert a la mode, was memorable. We will return when we go to Palm Desert and have already recommended it to friends.5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat spot!In for only 3 nigjts, bit very glad we came! Great menu that eases all tastes. Beautiful presentation along w top notch service. A must visit when in Desert Springs!5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMQuaint understated elegance.Recommended to us by a waiter at another restaurant. Thank goodness for his kindness. This was a wonderful meal in a very nice setting. We would highly recommend this place to everyone. You will definitely enjoy your experience from food to service.5/6/2013 12:00:00 AMVery Good Food but Not ExcellentI had the flat iron steak preceded by butternut squash soup. The restaurant was very attractive, and the wait staff were lovely. As other reviewers have noted, don't go here to eat if you are in a hurry. But, honestly, I hate waiters coming back time and time to my table to ask if everything is good so I didn't mind waiting for her to reappear every 15-20 minutes. The steak was juicy, tender and cooked the way I ordered but, for $29, I would have expected more flavor. Very subtle flavoring. The grilled vegetable were very aesthetically pleasing and tender. The bread was excellent. The soup was a little overly virgin olive oil infused resulting in a slightly oily texture. The food was very good, not excellent..5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMFantasticSecond time in 3 nights. Différents foods, same pleasure, the taste, the service, all was great!!! The only bad point is that we leaved Palm desert yesterday so we can't go back before our next travel here.
Thanks for the good moments5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent foodWe have eaten here before and were disappointed at being shunted into a side room lacking any character. This time we were in the main restaurant area and it was first class. Fod was very good but the menu seemed not to have changed over the past year. It is good but adventure from them could make it better yet.4/30/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat dining!!!The food, the service, the ambiance: all was perfect. Surely one of our best restaurant ever tried!!!4/30/2013 12:00:00 AMCan't say it enough times,Can't say it enough times, this is one of the very best restaurants in the valley. The food is always outstanding and the presentation is so unique and appealing. If you have a special occasion or you want a really high class experience, this is the place. They are always so accomodating to our requests and we always leave saying what a wonderful experience it was.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMCork Tree was the perfectCork Tree was the perfect location to celebrate our anniversary! From the most friendly confirmation call about our reservation, to the perfect table for a romantic dinner, to the superb service from EVERYONE, we could not have asked for more. The food was amazing - we wish we didn't get full! Would definitely go back in a heartbeat!4/25/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellentLe repas était succulent. La présentation des plats était recherchée. Le service était excellent. Ça vaut vraiment la peine d'y aller. Do not hésitante. Do you a favoris4/24/2013 12:00:00 AMAwesome PlaceFrom the moment I walked into the restaurant I felt the warmth of the people working there and the diners. We were sat at a lovely booth and the food was out of this world and the presentation was great from appetizers to main course through to dessert. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone that enjoys a fine meal.4/23/2013 12:00:00 AMOur waiter , Greg, did a fineOur waiter , Greg, did a fine job on looking after us. The wine we first ordered was out of stock and he made an excellent recommendation on a sub.
The food was excellent and very interestingly presented4/22/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food! Excellent presentation!Great food! Excellent presentation!
Only problem was waiter did not offer the Specials for the evening,
after ordering desert, he left so quickly we did 't have a chance to order coffee.
He obliviously had other things on his mind.4/22/2013 12:00:00 AMWent here for my wife's birthdayWent here for my wife's birthday while in Palm Desert. The food was outstanding and the service was prompt and expert. We had a reservation and were seated right away. A lot of reviewers had previously said "don't be fooled by the fact that it is in a strip mall" and I could not agree more. We enjoyed it very much and will recommend to others who are down in the Palm Desert area and don't want a chain or hotel restaurant.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat find!Very creative menu and the food taste and presentation is even better! Their specialty is a pork shank that is to die for! Everything was good, everyone loved their entrees.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMFabulousThis was a fabulous meal. The presentation is outstanding and the service was extraordinary! I recommend the pork shank.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was very good. AppetizersFood was very good. Appetizers took too long to be served, but waiter provided complimentary demitasse of soup. Quiet enough to talk without shouting, which is an improvement over most spots in the desert. Would recommend.4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMGourmet surpriseA real surprise. Gourmet combinations and presentation. Can't wait to return.
A chef restaurant to take net of.4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMCork Tree, Palm DesertThe menu is small but what they do offer is not ordinary...like shank pork or shank of lamb. One of us had the pork which was excellent. Two of us had a trio special of crab cakes, 1 scallop and petite filet. It was good, but I wish I had chosen something else for the price. (it was higher than most).
Salad is extra.
This is a special occasion restaurant!4/17/2013 12:00:00 AMYOU MUST GO HERE TO EAT, ITS GREATA fantastic evening at the Cork Tree. The food was amazing so tasty, everyone at the table was offering tasters to their friends everything was sooooo good we had to try it all. The presentation too looked brilliant.
The entertainment was fantastic we had a super evening. Our server was always there when we needed anything and she was watch in the background to make sure our drinks were topped up and our every need was met.
Most definitely the place to be.4/17/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent Sea Bass, ScallopExcellent Sea Bass, Scallop dish with forbidden rice was a must try! Service was impeccable and live music in the bar was pleasant and not overly loud.4/17/2013 12:00:00 AMWe have dined here a few timesWe have dined here a few times and the food is consistently top notch! The staff is friendly, the service excellent.4/15/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat diing experienceFood was delicious and a beautiful presentation. House wine was unusually drinkable. The service was excellent.4/14/2013 12:00:00 AMFood, service, ambiance great.Food, service, ambiance great. Only one problem - the one meal came out cold! The plate was hot but the food was too cold to eat (the lamb shank)4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent meal with greatExcellent meal with great food and service. The warm bread service- cranberry walnut bread. House cured salmon was a large serving of melt in your mouth, silky salmon with creamy full fat Greek yogurt and 2 very thin brioche slices (ask for more). The mushroom ravioli was intense in flavor with perfectly cooked asparagus.
The rack of lamb special was 3 - 2 bone chops with creamy bacon-garlic mashed potatoes. The sea scallops entree was served on black rice seasoned with cream, edamame and shrimp.
The Cork Tree Banana Split was a marvelous creamy hazelnut mousse served in bar shape on a crispy crust with a small scoop of banana ice cream half a bruleed banana and a cherry wine dipping sauce.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMWe will return to dine atWe will return to dine at the Cork Tree Restaurant. The staff and chef were there to meet and greet you and were welcoming and friendly. The food was excellent.
We had a booth, which was nice. We were glad we were early diners at 5:45 as the place was louder and really packed when we left.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMWe were here for romantic.We were here for romantic. it was our 25th anniversary. Food fantastic. Service perfect!!! Table not so much. Let it be known it was our 25th anniversary. Didn't happen.! table placement not so good!! our server was perfect!! other than that, just ok. not our first choice, if we come back, any time soon. we will see.4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMAbsolutely wonderful restaurantWhat a great restaurant! Not only was the food marvelous, but it was artistically presented. The saucing, the combinations, the flavors were sublime. Service was just excellent too. Best place we ate in the Palm Desert area.4/10/2013 12:00:00 AMWe were looking for a reallyWe were looking for a really good place to eat in Palm Desert. Numerous reviews lead us here and we were not disappointed. We really enjoyed the interesting combinations of ingredients in the dishes. Service was as expected in a fine restaurant. Will go back again when in Palm Springs area.4/9/2013 12:00:00 AMA true gem in the desertWe visit Palm Desert every year and we ate here last year and had a wonderful dining experience so we returned. This year was no different. A great experience. Our reservation was honored right on time. Particular thanks goes to our server Deborah who took excellent care of us. The martini before dinner was excellent and the entrees were terrific. I love the slow cooked pork shank and highly recommend it!4/9/2013 12:00:00 AMThis is one of the best restaurantsThis is one of the best restaurants in the valley. Food is always great, and service delightful. It is as close as we can get to a real dining room as opposed to just a restaurant.4/8/2013 12:00:00 AM