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Johnny Costa's, Palm Springs, CA

Johnny Costa's

4.8
4.8
2248 Reviews
$31 to $50
Italian

Make a reservation

2 people
9:30 PM
Booked 35 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Charming
From the classic Italian music to the candlelit tables, the nostalgic atmosphere at Johnny Costa’s Ristorante feels like traveling back to midcentury times. It’s no wonder Frank Sinatra was once a regular at this fine Italian restaurant, which has been honored by Palm Springs Life as best Italian restaurant for 10 consecutive years. The Costa family continues the legacy of late chef-owner Johnny Costa, who was pals with Sinatra when he moved to Hollywood from New York in the 1960s, and a decade later served as the singer’s personal chef at his desert home. Costa’s pedigree lives on in his legendary recipes, including his classic cioppino. Open for dinner at 5 p.m. Closed Sunday & Monday

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Seafood
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–9:30 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:30 pm
  • Phone number
    (760) 325-4556
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive chef
    Vince Costa
  • Private party facilities
    Private banquet room available for groups of 15 – 35. Group/Banquet menus can be customized to fit your budget and group needs.
  • Neighborhood
    Palm Springs
  • Cross street
    Ramon/Baristo
  • Parking details
    Parking in front of the restaurant on Palm Canyon Drive and a parking lot behind the restaurant on Indian Canyon Drive.
  • Public transit
    SunLine Public Transit
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Delivery, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, View, Wine

What 2,248 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Palm Springs / Palm Desert Cities

    Italian

  • Palm Springs / Palm Desert

    Italian

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Johnny Costa's is celebrated as "the best Italian in the desert," offering "amazingly consistent" dishes and a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Guests praise the "exceptional service" and "excellent food," with favorites like veal parmigiana and tiramisu. A true Palm Springs institution, it promises a delightful dining experience every visit.

2,248 Reviews
  1. Dann

    VIP

    Palm Springs

    23 reviews

    4.0

    23 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    First time and was underwhelmed. Maybe our expectations were too high. They put us in back room with zero ambiance (except for waiter who was fabulous). Food was meh

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  2. David

    VIP

    Palm Springs

    20 reviews

    5.0

    20 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always the best and most consistent quality in town !

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  3. Louise

    Vancouver

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food, drinks and service, lovely staff. I recommend the Veal!

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  4. Donna

    VIP

    Jacksonville

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious food in a comfortable environment. Easy to hear each other as well.

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  5. Art

    VIP

    Palm Springs

    298 reviews

    5.0

    298 reviews

    Dined on February 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Good food at fair prices……entrees include soup or salad.

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  6. James

    VIP

    Palm Springs

    20 reviews

    5.0

    20 reviews

    Dined on January 31, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Last minute decision to go out for dinner. Went to Johnny Costas and was able to be seated after a very short wait. Place was very busy but service was prompt and attentive. Food was very good. Would recommend always for authentic Italian food.

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  7. Jeffrey

    Palm Springs

    5 reviews

    4.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on January 30, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    Awful service. The sever spilled our bottle of wine while pouring twice, yet didn’t offer a new one, he also didn’t pour our wine which is standard. He then offered us free dessert, but then said “only one is free”. Management should have come over; won’t go bank and will alert others that they don’t train or value service.

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  8. Frances Scott

    VIP

    San Francisco

    25 reviews

    5.0

    25 reviews

    Dined on January 30, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The service and the food was exceptional. I’ve been looking for good food in Palm Springs and am pleased to report that Johnny Costa’s was a total success.

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  9. Mandy

    VIP

    San Diego

    29 reviews

    5.0

    29 reviews

    Dined on January 30, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Johnnys, was crowded tonight. Every table was ful of happy customers. We didn’t hv to wait long before we were seated although they were busy. The minestrone soup was excellent. I ordered the girl parm and my husband had the chicken parm both done to perfection. Our waiter Daniel didn’t skip a beat!

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  10. Joe

    VIP

    San Francisco

    8 reviews

    4.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on January 30, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Our server Sara always remembers our needs and lets us know if a specialty item is out of stock in advance.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Johnny Costa's offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (760) 325-4556.

Johnny Costa's is rated 4.8 stars by 2248 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
9:30 PM
Booked 35 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Johnny Costa's

440 S Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92262-7304

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Ramon/Baristo
  • Neighborhood
    Palm Springs
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–9:30 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:30 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Seafood
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Parking in front of the restaurant on Palm Canyon Drive and a parking lot behind the restaurant on Indian Canyon Drive.
  • Public transit
    SunLine Public Transit
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Vince Costa
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Delivery, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, View, Wine
  • Phone number
    (760) 325-4556
  • Private party facilities
    Private banquet room available for groups of 15 – 35. Group/Banquet menus can be customized to fit your budget and group needs.
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