Diners' Choice: Californian restaurants in Palm Springs / Palm Desert Cities

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Californian cuisine in Palm Springs / Palm Desert Cities? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favorites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Mitch's on El Paseo Prime Seafood

4.8

4.8 (4721)

$31 to $50

Californian

Palm Desert

About the restaurant

Thank you for choosing Mitch's on El Paseo.

Sushi, Specialty Sake Selections, Prime Steaks and Seafood. Serving Lunch and Dinner. Climatized patio, Located at the corner of Portola & El Paseo in Palm Desert. Come join us for great food and a fabulous time!

Top review

Linda

Dined on Jun 27, 2025

Good service and nice comments from stafff for our special occasion.

Discover more

Popular dish

Dover Sole Veronique

Popular dish

Dynamite Baked Oysters

SO.PA at L'Horizon Resort and Spa

4.7

4.7 (768)

$50 and over

Californian

Palm Springs

About the restaurant

An ADULTS ONLY destination by Reservation. SO•PA has a NO PETS POLICY.

Decadent, refined, and intimate, SO•PA offers a unique alfresco dining experience. Join us for dinner in an intimate outdoor setting under the stars as Chef Igor Krichmar presents the seasonally enticing menu. Your elegant, yet relaxed evening includes world class cocktails and a sophisticated, yet approachable wine cellar curated by our in-house Certified Sommelier. You won't want to miss an aperitif or digestif at our exclusive fire pit and poolside bar. VALET is COMPLIMENTARY.

**2024 Winner of Diners Choice Award**
During cooler climate weather, SO•PA maintains its temperate and warm ambience with strategically placed heaters in addition to our intimate alfresco firepit.

Top review

BrianVIP

Dined on May 3, 2025

Some of the best food in the desert. And beautiful outdoor dining area for warm (but not too hot) evenings. It’s very expensive but if that’s not a factor, I highly recommend it.

Cork Tree Restaurant

4.7

4.7 (4298)

$50 and over

Californian

Palm Desert

About the restaurant

Cork Tree Restaurant is built around California products. Local ingredients are used whenever possible and wines of the West Coast, particularly California, are featured.

The wine list is always a work in progress, with a balance of well known wineries, as well as boutique wineries.

Cork Tree enhabits a style rich in California elegance. Large and round booths privately encased in wood and fabric provide intimate spaces for conversation and romance, while providing views of the understated glamour of the dining room. Beautiful Palm Trees and a natural cascading fountain make the Cork Tree Patio wind-protected and well-appointed for dining under the stars. Additionally, depending on the size of your celebration, two private dining options await.

Top review

Patrick

Dined 3 days ago

We were celebrating a birthday for my husband and the 2 of us ordered the cowboy ribeye to share. I did not see a sharing charge but we were charged a much higher price for the ribeye than what the menu stated. Price on men was like $62 but we were charged $76.50. Also, when I called the corkage fee was quoted as $40 which I thought was extreme. Sadly I decided to just order wine at the restaurant by the glass. The cab I got was obviously from an opened bottle, as I got the last pour, and it was not as I would have expected for a good glass of wine. All in all, the food was great, but just confused as to why the change in the pricing from the menu.

Discover more

Wildest Restaurant + Bar

4.6

4.6 (1443)

$31 to $50

Californian

Palm Desert

About the restaurant

Our philosophy is to attempt to source wild-caught fish, local pasture-raised poultry and grass-fed poultry, as well as plant-based meals that promise to be flavorful options to those who choose to eat meat-free. We offer allergen sensitive options for gluten-free, dairy-free, nut and seed free. Whenever possible we strive to offerproducts without hormones and steroids and the restaurant strives to be cruelty free and to supports local organic, biodynamic and sustainable farms. Provisions not made in house will be sourced from the coolest epicureans. Health conscious casual fine dine in a beautiful setting with live entertainment nightly. Indoor/outdoor dining. Palm Spring's Life best new restaurant and Wine Spectator award winner. GREAT FOOD, GREAT DRINKS, and a GREAT TIME!

Top review

KarlVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Excellent experience party of six services incredible, all the staff is very well trained and very efficient, the chef is very creative and her food is absolutely fantastic, highly recommend something fresh in the desert !

Discover more

Popular dish

Ahi Tuna Tartar

Popular dish

Grass Fed Filet Mignon

Solano's Bar and Grill - Palm Desert

4.5

4.5 (607)

$30 and under

Californian

Palm Desert

About the restaurant

Solano's Bar & Grill in Palm Desert is brought to you by owner and Executive Chef Paco Solano, a chef known throughout the desert for his seasonal and delicious food, craft cocktails, a curated wine menu, and for creating an inviting and welcoming atmosphere.

Top review

RonaldVIP

Dined on Jun 12, 2025

Nice menu, great service, reasonable prices. Went there twice on a four day vacation and was not disappointed.

Alice B.

4.5

4.5 (1110)

$31 to $50

Californian

Palm Springs

About the restaurant

Located near downtown Palm Springs, Alice B. is a unique dining destination from James Beard and Julia Child award-winning chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken.

We offer California cuisine inspired by the extraordinary life of Alice B. Toklas and her travels through Europe. Our happy hour and dinner menus evolve frequently with the seasons and have earned us placement in Los Angeles Times’ Best Restaurants in California and Eater LA’s Best Palm Springs Restaurants.

Alice B. isn’t just a restaurant—it’s a celebration of style, creativity, and connection, where every bite tells a story. Dine where appetite and art collide.

Mary Sue Milliken & Susan Feniger are the founders of Mundo Hospitality Group, including Border Grill, Pacha Mamas, BBQ Mexicana, SOCALO, and most recently Alice B.

Top review

richardVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Food was great as always. Nicole, the greeter, is awesome.

The Tropicale

4.6

4.6 (10765)

$31 to $50

Californian

Palm Springs

About the restaurant

A chic and sophisticated décor provides the setting for our distinctive "world cuisine", a provocative mix of zesty influences that creates a delightful dining experience in Palm Springs, California. Plush high-backed semicircular banquettes surround our dining room and offer comfortable and private seating. The cuisine has a light, exotic feel with an emphasis on Pacific Rim specialties, from Chilean Sea Bass baked in Banana Leaves or Kahlua-Barbecued Pork Chops to all sorts of tasty tapas, salads, wood-fired pizzas, and desserts. The Coral Seas Lounge, a hip mid-century style bar is lined with sexy black leather bar-stools and is reminiscent of the upbeat lounges of old Palm Springs. It wraps around the dining room and leads outside to a lush, tropical, 2000 square foot dining patio where a variety of specialty cocktails and old-school favorites are mixed - an ideal place where friends gather and martinis are sipped under the starlit desert sky.

Top review

Yaron

Dined 3 days ago

We had reservations for two families. We got the seats right away. Food was great. The ambience was really nice. The kids had a great time and we the grown-ups had a wonderful time as well. I highly recommend and also the value of the food was better than other restaurants And also the quality was great.

Discover more

Shorebird Palm Desert

4.5

4.5 (613)

$30 and under

Californian

Palm Desert

About the restaurant

Made from scratch daily. Shorebird Restaurant is a coastal eatery that proudly presents a sophisticated, yet casual, spin on classic Americana flavors with influences from traditional seafood and steakhouses. Featuring a wood-fire grill and rotisserie, Shorebird's signature dishes include Duroc Heritage Pork Chop with Brussels sprouts and brandy-poached apples, Faroe Island's Salmon Mignon with a cauliflower purée, and Harris Ranch Prime Skirt Steak served with a red chimichurri sauce. For those looking for delicious, shareable plates, our Avocado Fries with a green goddess dressing, Twice Fried Chicken Wings with a chipotle gastrique, or items from our "Raw Bar," are a great way to start your meal.

Top review

PatriciaVIP

Dined on Jun 18, 2025

Amazing meal and great service! Overall, a perfect experience!

Discover more

Early Bird - The Best Dinner Deal in the Desert

Lavender Bistro

4.6

4.6 (7132)

$31 to $50

Californian

La Quinta

About the restaurant

At Lavender we combine the finest meats and seafood with the freshest organic ingredients to create unforgettable dishes. Dine indoors in a warm, cozy atmosphere or on our stunning tree-lined patio. Lavender Bistro also prides itself on providing superb live music nightly to set a warm and friendly atmosphere.

For every occasion, to change the ordinary into extraordinary, come join us at Lavender Bistro, "where memories are made!"

Closed for Summer Break from the last Sunday in May until the last Thursday in September.
Re-Opening 09/28/2023!

Top review

SuzieVIP

Dined on May 25, 2025

Delicious food, great service, loved our table on the patio and also music entertainment

Discover more

Dijon & Walnut Crusted Chilean Sea Bass

CHI CHI at the Avalon Hotel Palm Springs

4.4

4.4 (676)

$30 and under

Californian

Palm Springs

About the restaurant

Chi Chi at Avalon Hotel is a restaurant centered in the tradition of California wellness and clean living set in the playful pool-centric setting of Palm Springs. Serving up fresh, chef-inspired fare, our menu reflects a vibrant, spirited take on delicious real ingredients and authentic West Coast cuisine.

Top review

WilliamVIP

Dined on Mar 31, 2025

We had a very good meal. The salmon tacos were amazing. We enjoyed a nice visit with friends over a leisurely lunch while sitting in the shade of a cabana - how perfect. We must do this again - and more often.

Discover more

Experience

Bubbles + includes One Glass of Cava + 2 Refills

Explore Diners' Choice best of Palm Springs / Palm Desert Cities

Explore more Diners' Choice lists