Sometimes we all need a little help when it comes time to impress a date. Certain restaurants may please the tongue and fill the belly but don't tug on our emotions. The selections we have gathered here have that certain something—perhaps a light-speckled patio, or a roving musician, or inspirational garden—that can wow a date, and put them in the mood to satisfy other appetites. Presented in alphabetical order, here are the top ten romantic restaurants in Palm Springs.
Sometimes we all need a little help when it comes time to impress a date. Certain restaurants may please the tongue and fill the belly but don't tug on our e... more
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Created 09/15/08
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1
Copley's on Palm Canyon
621 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, CA 92262 / 760-327-9555
The North Palm Springs restaurant from owners Greg Butterfield and chef Andrew Marion Copley offers a fairly simple menu plus some interesting selections. Copley spent years in Hawaii and it shows, particularly in his specials, which change frequently. Sometimes the seasonings get a little too enthusiastic, as in his horseradish mashed potatoes that taste more of the pungent root than the earthy tuber. But the pleasures on his menu more than compensate for such minor lapses. Try the lobster potpie, which combines the delicacy of the crustacean with the sweetness of peas and baby carrots, all in a fragile puff pastry crust. The chef’s British origins surface in the chicken tandoori, a beautiful deep red dish with a powerful range of flavors and ingredients including mango and shrimp. Copley makes his own herb-infused ice creams: a trio of tarragon, basil and Grand Marnier composes a satisfying end to the meal. The picturesque building and grounds, once owned by Cary Grant, have a lot of that screen idol’s easy charm, and one pleasure of an early dinner seating here is the chance to watch the kitchen staff picking fresh produce from the herb and vegetable beds created by Copley and his wife, Juliana.
2
La Estancia
80755 U.S. Hwy. 111, Indio, CA 92201 / 760-396-5831
The hacienda-style buildings and extensive grounds of La Estancia provide an elegant and relaxed setting for Mexican food with an upscale attitude. Whether in the bar, the main dining room or, during the cooler months, on the patio overlooking the gardens, the atmosphere is comfortable and understated. The menu features traditional Mexican fare with a contemporary spin, like grilled salmon with a chipotle rub in a coconut-red curry sauce. In fact, chipotle peppers are a favored spice; even the rib-eye steak is paired with chipotle-spiked mashed potatoes and caramelized chipotle onions. The signature ginger margaritas are a perfect beginning---and ending--to the meal.
3
Jillian's
74-155 El Paseo, Palm Desert, CA 92260 / 760-776-8242
In contrast to most desert restaurants, this is one where guests can dress up and not feel out of place. Housed in a historic 1946 hacienda, Jillian’s is richly decorated with tapestry-covered chairs and antiques that suit its very establishment clientele. An outdoor courtyard, misted for comfort in spring and fall and heated for cool evenings in winter, is a romantic spot for dining under the stars. Co-owner June Trubee greets guests with a warmth that lends a family atmosphere to the elegance; daughter Jillian, after whom the restaurant is named, and her sister sometimes accompany their mother. Owner-chef Jay Trubee combines dishes from northern Italy and southern France with America’s Southwest and Eastern Seaboard. The Lake Superior whitefish on a bed of spinach and mashed potatoes topped with mustard sauce was a favorite of the late President Ford, but there are plenty of other equally popular---and conservative---items: the liver and onions, the rack of lamb and the Nantucket scallops all find their admirers. The wine list features all that’s trendy now.
4
La Spiga Ristorante Italiano
72557 Hwy. 111, Palm Desert, CA 92260 / 760-340-9318
When chef-owner Vince Cultraro (also of the original La Spiga in Edmonton, Alberta) opened his new Palm Desert premises at the end of 2007, he more than doubled his old seating capacity---but he is still turning people away. His elegant and understated Italian food, classic but freshly conceived, is the main draw, but the stylish appearance and charm of this specially designed home also help. The place has the air of a Tuscan villa, with a comfortable patio overlooking a garden with herbs, vegetables and flowers; a gazebo; and an outdoor pizza oven that operates when the weather permits. Cultraro’s imaginative and subtle dishes change with the seasons, though there are many permanent items that he could never drop for fear of an uprising: try his spicy sausage with mustard sauce, or the calamari with tomatillo reduction. The latter has a delicacy that makes you question all previous versions you may have tasted. His pastas are a pleasure and his veal dishes are always worth trying, maybe a simple vitello caperi highlighting the flavor of the meat so enticingly that its simplicity tastes complex. A richer choice, beef tenderloin stuffed with three cheeses, looks like it could also be a regular addition to the restaurant’s dinner entrées. The noise level in the dining room is quite high, but that’s the price of success.
5
Le St. Germain
The Village, 74985 Hwy. 111, Indian Wells, CA 92210 / 760-773-6511
A lively, warm and charming spot, Le St. Germain is a celebratory place, whether it’s an anniversary, birthday or Bastille Day. A good time to join in the festivities is the Sunday Champagne brunch, a regular feature during the winter season. The romantic glass-enclosed patio filled with twinkle lights and greenery is one of the best spots here for dining, but the friendly service makes any table feel special. At dinner start with wild mushroom soup or the pear and feta salad with spiced pecans and a port-balsamic glaze. Entrées include a duck breast with couscous and Coachella Valley date relish. The menu changes seasonally, so pay particular attention to the specials. The pastry chef makes weekly specials too, which shouldn’t be ignored, even though the crème brûlée and the floating island are almost irresistible.
6
Le Vallauris
385 W. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262 / 888-525-5852, 760-325-5059
Vintage Palm Springs, Le Vallauris has aged gracefully, the oldest and the most beautiful of the desert’s iconic restaurants. Housed in a historic building, the dining room is outfitted with Louis XV furnishings. Warm lamplight illuminates snowy linen table settings and Flemish tapestries. But the real heart of the place is outside, where at lunchtime sunlight dapples the diners and, in the evening’s encroaching darkness, sparkling fairy lights and the shadows of the enormous ficus trees create a chiaroscuro effect reminiscent of village restaurants in the south of France. The menu has aged gracefully too. Always dedicated to traditional French cuisine, chef Jean Paul Lair has moved with fashion and the times to put a lighter, more delicate spin on the classics. Appetizers include escargots, foie gras, porcini mushroom tart and lobster raviolis with a cream of basil bisque. You could have those raviolis in a more lavish serving, as an entrée instead. Or choose the grilled lamb filet with mint persillade and sweet pea raviolis with tomato concassé, or the roasted Peking duck with a tangerine-orange reduction and a spinach and carrot mousse. Be sure to check the board for daily specials. The extensive wine list mainly contains California and French offerings.
7
Mr. Parker's
Parker Palm Springs, 4200 E. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, CA 92264 / 760-321-4629
This funky formal room is the hip place to dine for Palm Springs weekenders. Darkly paneled like an old-fashioned gentlemen’s club, and with a wild assortment of art on its walls ranging from kitsch to pop nudes to late-sixties abstracts, Mr. Parker’s is the ideal location for an illicit rendezvous or a not-too-proper party. A stripper might emerge from a cake and be perfectly at home here. In short, it’s fun. Set off behind a heavy curtain just off the reception area of the Parker Palm Springs, the seductive dining room features a menu of classics prepared with fresh flair. The foie gras comes with a mango glaze, the mussels are steamed in pastis and the salmon is wrapped en croûte. The party mood continues in the wine listings, which are divided into such nontraditional categories as “crazy,” “cool” and “sexy.”
8
The Purple Palm
Colony Palms Hotel, 572 N. Indian Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, CA 92262 / 800-557-2187
Chef James Corwell brings a more relaxed, natural approach to the menu at this charming boutique-hotel restaurant than did his predecessor. Corwell has established relationships with regional growers and with the local farmers’ market, a move that suits his emphasis on Mediterranean cuisine and seasonal items. Well worth trying are his spinach-stuffed Cavendish quail Milanese with soft polenta, haricots verts and a shaved white peach and Parmesan salad, or his charred ahi steak “ala Plancha,” with truffled potato salad, Portuguese relish and sherry hazelnut cream.
9
Rattlesnake
Classic Club Golf Resort, 75200 Classic Club Blvd., Palm Desert, CA 92211 / 760-601-3690
Chef Jimmy Schmidt took up full time residence (or as full time as any globe-trotting chef can be) in the desert at the end of 2007 and simultaneously moved his local outpost into a lavish setting with far-reaching views across the Bob Hope Classic golf course and up into the mountains beyond. In a region fully loaded, many would say overloaded, with steakhouses, Schmidt offers certified Prime Angus, but that is only the beginning. He has so much more to offer. From his scallops with lobster, red pasta pearls and ginger froth to a pan-roasted duck breast with gingered fruit (Schmidt makes creative use of ginger in every course), foie gras and a salad that shifts with the season, or a rack of lamb with a ragoût of white beans, mushrooms, artichokes and a Zinfandel essence, he gives customers so many choices they might finally settle for steak out of sheer exhaustion. For dessert, it’s worth checking out his clever and sophisticated take on s’mores, or the artisan cheeses. The regular wine dinners aren’t cheap, but the cost, amortized over the range of courses and wines being served, is very reasonable. For a more accessible taste of Schimdt’s cuisine, try his sunset menu.
10
Sirocco
Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa, 44400 Indian Wells Lane, Indian Wells, CA 92210 / 760-773-4444
At Sirocco, the elegant Italian restaurant at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa in Indian Wells, chef Livio Massignani and his wife, pastry chef Margherita, deliver an impressive and authentic dining experience. The atmosphere is more formal than usual in the desert but the food lives up to the presentation. Massignani is Venetian and many of the dishes reflect his origins. The menu changes by the season, nearly all of the produce is organic and everything is well prepared. Among the antipasti, we recommend the polenta dishes, including the spicy scampi version. Try one of the risottos, either with seafood, asparagus and shrimp or mushrooms. The rich lobster ravioli in a Venetian-style lobster-brandy sauce is satisfying. Palate-freshening sorbets punctuate the progress of the meal, leaving you ready for the next course. Massignani imports as much of the fish as he can from his native region and prepares it with respect. Meat lovers should try the veal chops Milanese with organic baby arugula. Margherita makes a selection of breads and pastas daily, in addition to her desserts. Leave room for the impressive chocolate-raspberry-marmalade cake.
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