Colin's Palm Springs Getaway Vacation Rental Condo

Restaurants

You can find many lists of the “best” Palm Springs restaurants online. For something different, I asked the 5000+ members of the locals-only Palm Springs Eats group on Facebook what their favorite restaurants are, and here is the Top 25 in order of most popular. It’s a solid list and a nice mix of local and tourist favorites. I marked my personal favorites with a star.

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Spencer's 🔅

Beautiful setting at the base of the mountain. Fancy for dinner, and more casual and affordable for breakfast and lunch.  $$$

Billy Reed's 🔅

A local favorite. Large restaurant with kitschy old-fashioned decor. Been around 40 years serving friendly comfort food. Great pies for dessert.  $

Jake's 🔅

Small patio restaurant with great food. There’s also inside seating, but ask for the patio. Amazing desserts, especially the coconut cake. $$$

Sherman's Deli 🔅

A Palm Springs classic since the 50’s. Giant sandwiches and the usual deli fare. A great Oasis Salad with dates, and excellent desserts. $$

Elmer's

Open all day, but everyone goes for breakfast. The usual coffee shop fare, plus the very popular “Dutch Baby” german pancake. Long lines, but they move fast.  $

Trio

Trendy and slightly touristy with good food and a fun bar. A little noisy with bridal parties on the weekends. Outside seating for when the weather is nice. $$

Thai Smile 🔅

Good Americanized Thai Food. Good prices and usually quick service. Great lunch specials. The Fish Shoo Shee and the Tom Yum Kai Soup are delicious. $

Copley's

Romantic setting and amazing food with a slight Pacific Rim/Hawaiian slant prepared by chef Andrew Copley. $$$

Zin American Bistro🔅

Great people watching from the patio in the heart of downtown. Food is excellent, and they feature an extensive wine list. Great choices from steaks to  a unique fried chicken. Nice lunch pre-fixe menu as well. $$

Rooster and the Pig

Popular Vietnamese fusion restaurant. Great dishes prepared from the owner’s family recipes. Go early for dinner or be prepared to wait.  $$

Bill's Pizza

Cheap and cheerful pizza place downtown. Lots of interesting varieties of pizza. Family friendly and affordable. $

Rio Azul 🔅

Delicious Mexican food based on the chef’s grandmother’s recipes. The Oaxaca Tamal is great as are any of the enchiladas. House margaritas are always 5 dollars.  $$

Lulu California Bistro

It’s big, it’s lively, it’s touristy, but locals like it too. Decent food and an all-day $20 three course pre-fixe keep it popular. Good specials at the bar, too.  $

Eight4Nine

Large trendy uptown  restaurant with a large bar area. Popular, bright, and fun spot for dinner or drinks  $$

Johannes

Upscale European fare. Great schnitzel and good wine list. $$$

Townie Bagels 🔅

A local favorite for breakfast. Best bagels in town, served with cream cheese or as a breakfast sandwich. They also make pastries and sandwiches. $

Manhattan in the Desert 🔅

Good deli restaurant with a huge menu. Huge sandwiches, and desserts as big as your head. $$

Le Vallauris

Fine French dining with a great patio. Old school service and more dressy than most restaurants in PS. $$$

Escena Lounge & Grill

Best view of the mountain for brunch. Sit on the patio. Service is spotty but food is good. And seriously, the view! $$

John Henry's 🔅

Lean in a little closer for this recommendation. This is a true local restaurant. Hidden away in a private courtyard with a tiny sign. Plentiful comfort food and very friendly service. $$

Tyler's Burgers

A Palm Springs institution in downtown. Delicious burgers, fries and cole slaw. Open only for lunch and gets crowded after noon. $

Ruben & Ozzy's 🔅

They call it an Oyster Bar, but it’s really a bar and grill with an emphasis on seafood and pasta. Great fish tacos. $

Birba 🔅

Trendy yet casual outdoor dining. Eclectic enough for foodies, with great pizzas. $$

Brickworks 🔅

Great wood-fired pizza and salads downtown. Upstairs for people watching, and you can reserve a balcony over Palm Canyon. $$

Umami Seoul 🔅

A mash-up of Japanese and Korean. Big selection of sushi rolls, great tempura, and a beautiful bibimbap. $

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