My husband and I are staying in Palm Desert the first week of November in a time-share condo unit. We will probably venture out for our evening meal and wonder which restaurants are great and which ones to avoid. We like ambience AND good food, open to the unusual or quirky, and remember we are paying in CDN dollars. Thanks everyone

We have been going to Palm Springs to a timeshare condo for about 10 years. We also always have dinner out. I wish I could name all the great places we have eaten, but there are so many. All along Hwy 111, which runs from Palm Springs to Indio, there are tons of places to dine, plus many hidden expensive ones. I'm sure a local will help you out, but if not,you will have fun experimenting.

Europa is a quaint restaurant with very good cuisine. It's not cheap, but has great romantic atmosphere.

i disagree with the above poster - i've probably eaten out about 20 times and maybe 2 were memorable. i found it over priced and very ordinary. there must be good ones there though so i'd keep asking people so you don't waste your money.

I will make a wild guess that you are staying at the Desert Springs villas. Anyway, in the vicinity there are several restaurants. City Wok (Asian) is good and inexpensive. Not real long on ambiance, though. Del Rio's (Mexican) is also good and not too pricey. For Italian, I suggest Tutti Pasta in Bermuda Dunes. They also have a strictly German food night on Sundays. Quaint, small family run place that has very good food, reasonable prices and decent, but not great, ambiance.

In Palm Springs, try Thai Smile. Like Tutti Pasta, except Thai/Asian. For quirky, you could try Omri & Boni and maybe Kaccoon's Oasis, both in Palm Desert near Hwy 111 and Monterey Street.

Ambiance here is typically coupled with expensive. But I don't think you would go wrong at any of the places mentioned.

PS L

I am not an expert in this area, but my wife and I had good experiences at 2 restaurants in Palm desert.

one was at the Tommy Bahama restaurant, which surprised us. We ate outside, on the roof and had a good time.

The other was at Doug Arango's. we arrived late (after travelling from San Diego) and they took care of us in a big way. Great wine list.

No offense to to fodors, but I would check out winespectator.com or zagat.com for restaurant reviews.

The Daily Grill in Palm Desert--on El Paseo--has daily blue plate specials which are reasonable and a good Sunday brunch. Also nearby is McGowan's for Irish comfort food and Mamma Gina for Italian. In Palm Springs try Blue Coyote or Las Casuelas in Rancho Mirage for Mexican. The Mexican restaurant at La Quinta Hotel is also nice and reasonably priced and the setting is very pretty. There's also a famous California In 'N Out Burger off the interstate in Palm Desert as I recall and the old Hadley Date Shop for a date shake (a bit of an acquired taste, but fun). If you want to stretch your Canadian dollars, don't miss the wonderful outlet stores in Cabazon.

The Adobe Grill at the La Quinta Hotel is not really a "Mexican" restaurant and like most things at the hotel, is not too cheap. But the Adobe margarita is good.

The In n Out is in Thousand Palms at the I-10 Ramon Road exit, but..is it really worth the trip?! A better suggestion might be the vintage burger place in Palm Desert, Keedy's.

The Adobe Grill at the La Quinta Hotel is not really a "Mexican" restaurant and like most things at the hotel, is not too cheap. But the Adobe margarita is good.

The In n Out is in Thousand Palms at the I-10 Ramon Road exit, but..is it really worth the trip?! A better suggestion might be the vintage burger place in Palm Desert, Keedy's.

In & Out Burger is worth trying if they're driving out along the freeway. Fat Burgers on Ramon near the Palm Springs Airport has some pretty great chili burgers.

Try Sullivan's (steak house) in Palm Desert and also The Left Bank located in both Palm Desert and Palm Springs. The Left Bank has a wonderful piano player and the prices and selections are very reasonable.