37 Best Restaurants in Palm Springs and the Desert Resorts, California

Yes, Palm Desert is landlocked, but there's no hesitation when it comes to recommending this seafood specialist, which has drawn residents and visitors for choice surf and turf for 15 years. Fish arrives daily from San Diego, is cooked to perfection, and is served on the rooftop and inside the dining room on the second floor of the Gardens of El Paseo shopping center. If the thought of twin lobster tails, grilled mahimahi with chipotle corn salsa, or sugar-spiced salmon make you seasick, note that the menu also includes chicken, steaks, meal-size salads, and vegetarian pasta dishes.

The pink-and-green palette, botanical wallpaper, oversize globe pendants, gold trim, tile floor, and velvety banquettes draw the pretty people and those who follow them on social media to this Martyn Lawrence Bullard–designed gem at the Sands Hotel. But it's the Mediterranean-Moroccan cuisine—think lamb tagine or harissa chicken—and punchy drinks that keep them happy and snapping.

The idea of eating raw fish in a landlocked desert might give some people pause, but be assured that a meal at Sandfish—an uptown sushiya melding Japanese techniques, Scandinavian plating, and a sexy minimalist earth-tone aesthetic—is a gastronomical leap of faith worth taking. Chef Engin Onural studied at the reputable Sushi Chef Institute, so he obviously has classic rolls, nigiri, maki, and sashimi on lock, but not trying his original creations that incorporate unusual ingredients like black-truffle zest, coconut flakes, or fried-potato threads would be a rookie mistake, as would skipping the cocktails made with desert botanicals and titular whiskey.

Head to a poolside, historical adobe building in the center of The Paloma Resort for Spanish tapas incorporating local delicacies like dates, chiles, and citrus and big plates designed to feed two, as well as tequila and mezcal cocktails. Breakfasts have a foreign flair with wine-soaked French toast and Iberico ham Benedicts, lunches feature options like Manchego-cheese beef sliders and blue-cheese Serrano fries, and dinners focus on protein-heavy dishes.

Tucked into the Warm Sands neighborhood is the brick-and-mortar realization of a bagel dream for two dudes who started selling baked goods out of their home and at the weekend farmers' market. Using nonadditive flours and old-school methods like boiling in malted water, they create their round mounds of goodness daily in 22 rotating flavors, from the expected poppy and cinnamon raisin to the less common like the black Russian. The location is nothing to write home about, but it's clean and comfortable and has a few tables outside to enjoy your bagel toasted, slathered in spreads like red pepper hummus or chive cream cheese, or piled high with proteins or veggies. There's also fresh bread and crackers to take home. 

This popular watering hole and fine-dining eatery is part mid-century supper club (some nights feature live jazz), part Miami kitsch (pops of pink neon, marlin wall art, and apps served in glass seashells), and all good time. Sip from the extensive martini and mojito list; bask in the gorgeous glow of a flambéed baked Alaska from one of the main dining room's tall leather booths; or nosh on protein-packed salads, pork chops, pizzas, or Sunday sushi amid tropical plants and water features in the outdoor area.

This not-so-private restaurant at the Indian Wells Golf Resort offers a glimpse of how the country-club set lives. The service is impeccable, outdoor tables provide views of mountain peaks that seem close enough to touch, and happy hour is a lively scene of golfers bragging and griping about their day on the fairways.