Hot Spots: Palm Springs

Writer Madeline Rosene @madelinerosene

5 of our favorite spots to dine and drink while visiting the desert resort town

Azucar Restaurant & Bar

Azucar, meaning sugar in Spanish is the charming poolside restaurant at Palm Springs hotel, La Serena Villas. The restaurant is especially cozy, with a rooftop lounge, fireplace and a view of the desert mountains.

Hearkening to the name, the space has a vibrant Spanish-themed decor with single red roses atop each table, colorful fringed tapestries, Frida Kahlo portraits, caged hanging light fixtures, and woven wooden chairs. Upon each outside chair is a blue blanket for chilly evenings.

The Spanish and Mediterranean-inspired menu is farm-to-table and includes small plates and full course options. One rose and three orders of Ahi bruschetta, please. We could probably eat that many.

This incredible appetizer is served on crostinis with a to-die-for edamame puree, fresh tomatoes, greens, and a sesame soy dressing.

339 S Belardo Road
Palm Springs, California
azucarpalmsprings.com

Purple Palm Restaurant

Through a lush floral, sort of Secret Garden reminiscent entry, past a black steel fence is the poolside Purple Palms Restaurant. Who said drinks can’t be healthy? We sat outside in wicker seats and ordered from their fresh pressed juice cocktail menu.

The restaurant supports local and only receives its ingredients from farms within a 100 mile radius. With decorative succulents on the table and a man speaking French to our left, we were intoxicated by the vibe of this old Hollywood-esque hideaway and we were glad it was our first stop in Palm Springs. We recommend the Heirloom Beet and Burrata salad as well as the Grilled Prawn Glass Noodle Salad with its green papaya, heirloom tomatoes, mango, cucumber, fresh herbs, sweet chile, and lime.

572 N Indian Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, California
purplepalmrestaurant.com

Eight4Nine

Pink, modern, and glam. Eight4Nine is a hip fashion- forward restaurant in the heart of Palm Springs. The feminine decor of white chaise lounges, LV wall fixtures, pink candles, and pop art, provides the perfect atmosphere for girls’ night out. The Prickly Pear cocktail mixed with Milagro Silver, fresh lime, desert pear syrup, and agave nectar will surely sauce you up in the dry desert weather. We were delighted to find a fresh take on tuna tartar that was served with shrimp chips; pastel colored munchies traditionally served at Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants. The use of color in both the presentation of the food and throughout the restaurant is cohesive and pleasing. When it comes to the menu, the food is as light as your carb-free diet or as heavy as your head feels after too many Prickly Pears, from watermelon gazpacho with garlic and lime to a rich and creamy lobster mac and cheese with chile and fennel pangritata. Eight4Nine offers a fun dining experience with a lovely staff and beautiful plating. Be sure to ask for fresh ground pepper for a BIG surprise.

849 N Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, California
eight4nine.com

Workshop Kitchen & Bar

Carpacci-Oh My God is an exclamation coined by our editorial team’s videographer, Jeffrey Fountain, in response to the octopus carpaccio appetizer that we ordered at Workshop Palm Springs. Brussels sprout of this world is one way to describe the shaved Brussels sprouts salad with its crisp sliced apples, grapes, walnuts, and a sweet apple cider vinegar acidic finish. Located in the historic El Paseo Building in Uptown Palm Springs Design District on North Palm Canyon Drive, the interior has an industrial look with concrete colored tables, flooring, white brick painted walls, high ceilings with hanging linear pendant Edison bulbs and family-style long dining tables. We sat outside on the patio under space heaters, twinkle lights, and an olive tree.

Both the staff and owner/chef, Michael Beckman, speak with a confident modesty about the restaurant, knowing that the establishment has been a favorite among both tourists and many celebrity Palm Springs residents since its opening in 2011. There are not many people doing what we’re doing here in Palm Springs. We stay very consistent throughout the seasons, Beckman said. It is clear that the restaurant takes a highly organic approach and puts meticulous thought and care into the selection of their ingredients. We are really excited about fall produce and our local farmers markets, our server said. There is a definite freshness we could taste — from the cauliflower steak to the sinfully buttery honey lavender glazed black cod. To our delight, our team discovered a new favorite Cabernet, the Block Twenty One Trione 2013 with its lift on the palate, sweet pine and cherry cordial aromas, and slight salty finish.

 800 N Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, California
workshoppalmsprings.com

Trio Restaurant

The beautiful desert resort town of Palm Springs, located within the Coachella Valley, is home to some of the most savory restaurants in Southern California. Trio Restaurant, located in the uptown design district of the city, has a plethora of locals, visitors and even us at Team LEFAIR turning our heads, maybe this is due to the welcoming modern orange neon sign outside or the restaurant’s happy hour that features some of the most desirable specialty cocktails and many rave is the best happy hour in town.

The restaurant is decorated with an artsy vibe, evocative feels, and popping colors that are somewhat reminiscent of the 70s. Its vibrant colors and art lining the walls create a combination of a fun pop art-heavy scene and cozy local hang. The decor caters to the restaurant’s central theme which is traditionally based on “style, food and art,” explained by owner, Tony Marchese. Trio offers hardy American cuisine, with perhaps some of its most notable items being their delectable pot roast and sole. With so much vibrance in one place, the phrase left on many visitors and regulars’ lips is that Trio, is the place “where Palm Springs eats.”

707 N Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, California
triopalmsprings.com