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

Thanks to its misted patio, fast Internet connection, plethora of seating, and, most importantly, fine selection of caffeinated hot and cold drinks, this is a great work-from-café option on the main drag in uptown. The colorful, independently owned, Latina-influenced coffeehouse serves Sisters Coffee out of Oregon, local Townie bagels, Lotus Energy elixirs, fresh-daily pastries, and filling breakfast plates, including smoked salmon toast and chorizo con papas. There's also a vast assortment of chilled and canned beverages alongside healthy grab-and-go nibbles and prepackaged snacks by local makers for those in even more of a hurry.

The flavored bacon flight, hangover-halting Bloody Marys, and the rest of the self-described "quirky comfort cuisine" have attracted legions to this casual breakfast and lunch joint for more than a decade, which results in epic waits on weekends (no reservations accepted for groups smaller than 10). Once seated, the well-oiled service machine is fast and furious—just pray the homemade cinnamon roll-croissant hybrids haven't sold out yet. For lunch, in addition to the morning all-star dishes, you can nosh on globally and seasonally influenced soups, sandwiches, and salads.

At this charmer of a bistro in downtown’s historic La Plaza, you can cross the pond without a passport by tucking into Provençal-style staples like sweet or savory crepes, bouillabaisse, croque-monsieur sandwiches, and omelets—all made from scratch using true-to-the-name ingredients, plenty of dairy products, and amour. Savor breakfast and lunch daily as the sun warms your skin; the setting becomes even more magical after dark thanks to string lights, clinking wine glasses, a gurgling fountain, and a five-course prix-fixe dinner offering.

A friendly, family-run eatery tucked into a back corner of what is called "The Mall," Carmelita's draws diners all day, whether it's for a hearty breakfast, a cooked-to-order enchilada or burrito, or just a brew or margarita at the bar. The menu lists typical combination plates (enchiladas, burritos, tamales, and tacos).

Egg dishes, griddle items, and hearty Mexican breakfasts like huevos rancheros are the morning draw at this Joshua Tree institution, but plenty of people sing the praises of its sandwiches, burgers, salads, and tacos for lunch or early dinner. Taxidermy animals, framed newspaper clippings, old photos, and beer-can lights decorate the interior, and tattooed waitresses and the quirky regulars make it clear that the high desert is unlike anywhere else in San Bernardino County.

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.

The swank steak house and Sunday-brunch stalwart occupies a historic mid-century modern structure in the Palm Springs Tennis Club at the base of the San Jacintos. Between the club connection, ritzy ambience, and selection of old-fashioned fancy food (veal chops, duck, creamed spinach), Spencer's clientele skews toward power lunchers and socialites. If you do find yourself craving crisp-skin whitefish or liver and bacon with raspberry vodka essence, try for a table on the low-lit and dreamy deck.

On the edge of the Borrego Springs Resort's golf course, set beneath a canopy of grapefruit trees, The Arches is a pleasant place to eat. For breakfast you'll find burritos alongside French toast, omelets, and eggs Benedict; lunch (best enjoyed on the patio) and dinner options include sandwiches and salads, as well as hearty pasta, seafood, grilled meats, and fish entrées.

Discerning diners, even those whose names don't appear on the registry of The Colony Palms Hotel, know to book a table here for contemporary takes on white tablecloth staples like beef Stroganoff (here, made with short ribs and fresh pappardelle), green beans almondine (jazzed up with a brown-butter-and-cider glaze), or shrimp "cocktail" (barely recognizable but lip-lickin' good). Now overseen by chef Michael Hung—who cut his teeth at Daniel, Aquavit, Jardiniere, and La Folie—the restaurant emphasizes California seasonality and sourcing from farms and aquaculture operations to pack punch into everything from the small—say, preserved lemon compote and ginger scallion relish—to the large, like chicken schnitzel or vegan meatloaf. Take breakfast or weekend brunch on the sunny patio with the gleaming pool in view, but, after dusk, never settle for anywhere but the elegant dining room, with its grandiose floor tiles, avian wallpaper, and doting maitre d'.

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.

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.