Diners' Choice: Best Ambience restaurants in Palm Springs / Palm Desert Cities

OpenTable

Updated 05 March 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best ambience in Palm Springs / Palm Desert Cities? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyses nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favourite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you book, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Canopy Wine Lounge

4.9

4.9 (137)

$50 and over

Wine Bar

Palm Springs

About the restaurant

Canopy Wine Lounge is a driving source for wine & community no matter where your palate takes you. To curate this lounge, a partnership formed between longtime Palm Springs local Noah Mamet and the owner of our 15 unique winery properties around the globe. Our decor is a modern take on the popular design of the 1950's, using clean lines, pops of color, and various textured fabrics and fixtures.

To accent our wine bar, we have a custom-built clay amphora where our in-house winemaker will be fermenting and ageing a Californian rosé. Glowing fireplace features highlight our meticulously curated selection of desert plants. Our food bites are meant to be paired with quality-driven wines and lively conversation between friends.

Top review

Jacquie

Dined 1 day ago

Total experience was great. The atmosphere and decor was absolutely gorgeous. Great selection for all budgets. The staff went the extra mile to help us celebrate our anniversary. Definitely will go back. Cheers to Canopy. Beautiful addition to downtown Palm Springs.

SO.PA at L'Horizon Resort and Spa

4.5

4.5 (757)

$50 and over

Californian

Palm Springs

About the restaurant

An ADULTS ONLY destination by Reservation. SO•PA has a NO PETS POLICY.

Decadent, refined, and intimate, SO•PA offers a unique alfresco dining experience. Join us for dinner in an intimate outdoor setting under the stars as Chef Igor Krichmar presents the seasonally enticing menu. Your elegant, yet relaxed evening includes world class cocktails and a sophisticated, yet approachable wine cellar curated by our in-house Certified Sommelier. You won't want to miss an aperitif or digestif at our exclusive fire pit and poolside bar. VALET is COMPLIMENTARY.

**2024 Winner of Diners Choice Award**
During cooler climate weather, SO•PA maintains its temperate and warm ambience with strategically placed heaters in addition to our intimate alfresco firepit.

Top review

Nicholas

Dined on 28 Feb 2025

Ambience perfection. Service incredible. Drinks superb.

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Experience

Wines of the World Series 3 - Southern Hemisphere

Experience

Wines of the World 4 - International Desertscapes

Bar Cecil

4.8

4.8 (1794)

$31 to $50

Bistro

Palm Springs

About the restaurant

"Your Pleasure is Our Pleasure!"

Please join us at Bar Cecil for a delightful evening. We welcome parties of 5 or fewer guests (limited space for parties of 5). Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate larger parties.

We book tables for 2 hours. Last dinner orders are taken at 9 pm and we close the bar at 10 pm. We've gone cashless and happily accept credit and debit cards.

Due to our small size, tables with separate reservations can not be combined. Please reserve online; if OpenTable is not showing availability, we're fully booked or it is more than 14 days out. We accept reservations up to 30 days out. Our bar is always walk-in and we open at 5 pm (the bar list is usually full around 4:30 pm).

We can't wait to have you as our guests! "Shall we?"

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined today

Our experience at Bar Cecil was OVER the top! We tried to get a reservation here for weeks, and ended up getting a last minute reservation. Our waiter, Josh, made the entire experience so pleasant and made us feel like we were Palm Springs locals. We were celebrating a birthday and he made us feel very special! We had the grilled artichokes and steak frites and my mom says “they were the best steak frites she’s ever had”. I would 10/10 recommend going to Bar Cecil if you can get a resy!!!

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Popular dish

Smoked Bone-In Pork Chop

Popular dish

Pan Seared Halibut

Popular dish

Bucatini Cacio e Pepe

Arnold Palmer's Restaurant

4.9

4.9 (4937)

$31 to $50

American

La Quinta

About the restaurant

Arnold Palmer’s Restaurant features Progressive American cuisine, including fresh seafood, steaks, and some of Arnie’s great comfort foods. This one-of-a-kind restaurant features many indoor dining options, including multiple private rooms, a beautiful bar and lounge, and an impressive wine room that houses 2,500 bottles with a large table for special events up to 20 guests. The extensive newly remodeled patio (awarded 2022 top 100 outdoor dining restaurants in the country by open table diners) offers live entertainment every night featuring Mark Linford with stunning views of the Santa Rosa Mountains and breathtaking landscape.

Top review

Misty

Dined 3 days ago

Love this restaurant! Gluten free hot rolls are so wonderful! The waiter was knowledgeable about gluten free options and there were many! The live music on the patio is so enjoyable!

FARM

4.8

4.8 (4062)

$50 and over

French

Palm Springs

About the restaurant

FARM is a traditional Provencial-style restaurant in downtown Palm Springs in the historic Plaza, tucked away from traffic. Chef has taken care to create a menu comprised of traditional European dishes, brimming with locally sourced produce and artisanal meats. In true Provencial-style, the prix fixe dinner menu is served at a pace so you may enjoy your evening with us.
Enjoy a meal in our outdoor setting and take in the ambiance of being out of the city and transported magically to the South of France.
*I apologize, but we do not have Vegan menu items. *

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 2 days ago

We are visiting the area, and found this place as a highly rated restaurant—would 100% agree, it was fantastic! Food was so good, place was really nice (both inside and outside)!

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Copley's on Palm Canyon

4.7

4.7 (6728)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Palm Springs

About the restaurant

Please Note - Copley's is now open 7 days a week through June 2025.
Copley’s is an award-winning restaurant serving American cuisine infused with hints of tropical and European flavors. Located in part of the former Cary Grant estate in the heart of Palm Springs, guests experience an upscale and inviting dining experience either outside on the patio with stunning mountain views or by enjoying the friendly atmosphere indoors. Executive Chef Andrew Copley has an extensive 20-year culinary background at five-star restaurants and hotels across the world, and is well known for innovative dishes such as Asian Spiced Barramundi, Charred Berkshire Pork Chop and creative nightly specials. Come and see why we were voted Top 100 Patio Dining in America!

Top review

david

Dined 3 days ago

Cocktails were delish, and the food was fantastic (the empanada has to be called out... stellar). Chad took great care of us. Atmosphere was perfect and the weather was very cooperative.

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Popular dish

Asian Spiced Barramundi

Popular dish

Copley's Caesar Salad

Popular dish

Chicken & Lemongrass Pot Stickers

The Barn Kitchen at Sparrow's Lodge

4.7

4.7 (266)

$30 and under

American

Palm Springs

About the restaurant

Adults Only 21+

Michelin Guide Recommended Restaurant for 2022, 2023 and 2024

The Barn Kitchen offers a refined take on rustic American cuisine. Executive Chef Jon Butler focuses on influences from the nearby Coachella Valley, and the Barn Kitchen brings small local farms and the unique aspects of the desert to classic American favorites. We aim to create simple, uncomplicated cuisine by showcasing fresh California ingredients. We invite all of our guests to make meaningful connections and savor each experience.

Top review

TerriVVIP

Dined 4 days ago

We have enjoyed a lunch at The Barn Kitchen three times so far during our stay in Palm Springs. It is a wonderful spot to enjoy a delicious meal in a beautiful setting. All of our guests have enjoyed the experience and commented that they would like to return. The Barn Burgers are delicious along with the array of salads. The quiet setting makes a perfect spot for visiting. We will definitely be back again!

Kitchen in the Desert

4.7

4.7 (842)

$31 to $50

Caribbean

Twentynine Palms

About the restaurant

Kitchen in the Desert is a Caribbean and New American restaurant located just outside the Twentynine Palms entrance to Joshua Tree National Park. We pride ourselves in making high quality food from scratch using fresh ingredients and providing a comfortable environment to enjoy it in. We have a full bar plus beer and wine and are open nightly from 5 to 10pm. *Please be advised that all reservations are for outdoor seating, so please dress accordingly.

Top review

AM01VIP

Dined today

The ambiance, cocktails and small plates are phenomenal.

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Crispy Onion Smash Burger

Wally's Desert Turtle

4.8

4.8 (3932)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Rancho Mirage

About the restaurant

"The Finest Dining in the Coachella Valley" Offering a refreshed and re-imagined take on Modern California Cuisine. And the local response has been "Amazing"!

An Official California Dining Destination, Wally's Desert Turtle in Rancho Mirage proudly supports local Ranches, Farms and Fisheries committed to the smart-stewardship of the planet through sustainable, earth-friendly and ocean-friendly practices.

The finest local ingredients, impeccable service and exceptional surroundings always make for "A Great Night Out" at Wally's Desert Turtle.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined today

The food was fantastic as was the service. Always a pleasure to meet up with Madalyn for a conversation!

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Popular dish

Honolulu Tuna Tartare

Del Rey at Villa Royale

4.7

4.7 (906)

$31 to $50

Tapas / Small Plates

Palm Springs

About the restaurant

Housed inside stucco walls, Villa Royale’s intimate bar and eatery, Del Rey, offers up an eight seat oak and marble bar, tufted vinyl booths and an outdoor covered terrace equipped with a fire-pit for long nights under the desert moonlight. Serving tapas-style fare inspired by Spanish and Mediterranean flavors and a Mediterranean-leaning wine program from Spanish varietals and local wines.
Minors are not allowed.

Top review

WarrenVIP

Dined 2 days ago

A very creative and delicious menu. It is hard to find restaurants in PS that truly have the experienced chefs to appeal to the palette of larger city folks. Most restaurants charge a lot and can’t back it up with good food. Del Rey backs it up nicely.

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