By: Heather Dickey
Palm Springs is well-known as a stylish desert oasis, making it the perfect spot for mixing business with pleasure. When it comes time to entertain clients or hold an important business meeting in Palm Springs, it’s essential to select the right restaurant to impress. From lively hotel hot spots to old-school steakhouses, we’ve curated a list of our top picks for the best restaurants for business in Palm Springs. Offering impeccable service, vibrant ambiences, and globally-inspired cuisine presented with artistic flair, these restaurants allow you to conduct business in style.
Workshop Kitchen & Bar
Workshop Kitchen + Bar located within The Palm Springs Hotel delivers a creative seasonal menu focused on shared plates and artisanal cocktails in a chic, modern setting. With colorful tilework and an open kitchen, the energetic vibe is perfect for a casual business dinner. Standout dishes include lamb meatballs with homemade yogurt and crispy chickpeas, diver scallops with green romesco, and a wide selection of flatbreads fired up in the wood-burning oven. Their craft cocktail menu puts a fresh spin on classics that will impress any client.
Workshop is part of our ultimate 48 hour Palm Springs itinerary. Get more of our picks here.
Workshop Kitchen + Bar: 800 N Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92262, United States. +1 760-459-3451. workshopkitchenbar.com
Melvyn’s
For old-school Palm Springs glamour, book a red leather booth at Melvyn’s Restaurant, the storied haunt inside the historic Ingleside Inn. Dark wood panels, white tablecloths, and a pianist create a throwback atmosphere perfect for a power lunch or intimate business dinner. The menu features prime steaks and seafood classics like jumbo prawns louie and dover sole served tableside. With a speakeasy vibe and delicious Martinis and Manhattans, Melvyn’s is ideal for closing deals in style.
Melvyn’s Palm Springs: 200 W Ramon Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92264, United States. +1-760-325-2323. https://inglesideestate.com/melvyns/
Mr. Lyons
This upscale steakhouse pairs refined service with prime aged steaks and seafood. With an elegant exterior, dark wood interior, white tablecloths, and live piano, the vibe evokes an exclusive supper club. Start with jumbo prawn cocktails and Caesar salad prepared tableside before indulging in specialty cuts like the 24 oz porterhouse or Chilean sea bass. Their extensive wine list offers the perfect pairing your clients will appreciate. End your meal with a classic like bananas foster and you’ll leave feeling like the deal is sealed.
Mr. Lyons: 233 E Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92264, United States. +1-760-327-1551. Visit Mr. Lyons here.
La Quinta Resort & Spa
Located in the chic Kimpton Rowan hotel, 4 Saints offers a lively indoor-outdoor restaurant and bar. Under string lights on the patio or beside the stone fireplace inside, enjoy Mediterranean small plates perfect for sharing like grilled octopus, burrata bruschetta, and branzino crudo. Their specialty is wood-fired meat and seafood like whole roasted fish and 32oz dry aged tomahawk ribeye carved tableside. With an upbeat vibe and impressive cuisine 4 Saints impresses.
4 Saints at the Rowan: 100 W Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262, United States. +1-760-392-2020. Visit 4 Saints Restaurant here.
Spencer’s
For beautiful views and elegant ambience, book a window table at Spencer’s in the Palm Springs Hilton. Their menu features continental fare like roasted duck breast a l’orange and chateaubriand carved tableside. Don’t miss their seasonal white asparagus when available, cooked to perfection and topped with hollandaise. Spencer’s also boasts one of the best breakfast buffets in Palm Springs, making it a go-to spot for closing deals over brunch.
Spencer’s: 701 W Baristo Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262, United States. +1-760-327-3446. Visit Spencer’s restaurant here.
So.Pa
Tucked away in charming Old Town Palm Springs, So.Pa offers an intimate restaurant and bar with a speakeasy vibe. Dark leather booths, tin ceilings, and flickering candles set the mood for closing business deals over craft cocktails and shareable small plates. Their globally inspired menu ranges from Korean fried chicken wings and burrata caprese to Spanish tapas like patatas bravas and jamón serrano. For groups, order Paella Valencia or the tableside prepared seafood tower stacked with oysters, shrimp, and crab. With live music and a cozy lounge, So.Pa is ideal for mingling with clients over drinks and tasty bites.
Read more about So.Pa restaurant and one of our favorite hotels in Palm Springs here.
HOT TIP: “The banquettes in the back offer the best seat in the house.” – HD
So.Pa Palm Springs: 1050 E Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92264, United States. +1-760-323-1858. Visit So.Pa restaurant here.
The Colony Club at the Colony Palms
For a swanky spot to entertain, book a cabana or fire pit at the luxurious Colony Palms Hotel. Their signature restaurant, The Colony Club, spills out into the elegant courtyard with Moroccan tiles, palm trees, and a stunning poolside view. Enjoy Mediterranean Small plates like hummus, baba ghanoush, and kebabs. Or go all out by reserving the Chef’s Table Dinner Series: a lavish multi-course tasting menu paired with fine wines served privately in their solarium. From the chic decor to indulgent cuisine and impeccable service, The Colony Club offers a sophisticated Palm Springs setting for your next client event or dinner meeting.
The Colony Palms Hotel: 572 N Indian Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92262. colonypalmshotel.com
When meeting clients in Palm Springs, select the right restaurant to impress with ambience, service, and cuisine. From hip hotel dining to throwback steakhouses, our list features the top spots for entertaining and holding productive meetings with demanding VIPs. With creative cocktails and globally-inspired menus served up in refined yet relaxed settings, these restaurants allow you to conduct business in style amongst Palm Springs mid-century glamour.
Meet Your Guides
Heather Dickey is the Editor-in-Chief of The Itinerary and owner of hospitality branding studio, The Soigné Company. She is based in London and Los Angeles.
Matthew Colucci is the owner of The Modernist Travel, a luxury travel advisory based in Palm Springs, California specializing in upscale destinations worldwide.