Guests milling about poolside cabanas, playing lawn games, downward dogging at sunrise yoga before breakfast, and turning back the clock with 24-karat gold facials at the on-site Spa La Lé find it hard to fathom El Paseo without its own signature hotel. You might check in feeling frenzied, but everyone checks out relaxed and sated. In the short time since this Marriott Autograph Collection property debuted in March 2018, laid-back, luxury accommodations have become the new normal. Guests are drawn to Hotel Paseo’s ideal location, just off Palm Desert’s retail avenue, and its vicinity to golf, hiking, and other outdoor adventures. (Although you might never leave the grounds — the pool, bar, fire pits, and spa guarantee a stay full of relaxation. Retreat to a wellappointed guest room or one of nine specialty suites, most with private balconies. Rooms are bathed in soft gray, white, and light-blue tones; all include plush beds with fine linens and barn doors that open to luxurious, spa-inspired bathrooms. A dog-friendly property, Hotel Paseo not only delivers a pampering experience for people but also for pups complete with a chalkboard welcome sign, treats, elevated bowls, and cozy dog beds. Those seeking a venue to host an unforgettable event can work with hotel staffers to plan a celebration for 10 to 300 guests on the expansive event lawn, which features a 1950s Airstream trailer, or in the Grand Paseo Ballroom with catering by AC3 Restaurant + Bar. AC3 Restaurant + Bar This culinary collaboration between Palm Springs restaurateurs Tony Marchese, owner of hot spot Trio Restaurant, and chef Andrew and Juliana Copley, the couple behind the upscale Copley’s on Palm Canyon, is one of the most-talked-about additions to the Coachella Valley dining scene. The colorful and contemporary eatery on El Paseo focuses on an American menu with global renditions of classic dishes. “The food concept,” chef Copley says, “is to take American food and add little twists and turns but make it recognizable.” AC3 is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as weekend brunch, when the oversized front patio fills up with guests indulging in smoked salmon rillettes, blueberrytarragon pancakes, and boozy bloodys. “One of our big sellers is our Cobb salad,” says Copley. “Our lunchtime Cobb salad uses Maine lobster as a protein and is made with goat’s cheese. And we make a vinaigrette out of fresh avocados. It’s a nontraditional Cobb but it’s still recognizable with the organic iceberg and the eggs.” The buzzy bar churns out creative cocktails prepared with seasonal ingredients while the kitchen presents reimagined desserts. “We make a basil ice cream and a vanilla,” Copley notes. “The classics plus a few unique flavors. We also do soft-serve vanilla ice cream with toppings.” And when you’ve cleaned your plate, window-shopping along El Paseo is a nice way to walk it off.

Take a ride down Palm Canyon Drive morning, noon, or night and you’ll spot an energetic crowd spilling out of Lulu California Bistro’s bilevel dining room and dramatic circular bar and packing its colorful patio. It’s been that way since legendary valley restaurateurs Barbara and Jerry Keller first opened the vibrant eatery seven years ago. “It’s just a fun and happy place to be,” says Jerry. “There’s always a party at Lulu.” And in 2017, the Keller family brought their party back to Rancho Mirage, where they had operated the popular Acqua Pazza restaurant for many years. “Our customers asked us to come back and we have,” he shares. Lulu and Acqua offer guests expansive breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus of award-winning California cuisine such as steak, seafood, pizzas, paninis, wild mushroom soup, and American Kobe burgers along with decadent housemade desserts. The restaurants also offer a very popular 50-plusdish breakfast menu and are home to booming happy hours, available all hours in the bar, as well as value-priced three- and four-course prix fixe menus. Lulu and Acqua received Best of the Best awards from Palm Springs Life in the categories of Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner, American and Continental fare, Happy Hour, and more. Both venues offer large dedicated special events spaces, and, thanks to a full-service catering department, Lulu and Acqua can take the party (and the delicious cuisine) to you, whether it’s an intimate dinner or giant celebration. “The sky’s the limit,” says Jerry, “as to what we can do for hungry hearts everywhere.”

This Arnold Palmer–designed course (host from 2006 to 2008 to the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, now the Career-Builder Challenge, held in La Quinta) puts your game to the test with rolling terrain, 30 acres of water features, 14 bridges, and an abundance of pine trees. Classic Club has earned numerous accolades, including the No. 1 Best Range and No. 2 Best Course designations from California Golf +Travel magazine’s Best of 2016 Desert Golf list. Bellatrix With its warm, sun-kissed Mediterranean ambiance, sumptuous cuisine, and breathtaking view of the Classic Club golf course and Little San Bernardino Mountains in the distance, Bellatrix has achieved acclaim as a dining and special-events destination. From its dark wood and rich gold- and claret-toned interior to the sweeping stone pillar balcony, the restaurant and wine bar offers a quintessential Greater Palm Springs experience for formal or informal gatherings. Executive chef Gerard Brunett and his team recently revamped the menu to focus on more adventurous dishes using local ingredients for fresher and more vibrant flavors. Brunett’s modern cuisine brings the bounty of Coachella Valley farmlands — sweet corn, multicolored peppers, lettuces, carrots, citrus, melons, and artichokes, to name a few — to Bellatrix’s tables with delicious innovation. Bellatrix’s sommelier-curated cellar of 500-plus bottles includes select wines from around the world while maintaining its stable of awardwinning and boutique West Coast vintners on the roster. Wines are displayed in a lighted glass vault that adjoins the dining room and lounge. A full array of handcrafted cocktails, such as the raspberry-lemon-drop martini, and a variety of local, domestic, and international craft beers as well as an appetizer bar menu are also available.

If your holiday prerogative calls for a leisurely afternoon among friends over a bottle of French wine, a pot of steamed mussels, and a basket of fresh-baked bread to sop up all the sauce, you need not travel to the City of Lights to find it. Harkening back to the bustling bistros of Paris past, Café des Beaux-Arts cultivates a dining experience that is decidedly transportive. The indoor-outdoor restaurant sits at the heart of Palm Desert’s buzzy shopping boulevard, El Paseo, offering prime alfresco seating and people-watching. Inside, dark wood paneling, antiqued mirrors, and crimson booths are illuminated by the soft glow of glass pendant lamps. Owners Didier and Christina Bloch have infused the space with playful artwork and touches of retro French décor — the paintings are Christina’s handiwork, while the quirky sculptural objets d’art are all crafted by Didier. You’ll find locals gathered around the circular central bar, known as Le Bar, unwinding after a round of golf or a workday. Daily happy hour includes drink specials and an extensive small-bites menu, with live jazz Wednesday nights during season. The menu focuses on French fare, breakfast until dessert, from quiche Lorraine and stuffed crepes to coq au vin and duckling à l’orange to artisan cheese plates and profiteroles. One bite and your taste buds will be singing. Oh là là!

Dark woods, lace curtains, soft lighting, and piano music throw it back to the old supper-club days at Castelli’s. Since the restaurant opened three decades ago, offering seating on an enclosed patio or in cozy, elegant dining rooms, it has been a hot spot among entertainers. The Celebrity Room is decked in photos of stars who have visited throughout the years: Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, Joe Pesci, Martin Short, Bob Hope, Heather Locklear, and James Caan, to name a few. To complement an expansive Italian and domestic wine list and full bar, menu favorites include the Shrimp Dijon della Casa, the signature pork chops, and the pound-and-a-half Alaskan king crab legs. Prefer glutenfree or vegan? Castelli’s aims to please and will customize your meal to perfezione. (It’s one of the reasons Zagat rated Castelli’s among America’s top 1,000 Italian restaurants and Palm Springs Life readers voted it Best of the Best in Palm Desert.) After dinner, linger as you might in Italy over a traditional cappuccino Romano and a slice of homemade tiramisu as evening entertainer Patrick Tuzzolino serenades from the piano. Owners Michael and John Castelli (whose last name means “castle” in Italian) aim to “make you feel like family,” a goal achieved through delicious dishes and a warm and welcoming staff. Buon appetito!

For the past 23 years, City Wok has been serving fresh, made-from-scratch Chinese cuisine at affordable prices. Locals have consistently voted City Wok Best Chinese in the Valley because each delicious, creative dish is prepared to order. Efficient takeout and delivery are some of the reasons City Wok is always one of the desert’s favorites.

West Coast modern cuisine. If there’s one word to describe EIGHT4NINE Restaurant & Lounge, it’s eclectic, according to co-owner Willie Rhine. “The décor, the menu items, the prices, our guests, you can have a different experience every time you’re here.” Reviewers on Yelp, OpenTable, and Trip Advisor agree, ranking this Uptown Design District spot among the best. Indeed, visitors can choose to indulge in a multicourse dinner in the dining room (which also offers an impressive four-course prix fixe menu for $46), share small plates in the buzzy lounge, linger over lunch or brunch on the patio, or simply sip a signature cocktail at the backlit white onyx bar. Rhine — who opened the spot with celebrity photographer John Paschal in 2015 — calls the décor farmhousemeets- modern. “I always say that it’s equal parts comfortable and luxurious,” he says of the sprawling space that boasts Louis XIV ghost chairs, a mix of whimsical chandeliers, and a stunning 30-foot outdoor firewall. While chef Israel Jimenez’s menu changes seasonally, some of the most popular dishes stay put year-round, including fried Petaluma chicken with corn and buttermilk potatoes and lemon sage gravy and Rhine’s personal favorite, the grilled Scottish Steelhead trout on a crispy rice cake. The more casual lounge menu features the now-famous EIGHT4NINE Angus beef burger topped with Beecher’s white cheddar on a brioche bun along with a variety of internationally inspired plates like the smoked carne asada flatbread and an ahi poke bowl garnished with housemade kimchi. Private party demand is also on the upswing, as the restaurant can accommodate everything from an intimate dinner for two in a private room to a 200-person blowout event. Earlier this year, EIGHT4NINE made its reality TV debut when it hosted the wedding reception for Shahs of Sunset stars Reza Farahan and Adam Neely, adding to its celebrity status as the go-to hot spot.

Since 1960, Elmer’s has been providing delicious food and personable, gracious service, making every meal a memorable family dining experience. Known for Walt Elmer’s famous buttermilk pancakes and the Classic German Pancake, which is “almost as big as Crater Lake,” Elmer’s has become a staple in the Northwest for its mouthwatering breakfast items and fresh, seasonal entrées. The menu features traditional flavors and Northwest favorites such as Boyd’s Coffee, Oregon Marionberry syrup, Tillamook cheese, and sausages from Portland-based Zenner’s Sausage Company. While the food is a star in its own right, it’s the service that makes guests smile. Led by local owner Jacky Donnell and a genuine, friendly team, Palm Springs’ Elmer’s delights in welcoming desert residents as well as Northwestern snowbirds craving a taste of home. The dining room, adorned with historical and scenic Palm Springs photography, is inviting and comfortable, while the outdoor, pet-friendly patio with vistas of Mount San Jacinto is the perfect place to sip mimosas. In addition to winning local Best Breakfast awards, Elmer’s has also received national recognition in the category of Family Restaurants for taste, value, service, and mood. Donnell is proud of the reputation the eatery has built as a local favorite and strives to make Elmer’s the restaurant of choice for generations to come.