Photography by Brandon Harman

Museum concessions as an afterthought is thankfully a thing of the past — we can all agree that great art merits a fantastic food and beverage experience.

Longtime local chef and owner Arthur Vasquez and his wife and business partner, Angela Ferrer, embrace this philosophy at Persimmon Bistro, located on the lower level of the Palm Springs Art Museum. When the duo took over operations in May 2019, they kept some beloved items on the menu, such as the pozole stew and tuna melt. But Vasquez and Ferrer wanted to develop a culinary and drink program that better befit the landmark space.

The wood-burning pizza oven located in the sculpture garden courtyard has made Persimmon Bistro a food lovers’ destination in its own right, along with multiple beers on draft that Vasquez sources from smaller independent California breweries and an international wine list.

And because the couple spends a few months out of the year on California’s Central Coast, Vasquez says, “we’ve brought a little of what we love about the Central Coast to the bistro, [notably] our love of wine, good cheese, the charcuterie board, and salads.”

Persimmon stays open an hour after the museum’s closing time daily. Don’t miss the chance to linger for a libation or a delectable bite. As Vasquez puts it: “It’s the perfect aperitivo.”