Super cute inside loved the vibe of the restaurant. Went in a group with reservations. The food had…read moregood flavor drinks were super cute as well. We had a great time our server was great she gave us some Jell-O shots.

Fantastic atmosphere walking in and loved our hostess. She actually stopped by a few times just to…read morechat and make sure we were being well taken care of. Drinks were good. I had the Italica Martini, which had both olives and a lemon twist which I wouldn't have thought I would have liked, but I really did. It's pricey but that is to be expected. Unfortunately, some of the dishes fell flat with our group. One asked our server if the lemon pasta was extremely lemony and she had said no, which just wasn't the case. (I tasted as well just to confirm) I enjoyed my dish which was the ravioli, maybe a little less stuffed than i prefer, but sauce was tasty and the amount served was perfect for me, who tends to eat on the lighter side these days. Others complained about the Bucatini from their dishes that the pasta was a bit mushy. So I think I was the happiest with my food. I'd go back if it was closer just for the vibe, but that being said, it's a little of a trek from Palm Springs and we have a lot of great local spots I will probably go to that are in that price range.

We had a good experience at Kiki's. We ordered the Bucatini Cacio e Pepe, Caesar salad, Hot Honey…read morePepperoni Pizza, a kids' pepperoni pizza, a kids' cheese pizza, and the Shrimp Caserecce Alla Vodka. The Shrimp Caserecce Alla Vodka was definitely the best dish we had--really flavorful and the highlight of the meal. The Hot Honey Pepperoni Pizza was also very good. For dessert, we tried the New York cheesecake, gelato, and an affogato. All three were good and a nice way to finish the meal. The service was great and everyone was friendly. The restaurant was a little warm inside, but it was extremely hot outside, so that may have been part of it. Overall, Kiki's was good. We enjoyed the meal and the service, and there were definitely a couple of standout dishes, especially the Shrimp Caserecce Alla Vodka.

Kiki's La Quinta -- 3.5/5…read more Finally made it over to Kiki's in La Quinta and had a pretty solid experience overall. The restaurant itself has a lot going for it. The decor feels thoughtfully designed, there's clearly been a lot of effort put into the space, and the overall vibe is welcoming and fun. We started with the beef carpaccio, which unfortunately was my least favorite dish of the night. It came across more like thinly sliced roast beef with capers and a salad piled on top rather than a traditional carpaccio. The flavors and presentation just didn't really work for me. 2.7/10 The Sugar Snap Pea pizza was much better. Really nice flavors overall. I thought the mushrooms could have been cut a little smaller so they worked better with the rest of the toppings. The dough was good, although personally I would have liked to see a higher hydration and a lighter, more open crumb. Still, a very enjoyable pizza. 7.3/10 The beef short rib was a pleasant surprise. Very generous portion, extremely tender meat, and the sides were all cooked well. Nothing overly complicated, just a solid and satisfying dish. 7.8/10 The highlight for me was definitely the tiramisu. Excellent flavor and texture, and probably the dish I enjoyed the most. 8.8/10 Service was generally good and welcoming, although there were a couple of small details that stood out. Most notably, the menus were visibly dirty and could definitely use a good cleaning or replacement. It sounds minor, but menus are one of the first things you interact with when you sit down, so cleanliness there matters. 7.5/10 Overall, I think Kiki's has a lot of potential. The space is great, there are some genuinely good dishes, and the tiramisu is worth saving room for. A few things could definitely be refined, but I'd be interested in coming back and trying more of the menu.

This place was SO cool! We were visiting from out of town and went to a different bar first but…read moreweren't feelin' it. My husband found Red Barn close so we walked there (we Uber'ed from our resort to the other bar). From the moment we walked in I was wow'ed!! It is a total vibe. All of the decor was fun and so different than any other bar I've been to. Even the bathrooms had their own charm and personality. They had a DJ spinning that night (Saturday). All of the guys working there were so friendly and outgoing. Great service too! I highly recommend visiting when in the area.

Nice spot but weird how they make girls wait outside in the heat. Guys I get it. No one wants a…read moresausage party. But why keep the reason the guys are trying to get in to spend money on.. outside? Don't really understand the bouncers mentality, girls always get right in. Forgot to mention bartenders are some of the rudest most unhappy, unsocial bunch I've ever encountered and you can hear other people hating the experience while you wait for your drinks. Great decor and music though!

Food is always great and service is excellent. Veronica and Reina are two of the finest servers…read morewho know the menu and the measure of fantastic attention to detail.

Our last night in Palm Desert and found this place on yelp. Good reviews so we gave it a try…read more We showed up and there was not too many people. But it filled up quickly and is definitely a regular spot for a lot of locals. Great to see as that meant we were in a good spot. Ordered the beet salad first and that was outstanding. Good freshness and portion size. Ordered the 6 piece wings. Server was kind of enough to serve them dry with all the sauces on the side. That was great to try all the sauces which were all good. We then ordered the chicken sandwich and fries. Sandwich was great. Fries could have been seasoned a bit more. Plenty of drink options. We enjoyed all we had. Would definitely go back on our next visit to Palm Desert.

THE AMBIANCE: Amazing hidden gem in the desert! This…read morerestaurant is located inside La Quinta Resort & Club, and the experience feels special from the moment you walk through the historic, tall arched wooden doors. The entrance lead you down a hallway toward the hostess stand, with couches, a bar and a piano being played to the left. To the right , you enter the main dining room. The space felt open, elegant, and immediately welcoming. Talk about fine dining at its best. The hostess was able to quickly seat our party of six, and our server immediately brought over the menus and filled our water glasses. THE FOOD: We started with the oysters , and they did not disappoint. They were served with a shallot mignonette which was vinegary in all the right ways. They were so good, that we ended up ordering a second round. For dinner, we all ordered the steak with mushrooms and broccoli. The steak was perfectly cooked, and every bite was bursting with flavor. Even the mushrooms and broccoli stood out. Everything was seasoned beautifully without overpowering the actual flavors of the vegetables. Even the bread was so good. It was served with three different butters. And dessert? Also top notch. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful dinner with friends. THE SERVICE: The service really added to the experience. Our server was attentive and took great care of us. The GM, Ray, also stopped by our table, and we ended up chatting and joking with him a bit. He was incredibly friendly and personable and made sure we were having a great experience. Between the setting, the food, the genuinely attentive service, this as one of those dinners where it all felt elevated. Definitely one of the many highlights of our stay at La Quinta Resort.

Morgan's in the Desert: Disappointment After Disappointment. $400 for Meh…read more After living in La Quinta for four years, we were ready to try Morgan's, as it's one of the last foodie restaurants in the Coachella valley that we haven't tried. We arrived early for our reservation, excited to grab a drink at the bar before dinner. Then we were told our table was already available... only to be seated at a dining table in the bar, off to the side, where apparently servers do not exist while staring at the back of the pianist and the barflies. The two bartenders were fantastic--especially Brian, who was working at warp speed--but they already had a packed bar to manage. Adding dining tables to their workload was clearly not realistic. Why were we seated there? Still a mystery. Reservation problems: I booked through the QR code advertised in The Gem for the August prix fixe dinners at La Quinta Resort's restaurants. When we arrived, we were told the prix fixe menu wasn't available that day. Sorry! So we ordered bread and oysters instead. About 15-20 minutes later, the manager came over and said they would honor the prix fixe after all. Great! Except... we'd already ordered appetizers. ‍ And wow, was it SLOW. We were seated at 5:30 and still didn't have our entrées at 7:00. Drinks regularly sat empty, and once the restaurant got busy around 6:30, water refills disappeared completely. Did I mention it was 110 degrees outside? The food? A mixed bag--but overall, wildly overpriced and underwhelming. * Oysters: Ice-cold and served with a good mignonette. Also pricey. * Bread: Fresh and warm, but the olive tapenade was aggressively salty. Again, overpriced. * Watermelon salad: The winner! Refreshing, flavorful, and the spicy nuts gave it a nice kick. Highly recommend. * Chicken cacciatore: Dry chicken, undercooked tomatoes, overcooked pasta. Never again. * Oscar filet: Delicious and well-prepared, but nothing memorable or special--especially for the price. Bottom line: We spent about $400 for a frustrating, painfully slow, mostly mediocre meal. There are too many great restaurants in the area to spend that kind of money on "meh." We won't be back.

According to Wikipedia, "a dive bar is typically defined as a small, unglamorous drinking…read moreestablishment characterized by inexpensive drinks, dim lighting, shabby decor, and a local clientele. These bars often have a no-frills atmosphere, welcoming regulars and offering a casual environment". With the exception of being shabby, I think the "Desert Fox Bar" meets this definition. It's not fancy, but it's clean--even the bathroom. My friends and I go out to the desert for golf trips, and we usually spend one evening here. The beers are cold, the mixed drinks are strong, and the prices are reasonable. The locals are friendly.

Came here a couple weeks ago while visiting from out of town.... It's a basic dive bar, which we…read morelike and don't have a problem with. My problem was with the bartender. She wasn't nice at all. She didn't greet us with a hello and was kind of rude. We didn't stay long. We found another bar down the street that was so much better with super cool and friendly bartenders!

Love this business great employees and amazing owner , this place is perfect for a small drink on…read morethe rocks , relaxing and such a soothing place to be when you wanna have a fun and relax at the same time !!!

Great music. Great bartenders we had espresso martinis, white tea shots and pickle backs and…read moreeverything was 10/10. Energy 10/10 bartenders were all friendly and everything was so clean. Highly recommend for a good night

This is one of the places to eat inside the JW Marriott Palm Desert Resort. Stopped here with some…read morecolleagues after a networking reception and it really hit the spot! The sushi roll seaweed salad tasted fresh and was very filling. Service was quick and efficient. The place was a bit rambunctious but that was only because it is located at the lobby bar of the hotel and we were not the only ones with the great idea of eating after the networking reception! I wish they were open for lunch. I crave them whenever I check-in!

This is a cool little sushi bar in the middle of the JW Marriott. Great place to grab a drink and…read morehang out. It had a big tv so we could watch the game. I got the short rib sliders. Wasn't bad. Brioche was sweet and fluffy. Short rib had a little slaw in the sando which gave it a nice crunch. We also got the smores dessert. It was more of a fondue dessert. Came with various cookies, chocolate fondue with marshmallow on top. The grand crackers and cookies were stale. I think it would've been better if it were fresh. The chocolate was good. It wasn't too sweet. Swing by and grab a drink!

The Little Bar was an unexpected surprise after our previous plans fell through. My group…read morediscovered this hidden gem almost by accident, but we're very glad that we did. Immediately the bartenders (Elexus and Katie) showed us why the Little Bar should have been the originally planned destination. The drinks were not only delicious but they looked like works of art. The word "delicious" does not do the food appropriate justice. After tasting the pozole, we absolutely had to meet the chef (Polama[sic]). The overall experience was so awesome that we promised Elexus and Katie that any time that we're in Palm Desert again we will definitely make plans to visit Little Bar.

This is the cutest, tiniest little bar I done ever been to…read more They don't have a great draft selection, which was a little disappointing.. but the service was lovely, and it seemed like everyone there was a regular, which gave it a nice local feel. Overall, it was cute and worth a visit. I probably wouldn't return, but it definitely seems like a spot the locals enjoy.

Food is excellent and to end dinner, we ordered their dessert, Carlota, it was delicious. The…read morechef/owner talked to guests and served, he's one of the crews. Our server, didn't get her name, was excellent too. It's a cute and intimate little restaurant. I grade the restaurant by their restroom too, if it's dirty and smelly, that's a turn off. Oceana's is clean!!!!

Just left Oceana with my family and had such a great experience I had to let everyone know. Service…read morewas exceptional, food delicious and the ambience was so nice. Can't wait for our next vacation, this will now be our go to spot.