Put Boozehounds at the top of your big group dining list. The sprawling space has a massive outdoor patio, a four-sided bar inside, plus tons of semi-private sitting areas throughout. As far as food goes, we like the Filipino-leaning dishes the most, like the perfectly-simmered adobo chicken and crackly pork lumpia, but all the menus (they have different ones for brunch, lunch, dinner, and Happy Hour) are large and cover a ton of ground, so everyone will find something they like.

After downing a pitcher of mojitos at the pool and singing along to musical theater videos at Quadz all night, a dozen bagels or so is probably necessary. Be the hero of your vacation rental and go to Townie Bagels. The massively popular shop started out as an at-home business before eventually moving into their current brick-and-mortar on Sunny Dunes Rd. just south of downtown in 2015. The bagels here are all water-boiled giving them a crispy, crackling exterior and a perfectly soft interior.

Peninsula is an order-at-the-counter bakery that’s home to the best pastries, bread, and baked goods in Palm Springs. They make everything daily using imported French flour and butter, and when they sell out, they’re out. So no matter how late things went in the hot tub last night, be sure to get there no later than 10am, or prepare for slim pickings. It’s impossible to pick a favorite, but if you see a gooey almond croissant or thick, crunchy kouign amann behind the glass case, get them.

This mostly outdoor restaurant is within doable walking distance of all the major downtown hotels, meaning on Saturday mornings this place is basically a hangover recovery center. As long as you’re OK with that—or are part of that crowd yourself—you’ll have a lovely time. The menu has brunch heavy-hitters like brioche French toast, decadent omelets, and a cheese- and egg-filled sandwich. And in case you’re wondering, there are mimosas and bloody marys on the menu, but no, they aren’t bottomless.

After hours of laying by the pool doing nothing, reward yourself with a leisurely lunch at The Heyday. The former smashburger pop-up superstar is now located on the north end of Palm Canyon in a retro dining room with dark red booths and stained-glass lamp shades. It feels like a pizza parlor from the mid-80s where everyone’s eating crinkle fries, chicken wings, and smashburgers coated with housemade Thousand Island. There’s also a full bar —our move is the all-day martini and burger special.

The Real Italian Deli is one of those places we wish we had around the corner from our apartment. The small, order-at-the-counter spot is in a large strip mall a few miles outside of downtown Palm Springs, but they make some of our favorite sandwiches in town. You’re going to want the parma, which is prosciutto and mozzarella, on a house-made torpedo roll (crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside) with a side of their mac salad.

“We’re lunching at the museum, darling.” There are only so many places where you can get away saying that, and Palm Springs is one of them. Run by the same chef as Bar Cecil, Livs is hidden within the subterranean courtyard of the Palm Springs Art Museum with a pool and art installations in the corner. It’s an impressive backdrop, but you’re here for the food, which is mostly midcentury classics done right.

El Salvador Cafe is located directly next door to Peruvian Fuego, so we’re not saying you have to do a double lunch, but we’re also not not. In the chillier months (yes, it does get quite cold in Palm Springs), our order will always include a pork tamal and chicken soup, but no matter what time of year it is, a great meal at El Salvador Cafe is one filled with pupusas. We recommend the queso con jalapeno, the chicharron, and the loca.

When temperatures soar into triple digits, there are only really two things to do in the desert: find a pool or find air conditioning. Here’s a third: eat mariscos at Crudo. The casual cevicheria on Palm Canyon excels in a variety of raw seafood: fiery shrimp agauchiles, oversized Mexican cocktails brimming with shrimp and octopus, and five different kinds of ceviche. Order the citrusy chilango style with meaty chunks of seabass and mango relish, plus a habanero michelada.

Gambino’s Creperie is hidden down a tiny side alley off E. Palm Canyon, so don’t get frustrated if it takes you a few tries to find it. Because once you do, you’ll be treated to one of our favorite quick lunch spots in town. Made with a special blend of chimichurri, cheese, and jalapenos, and filled with everything from chicken caesar to turkey cheddar, these are by no means traditional crepes. They’re savory hand-held masterpieces that don’t just look good, but also taste incredible.

Certain scenarios are expected of Palm Springs, like plenty of pool time, a lot of golf, and local residents at stoplights asking you if you know their grandson. But a NYC-style kosher deli in the heart of downtown took us by surprise. Sherman’s is a Palm Springs institution, serving immensely respectable versions of all the old classics. It might be 114 degrees out, but sometimes a hot pastrami on rye and matzo ball soup is simply what needs to happen.

Opening in April 2021, Bar Cecil is unquestionably the hardest table to get in town right now. Reservations at this American bar/restaurant book out weeks in advance–even during the low season–and if you think going midweek will help your chances, it won’t. Here’s the good news: the bar area is walk-in only and that’s where you’ll want to sit anyway. The entire menu is offered here (get the perfectly-moist pork chop, it’s the best we’ve ever eaten).

Despite a name that sounds like a veteran can-can dancer at the Moulin Rouge, Lola Rose is in fact an upscale Levantine restaurant on the second floor of the Thompson Hotel. It’s also one of the hottest tables in town. The ornate multi-room space includes several dining rooms, a large bar, and a lounge area where everybody eats mezze on couches. Don’t neglect the seafood entrees, though, which tend to be the best dishes here: perfectly grilled octopus, swordfish kebabs, and smoky spot prawns.

Located in a strip mall north of the airport, Paul Bar/Food isn’t the most convenient dinner spot in town – particularly if you’re staying off Palm Canyon. But if you’re up for a drive, your reward will be one of the coolest dinner experiences in PS. And when we say cool, we mean 1940s-Rat-Pack-era, slinking-across-the-bar-with-a-martini type cool. The dimly-lit space is tiny – it’s essentially one long bar and a few booths against the wall – giving the whole place an intimate, romantic vibe.

This tremendous Vietnamese restaurant is our favorite casual dinner spot in Palm Springs. From the coconut mussels and tea leaf salad to the turmeric cod (not to mention the complimentary cup of congee you get just for sitting down), Rooster And The Pig’s menu is stacked with excellent, shareable dishes that are unlike anything else you can find this far into the desert.

Mr. Lyons has been around since the 1940s. After a massive renovation in 2015, this steakhouse has retaken its place as the desert’s go-to spot for breaking out your best pearls, sipping martinis like they’re tap water, and going to town on giant slabs of meat. With multiple dining rooms, a lounge/bar area, a wrap-around patio, and a private dining space, Mr. Lyons is sneakily quite large, making it a great option if you’re in town with a bunch of people in the mood to celebrate.

If you’re looking for a lighter dinner spot before a night out on the town, this sushi/whiskey bar can compete with most of the best sushi spots in Los Angeles. If you’re coming in with a big group, go for one of the tables outside, but if it’s just a few of you (or ideally, just you) head to the bar. There you can talk to the chefs and order exactly what they recommend that day.

Located in the courtyard of the former Cary Grant estate, the almost-entirely-outdoor space (with ridiculous mountain views) is that idyllic Palm Springs setting you trekked out past the windmills and into the desert to experience. Also, they have one of our favorite steaks in town. If you’re looking for that quintessential Palm Springs date night, this is it.

You forgot to book a table tonight and now you’re not eating dinner until 9:15pm. For a pre-dinner snack, head to Del Rey, a moody tapas bar inside a quiet boutique hotel on the south side of town called Villa Royale. It can get a little crowded, so get here by 5:30pm for a seat at the bar. But even when the place is full, it still feels like a hideaway. Sip on gin and tonics, split a tinned fish board, and bask in the glow of a fireplace—not a bad way to start a night out in PS.

No matter what night you go, Johannes will be filled with people who actually live in Palm Springs. Couples with weekly standing reservations split crispy, tender wiener schnitzel (there are seven different kinds on the menu) and groups of neighbors swig red wine and inquire who’ll be their server tonight. Johannes is a complete throwback and where you need to go when you’re done talking over bachelorette parties all night.

With an old-school Miami supper club feel, The Tropicale is a grown-up, kitschy oasis and perhaps your best opportunity to finally pull off that flowered button-down you got in Nassau. This is a fine dining experience (and a great one at that), but with an impressive cocktail list and an even better back patio, the recipe is right for things to get weird. Take note – The Tropicale is down to party.

It wasn’t long ago that finding a great cocktail in Palm Springs required having either a dinner reservation or someone in your vacation rental with bartending experience. But that’s changed—and Seymour’s is the best proof yet. This dark, semi-secret bar (hidden inside Mr. Lyons behind a black curtain by the bathrooms) goes all-in on Old Hollywood aesthetics with hand-drawn portraits on the walls, secluded sitting areas, and a gold-tinted bar with black and white movies projected behind it.

Located north of downtown on Palm Canyon, the bright, breezy taproom is a great place to swing by on a lazy Saturday afternoon for a few glasses of unfiltered wine or beer (we particularly like the bitter, tropical Fifty Four saison) and then accidentally stay for three hours. Keep an eye on their Instagram, as they have food pop-ups throughout the week featuring local pizza and taquerias, plus events like movie nights and chess tournaments.

This musical theater video bar isn’t just our favorite place to drink in Palm Springs, it’s one of our favorite bars in the world. It’s a place where visiting 25-year-olds and locals who remember when it used to be called Spurline come together to drink cheap cocktails and sing along to iconic musical theater moments. Even if Barbra Streisand belting “Don’t Rain On My Parade” or Jennifer Holliday’s 1982 Tony Awards performance are unknown to you, by the end of the night, you’ll be an expert.

If we had only one finger, we’d still be able to count the number of rooftop bars in Palm Springs—High Bar, that’s it. Located on top of the Kimpton Rowan (take the elevator up to the roof and walk past the restaurant to the pool area), this outdoor bar is the perfect spot to sneak away for a few sunset cocktails before your dinner reservation. The margaritas are stiff, the views of the San Jacinto Mountains are endless, and there’s rarely ever a crowd.