Kalura Trattoria — Restaurant in Palm Springs

Staff friendly, except for waitress. Service mediocre. Fresh bread good, salad good, bruschetta flavorless. Pasta carbonara was pasty & spaghetti overcooked. The pancetta was chopped into large chunks, and many of them were pure fat or Gristle. I had to spit some out. Ordered coffee and cream. Coffee poor quality & served with a teacup full of milk. I asked if it what cream or half-and-half, and the busboy assured me that it was cream. I drank some, and it was clearly milk. The waitress explained that they only had milk. In any case, it was impossible to pour it without spilling, and it was not what I wanted. When she asked how everything was I told her the truth. Should begin to explain that it was a matter varying tastes most people like the carbonara. I explained that my wife and I frequently it had good Italian restaurants, including in Italy, and that I had been a cook in a restaurant. I said that it was not a matter of opinion but the pasta was overcooked and the pancetta. was full of fat. I cancelled our dessert order and ask for the check. When she brought the check, she explained that they hadn't charged for the coffee-- as though she was doing us a big favor. We didn't drink the coffee because it wasn't good. If worked in food service, and I owned retail businesses of my own for over 30 years. Our policy for dealing with unhappy customers was to apologize first for their unsatisfactory experience, and then offered to do something positive how to make it up to them. I explained to my staff that they were never, ever to be defensive with customers. The owner came around several times to each of the tables asking people, including us, if everything was satisfactory. But he never stopped long enough at any table to receive a reply. Obviously, I can't speak for him but it seemed to me that he was insincere. I would never recommend this place, nor would I go there again. It's quite a shame, because my wife and I looked up at the place online and drove quite a bit out of our way...

31 DEC : UPDATE AFTER RESPONSE FROM OWNER

First and foremost, I would like to clarify. As mentioned in my post below, we ONLY ordered one cup of hot water as my throat was hurting. We did not order honey and lemon as you mention, this is utter lies on a platform like Google. In fact, I added your server to list it as HOT water in the bill so that I will pay. Please check with your server. She came back and responded that you can not list it as HOT water in the bill.

Please get your facts right before you accuse us wrongly on social media to cover up your bad business practices.

For clarity, we visited as a group of 3 on 27th Dec around 9 pm, wednesday!!

"They charge$3.75 plus taxes and gratuity on top for a cup of hot water and list it as HOT TEA"

We went there to dine after the aerial tram ride expecting to finish our spectacular day on 27th Dec with a scrumptious dinner. The food was valid, and the pizza was hard and difficult to eat. The Calamari fritters were not crisp and undercooked.

What took us by surprise was the bill. They charged us $3.75 (plus taxes and gratuity) for a cup of hot water and listed it as HOT TEA. We were never told that they would charge us for the cup of hot water upfront when requested. The server was very rude and did not even have the courtesy in her talk to explain matters. When asked, the managers/owners sent a message through the server that it was business policy and every restaurant in palm springs charged that way! I sent a message through the server that having traveled from west to east coast never have they charged me for a cup of hot water, in US. DO LIST IT AS HOT WATER AND I WILL PAY THR AMOUNT, I WILL NOT PAY FOR SOMETHING THAT I DID NOT ORDER. THE OWNER , wDID NOT LIST but waived of the charges !! Which to my point proves it as bad business practice to extract innocent customers. The owners did not even have the courtesy to come speak to us. Overall, it was a bad experience after...

A Perfect Evening at Kalura Trattoria

Kalura Trattoria in Palm Springs truly turned my evening around. After a disappointing experience at another restaurant, this place completely restored my faith in hospitality. From the moment we arrived, the warmth of the staff was palpable. The hostess was incredibly sweet, and our waitress, Daniela, was an absolute gem kind, attentive, and genuine.

The food? Absolutely phenomenal. Our party enjoyed the ribeye, lasagna, caprese salad, and capellini checca each dish was cooked to perfection, clearly made with love and care. For dessert, they brought out a beautiful panna cotta with a candle to celebrate my birthday, which was such a thoughtful touch. We also asked for a crème brûlée, and it was homemade and heavenly.

What really stood out was how accommodating and gracious the staff were. When the wind picked up, they quickly and kindly moved us inside without hesitation. Every person working there made us feel welcome and taken care of.

Kalura Trattoria is a gem, and I truly hope they start getting the recognition they deserve. I’m so thankful to them for salvaging my night and turning it into something...