Workshop Kitchen & Bar — Restaurant in Palm Springs

I recently celebrated my birthday at Workshop Kitchen & Bar in Palm Springs, and it was a delightful surprise arranged by my wonderful girlfriend. We visited on a Thursday in the evening, and I have nothing but positive things to say about our experience.

The restaurant's ambiance was captivating, with its industrial, minimalist, and rustic decor. The low lighting added to the cozy yet luxurious feel, and the booths cast from concrete were visually striking.

The service at Workshop was top-notch. Our server was attentive, friendly, and well-informed about the menu. He took the time to explain each dish we inquired about and helped us make choices that suited our preferences. Throughout the evening, he checked on us multiple times, ensuring our glasses were always full and ensuring our satisfaction.

Although the menu offered a limited selection, Workshop provided a variety of options for all dietary preferences. We opted for small plates to sample and share. We indulged in the shaved Brussels Sprouts, Ricotta Gnocchi, and Oyster Mushrooms. Each dish was beautifully plated and bursting with flavor. Among the selections, the Oyster Mushrooms stood out as our favorite. It was evident that the culinary expertise at Workshop was deserving of its Michelin star recognition.

To complement our meal, we ordered the French 75 and the Saturn cocktails. Both drinks were expertly crafted and perfectly balanced, enhancing the overall dining experience. Our favorite was the Saturn however.

To end our meal on a sweet note, we shared the Market House Crostata with strawberry ice cream. The dessert was a perfect size for sharing and the combination of the warm crostata with the refreshing strawberry ice cream was simply delightful but it made us wonder if it could taste even better with a more muted ice cream flavor to really appreciate the peach. Nevertheless, it provided a satisfying conclusion to our dining experience.

The overall experience was elevated by the exceptional service and the luxurious yet inviting atmosphere. The combination of industrial elements and cozy ambiance created a visually appealing space that enhanced our dining pleasure.

While we had a reservation and did not experience a wait, locating the main entrance door within the shopping center plaza was a bit confusing. However, the restaurant does have signs outside to assist with finding the entrance. In terms of portion sizes and pricing, we found that three appetizers were satisfying for two people. The total cost came to approximately $120, which we deemed reasonable considering the quality and taste of the dishes.

I thoroughly enjoyed my birthday dinner at Workshop Kitchen & Bar and would eagerly return to explore more of their menu. The small plates provided a chance to sample a variety of flavors, and the impeccable service further enhanced the overall experience. I cannot thank my girlfriend enough for...

A group of 10 of us ladies ate here last night. We’re from Denver and some originally from Chicago, so we know a little about good food and service. I’ve also worked in bars/ restaurants for over 20 years, just to preface.

The space is beautiful inside and out. We were sat outside and they personalized the menu for us, which has really nice and cute. Our group was 10, so had to take 2 different Ubers, so 5 of us arrived first. As soon as we sat, the server came over and was about to open the champagne we had preordered and one of the gals asked him to wait until the others arrived (especially as the birthday gal wasn’t there yet). He acted as if this upset him and said “sure” and walked away. It was odd.

The other gals arrived, we had ordered espresso martinis in the meantime and they ordered some when they arrived. He poured the champagne as soon as they arrived and before the other half of the espresso martinis were there and then the apps started firing and I mean firing. Our friend asked if they could slow down the pace a bit but they didn’t.

Usually at a nice dining experience, they’d wait until we finish our first drink (especially an espresso martini) to bring out every single app we preordered. There were 3 apps, 4 dishes of each. There wasn’t even enough room on the table.

They seemed to be avoiding our table because they didn’t want to slow down the pace or take additional drink orders from us. One side of the table got no service for the second half of the meal besides the plate drops. We were able to order vodka dirty martinis at one point but they must have shaken it in a tin that had previously had tequila because they tasted like tequila. I know this because 1. I’m in the liquor industry and 2. I do not like tequila. The server said he bartends so he understood what I was trying to say but definitely made me feel like he was inconvenienced. He took those back and switched out them for gin dirty martinis and they were delicious.

When you’re paying $220 per person for a meal, you expect a certain kind of service. I really enjoyed all the food, except the scallops were fishy. The seabass and steak were amazing. One of the gals found hairs in her food though, so asked me to make note of that.

I’ll never go back to this place again. They were rude, made us feel rushed and like we were cumbersome the whole dinner. One of the gals said “we need to go” and one of the servers said “ya you do.” Can...

Palm Springs has quite a few options for dining from classics like Le Vallauris to some wonderful spots like John Henry's as well as completely unpretentious local favorites. What these restaurants all offer is a convivial environment with genuinely kind staff. Workshop is not that restaurant. It is an outlier in what is a wonderful town brimming with small town hospitality. Being away from cities like Paris or San Francisco is always a refreshing opportunity to relax and fully enjoy a meal without hauteur or pretension. Workshop, however, is a perfect example of style over substance.

The menu is already dated compared to more cosmopolitan restaurants, but since the restaurant seemed so popular we thought we'd give it a try. We ordered four courses, which were mediocre at best. The kofte was average but fine, what you might find at an average restaurant in Istanbul or Marrakech. Still it was the best course. The asparagus soup was inedible. It takes a lot of work to overpower the naturally aromatic flavors of asparagus. Somehow they managed by making it unpleasantly acidic. The duck which I was looking forward to was mistimed and came out cold, not chilled but sitting for too long tepid. When I very politely explained this, the waiter argued with me telling me that's how duck is supposed to be served. The description in the menu did not specify that it was a cold dish and when he returned from the kitchen he did in fact apologize the it was not intended to be a cold dish. The divers scallops were simply regular scallops and probably the reason for the duck sitting. Fear of mistiming scallops is an amateur kitchen mistake that causes a lot of consternation among less skilled kitchens. Substituting luxury food items, in this case scallops, with cheaper versions is one of the more nefarious things a restaurant can do. Misreading your customers and trying to pull the wool over their eyes is probably the worst.

If you love the "we have too many customers and don't need you" attitude of some city restaurants, then you might like Workshop. For me, life is too short to be gaslighted or treated badly for a sort of OK meal. There are too many other outstanding food choices in Palm Springs.

The exception to all of this was Ryan who made a very nice Brown Derby while I waited...