Spectacular food and service. Visted New Year's Day. The restaurant is very pretty - definitely gives good wine vibes. Reflected in nice wine list. Enjoyed the bread and butter served prior to the meal- the crust was nice and light and crispy. We split the crabcakes and pork belly appetizers, and almost placed another order for the pork belly. That stuff is like CRACK. Totally overshadowed the delicious crab cakes. But did not care for the tomato base they were served on. Split the large wedge salad, which was wonderful - nice cold lettuce, generous amount of lardons, excellent dressing (not some sloppy mess), and plenty of fresh ground pepper. Had the chicken and the filet as entrees, both cooked to absolute perfection. The only criticism is mild and related to the molten chocolate cake, which felt commercially processed. It wasn't horrible, but it was not on par with the rest of the meal. Service was outstanding - dishes were cleared quickly, drinks topped off, and we were checked on regularly, but not too often. Jeff, our server, was so professional and expedient. Planning to make this our New Year's Eve dinner next year. read more

First time here...was in the area. Ambience was nice, food was okay. Service was attentive. I had the surf and turf and husband ordered the ribeye. We both had salads and ordered the lobster stack for our appetizer. Salads were good, the lobster stack reminded me of a lesser version of the crabstack from Beachcomber which we love, The mango used was hard and sour, not ripe at all. 3 or 4 pieces of lobster for the entire stack. Our entrees came out, my surf and turf - lobster and filet, my husband the ribeye. Ribeye was good, but a little on the side of bland, My filet was delicious but the lobster was totally undercooked. I ate the end which was fine but when I cut closer to the center, the lobster was still opaque raw. Our waiter walked by the same time I was cutting into the lobster and also saw it was undercooked. He took it and said it would be about 4-5 minutes. I did not get my lobster back until about 15 minutes later. No manager came to apologize, no other mention of sorry about that... bit disappointing being it was a $300 dinner for two. Mortons was in the same plaza but we also have that near our house that we have gone to many times and we wanted to try something local to the area. We gave it a try but would have to pass on the Cork Tree next time we are in Palm Desert. read more

Had dinner here last night with my date. I had requested a booth for added privacy and they delivered. We were seated immediately even though the place was busy. The staff were attentive and friendly, and the ambiance presents an upscale vibe. The prices are a bit on the high side, especially the wine list, but not prohibatively so for an upscale establishment. My date ordered the scallops and I had the Yellowfin tuna. Both were very tasty and the portions were very large, more than either of us could eat. It was a solid four star experience and I would definitely a return visit. read more

I had not been here in years, but decided to give it a try. The good was great, the martini was even better. The bar atmosphere was nice and service was great. read more

A couple of months ago, I found myself in Palm Springs proper with a few colleagues, looking for a decent place to have a nice meal. Our foursome found Cork Tree, and took a brisk evening walk over from the condo. The ambiance was nice-- unnecessarily dim for four educator-types with an allowance account-- but mellow after a long day at a conference. The place was pretty packed; still, we we able to get a table without any delay. Our server was, in a word, amazing. Very knowledgeable about the menu, patient, and just the right blend of wit and wisdom. Like Red describing Tommy in The Shawshank Redemption: "We liked him immediately." We started with a couple of wedge salads and a couple of soups. I'm one of those babies who likes to have his wedge all chopped up and tossed, and they did that here perfectly. A very well-balanced salad, not too watery, and kick-ass bacon (it's a culinary term, look it up.) For the main course, we ordered the following around the table: - SPICY CALABRESE SEAFOOD LINGUINI (Rock Shrimp, Baby Clams, Calabrese Salumi, Shaved Garlic, Marjoram, Parmesan Cheese) - BEEF FILET MIGNON (Horseradish Crust, Roasted Beets, Broccolini, Fingerling Potatoes, Red Wine Sauce) - BRAISED PORK SHANK (Tomato Bacon Onion Compote, Polenta, Blue Lake Beans, Pork Jus) a couple of sides.... ...and I got: - ROASTED ICELANDIC SALMON (Sweet Corn & Lump Crab Chowder, Smoked Trout Caviar, Lemon Oil) Everything was plated well, and my compatriots enjoyed their meals. As for me, salmon is one of the only seafood entrees I purchase (as opposed to catching my own seafood locally). This one was well-conceived; the chowder dressing added to the natural moisture of the fish which was cooked just on the downside of done (how I order it and how I like it)... but unfortunately, it was a little fishy. I know, imagine that-- fishy salmon in the desert. I ate the whole thing, and we're not talking, like, Marie Callendar's "Fresh Alaskan Halibut" fishy (OK, that's just cruel)... but it wasn't up to snuff. Just sniff. Overall, I'd definitely give this place another shot, and likely will on our next trip to the area. I'll probably stick to the turf side of the a la carte menu on my next visit. read more

Cork Tree - New American Near Me - Palm Desert, California

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The food is great, the service is excellent. Too bad the prices got so high that it's now a place only for special occasions , IMHO.

I had the sea bass and it might be the best sea bass I have ever had! Nice patio that is protected, the wait staff were very warm and friendly. read more

Food and service was great. Went for a team meeting dinner. Accommodated greatly with large group.

Always amazing service and great food. We choose main dining if it's more than just us. Otherwise we love the bar. For The bar get there early as it fills up fast. We love this place and it's our go to when we want to feel spoiled. On the nights they have a live guitar player it's lovely. The acoustics make it so that you can hear the music and your table which we appreciate. Bring back the scallops with the orange burre blanc. highly recommend. read more

Cork tree Cork Tree restaurant 0:04 Jeanine was an amazing server who was attentive, informative, and hard to find! The food was outstanding, especially the Surf and Turf and the Cioppino which was the best ever! You can't find a place better for the superb service, spectacular food and delicious cocktails (you just have to have one of their chocolate martini's!!!) Exquisite!! A little noisy is the only reason the atmosphere got a four star. I recommend this place highly. Seared Chilean Sea Bass Butternut Squash Soup View all Cork Tree restaurant 4.5 (409) $50-100 Californian restaurantOpen OVERVIEW MENU DIRECTORY REVIEWS PHOTOS ABOUT Reviews from the web 4.7/5OpenTable · 3,895 reviews Google review summary 54321 4.5 (409) Reviews All scallops18 dining18 duck13 filet mignon10 +6 Sort by Most relevant Newest Highest Lowest Lori Whitesides Local Guide·53 reviews·8 photos 2 minutes ago NEW Dine in | Dinner | $50-100 Jeanine was an amazing server who was attentive, informative, and hard to find! The food was outstanding, especially the Surf and Turf and the Cioppino which was the best ever! You can't find a place better for the superb service, ... More Mark Curtis Local Guide·69 reviews·133 photos a week ago NEW Dine in | Dinner | $100+ I had the Christmas special menu offer, which was great. Comfortable atmosphere, and the waiter was very attentive. The food was so good we went back for happy hour and small plates a couple of days later. ... More 1 Nathan Atkins Local Guide·12 reviews·13 photos 2 weeks ago NEW Dine in | Dinner | $50-100 What an incredible room. We had the Prix Fixe menu, and the food was absolutely delicious. As you can see from start to finish (cappuccino), we consumed everything....way more than we should, but it was all so good. Happy New Year! I'm glad we came to restaurant ... More 1 Veronica Golan Local Guide·149 reviews·474 photos 3 months ago Dinner Lori Whitesides Jeanine, our waitress, was an amazing server who was attentive, informative, and hard to find! The food was outstanding, especially the Surf and Turf and the Cioppino which was the best ever! You can't find a place better for the superb service, spectacular food and delicious cocktails (you just have to have one of their chocolate martini's!!!) Exquisite!! A little noisy is the only reason the atmosphere got a four star. I recommend this place highly. Butternut Squash Soup View all Cork Tree restaurant 4.5 (409) $50-100 Californian restaurantOpen OVERVIEW MENU DIRECTORY REVIEWS PHOTOS ABOUT Reviews from the web 4.7/5OpenTable · 3,895 reviews Google review summary 54321 4.5 (409) Reviews All scallops18 dining18 duck13 filet mignon10 +6 Sort by Most relevant Newest Highest Lowest Lori Whitesides Local Guide·53 reviews·8 photos 2 minutes ago NEW Dine in | Dinner | $50-100 Jeanine was an amazing server who was attentive, informative, and hard to find! The food was outstanding, especially the Surf and Turf and the Cioppino which was the best ever! You can't find a place better for the superb service, ... More Mark Curtis Local Guide·69 reviews·133 photos a week ago NEW Dine in | Dinner | $100+ I had the Christmas +5as an amazing server who was attentive, informative, and hard to find! The food was outstanding, especially the Surf and Turf and the Cioppino which was the best ever! You can't find a place better for the superb service, spectacular food and delicious cocktails (you just have to have one of their chocolate martini's!!!) Exquisite!! A little noisy is the only reason the atmosphere got a four star. I recommend this place highly. read more

Cork Tree - Chocolate martini - New American Near Me - Palm Desert, California

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Excellent new American/California cuisine! Interesting twists on familiar dishes. For example, the addition of pomegranate seeds to the scallops introduced a whole other delicious element to the dish. The pork shank was delicious and the steaks cooked perfectly. One minor quibble was my scallop was over salted, but it still had a nice crust and I enjoyed it. Certainly worth a stop by if in the area. read more

Cork Tree - Escargot and beef - New American Near Me - Palm Desert, California

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Probably one of the nicest restaurants I have been to in a long time. We ate outside. Ambiance was lovely. Food was excellent. Wine choices good. The appetizer with escargot, short ribs a and wine was a 10+. We also had beet salad and caprese salad. For main course we had pork shank, scallops, and cauliflower steak. Everything was the finest. Please go there if you are in town. The menu that lights up was one of the coolest things I have ever seen. read more

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Me and my mom came here after a day of tennis at Indian Wells. It was really good, but gave 4 stars for the service. It could have been better, it felt like we were waiting a long time each step of the dinner. The server did take my second glass of wine off the bill because of the wait for it, so that was nice. We got the burgundy and thyme infused escargot en croute for an app and that was so good. I ordered the chicken with risotto for dinner, which was really flavorful and juicy. The risotto was great as well, it had a bit of a Smokey flavor. I do a great risotto myself at home and this is was on par with what I really like, tender rice with layers of flavor. My mom got the short ribs, she enjoyed those. We got the creme brûlée sampler for dessert and it did not disappoint. Overall food was great, service could have been better. Great place near Indian wells! read more

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The tables are most uncomfortable!! There is a HUGE base underneath and I literally had to straddle with legs spread wide to avoid. Otherwise, my feet would be on its' hard plastic base, in squat position. I looked around and the tables, not just the booths, and they all had the same wide base. Some customers were sitting sideways in their chair to avoid the table base. Food was mediocre and lacked seasoning/salt. Don't let their picture of scallops fool you. You get 3 not 5 as in the picture on the Valpac coupon. Very bland too. We started with the duck appetizer and it was not better than Applebee's wonton tacos. You taste the feta...a strong cheese. They should have paired it with goat cheese...better result. When it says it comes with smoked bacon...literally 4 bacon bit sized pieces slapped on top. My Husband ordered the pasta primavera with chicken. So bland and the chicken tasted boiled...again, no seasoning. He wanted Parmesan on top and you'd expect from a fine dining place that they'd bring out the wheel grater with fresh parm...but no. It was a ramekin of Kraft grated parm. We felt like we ate 20$ worth of food and left playing $130 w/ tip. I give 1 stars because of nice visual atmosphere, and waiter Joshua was friendly. Oh and normally I say yes to creme brûlée, but this time I declined because I had a feeling I'd be further disappointed. That says a lot because I never decline that, ever. Waste of money...felt robbed. Never going again. read more

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My parents bought a place out here years ago and this restaurant was good, then ok, and now is fantastic. Kudos to the manager! To start with they have an amazing staff from a great receptionist, servers, cooks and busboys. Their quality of food is outstanding as well as their cocktails. They have gone up in ingredients and presentation. It's now my top 5 in Palm Desert as well as Palm Springs. No attitude (Eddie V's comes to mind ...the you're lucky if we let you in and feed you at $300). This restaurant is friendly yet elegant. 1. Beautifully laid out seating plan, flattering lighting, and relaxing music. 2. Best sea bass I ever had. 3. Great cocktails and excellent wine list. 4. Good bread which seems to be lacking at other places. 5. Chilled salad fork a nice plus. So happy to support a local biz close to my parents vacation rental. Highly recommend. Also there is a huge parking lot so you don't need to do the valet and wait for your car. read more

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Celebrated my birthday dinner here last Friday with my group of 7. Can I just say .... choose the Chilean sea bass!! Let me tell you, it's not the fish I normally order since I like salmon more. But the reviews convinced me and so glad they did. DELICIOUS!! Very tasty and cooked to perfection, not dry at all!! You won't regret it. My friends raved about their meals as well: the salmon, the shrimp and scallops special, and the cioppino. The manager Marc and his staff were excellent! Stellar service!! Marc came to chat with us and he was just so funny and friendly. If you're looking for an elegant, intimate, low-key and "can hear each other speak" type of restaurant that serves great food with a staff to match, then come to Cork Tree in Palm Desert. It's walking distance from the JW Marriot Resort. We'll be back! read more

Cork Tree - Chilean sea bass - New American Near Me - Palm Desert, California

Food was over priced U don't get much food I got the salmon witch tasted like it was frozen and not much flavor. service was very good but I wouldn't recommend this place read more

FOOD POISONING from Cork Tree used to be my favorite restaurant because I loved the food. We went Tuesday night for dinner. I had the crab cakes for appetizer, sea bass and mushroom risotto. Nothing tasted particularly great. The crab cakes were flavorless, the sea bass tasted fishy and the risotto was virtually inedible. The risotto had a weird taste- at first we thought it tasted like it had a southwest mesquite type taste. Then we figured it out - it tasted like boiled hot dogs. I was starving, so I ate it. I was up ALL NIGHT WITH THE WORST FOOD POISONING experience that I have ever experienced. I will spare you the details, but it lasted for two days. Can't determine which item made me so sick but it was definitely something I ate there because I didn't have any thing else to eat that day. It came on quick and violently. Tried them again ...what a mistake. We were rushed rushed rushed by some new female server we have never seen before. Asked for more bread 2x never came. Server needs to lay off!!! No need to come by every 2 mins to see if we are done when we have a full plate o read more

Incredible Food with better service. Must try when in the area. One of the more higher dining experiences I have had in Palm Desert in the plaza with all the higher end names read more

Cork Tree - Surf & Turf: Filet mignon with Shrimp from the Gulf of MEXICO - New American Near Me - Palm Desert, California

The staff were excellent and pasta primavera was the best I've had! My husband had Cioppino that included lobster, blue crab and mussels. He also tried the scallops and was very pleased with both! read more

This combination was delicious. I will definitely be back because that chimichurri sauce was amazing and Raspberry LemonDrop was Amazing! read more

Cork Tree - Chimichurri steak off Bar menu and broccolini - New American Near Me - Palm Desert, California

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Amazing!! Was our 2nd visit, this time for my birthday. Friends joined us. Sat in a very private deep booth. Server was friendly, knew the menu and made recommendations. I had Cioppino and it was a huge portion! I took half home to warm up with pasta the next day. My husband had jidori chicken that he said was delicious. They gave me a pudding cake with ice cream for dessert. It was delicious!! A top notch restaurant in Coachella Valley! Prices were reasonable given high end service, food and ambiance!! We will be back, for sure!! read more

Made a reservation via OpenTable for a week night, holiday dinner. It was a nice touch that our party of 6 was put in the private dining room! While the prix fixe menu looked fantastic, we opted to order a la carte. I'm sure our server was disappointed that we didn't order wine or desserts, but c'est la vie! Anyways, I'm impressed that there's fine dining like this in Palm Desert! I felt that way about Copley's when I first tried in 2016, but Cork Tree reinforces that! Tried the: *CHEF'S 36-HOUR PORK SHANK (Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Hydroponic Watercress, Baby Carrots, Asparagus, Cabernet Reduction) - this thing was massive! Can definitely be shared but they charge a $7.50 split plate fee. Anyways, I tried to tackle this bad boy myself, but 1: Pork Shank 0: Tiffany. It was amazingly fall off the bone & was really flavorful! *SEARED JUMBO SCALLOPS (Sweet Corn Citrus Risotto, Asparagus, Micro Green Salad, Blood Orange Emulsion) - these were definitely jumbo scallops! Perfectly cooked/seared. *SEARED CHILEAN SEA BASS (Miso Ginger Marinade, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes,Watercress, Shiitake, Sweet Chili Sauce): PERFECTLY seared as well so it was nice and flakey. We were way too full for dessert, but they looked fantastic as well! 343/365 read more

Top-notch go-to restaurant. Elegant but warm and inviting. Not cheap, actually rather expensive, but worth it--- that makes the difference, right? read more

This is a great restaurant and relaxing. Fun environment. Great bartenders great chefs great service.

Wow, nice place! The best service we've had in years. Eve was our waitress and she manages a fabulous support staff. When my wife mentions the service level, it's really good! The food was perfect and the drinks were fabulous. The speed, the quality, and the friendly support staff made for a perfect evening! read more

The food was delicious - beet salad and pear Gorgonzola salad; the butternut squash and lobster bisque "samplers"; the scallops and the crab stuffed halibut - everything was fantastic! Servers, wait staff and Ray were all exemplary! Polite, attentive, kind. Ambiance - lovely. Busy, full house, but not crowded or too loud. I would recommend Cork Tree to anyone who wants to have a nice quiet dinner with excellent food and above and beyond service!! read more

This is my favorite nice restaurant in the area. The food is always spot on and the service is really nice. I love the classic feel of the restaurant. I always come here when I'm in Palm Desert! read more

The food and drinks were delicious. All the staff were friendly and attentive. Would 100% recommend.

The place is a bit aged. The food selection is decent but covered in sauces and way to busy. Had the duck breast it was good but the sauce tasted like barb que sauce, Not desirable at all. Had the risotto it was just ok. Had the cremebrela, it was good. The butter Scoth not so good. read more

My husband and I went for an early dinner last night. We sat on the patio which is so beautiful and had the pleasure of Francesco as our server. He was very knowledgeable and extremely friendly and offered quite a few suggestions to our questions. This is a wonderful restaurant. I can't say enough! We were extremely happy with our selections. In fact the chef prepared something a little special for my husband.. since we do not eat meat he substituted several different types of shellfish instead.. for what was supposed to be a surf and turf!! It was most delicious!! Again I want to thank everyone at the Cork Tree for their hospitality and service!! read more

We had a beautiful; table in a quiet room off the main dining room. Service was outstanding and the food was delicious. Birthday celebration was perfect! read more

Last night my friend and I went to Cork Tree at 5:30. Much to our surprise there were people there already. As time went on our section of the restaurant was nearly full. There is a reason why. We both had scallops and they were divine. The preparation and presentation excellent and so delicious. I hardly ever finish a dinner but I cleaned my plate. Reluctant to get a desert our very efficient and cordial waiter, Ray, recommended a decaffinated espresso. It was perfect and just the right desert for us. l Good job Ray. I only gave it 4 because for quite a while it was too dark but then Ray raised the light a little. Perfect read more

The service and knowledge of the staff is great (thanks Ray). The menu choices were interesting. It was a little pricey for the food items offered. We loved the Jidori chicken, the triple Creme Brulee and the cheese cake. It was her birthday so she got a free dessert as a gift from them, thanks guys! Overall, it was a good experience, we will eat there on our next trip. read more

Excellent food and great service. Great atmosphere. The lighted menus were a bonus. Not cheap but worth the price read more

We went to the Cork Tree for the third time last night - we recently discovered this establishment. They had a holiday menu and I ordered the Prime Bone-In Ribeye - it stunk. There was so much grizzle in this piece of meat that it was virtually impossible to eat. Plus, it was tasteless. Needless to say, I barely ate it. I'm a big Bone-in Ribeye Fan and there are many places to get a good one (like Eddie V's) but avoid this dish. The potatoes, green beans and wedge salad were good I will go back to give it another chance but won't ever order that dish again. read more

My friends came to eat as a large group on a Friday night and the staff was so accommodating. The service was great and the food was delicious. I tried the pork belly which melted in my mouth, the spare ribs and the house special seafood pasta were both amazing. Would definitely recommend! read more

Sea bass is the best I've ever eaten. My guest had the duck, and he too loved the taste and presentation. Atmosphere is classy and the service impeccable. read more

Incredible filet mignon, wonderful fresh bread, great Cabernet, and attentive service. Husband loved his ribeye and wedge salad. He's so impressed he made me write this review IMMEDIATELY! read more

Cork Tree Restaurant is a lovely place for a higher-end experience, bringing out-of-towners or special occasions. The food is more seafood-driven if thats a concern, I appreciated it especially the Cioppino dish served with pasta which was delicious. Service was good not stellar, nor pushy either. read more