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    Sweet Basil California Eatery

    4.6 (292 reviews)
    Updated 2 months ago

    Sweet Basil California Eatery Photos

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    SWEET BASIL CALIFORNIA EATERY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Romantic
    Classy
    Upscale

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    Recommended Reviews - Sweet Basil California Eatery

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    Jonathan H.

    My wife and I stopped here for a healthy(ish) lunch. I had the grilled portobella mushroom "naanwich" (instead of bread, naan is used). On top of the mushroom is gruyere cheese, roasted tomatoes, greens and garlic aioli. It was served with a wonderful orzo pasta salad. The meal (despite the gruyere cheese) was light, refreshing and delicious. My wife ordered the chicken curry naanwich, which had cashews, dried cranberries, greens and garlic aioli. Also, delicious! The ingredients for both meals were first-rate and fresh. The naans used were well-prepared. Our waiter was efficient and we didn't have to wait long for our dishes to come out. The decor is stylish with a look that lands somewhere between California and Thailand. The vibe is quiet and chilled. A nice, quiet meal.

    Sand Dubs
    Doug S.

    The food and service were on point last night. We were even able to secure an outdoor (covered/shielded) seat without a reservation (recommended). Hostess is the owner and started it about 5 years ago. Menu was very broad to accommodate our vegetarian colleagues and still have plenty of meat friendly options. Food was delicious. The lobster lasagna was full of lobster meat (not chunks but full) and topped with a melted cheese. would order again. Veggies were crunchy and I felt were made fresh to order rather than sitting in a steamer or similar. Would highly recommend and it will be a spot I keep in mind for future business in the area.

    Pasta with Bolognese sauce
    Cindy K.

    Came here on a Friday night to have dinner. Very cute environment, lighting, and ambience is romantic and best in El Paseo. Service was perfect. Our waiter Joel was so friendly and very sweet. The food... wow!! We started off with appetizers of artichoke, and a Caesar salad. It was absolutely delicious. For the entrée, we got pasta with Bolognese and a lobster lasagna, which were absolutely phenomenal. We also got an order of fresh pressed coffee, which was bold flavor and so perfect! Definitely will come back again. If you're ever in town, come check this place out.

    French dip on naan bread. Accompanied by a wonderful orzo pasta salad.
    Rebecca A.

    On a nice cool afternoon in Palm Springs, my buddy and I decided to try this wonderful little spot. He enjoyed the Sally's pasta and I had the French dip naanwich. My dish is only available on the lunch menu, but let me tell you how wonderful it was. I never thought a French tip on naan bread would be that great. But boy was I wrong. We also tried the bar and cheese appetizer and it was out of this world. We got the opportunity to meet the owners Martin and Sally. What wonderful people they are. Very welcoming to make you feel like you've been a part of their family forever. I highly recommend this little spot on El Paseo.

    Bruschetta is excellent.

    Wonderful hospitality from the owners who are always working from hostess through head waiter and their chefs use their homegrown recipes. A very personal, professional and tasty place to dine.

    Lobster Lasagna
    Akita M.

    My boyfriend and I were surprised by how good the food was. Everything we had was flavorful, filling, yet light. Fried Chickpeas: lightly fried and seasoned. If they sold this in a bar, I would buy a whole box. One of the reasons I marked the place down a star is because the spoon that came with it had a water spot on it and decreased my appetite. Lobster Lasagna: the creamy Parmesan sauce had the right mix of richness and velvety consistency yet not too overwhelming thick. And it was full of lobster! Which tasted amazing. Gorgonzola Stuffed Filet Mignon: The second reason I marked this place down one star is because we ordered the Filet Mignon to be medium but the middle came out more on the rare side. It was still delicious and the cheese added a nice touch. Cheesecake of the Day: Creamy and rich. The fresh berries added to the freshness. The crust was perfection. Crispy with a buttery texture. Vanilla Crème Brûlée: This was probably my favorite dish. It was sweet but not over powerful. The custard was velvety and tasted like heaven. Definitely get this dessert. It is definitely a spot I would come to eat at again and you should too!

    Grilled Salmon - to be added to pasta (4 stars)

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    5 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    Kate S.

    What a lovely review, thank you!

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    8 months ago

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    8 months ago

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    3 months ago

    Wonderful atmosphere - delicious fresh food - carefully prepared - great service - reasonable prices

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

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    7 months ago

    Everything was wonderful. The food was delicious and the service was amazing. I love supporting local restaurants

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    9 months ago

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    8 months ago

    Great food, terrific service, lovely space and atmosphere. Everything was terrific for our girls' lunch!

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    4 months ago

    Good food, varied menu, great and friendly service Nice ambiance Lobster cakes are delish.

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    3 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    5 months ago

    This restaurant is always great. Service, food, atmosphere and location. Don't hesitate to make your res and enjoy the experience.

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    2 years ago

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    Kate S.

    Thank you! We appreciate your kind words.

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

    We loved this cute restaurant on El Paseo. Great food and service. Ordered the chickpeas, and Sally's pasta dish. Yummy.

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    1 year ago

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    Kate S.

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    7 months ago

    The food is always excellent. Sallie's recipes are delicious. Reservations recommended because the place is popular.

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    Page 1 of 8

    Ask the Community - Sweet Basil California Eatery

    What type of attire do people typically wear here?

    Desert casual is perfectly appropriate.

    Do you take walk-ins?

    Yes we do

    Do yo take reservations?

    Yes they take reservations!!

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    We had a great early dinner at Porta Via and everything we ordered tasted really good. The linguini…read moreand clams were cooked perfectly with no chewy pieces at all. My youngest loved her spaghetti and meatballs and she is usually pretty picky about pasta. I had the butternut squash ravioli and they were rich, creamy, and exactly what I wanted. My wife ordered the miso glazed seabass and she loved it. I stole her bok choy and that made me very happy. The restaurant is really clean with a laid back contemporary vibe and great music. The AC at our first table was blasting cold air right on us and the staff moved us right away with no issue at all. They were also incredibly kind to my youngest whose birthday we were celebrating. They surprised her with her favorite tiramisu and a candle which completely made her night. Great food, great service, great atmosphere. We will definitely be back.

    Porta Via offers a perfect setting right in the heart of El Paseo's high-end shopping district. The…read morerestaurant is beautifully designed, featuring a welcoming, open-air flow that perfectly captures the desert aesthetic. It clearly caters to a sophisticated crowd--very similar in vibe to their Calabasas location. While parking is accessible in the rear, it can get congested during peak season. The menu is extensive with plenty of excellent selections, though the pricing is definitely premium. For instance, a Cobb salad topped with fish can easily exceed $45; while the quality is high, that's a significant jump over nearby staples like Daily Grill. Service was friendly but lacked consistency; our server disappeared mid-meal without a hand-off, requiring us to flag down other staff. Overall, it's a bright, airy, and stylish spot well worth a visit, provided you're prepared for the 'luxury' price point.

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    SHORT ANSWER: Yes in many ways…read more LOCATION: on the corner next to FARM, so a fall back if you do not have FARM reservations and hate disappointment of being turned away. FACILITY: Small, limited seating indoors with very nice, fun, outdoor seating areas. Love this place. MENU: Simple, easy to understand, great photos online if you have any questions. FOOD PREP: Very well done, like professional in just how it looks. FOOD QUALITY: Professional in how it also tastes... Watermelon Gazpacho was perfect with drinks prior to main. LIBATIONS: drinks and bartender were excellent, fun, and the photo print was very cool. WAITSTAFF: just so nice, and fun making the experience all that much better. We have been enjoying The Plaza Theater so spending a little more time in Palm Springs and this will be one of our favorites places to relax prior to an event. OVERALL VALUE: Good, but it is Palm Springs, outdoors, great locations, classy.. no, not inexpensive but well worth it. TIP: I'd say be nice, be patient, and you will get a table. Don't be an angry rude touron, we don't need that vibe and we see some of that in PS.. You can try for reservations, not sure if they take off season.

    This place is very cute! They have a cold kitchen only, but the charcuterie board was *chef's…read morekiss.* Good wine selection too, although our red was refrigerated which was a bit odd. Overall I'd be back to try sandwiches and salads!

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    Tommy Bahama

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    (1.7k reviews)
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    I've been here once before but that was a while back. This location is way bigger in size compared…read moreto the other location in downtown Palm Springs. Both have retail that's next to it. Palm Desert retail is below while Palm Springs is right next door. Both have access to restaurants and retail. This location has a decent size dining room and a pretty big covered patio that wraps around. At first we thought that we would have to check in with the hostess for a seat at the bar but found out that we didn't as someone else just walked right up. It was the start of happy hour which was the reason for the visit. Just wanted a drink and maybe a light bite. There was 2 seats that were available at the bar which was perfect timing as when we got seated, a few other people walked in but ended up just ordering drinks while waiting for a seat to open up. Happy hours from 3-5 which I feel like loads of people come for it. They offer a couple dollars off of starters, wine and beer. For small bites, 5.00 sliders and 6.00 fish tacos. Limited but a little discount on the starters. We had a glass of wine which was 4.00 off with the HH. Of course with that, something to munch on was needed. Clearly they're known for the coconut shrimp starters which we were informed by the bartender. And from the looks of it, pretty much everyone sitting there had an order. Which was a given for us to get. It came with five shrimp, decent size with a nice glaze sauce and adorned with coleslaw which was quite tasty. Definitely worth it. And the sliders, one each. Wow, I'm not much of a burger person but they were tasty. Cooked perfectly, the meat was juicy and served pretty simple with grilled onions, sauce, a slice of cheese and a slice of pickle on top of the bun. Simple yet very tasty and flavorful. The service was great at the bar. Gentlemen taking care of use was sweet and quite friendly. Seemed like it's a local and regular hangout as he seemed to know everyone sitting there. The wine was tasty and the bites were great. Coconut shrimp was a hit as well as the sliders which I do recommend. Even on a Monday right at 3, the bar area was pretty packed already. People know when to come for HH.

    This used to be our go-to restaurant whenever we visited Palm Desert, but unfortunately our last…read moretwo visits have been very disappointing. Today's lunch with family and friends was especially frustrating, and everyone left unhappy. The kids' sliders were burnt on both ends, and the chicken was overcooked and even contained a long hair. We were served appetizers without any plates and had to get up and ask for them ourselves. We also ordered three appetizers, but only two arrived. When we asked about the missing appetizer, we were told it would come out later because the other family in our party had ordered it. That explanation made no sense. Appetizers should be served together regardless of which members of the party ordered them. To make matters worse, when we requested separate checks, we were told the restaurant could not accommodate that request. We have dined here many times in the past and have never had an issue receiving separate checks, so this was surprising and frustrating. The waiter just gave us the option to split the check evenly on two cards which is not helpful since one family spent far less than the other. Apparently the food could be separated by family, but the bill could not. Service throughout the meal was poor. We were never offered additional cocktails or soft drink refills until we had already finished eating. Dirty plates sat on the table for an extended period of time, attracting multiple flies and creating an unpleasant dining experience. It's disappointing because this restaurant was once one of our favorites, but after two consecutive poor experiences, we're finding it difficult to justify returning.

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    Kitchen 86

    Kitchen 86

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    We probably come into Kitchen 86 about 3 times per month. I enjoy their brunch items haven't had a…read morebad experience yet. We also go often during happy hour can't go wrong with their fungi pizza especially at $10 as as well as the boom boom shrimp although I believe that's a slightly smaller portion still well worthwhile. We have a couple of salads that are fantastic, and my son enjoys a few of their pasta dishes. I think the only thing that we haven't tried yet are the steaks although I did try the pork chop once it was phenomenal. Cocktails are reasonable. We've had a few that were better than others. This is one area of opportunity for consistency. Mostly though we like that we can go at any time and they always have multiple items that we enjoy whereas most of our other places we get the same thing 80% of the visit

    Made a reservation over the phone w "one of the partners" (whose accent and delivery could…read morerecognise from his local pure sports radio spots) "outdoors for nine people" days before last night and the hostess said upon arrival "I have you inside over there" so rolled-with-the-unexpected-flow towards that table under the TV near the restrooms which chemicals you could smell from the table. We made the best of it but would have preferred to be outside as the original plan for the res. It was almost if the staff was too lazy to setup "nine outdoors". Service was great (gave an extra hundy over the 20% large group charge) and food/drinks were pretty good, but won't be back due to the neglection-in-attention-to-detail laissez-faire delivery. Good luck indeed!

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    First visit and had an amazing experience. The service and food were both excellent. Paige waited…read moreon us and couldn't have been better, providing insight on their menu and special events. They have a long bar and two inside seating areas, as well as an outdoor patio (not in use during our visit). I also loved the glass wine cellar, which has a table to seat six and can be reserved, but there are some minimum purchase requirements on food/wine. FOOD: We took advantage of their Passion4Pinot special menu, a curated four-course experience ($54.60/person) with an additional wine pairing ($25/person). Farouk, their Sommelier, did a fantastic job pairing the wines with the food, truly one of the best pairings we've experienced. Since this was a "special menu", I'll let my pictures speak for themselves as each course was simply delicious. In addition to that, my mother-in-law started with a cup of the soup of the day which was a Cauliflower Bisque ($13). For her entrée, she had the Hi'ilani Shrimp appetizer ($20). Again, both items were simply delicious, and each course was perfectly timed out, so nothing overlapped (a pet peeve of mine). Overall, a wonderful first experience and won't be our last. I highly recommend you check them out.

    Came for happy hour and left underwhelmed. Food was decent but portions were small and overpriced…read more They were out of the beer they were promoting, offered no substitute, and still charged us for it. Took a long time to get it taken off the bill. We felt a bit pressured to order entrées. We were also told music (piano?) started at 6, but it didn't so we left.

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    Wildest Restaurant & Bar
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    RD RNNR- roadrunner Old Town La Quinta

    RD RNNR- roadrunner Old Town La Quinta

    4.7
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    5.3 mi
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    Locally owned & operated
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    We were in the area for the Farmers Market and decided to grab lunch here with friends. It's quite…read morea large restaurant and it was packed when we were there. We didn't have reservations and requested to be seated inside. There was a little awkward first impression with the hostess who told us that there was only one inside table left in the back corner. She didn't come across very friendly when we asked if we could see it before deciding if we wanted to sit there or not. I understand they were busy but she was a bit short with us. We were seated in Isabel's section and she more than made up for it. What a gem! She was so friendly and very nice. She made sure to check on us often and we had a lovely time at your restaurant because of her. We are giving this review 5 stars because of Isabel. The seared ahi tuna salad and the ahi tuna nachos were both delicious. The fish was fresh and so very tender with a light dressing. The pulled pork tacos were good too. The brownie dessert was a bit dry though.

    I rarely leave reviews, but this experience was bad enough that I feel obligated to warn others…read more My fiancé ordered a Cobb salad, which should be one of the safest, most straightforward items on any menu. Instead, she bit into a sharp chicken bone hidden in the salad--something that absolutely should never happen. This wasn't a small, soft fragment either; it was sharp enough to cause immediate, severe pain and pierced her gums. This is not just a minor oversight--it's a major failure in basic food safety and kitchen preparation. There is no excuse for serving food in this condition, especially something as simple as a salad. We trusted this restaurant to provide a safe meal, and that trust was completely broken. What makes this even worse is that the situation could have been far more dangerous. If swallowed, this could have led to choking or internal injury. No customer should ever have to worry about that when ordering a salad. I strongly urge the restaurant to take a hard look at their food prep standards and quality control, because this is unacceptable. Until then, I cannot recommend this place to anyone.

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    Sweet Basil California Eatery - newamerican - Updated June 2026

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