Le Vallauris

“We chose Le Vallauris for dinner before attending the Palm Springs Pops at the Plaza Theater, and it was the perfect pairing. The location is ideal—an easy three-block walk to the theater, which made for a seamless and elegant evening. From start to finish, our experience at Le Vallauris was top notch. The restaurant itself is stunning. We dined outside beneath beautiful mature trees draped with lights, creating such a romantic and relaxed atmosphere—especially lovely for a Southern California evening. My husband and I both love French cuisine and were excited to try Le Vallauris, and it did not disappoint. The staff are truly attentive and professional. A junior waiter even noticed our table was slightly wobbly and fixed it immediately, without us having to mention it—those small details really stood out. I started with a French 75, and my husband had a whiskey sour. Both cocktails arrived promptly and were excellent. We shared the oysters of the night—Prince Edward Island oysters on the half shell—which were fresh and delicious, served with cocktail sauce and ponzu. (Pro tip: you can ask for horseradish, though the oysters were fantastic even without it.) For our next course, my husband enjoyed the lobster bisque. While there weren’t visible chunks of lobster, the flavor was rich and well-executed. I ordered the beef filet steak tartare, which was beautifully presented with toast points and the cutest little miniature eggs. It was very flavorful, though I personally would have liked just a touch more salt. For entrées, my husband had the veal medallions with mascarpone ravioli, peas, and spinach. The spinach was a surprise, but the dish was still very tasty. I chose the lobster entrée, served with a sweet corn cake and spinach. While premium-priced, it was excellent and worth it for a special occasion. We were a bit pressed for time due to our theater tickets, so we skipped dessert—but what we saw at neighboring tables looked amazing. A fun and unique touch was that the menu is presented on an easel right next to your table. This is definitely a splurge. Our total for two—cocktails, shared appetizer, courses, entrées, and tip—was around $325. Not an everyday dinner, but absolutely a memorable and special experience. We would happily return for another celebratory evening.”

“An elegant little French gem with outstanding value. The handwritten daily menu is thoughtful and well-balanced. The outdoor setting under century-old banyan trees, paired with warm ambient lighting, creates a truly enchanting atmosphere. The chocolate mousse was flawless — light, silky, and perfectly restrained in sweetness. An ideal destination for a refined, romantic evening.”

“We came here to celebrate our anniversary and couldn’t have asked for a better experience. The ambiance was romantic and charming, with beautiful outdoor seating that felt like a secret garden. Every bite was perfection — the lobster ravioli was rich and flavorful, and the duck confit was cooked to absolute perfection. The service was warm and attentive, making the evening feel truly special. A must-visit in Palm Springs for anyone looking for an unforgettable dining experience!”

“I made 7:15 dinner reservations for 2 on a Wednesday evening. Upon arrival, my friend and I were greeted by the hostess and lead to a beautiful outdoor dining venue. We were seated at a table that we were not happy with, jammed in between to large parties and the easel menu board. We asked for another table which was then perfect. David S. was our server, very nice, friendly, and fairly attentive. The restaurant was filled. There were a couple periods during our dining experience that there were odd long waits, like in the beginning after we got our drinks we had to wait for the menu and wait after our appetizer for our entree, but nothing to keep us from coming back. We ordered cocktails then looked at the easel menu when it was finally presented. My friend ordered the Escargot appetizer and the Lamb for his entree. I ordered the Crunchy Boston Scallops and the Lobster Ravioli for my entree. When the dishes were served they were all presented beautifully. All the dishes tasted heavenly... OMG the Scallops, I LOVED. We would definitely come back, when in Palm Springs. Atmosphere: beautiful patio venue. Service: good. Food: excellent.”

“Pretty good but not worth the price imo. Service was all over the place — most servers and busboys were really nice, one particular server was a bit frustrated/rude throughout dinner and ended up putting a false charge on our bill. Most of the food was good but not memorable. Exceptions: complementary bread was great, endive salad was yummy, and the chocolate soufflé was super duper delicious, would recommend!!! Ambience in the outdoor garden seating area was really beautiful, lots of lights hanging from long-branched trees. Also kind of random but the menu is written on a whiteboard easel which is cute aesthetically, but ours was a bit smudged + didn't have awesome handwriting and it was a weirdly difficult process to understand what was actually being offered”