Bar Cecil

“Was a highlight of our 3 night stay. Despite the menu not being extensive, everyone in our group found something to enjoy. The halibut was cooked to perfection, with an outstanding puree, the pork chop was gigantic, the burgers served in a their own box, the cacio e pepe had a great kick. Although the risotto was a tad salty it was a lovely accompaniment to other dishes. The steak tar tar was amazing, and steak frites was off the charts. The excellent service made the entire experience, as did the intimate chic French Riveria vibes.”

“Bar Cecil is easily one of the best spots in Palm Springs. The vibe is classic but relaxed, with a cool old-school feel that makes the whole place fun from the moment you walk in. The service was fantastic and the staff really knows their stuff without being over the top. The food and drinks were both excellent. Everything felt thoughtful and well done, from the cocktails to the dishes. It is the kind of place where you want to take your time and enjoy the whole experience. If you are visiting Palm Springs this place is a must. We will definitely be back.”

“We had a fantastic time at Bar Cecil. We didn’t have a reservation so we waited for seats at the bar. We had amazing service, the best food, and loved the atmosphere. For an appetizer we had the bread & butter, dinner the pork chop and steak frites, finished off with cookies & ice cream for dinner. Everything was cooked to perfection with amazing flavor. Highly recommend!”

“Dinner on our last night in Palm Springs was at Bar Cecil. A friend gave me a hint to go early to sit at the bar. We arrived a half an hour before the restaurant opened to find we were put on a waitlist for bar seats. Yes, the bar seats had a waiting list for 1-1/2 to 2 hours! Restaurant reservations are booked 14 days in advance and are difficult to get one or two of those coveted seats. So what’s a little 2-hour wait after waiting for 10 hours at O’Hare to get to Palm Springs after our flight was cancelled. The wait was worth it! Bar Cecil is an intimate restaurant with a fun and colorful decor with great artwork that offers delicious food and creative cocktails, including a $50 caviar martini. Hubby and I started with wine while we waited and then ordered cocktails at the bar once seated. An old-fashioned for him and a bees knees for me. Hayley made them perfectly. We started with the bread service with to-die-for date & sage butter. We shared the steak tartare with a truffle aïoli and potato chips. I loved the thin salty potato chips with the fresh and tender raw steak. My husband had the pork chop with au gratin potatoes and broccolini. He loved it and I kept on snagging tastes of his potatoes. They were outstanding. I opted for the black cod for dinner served with collard greens and delicata squash. The cod was moist and flaky and melted in your mouth. We had every intention on getting the lemon tart for dessert, but we were stuffed. Next time! I did bring the uneaten rolls and butter back to our hotel to enjoy tomorrow. Bar Cecil is a Michelin-rated restaurant in Palm Springs and lives up to the hype.”

“The reason it’s so hard to get into this place is because it’s tiny. I didn’t realize it would be 8 tables up against the bar (and another 10 outside). Maybe we should have sat outside, because I was sweating inside in shorts and a button up. I looked up at the air conditioner and noticed it was set to 73 degrees…this is Palm Springs it should definitely be 70. Now for the drinks: we ordered the Perfect Manhattan and the normal Manhattan. The waitress went out of her way to describe in detail the differences, and they were both pretty good. But for our second round of drinks, a different server brought them to us and served us the opposite drinks (mine had an orange peel, mom’s had a cherry). I asked which was the “Perfect” and he said it was the one with the cherry. Either way they were good, but if you’re gonna charge $22 for a drink and explain the nuanced differences to me you should definitely not mix them up and serve us the one we didn’t order. Onto the food: I had the steak frites, and it was pretty good. My dad’s chicken was bland, and mom’s pork chop was SO SALTY we had to send it back. They took it off the bill, but she decided not to order another entree and just get in-n-out on the way home. When I went to the bathroom they had a sorta cute drink coaster with painted on lines of coke (see picture). It’s a fun idea, but also maybe the staff should do less coke and not mix up our drink order (just my two cents, im not here to intervention anyone). To top it all off at the end they wanted to make us feel like family, so with our $300 bill they included 3 Olive Garden mints”