19 Best Italian Restaurants in Palm Desert

“This is long overdue, but I have enjoyed La Spiga for years. It is one of my favorite restaurants for celebrations and fine dining experiences. The patio is absolutely gorgeous, the entire team is so kind, welcoming and do an impeccable job elevating your dining experience. Their food is fantastic. My personal favorite is the white truffle pasta. I have gotten many of my friends and clients hooked on that pasta. Needless to say, if you’re looking for a fine dining experience with a bit of old school charm, and a team of really kind and good humored people, I highly recommend La Spiga.“

“When in PS, this is the only place for italian food. Reserve early to not be disappointed“

“Best Italian dining in Palm desert! Cozy and friendly atmosphere with high quality and originally italian made dishes!“

“Elio and Luba are beyond wonderful. The intimacy of the restaurant is wonderful. The food on the menu or on the specials list was delicious. Luba and Elio perform as if they are making dinner just for you!!! Will go back many times after this first experience dining with them last night. This will become our go to Italian restaurant in the Desert. Thank you, Luba & Elio. 🥂🥂“

“The one in Palm Desert is good. Nice restaurants and area. Delicious food.“

“Very good food a wonderful experience !“

“We originally came because of finding you on the Upside app. Little did we know……Wow! Such an amazing meal and awesome service! Arturo was our server and was on top of his game. The Lasagna “Bolognase” was out of this world. Very rich and flavorful. The homemade sausage….out of this world! My wife had The penne with red and white sauce. Again….delicious! We will be back!“

“We had lunch special (sausage parmigiana and spaghetti meat sauce) each, then took home a large pizza. Generous amount for the price (less than $10 for lunch) and food is okay! I liked the atmosphere. The staff are very nice, and the restaurant is super clean. Large pizza (Mario’s special) is only $24.“

“Another consistent wonderful experience at this fine dining restaurant. Our attentive server Chris was incredible and anticipated our wants and needs before we could even ask. \nHe was also charming and had a great smile. \nOur four dinners were all perfect. The veal chop was thick, tender and delicious and Chris had suggested medium, another excellent suggestion. \nThe fish special was Swordfish and the delicious sauce couldn't be found after the small slices of crusty bread wiped up any remains. Third dinner was the pappardelle pasta with sausage and veal ragu. Nothing left on that plate either. \nBeing Vegan, I ordered the angel hair pasta with marinara sauce with a side order of roasted small vegetables I added to my pasta. \nWhen ordering this type of pasta I find there seems to be almost a pound meaning at least half goes home. \nHaving a birthday here is another gift in itself. \nThey serve Tiramisu that comes with a candle and is a large serving so that all 4 of us had 2 bites each. However there was a need for their Creme Brulee which also was devoured with 4 spoons.\nOnly con was the noise level which made it difficult to hear each other across the table. The restaurant was fully packed for a Monday night which only speaks of their excellent reputation. \nThis is where we come for a wonderful meal when in the Palm Desert/Ranch Mirage area on vacation.“

“atmosphere and food was very good. bit they didn't bring the bread or side spinach we ordered until hallfway through our entree. we had to ask for it. maybe just a little short staffed.“

“I have gone to many olive gardens in my lifetime, I had stopped going to them because of food quality and customer service! This place did not seem like an olive garden..... this place was beautiful as you walk in.... get greeted by your waiter/waitress and they introduce themselves at your table. Our waitress was super attentive... met our food needs and special requests! The place was clean looked bright in the areas it had too, but private in dining areas! I wish other olive gardens used this one as an example for the rest of their chain restaurants! We usually go to locally owned to get great service, but this one exceeded my every expectation for our restaurant experience in a while! And we eat out a lot 😁“

“Found this fine establishment by accident. A great find. Was on a drive from NorCal to Phoenix & stopped in Palm Desert for the night. Will return their often!“

“The food was fantastic! I had the risotto and I highly recommend it!“

“Waldo’s is awesome!!! A group of 12 went to Waldo’s last night and had an amazing time. Every dish we ate was fabulous. Our server Barbara was amazing and so attentive. Our new favorite restaurant.“

“Love this place! It’s our “go to”.“

“Fabulous dining Lovely Bistro type“

“So cool to have an authentic coffee place in our desert!! It feels like coffee shop straight out of Italy! Workers are so nice! Great customer service! The food is delicious! I recommend any of the paninis! And the coffee is great! Definitely worth a stop when near by and in need of coffee!!“

“Outstanding foods, so authentic. We’ve seen many postings in social media which do it little justice. We’re so glad we visited and came home with a big haul. Also, our neighbor brought is dinner the other day and we were instantly hooked!“

“My boyfriend (a competitive pool player) and I are in town visiting and needed a place to practice. This place has 3 nice pool tables and everyone is super nice. We talked to the owner for a bit and he is such a nice, down to earth guy. Some of these reviews state otherwise but from my experience those people just need something to complain about. Great atmosphere and people. Will be coming here everytime we visit.“