Bar Cecil, Palm Springs
New Palm Springs bistro exceeds high expectations with one of the best meals ever
Bar Cecil, 1555 S Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs (Plaza del Sol Shopping Center)
Reservations | Website | Phone: 760-537-1122 (Reservations are online only)
Our star rating: None (too new- opened April 2021- we only assign stars to restaurants open for more than four months)
Throughout the pandemic, the creators of Palm Springs’ brand new Bar Cecil teased the dining public via social media with snips and clips of what they were doing inside an unusual, diminutive space next to a dry cleaners in a South Palm Springs shopping plaza (formerly Kiyosaku Japanese restaurant).
When picking up my pressed shirts at the cleaners over the last several months, I periodically poked my head through the boxed hedges surrounding the spot’s outdoor patio space, and really liked what I saw. So, on the first day it began accepting reservations on Open Table, I made one for a birthday celebration in late May. (A prescient move, since, as I write this in early June, the place is sold out every night through at least early August.)
What I knew about Bar Cecil going in was that it was named for British photographer and bon vivant Cecil Beaton, who famously photographed the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor and the Royal Family. I heard it would be a European style bistro with french influences. That it was the brainchild of a group of successful Palm Springs hotelier-restaurateurs with ties to the likes of Holiday House, Sparrows Lodge and the Pink Cabana. A preview of the eclectic menu revealed fat wallet prices more common in LA or San Francisco than in the Coachella Valley.
The early buzz around town about Bar Cecil (pronounced sess-al, not see-sal) was effusive and positive, so when a weekend guest arrived from San Francisco, we dressed up ready for fireworks. And that’s exactly what we got. A really big night enjoying one of the very best meals we’ve had in Palm Springs since moving here last year. And maybe one of the best meals we’ve ever had.
Booking online we opted for “standard” seating instead of requesting the patio because we weren’t sure if it would be searing outside. Ends up it was a nice, cool evening. We walked past the front desk festooned with fresh pink and peach peonies in full bloom and a big smile from a well-dressed host we recognized from Trina Turk. He led us to our table past a large, footed silver bowl brimming with ice, champagne, vodka, lemons and an oversized tin of caviar just inside the front door.
Once seated it took a few minutes for our eyes to soak up all the elements of the visual feast that preceded our meal, such as a huge bunch of fire-engine-red gladiolas in a shiny copper bucket on the bar, the big smile on the handsome bartender shaking cocktails over his head, two patterns of floral wall paper, tufted, pale blue leather bar stools and much more. I also noticed something I’ve not seen much of lately: diners dressed to the nines, and checking each other out as they arrive like they do in LA.
While sitting inside allowed us to gaze on the highly styled space and feel the warm buzz of the crowd, we wished we were sitting under the twinkly lights on the patio outside. (The restaurant has just 75 seats.) Our regret about sitting inside was magnified by the difficulty we had hearing our server take cocktail orders and explain the menu and specials through her mask over the din of the full restaurant. Also, feel good songs such as Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” were turned up a bit too loud on the rich-sounding audio system. (A problem likely solved when masks finally come off later in June.)
Let’s dive into the meal, but first, cocktails: The Cecil Old Fashioned ($14) arrived promptly in a flashy, heavy glass etched with a gilded Chinese serpent and chilled by single, large, impossibly clear, ice cube that we were told was imported from Japan. Yes, ice cubes from Japan here in the desert. Pretty cool! A Maker’s Mark manhattan ($14) on the rocks came in another hefty glass, and an equally hefty pour. Our companion enjoyed a cold Allagash White Ale ($8). Drinks were so good we all had two of each. (We politely declined the $50 Beaton martini, made with Beluga vodka, and served with caviar and a deviled egg, but saw it served with much fanfare at a nearby table.)
Next up, appetizers and the one dish that we have been talking about ever since… a simple pleasure… the bread and butter! Cecil’s Bread Rolls ($10…yes, for bread) come to the table brushed shiny with butter, piping hot, and sprinkled with black salt on small iron skillet. They are served with a delightful concoction we all thought the restaurant should jar and sell: local date and sage butter. We slathered so much of this goodness on our rolls that we had to meekly ask for a second helping. God, it was good. And it set the stage for the rest of the meal.
We purposefully arrived very hungry, which meant ordering both apps and individual main dishes (and eventually, dessert…wait for it…). Among the three of us we shared the rolls plus the Caramelized Onion Tart on puff pastry ($12), served piping hot, but a little mushy in the center (we cleaned the plate nonetheless). We also enjoyed a perky, colorful and clean Local Salad Blend ($15) served with Danish feta, cherry tomatoes, chayote, bacon, tossed with ranch dressing and sprinkled with a rainbow of edible flower petals. (Delicious, but a little light on the dressing; $15 felt pricey for a salad, even if it was a work of art!)
Next up, mains. As usual, I opted to go vegetarian, and was not disappointed with Diego’s Ratatouille ($22) an inventive and satisfying array of sliced summer squash and Chinese eggplant, griddled to just beyond caramelization, served with fresh tomatoes and basil leaves on a plate over a pool of a tangy, bright red coulis of tomato, fennel, and garlic. A small slice of carby polenta or a spoonful of pearl couscous would have rounded out the dish nicely, but it was missing.
A restaurant’s chicken dish is always a good standby, but I always feel like I’m selling myself short when ordering it. Not here! Palm Springs old timers may remember the days of Fried Chicken Fridays at Holiday House, where chef Gabriel Woo’s family style meals ($60 per person) regularly sold out months in advance. Well, Woo brought his well-honed chicken prep skills when he moved over to Bar Cecil, and the Roasted Gonestraw Farms Chicken, even at a stratospheric $35, is worth the splurge. Our companion’s half bird came out perfectly moist and tender, with a teeny pitcher of lip-smacking jus and accompanied by crunchy grilled green beans and pecan-sized roasted potatoes. The chicken had a faint Indian flavoring reminiscent of curry, perhaps from a brine, but we could not put our fingers on exactly what it was. When we asked our server if she knew, she replied, “I think it’s some kind of spice,” but didn’t seem inclined to inquire with the kitchen to quell our curiosity, and we did not press it.
Among our three mains, the best was probably the Pan Seared Halibut (at $44 the most expensive dish) served on top of a hearty celeriac puree along with sprouting cauliflower and a small side a lemon beurre blanc. “The fish is cooked perfectly tender and sweet. All these ingredients create a perfect melody,” beamed my companion. We all loved our main dishes so much that it was a fight to convince each other to share bites, but we were so glad we did.
Filled to the brim with our meals, we nearly passed on dessert, but our server convinced us that Aniston’s Pavlova ($12) was a light and fluffy affair that would not overtax our now full bellies. I’m so glad we did not pass, because I think it could be the best dessert I’ve ever had: a light crunchy baked meringue topped with a dollop of Chantilly cream and then sprinkled with fresh raspberries and a dusting of a pleasingly pink raspberry sugar. We dove in madly and fought for the last bite off the beautiful gold-rimmed plate (which I would have licked if not in such fancy surroundings). Wow!
The check (total: $236 before tip) arrived in an unusual leather box with a throwback to my childhood- those delicious green-foil wrapped Andes chocolate mints. A perfect ending to a perfect meal.
We went back for a second round in late June. Place was still packed on a Thursday at 5:30. Icebowl by the front door has been replaced by succulents (likely due to the heat which can melt a bowl of ice quickly!) This time we sat outdoors, and although it was nearly 100 degrees outside, we were very comfortable due to the presence of four big swamp coolers in the corners and misters overhead. Food was once again outstanding, but we did notice fewer fresh edible flowers on salads and starters, which was a nice, noticeable touch on our previous visit. This time I tried the Steak & Frites. Steak was perfect but it was hard to tell if frites are made there, or come out of a bag. They tasted like they had sat out too long before serving.