Paul Bar/Food, Palm Springs
Sketchy perfection at "Paul Bar"
Paul Bar/Food
3700 E Vista Chino (at Gene Autry), Palm Springs
Phone: (760) 656-4082
No reservations accepted. First come, first served at the bar or a handful of two and four-top tables— not really suitable for larger groups.
Hours: Open at 4PM Weds-Sun. Closed Monday and Tuesday
Website: thepaulbarps.com
Our star rating: 4.5 out of 5.
“Welcome to Civilization” states the main page of the Paul Bar/Food website. That proclamation certainly belies the location of this consistently popular restaurant, open since 2018, in a super-sketchy strip mall on Palm Springs’ northeast side.
At the trafficky, windy corner of Vista Chino and Gene Autry Trail (10-15 mins by car from downtown), Paul Bar’s neighbors include a Mexican bodega, a vape shop and a cannabis dispensary. Fronting the strip is a gritty, cracked parking lot which is partially closed for an interminable construction project, and behind is a hulking, gray electrical substation. Got the picture?
It is that curiously contradictory location that makes this place stand out and has regulars whispering about it to friends and visitors as a “hidden gem.” But these days it’s far from hidden. Show up on nearly any evening and you’ll find an in-the-know crowd at the door waiting to snag the few seats at the bar or one of a smattering tables or booths for a stiff drink and a remarkably good meal in a very civilized space (beyond a door with a taped up porthole window).
When you step inside and your eyes adjust to the dim lighting and dark walls and wood, you really do feel transported to another place far, far away from from the hot, dry desert. My first thought when I walked in was how much it felt like San Francisco’s famous Tadich Grill with its long wooden bar manned by a crack staff in starched white shirts. Yes, very civilized.
Looking around at the crowd, you’ll see a mix of hipsters from LA, locals, friendly Canadians and a strong contingent of gays and grays.
The debonair, bespectacled owner Paul O’Halloran mans the front door every night, striking up conversations with patrons and good-naturedly scolding guests who enter and sit at the bar without first consulting him. With a quick visual scan of the well-dressed, perfectly put-together Paul, you can tell that he strives for perfection, and I must say he’s created nearly the perfect place here.
On our recent visits, we showed up around 5-6 pm. The first visit we lucked into a seat at the bar right away and then watched the line stretch out the door shortly thereafter. On the second and third visits, we waited about 15 minutes for seats at the bar or a two-top table near the back. We preferred the convivial bar seats which provide a perfect vantage point to observe the buzz of activity and a chat with the cute bartenders.
Some notes from our visits:
Paul Bar opens at 4 pm, with Paul at attention at the door in a starched shirt and bow tie welcoming an early crowd. He told us that recently there’s been a line out the door at opening. But if 4 pm is too early for you, you will likely find tables clearing around 5-5:30 pm for the second round of diners. (No reservations accepted. Walk-in only.)
From Wednesday to Sunday evenings, Paul deftly manages the wait list in his head, takes drink orders for those waiting for seats, greets regulars, and keeps the staff in line…quite a feat on a busy night. We asked him if Wednesday was the slowest night when it might be easiest to slip in without much of a wait. His reply: “Absolutely not. All nights are busy, but on Wednesdays we get a hefty crowd of diners who have been waiting since we are closed Monday and Tuesday.”
Shortly after sitting down, the crew of winsome, white-shirt-and-apron bartenders or waiters offered menus and took orders for cocktails, which they delivered quickly, along with a short glass of ice water.
We chose the delightfully smooth black manhattan (made with rye and amaro instead of the usual vermouth), or the bourbon-based, sweet-n-sour frozen sidecar. Both were perfectly prepared in nice glassware. These were so good we had two each. (And we repeated that order on subsequent visits.)
The plastic-sheathed menu emblazoned with an ornate “P” is a quick read, split into BAR on the left side and FOOD on the right (naturally, given the BAR/FOOD sign outside). The bar side includes ten unusual cocktail suggestions (go for the cocktails- they are all outstanding and unique) plus 10 wines and beers. (See the current BAR and FOOD menus at the bottom of this post.)
On the Food side there are two salads, five starters and seven mains. Plus one daily special that’s not on the menu but it’s always good. On two of our visits, the special was beef short rib pappardelle pasta with peas, tomatoes, onions and seasonings and it was out of this world. Seriously, it’s a dish I dream about when I’m hungry.
Prices are generally reasonable considering the quality of the food and high-brow service. All house crafted cocktails are $14, salads and starters $10-$14 and mains at $17-$25. Everything is served with a starched linen napkin and heavy silverware. Wines are $10-$14 a glass, beers $7-$8.
The wedge salad is a Coachella valley staple, and Paul serves up one is the best I’ve had. Chefs plate a quarter head of crispy, cool iceberg lettuce, drizzle it with a generous pour of house-made blue cheese dressing and then sprinkle it with bacon, blue cheese crumbles, tomatoes and red onion. ($11) It’s not enormous but that smooth blue cheese makes it rich, so it’s perfectly portioned as an appetizer.
The short rib French dip ($20) on griddled sourdough with gooey fontina cheese, caramelized onions and au jus is in the same league as the pappardelle pasta dish… I dream about it when I’m not there, and I’m not usually much of a beef eater. But God, it’s good.
My companion twice enjoyed the one vegetarian dish, the “vegan yellow curry” ( $20) with an optional topping of strips of griddled-to-perfection chicken breast (add $5). At $25, the combo is the most expensive main on the menu, even more than the popular steak frites at $24. Worth it? Yes.
The bone-in pork chop ($23) takes 25 mins to cook and comes out of the kitchen beautifully caramelized, served with plum chutney, plus garlickly sautéed spinach and crusty roasted potatoes. While this main is highly rated among diners and very popular, I found it slightly overcooked and dry. To me, a perfect pork chop should be just barely pale pink and juicy inside, but both times our chops were flat white and a bit mealy. Nonetheless, we polished them off.
Neighboring diners suggested the chicken schnitzel ($23), a “traditional flattened and fried chicken breast with roasted bacon balsamic Brussels sprouts and lemon.” We liked, but did not love this main as much as the others.
“Paulburger” with bacon aioli, lettuce, onion and tomato ($17) looks good but I have not tried it yet. In any case, it seems to be a very popular choice based on what we saw among our neighboring diners.
We’ve passed on desserts (opting for an extra cocktail instead), but heard fellow diners raving about the delicious pots-de-crem flavored with either caramel or chocolate. On one visit, we watched as a supplier arrived with a rack of fresh eggs from their farm (used to make these delightful desserts) which they appeared to exchange for a comped meal.
Overall, I’d have to say that Paul Bar is currently one of our favorite restaurants in the valley, earning 4.5 starts out of 5 in our rating system. The food is as good, and in some cases even better than the popular, pricier Bar Cecil (reviewed here), both of which are in high demand this season.
Get there early, have a chat with Paul, get a drink and wait…it’s worth it!
Don’t miss our other First Time Diner restaurant reviews here:
sounds amazing....I want to go to there.