The Best Restaurants in Downtown Palm Springs, All Walkable
Every pick within walking distance of Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs Spots Editors · Published Sep 10, 2026 · Updated Sep 10, 2026
If you are staying downtown - and on a first visit you should be - your whole food trip can happen on foot. This is the walkable core: breakfast through late night, all within a few blocks of Palm Canyon Drive. For the valley-wide list, see [best restaurants in Palm Springs](/best-restaurants-palm-springs). Every restaurant here was verified as open against its official website or current listings on September 10, 2026.
| Restaurant | Best for | Walk from Palm Canyon |
|---|---|---|
| Cheeky's | Breakfast and brunch | 2 min |
| King's Highway | All-day, zero planning | 5 min |
| Farm | Romantic courtyard dinner | 3 min |
| Birba | Outdoor Italian | 5 min |
| Workshop Kitchen + Bar | Serious seasonal cooking | 12 min |
| Las Casuelas Terraza | Big Mexican patio, margaritas | 2 min |
| El Mirasol | Classic local Mexican | 8 min |
| Sandfish Sushi & Whiskey | Late, low-lit dinner | 4 min |
| Paul Bar/Food | Late kitchen | 6 min |
Breakfast and brunch
Cheeky's is the downtown breakfast institution - a rotating seasonal menu and a line that forms before opening. Go early or go midweek; the wait is the price of admission. King's Highway at the Ace Hotel is the all-day alternative - a converted diner doing breakfast through dinner when you want zero planning.
The essential dinners
Three of the city's best dining rooms sit within a few downtown blocks. Farm hides a Provençal garden courtyard inside La Plaza - the romantic pick (more in the romantic restaurants guide). Birba is the candlelit outdoor Italian - pizza, pasta, cocktails, almost entirely al fresco. Workshop Kitchen + Bar anchors the Uptown end with a James Beard-recognized room and one of the valley's most serious kitchens.
Mexican downtown
Las Casuelas Terraza is the big downtown Mexican patio - margaritas, live music many nights, and a scene that runs late. El Mirasol is the long-running local favourite for classic Mexican plates, with a patio on the south side of downtown. The best Mexican restaurants guide covers the valley-wide picture.
Late and low-key
Sandfish Sushi & Whiskey is the low-lit late dinner - sushi and a serious whiskey list steps from the Arenas bars. Paul Bar/Food keeps a late kitchen with proper food alongside the drinks. For what comes after, the best bars and late-night food guides pick up from here.
Practical notes
Everything on this page is walkable from the downtown hotels - see where to stay and Palm Springs without a car. In season, book Farm, Birba and Workshop ahead and expect a line at Cheeky's; off-season and midweek, downtown is pleasantly spontaneous.
FAQ
- What are the best restaurants in downtown Palm Springs?
- The essential three dinners are Farm (garden courtyard), Birba (outdoor Italian) and Workshop Kitchen + Bar (design-district seasonal cooking). Cheeky's owns breakfast, and Sandfish and Paul Bar/Food cover the late evening.
- Can you walk to restaurants in downtown Palm Springs?
- Yes - every restaurant in this guide is within a short walk of Palm Canyon Drive, which is why staying downtown works so well for a food-focused trip. See the without-a-car guide for the full walkable map.
- Where should I eat breakfast downtown?
- Cheeky's is the institution - a rotating seasonal menu with a line before opening. King's Highway at the Ace Hotel is the easier all-day alternative with no wait most days.
- Do downtown Palm Springs restaurants need reservations?
- The top dinners do in season - Farm, Birba and Workshop book out weekends a week or more ahead. Breakfast is first-come (arrive early at Cheeky's), and late-night spots are walk-in friendly.
- What is open late in downtown Palm Springs?
- Sandfish Sushi & Whiskey and Paul Bar/Food keep late kitchens; Las Casuelas Terraza's patio runs late with music many nights. The late-night food guide has the full list.
- Is downtown or uptown better for restaurants?
- Downtown has the density and the walkability; the Uptown Design District (workshop's end of Palm Canyon) adds several serious rooms. A downtown base covers both on foot - it is about a 15-minute walk end to end.
Palm Springs Spots is an independent local guide. We may earn a commission when you book through some links, at no additional cost to you.
In this guide
The restaurants
Cheeky's
Brunch · Uptown Design District · $$
Cheeky's is the Palm Springs breakfast institution — a small, bright storefront on North Palm Canyon with a menu that changes weekly and a bacon flight that has become a local rite of passage. Expect five rotating strips (maple, jalapeño, chipotle and whatever the kitchen is testing), farm-egg dishes, and a sharp seasonal approach that is unusual for a breakfast place. There are maybe a dozen tables inside plus a patio, no reservations, and a line that starts before opening on winter weekends. Prices are moderate for the quality; portions are generous without being diner-sized.
Farm
French · Downtown · $$
A French country courtyard tucked behind La Plaza — all-day breakfast under fig trees. Farm is a French spot in Downtown, Palm Springs. Prices sit in the mid range. Served here: breakfast, brunch, lunch. Hours: Thu-Mon 8am-2pm. There is a patio. Tiny courtyard, reservations essential.
Birba
Italian · Palm Springs · $$
Almost entirely outdoor - wood-fired pizzas, spritzes and fire pits under string lights in the Uptown Design District. One of the best warm-night tables in town.
Workshop Kitchen + Bar
New American · Uptown Design District · $$$
Workshop Kitchen + Bar occupies a 1920s building on North Palm Canyon that was converted into one of the most striking dining rooms in California: a soaring concrete nave lined with private booths, which won a James Beard design award. The food is modern American with a wood-fired backbone — chops, whole fish, vegetable dishes that get as much attention as the proteins — and the cocktail program is the most serious in Palm Springs. It is the valley's go-to special-occasion restaurant, and it stays busy: dinner reservations on winter weekends should be made a week or two out. Sunday brunch is quieter and just as good a way to see the room.
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