Spencer's Restaurant

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

At the base of the San Jacinto Mountains, Spencer's Restaurant has earned its place as Palm Springs' go-to address for serious American cuisine with a French-Pacific Rim influence. The kitchen's approach is straightforward: a fresh take on classic American dishes, executed with enough ambition to earn a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence — recognition that speaks directly to the depth and care behind the wine program.

The Setting

The dining room balances stylish elegance with comfortable informality, and the award-winning patio is a genuine draw — open-air dining with mountain views that make it one of the most sought-after outdoor tables in the desert. The Bougainvillea Room accommodates private events for up to 250 guests, making Spencer's as capable with a rehearsal dinner as it is with a weekday power lunch.

Locally, the restaurant has been voted Best Sunday Brunch, Best Outdoor Dining, Best Power Lunch, Best Wine List, Best Chef, Best Caterer, and Most Romantic — a sweep that reflects how thoroughly it has woven itself into the fabric of Palm Springs dining.

What's on the Table

Spencer's runs the full day: breakfast from 8am, lunch through mid-afternoon, and dinner into the evening, with Sunday Brunch as a particular institution. The breakfast menu alone signals the kitchen's range — Smoked Scottish Salmon on a toasted bagel with truffle oil, a Fillet Mignon Steak Benedict, Crab Cake Benedict, Harold's Potato Pancakes, and a Maine Lobster Benedict at market price sit alongside straightforward buttermilk pancakes and corned beef hash. It is a menu that takes both the leisurely brunch crowd and the more serious diner seriously.

Prix fixe options at lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch make the four-star American cuisine accessible without diluting it, and the full bar — with cocktails like an Old Fashioned Bloody Mary made with house mix, or a Melon Mojito — rounds out a program that earns the Wine Spectator recognition it holds.

Who It's For

Spencer's is an adult-oriented restaurant that suits a wide range of occasions without trying to be all things to all people. Whether it is a weekday breakfast on the patio, a long Sunday brunch, or a dinner that calls for proper wine pairings, the room and the menu hold up. Valet parking is available, and all menu items are offered for takeout outside of holidays.