It’s no secret that the holidays can be stressful. Between picking out gifts for your family and making sure any travel logistics are squared away, the season is hectic, and finding the time to prepare an elaborate meal for Christmas Day sometimes feels impossible.
So why not go out and find a Coachella Valley restaurant to get filled with holiday cheer (and food and drink) this year?
While many restaurants and businesses are closed on Dec. 25 each year, the valley still has plenty of culinary options on Christmas for tourists and residents alike. Here are some solid go-to options for Christmas Day meals out compiled by The Desert Sun, starting in Palm Springs and moving eastward.
4 Saints at Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs Hotel
Whether you’re a local or a visitor staying near downtown Palm Springs, you can’t go wrong with 4 Saints, a restaurant on the seventh floor of the Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs Hotel, that’s offering a special Christmas Day meal from 5 to 10 p.m. The menu features lamb, scallops, roasted duck, prime beef filets and more, with the meal starting at $145. www.4saintspalmsprings.com/menus/
Eight4Nine Restaurant and Lounge
Just up the road on North Palm Canyon Drive is Eight4Nine Restaurant and Lounge, which offers a multi-course holiday dinner featuring options like brined duck and roast turkey, as well as desserts such as chocolate cake and poached pear. www.eight4nine.com/menu/
Spencer’s Restaurant
Another popular dining option, Spencer’s Restaurant in Palm Springs, will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Christmas, offering a three-course holiday menu featuring turkey, filet mignon, lamb or sea bass, as well as a bourbon pecan pie for dessert. The estimated price per person is $90 to $100. www.spencersrestaurant.com/menus/
Lulu California Bistro
This Palm Springs brunch staple is serving a special Christmas menu that includes ham, turkey ribs, prime rib, chicken and sweet desserts such as maple bread pudding, apple crisp and blackberry cheesecake. lulupalmsprings.com/page/christmas
Melvyn’s at Ingleside Estate
Located just a block west of downtown Palm Springs’ main stretch, Melvyn’s at Ingleside Estate is serving a Christmas dinner that begins with appetizers like deviled eggs and roasted pumpkin soup, followed by entrees such as beef Wellington, filet mignon and salmon. inglesideestate.com/wp-content/
King’s Highway at Ace Hotel Palm Springs
King’s Highway will have a Christmas dinner menu featuring an Asian pear salad, prime rib with au jus and horseradish cream, confit heirloom potatoes, and honey-glazed baby carrots, followed by a warm toffee cake for dessert. www.opentable.com/r/kings-highway-palm-springs
Peaks Restaurant at the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
If you’re staying in Palm Springs for the holiday but seeking a more wintry setting for a Christmas meal, consider taking a trip up Chino Canyon to Mount San Jacinto State Park on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. Once you reach the top, Peaks Restaurant is offering a special prix fixe menu with a selection of roasted duck, pan-seared salmon or filet mignon, along with a dessert of salted caramel cheesecake or chocolate caramel crunch. Dining at Peaks Restaurant begins at 11 a.m. on Christmas Day, at a price of $89 per adult and $39 for children ages 3 to 10. Tram fare is not included in the meal prices. pstramway.com/dining
Wally’s Desert Turtle in Rancho Mirage
This popular dining spot in Rancho Mirage offers Christmas Day meals from 1 to 8 p.m., with a prix fixe menu featuring dishes such as parsnip and celery root bisque, roasted turkey, Scottish salmon and slow-braised short ribs, along with festive desserts like a Christmas spice cake and a chocolate lava cake. www.wallysdesertturtle.com/wallys-events/
Willie’s Modern Fare in Rancho Mirage
Another popular spot in Rancho Mirage, Willie’s Modern Fare, is offering a four-course dinner from 2 to 8 p.m. on Christmas Day. The set menu includes options such as a lobster mousse choux, a holiday butternut soup and a winter pear salad for initial courses, followed by a choice of roast turkey, Chilean sea bass, prime rib, filet mignon or French crepes for a main entrée. Dessert options include a sponge cake, apple pie and lemon posset. www.williesrm.com/menus/#christmas-2025
Sullivan’s Steakhouse in Palm Desert
The desert’s only Sullivan’s Steakhouse location will be serving its regular menu of signature classics, as well as a special holiday menu featuring Sommelier selected wine pairings, not only on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but now through Jan. 5. The special menu includes additional entrees such as beef bordelaise, north Atlantic whole lobster, braised short rib, lobster-basil stuffed shrimp and lobster risotto. sullivanssteakhouse.com/promotions/
Kestrel at Indian Wells Golf Resort
Kestrel, a fairly new dining option at the Indian Wells Golf Resort run by celebrity chef Richard Blais, is hosting a midday Christmas buffet, with seating windows at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The buffet includes a carving station with prime rib and turkey brest, along with other entrees such as house-smoked salmon cavatappi, jidori chicken breast and more. Desserts include peppermint cheesecake and pecan dulce de leche. www.indianwellsgolfresort.com/holidays-and-specials/
The Pink Cabana at Sands Hotel & Spa Indian Wells
Another option in Indian Wells is The Pink Cabana, which will offer Christmas meals from 4 to 8 p.m. The restaurant’s holiday menu features ham and prime rib as main course options, as well as pumpkin pie or a warm apple crostada for dessert. Plates are set at $120 per person, or $160 with a wine pairing, while meals for children under 12 are $40. https://sandshotelandspa.com/
Lavender Bistro in La Quinta
In nearby La Quinta, Lavender Bistro offers wide-ranging entrees, including a pistachio-crusted rack of lamb, a marinated black cod and crispy roast maple leaf duck, for its Christmas Day meals. Meals cost $95 per person. www.lavenderbistro.com/christmas.html
Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio
Whether or not you’re looking to play some slots at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, you can find several dining options there on Christmas Day. All three of the casino’s restaurants — Bistro, POM and Fresh Grill Buffet — will offer holiday meals that expand on their typical flavors.
Meals at Bistro (open from 5 to 10 p.m.) will feature a bourbon-honey glazed Alaskan halibut paired with rock shrimp risotto, grilled vegetables and garlic lemon butter sauce. At Pom (open from noon to 11 p.m.), the star entrée will be a soy glazed Chilean sea bass. And at the Fresh Grill Buffet, you can rely on a meal at any time of day, with brunch from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and dinner later in the day. Meals at the buffet start at $49.99 for adults, while kids 2 and under are free. www.fantasyspringsresort.com
Taproom 29 at Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella
This dining spot at the Spotlight 29 Casino is offering holiday specials over several days, including Christmas Day. The main entrée planned for Christmas is carved roast turkey, served with cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean almandine, turkey gravy, cranberry sauce and dinner rolls with butter. The restaurant will be open for its typical hours, 6 a.m. to midnight, on Christmas Day. spotlight29.com/dining/taproom-29/#dining-specials
(This story was updated to add a link.)
Tom Coulter is a reporter for The Desert Sun. Reach him at thomas.coulter@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: What restaurants are open on Christmas Day? 15 in Palm Springs area
Reporting by Tom Coulter, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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