Le Vallauris

From Blumenthal, Duscasse, and Savoy to Achatz and Jiro Ono, I have been able to pretty much dine at all the important places to eat in this world. From the service to the food, Le Vallauris hold their own. They serve amazing French classics better than most any French restaurant in Los Angeles.
I’m sure they would be listed in a mythical Michelin guide to Southern California, perhaps even with a star.
Perhaps one drawback, the portions are humongous and I left uncomfortably stuffed. But is that really a bad thing?

This is south France in Palm Springs! Sounds weird, but is a wonderful experience. We went for lunch and had a great table in the patio, sitting in the shade under the amazing trees. The menue we chose was rather on the lighter side and all delicious, well served with quick service, great taste, and elegantly decorated.
The lobster bisque was superb, the petit tuna sashimi salad delicate. But the best at the end-​the absolute stunning soufles! You have to try this!

Clearly a «5-​Star» dining experience but one thing is slightly bothersome: the price. On Valentine’s Day we had a close-​to-​perfect dinner: Outstanding, professional and discrete service. Truly exceptional ambience. Wonderful, tasteful and beautifully presented food. Scrumptious deserts. An excellent beverage and wine list. Even the valet parking staff was fun and attentive.
We’ve dined in a number of high end dining rooms, over the years, and La Vallauris compares quite favorably, but somehow it just didn’t FEEL like a $ 200+ per person experience. That’s a purely subjective observation, I know, and clearly, with a large and crowded venue, our take on value was not shared by others. It just felt expensive for a sliced salmon appetizer, a steak and some berries and ice cream.

The only thing to say is Fabulous! We had lunch here today, that made our mind up for dinner. We are here for dinner and it wonderful. Willy is spectacular to say the least. That was lunch then on to Stephan for our dinner. He is magnificent!
For lunch or for dinner let there be no question it should be you pick. A question with wine ask Bruce he is amazing.
If you come to Palm Springs and don’t have a meal at La Vallauris it’s a huge mistake!
You won’t find a better meal, ambiance, or serious.

I’m usually a $-$$ boy with my food preferences lol. I like homestyle meals with large portions haha but today I decided to step out of my comfort zone. Don’t be intimidated by the $$$$, every dollar is worth it. Made a reservation on open table, I would recommend doing so early if you want a table at a good time.
Service here is spectacular. The restaurant has its own valet service and the outdoor seating is absolutely beautiful. Despite being outdoors, the temperature is incredibly well controlled. They also have a live band playing calm music inside. The servers are really friendly and attentive gentleman. Your glass will never be empty. Also, I’m not sure if he was the owner but he was very attentive and took the time to make sure everyone was enjoying their meal.
The prix fixe menu is absolutely worth it. For $ 59 before tax, it comes with a Mise en bouche, appetizer, entrée, and desert. Also tried the escargot appetizer in addition to the prix fixe menu selections.
The Mise en Bouche came with three small bites that were a nice start to the meal. Overall, the appetizer and escargot were delicious. 6 oysters on the half shell for an appetizer in a Prix fixe was a steal. My entrée, the hanger steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare. The sea bass is also delicious and served on a bed of some bacon and peas mix. The crème brûlée was a perfect way to finish the meal. The mousse also wasn’t a bad option if you prefer chocolate.

We had a delightful dinner here on a chilly Saturday night. We sat outside in their patio under a heater and enjoyed every item we ordered, from the tomato corn soup and Caesar salad to the two different lamb entrees. The cocktails were great, too, and the soufflé we order for dessert was the star. And the service couldn’t have been better. Everyone from the maitre’d to the bartender and the waiter were very friendly and engaging — and the owner even stopped by our table to check on our experience, which was a nice touch.
In a nutshell, it was a beautiful meal in a charming setting. We truly felt like we were transported to a different time and place and we hope to return to that place someday soon.

Lovely elegant delicious!!! Best lobster I have ever tasted! The beautiful terrace is magical!!!
There’s a reason they are #1 and have been here 42 years!

Revisited as part of our search for the Killer Restaurants, and found it spectacular. The Degustation Menu is a great value, and the food, service, and venue are all exceptional. A true five star, fine dining restaurant worthy of the Killer Restaurant moniker.

Wow, it’s a quiet nice environment, warm and nice décor on the lighting, just makes me feel amazing! The outside tables have heater which doesn’t feel cold. First start with Foie gras, so good. I like the Maine lobster bisque as well. As for the entrée let’s have the Hanger steak, good texture and delicious. Last but not least my favorite desert — the floating island Carmel and toasted almond. I loved it ^_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​^

We live in Indian Wells so it is a 30 minute trip to Le Vallauris. And it is well worth the drive. The restaurant is especially convenient if you are coming from the airport. Lunch or dinner, this place is terrific. The best in the valley.

Great service; awesome food. Boston crispy scallops, lobster ravioli, filet mignon and the bread were all delish — wish we had more! Crème brûlée for dessert; not quite to my liking but still good. Live music trio playing classics added to the nice ambiance. Would definitely come again. Must eat here if stopping by Palm Springs.

Most beautiful restaurant ever! Exotic menu. I had a lobster salad. My friends had lobster ravioli. For desert chocolate decadence and sorbet. We also shared a bottle of white burgundy. A must try if your visiting Palm Springs.

Thank you, Le Vallauris, for making my small wedding perfect. There are two aspects of our experience that are worthy of praise:
1) The planning: The executive chef warmly assisted us in envisioning the outdoor space for our «no-​fuss» wedding. He provided several delicious options for h’orderves, appetizers, and main courses. Our final menu consisted of the most wonderful assortment of French food, with different choices for each course. The sommelier also helped us choose some lovely wines for the event, and the French pastry chef was willing to make the 3-​tier wedding cake for us. Tables, soundsystem, and basic décor would be provided. In other words, they provided almost everything at a MUCH better value regarding food quality, experience, and price compared to any hotel.
2) The wedding day: The staff was super friendly and accommodating to our guests. Our friends worked with the staff for decorating the pergola for the ceremony and for setting up the centerpieces. The food was delicious, and our guests were very impressed. I think it’s a novelty to be able to simply sit back and enjoy your wedding day, and the staff at Le Vallauris made that possible.
I’ll be back for anniversaries and other special events, for sure.

There was a time when Palm Springs dining was uninspired, lackluster, and just expensive for no good reason. Places got by just by existing.
Times have changed, and a rise in the number of spots offering honest to god real fine dining are pushing the Palm Springs dining scene into a new golden age of holy wow! Finally.
Vallauris is one of those restaurants making everybody else look bad. Real bad. I booked a last minute late reservation for my fella’s 40^th. We didn’t know what to expect but I wanted to take him someplace special — boy, was it.
The staff was charming, fun, attentive and accommodating. They seated us in the spacious and lovely outdoor patio, tiny lights gathered in whimsical cocoons hung from the beautiful trees above us, and since it was the end of the night we had the patio pretty much to ourselves. Awesome.
The wine list is an extensive collection of wines from all over. We had a lovely Syrah that paired perfectly with our meal.
We went with the prix fix menu and they were wonderful about adjusting the dishes to suit my vegetarian needs. Each course was beautifully prepared, delicious, special, and unique.
I cannot stress enough how absolutely fabulous the staff was, they made us feel really special — they were just so great (and I’m sure as much as they probably wanted to go home after a long day, they never made us feel rushed or anything!).
Thank you for one of the best meals and experiences, I’m so glad we spent his 40^th birthday with Vallauris!

Beautiful setting, fantastic food, wonderful service!
We had an amazing dinner of foie gras, escargot, rack of lamb and crispy duck. Service was very attentive but not overwhelming or interfering. Patio with trees and white lights is a beautiful setting, and perfect for a romantic dinner for two or a birthday dinner for 10. Owner Patrice and his brother were quite charming when they each stopped by our table to make sure we were being cared for and enjoying our meals; server was very knowledgeable and made excellent recommendations. One of the most enjoyable meals we’ve had in a long time. Can’t wait to return!

We heard about the Vallauris the minute we bought a house in PSP a year ago but never had a chance to experience it. Finally we succeed tonight and OMG.
Welcoming was amazing. we decided to drink the rose from Provence and it was divine. Then we indulged on the degustation menu.
Marinated salmon, smoked salmon and two Kumamoto oysters were the mise en bouche. Delicious. Then fois gras And truffe crème brûlée with pain d’épices. Amazing. Then beautifully decorated lobster plate… then a «Trou Normand» .seared veal plate still tickling my palate. and the grand final a double chocolate pleasure.
Service was grandiose… a trip to France without the ticket price. Cherry on the top: chef and owner came to salute us.
a must not miss when in Palm Springs. we will be back to eat lighter out of the a la carte for sure and to try more of this rose.

Food at Le Vallauris was delicious. I’m typically a big fan of French food, and Le Vallauris did not disappoint. My wife and I had the 3 course meal, but chose different options. For me, the highlight was the Lamb. It was cooked to perfection, had great flavor, and a wonderful meal. However, please note that all 3 courses were very good.
The only reason that Le Vallauris is not 5 stars is the service. it is very «hoity toity» and the waiters cater to you if you are over the age of 70 and pretend that you have a lot of money. If you look under 40, be prepared that you will be treated with the bare minimum and condescending looks.
There is a lot of plastic surgery that ends up in Palm Springs, and clearly people that are well off. However, the waiters at Le Vallauris need to spend some time out of the dessert and come to LA. Here they will learn how restaurants should be run, and that the quality establishments are plentiful.
Le Vallauris offers delicious food, for a reasonable price. Just don’t have high expectations for the service. The atmosphere is also beautiful outside on the patio. They create a small breeze that makes the warm summer night feel great.

Please note, this review is strictly service.
We went to Palm Springs for the weekend with the family, were excited to return to the amazing Le Vallauris, food and service last time were great. This time around, with the kids, not so much. First off the Host took us through a VERY busy bar to get outside, there was an event going on, but we were travelling with a toddler and newborn, noticed the exterior entrance to the patio after the fact. For the price of cuisine, this alternative route should have been offered. The restaurant’s patio was packed, all very nice fine diners, many asking the age of my baby. The what appeared as restaurant owner came by and said hello, this was nice, looked like the beginning of a great experience. But, the server, well he would obviously be doing something else when he took our order.
First off, It took at least 10 – 15 min to get our drinks and appetizer orders in. When placing the order for food, we specifically told him the entre would be split, to just bring an extra plate because we did NOT want the steak to be butterfly cut in half. We wanted it cooked medium rare and know if they split it horizontally, it looses the flavor. Without writing this down, he insisted that the kitchen would do it, that they won’t do it wrong. Mind you, there were hand gestures that went along with our requests! What do you know, that server brought out two plates (the entre was split) with the steak cut horizontally (butterflied) and it was cooked well!
He tried to say it wasn’t called butterfly cut and even took a raw steak out to demonstrate what, I don’t know, the guy knew he fudged up. He then acted with this fake nice attitude the rest of the meal. It was pathetic. If he would have genuinely admitted he was wrong then it would have been better than the awful display of acting dumb I’ve ever seen.
Anyhow, the food was INCREDIBLE, the busser was kind but the Host kind of killed it on our way out, he went to tell us that if we want steak we should go to Mastros. PLEASE like we don’t know Mastros, you don’t mention a chain to an experienced diner. He gave us no credibility. Oh and we didn’t tell him about our experience, he must had been informed.
I know it doesn’t relate to food but my mom got bit by a carpenter bee in the bathroom as we were leaving. It was HUGE the size of a silver dollar. Just not the best thing to happen. My dad had to enter the restroom to check on her. Not proper but needed, and no attention to that was given by the not so great host.

Classic French, old school restaurant. Great food and wine with impeccable service. The portions are quite large and I love the variety in the menu. I’ve been here several times and most recently had the lobster ravioli, which was unreal! The soufflés are also great. Highly recommend.

Let me preface by saying that when I booked the reservation, I had no knowledge about the restaurant other than what I read on their website as well as the Unilocal reviews. They have also been listed as a AAA 4 Diamond restaurant. (only 2.5% of over 30,000 restaurants make it as a 4 Diamond restaurant)
I decided to come here with my husband to celebrate our 7^th wedding anniversary.(yes, I get to chose the restaurant every year) They have valet parking only (no charge, but just give the valet a tip). The restaurant is tucked away on the south side of Tahquitz Canyon Way, east of Palm Canyon Drive. They are by the dead end just before the gated residential community.
We sat outside in the patio. Once it starts to get dark, the outdoor lights turn on and it’s quite beautiful. All the staff had French accents. We started our meal with freshly baked bread and evian bottled water.
We both ordered the Degustation menu ($ 93.00 per person plus tax and gratuity) which includes 5 courses including dessert.
Plate 1) Goat Cheese Fritter, Ahi Tuna Tartare, and Petrossian Caviar
Plate 2) Scallops over julienned green apples and a side salad with carrots
Plate 3) Duck Liver Crème Brulee with Pain d’epice
Plate 4) Sautéed Maine Lobster with corn blinis topped with spinach with vanilla bisque
Plate 5) Trio of Sweets (Mango Sorbet over shortbread cookie, Manjari Chocolate fondant, Tahitian Vanilla Crème Brulee)
Followed by coffee and Cappuccino.
Everything I ate was bursting with so much flavor. I was kind of scared of the duck liver, but that was really good. After I hit course 3, I was pretty much full by the time the lobster came out! If we ever come here again, I would just order the lobster entrée by itself.
The service was excellent and I enjoyed our dinner and evening.
⁹⁷⁄₁₀₀ Reviews for 2014