Melvyn’s Restaurant

Was not disappointed. Food and service, excellent! They don’t serve Monte Cristo on weekends but because I drove from LA they made the exception. It’s was soooo yummy, melts in your mouth yummy. Worth the wait

Fun old school classy restaurant. Food and service were great. A flashback to rat pack glamor. We loved it.

Mistakes happen. First one: waiting too long to make a dinner reservation on the Saturday night before Valentine’s Day. Second one: thinking Melvyn’s would write down the reservation called in days before for the same night. Third one: going to Melvyn’s in the first place.
We arrived on time for our 7:15 reservation, the bar is packed, there is a line waiting to talk to the receptionist, people are overflowing the tiny lobby area waiting for tables. Not a good sign. We are told they have no reservations for our party of four, but not too worry, have a drink, they said, and we’ll work something out. The manager was pleasant in a professionally aloof manner and made a show of having an employee find us a place in the lounge. We weaved through the packed bar and lounge, filled with people who were waiting for their reservations, (One couple I spoke to while standing beside them at a high top table had been waiting twenty minutes for their 7:00 o’clock reservation). We passed numerous couples on Valentine’s Day dates sitting at tables the size of large dinner plates crammed together awkwardly waiting hopefully to be called to dinner. It looked like a long wait, for the dining room was packed as well.
We were deposited at a table in the lounge, but without sufficient chairs for us to sit, way in the back, to wait to be called to dinner. After finding enough chairs we sat and waited. And waited. And waited. No cocktail waitress appeared, nobody from management came back to check on our status (as promised). But it was a busy Saturday night; fearing our options for an alternative destination were slim, we waited some more. Twenty minutes later, after having no contact with an employee at all – did they expect us to push through the bar to order drinks as well? – we left. I did notice the couple I talked to forty minutes earlier was no longer at the table in the lobby; perhaps they were seated, perhaps they too left, another couple had taken their place.
Melvyn’s has been in Palm Springs since the sixties or so. They like to think of themselves as «Old Palm Springs». And it is. The building is rundown; the menu hasn’t changed in sixty years. Melvyn’s has forgotten – if they ever knew – that service at least as important as food and creates the atmosphere that brings you back. We have been there before for late night drinks, and frankly, felt the same disinterested vibe, the focus on maximizing profit. But we couldn’t get reservations at any of the many better places in town because of the holiday (and our foolish delay in seeking them) so we decided to give Melvyn’s another try.
Big Mistake.
They are in business to gouge. I think it is tacky for a restaurant to make you wait «in the lounge» so they can sell you liquor, «while your table is being prepared», especially when tables are not turning because the restaurant is overbooked. I’m still thinking of the hundred or so people packed together as tightly as commuters on a subway at rush hour, sitting uncomfortably – some no doubt on first dates, feeling awkward, the man (probably) embarrassed at the wait, feeling more and more insignificant when he was just trying to impress his date, the other nervous about the awkwardness she senses in her date, and both of them silently watching the management packing in more people. On our way out, after our twenty minute wait in the lounge the same people were sitting at the same tables, still waiting.
Oh, well. They do not seem to care. After all, the restaurant gets valet fees from anyone foolish enough to show up.
But there is a silver lining. After we left we found another restaurant, also claiming to provide the «Old Palm Springs» feeling. The restaurant is called «The New York Company» and I invite you to read my review of that establishment where we found excellent service and fairly good food, even on a busy holiday night.

SUPER OLD SCHOOL, SUPER NOSTALGIC… PALM SPRINGS.
Dinner is a blast; dimly lit dining room, tableside prep of Steak Diane.
Great dinner out with friends location. Service is great, food is fab, cozy ambiance. Easy Valet Parking.

This review is for the bar only. We arrived at 6, so early for this place. We got a seat in the lounge area 10 feet from the piano right away. The drinks were good, though not much selection the a cocktail menu. The service from our waitress, Cindy, was excellent. She was servicing 8 tables and the full bar, but still managed to give us frequent attention w/​a smile.
The atmosphere was exactly what we hoped for — a step back into Americana of the 1960s. The walls are lined with photos of Mel and the greats from Hollywood.
The Oysters Rockefeller was perfect. Exactly the way it should be.

Old world Palm Springs. Lots of memorabilia with the stars of way back when. Great fried Brie.

Melvyn’s is hardly as bad as some reviewers make it out to be, but it certainly isn’t as good as one would expect. There are a lot of dishes on the menu, probably too many, and the Steak Diane is a thin cut steak, not a cut for steak lovers. But the prices are appropriate with entrees from the mid-20’s to the low $ 30s. Compare that to a great steak at Flemings or Sullivan’s, where the plate starts at $ 45 plus extra for your side dishes. The bottom line: you go to Melvyn’s for the somewhat outdated ambiance.

A touch of Hollywood, old celeb haunt and traditional food fare happens at Melvyn’s in Palm Springs. Sinatra and other celebs have graced their fabulousness at this classic restaurant. Palm Springs was a getaway city for LA locals– famous and us regular people. My family used to head to Palm Springs while growing up so I definitely have a soft spot for this desert town.
Melvyn’s is no exception to the glory of retroisim, is that even a word? Anyhow, my friend and I were in PS for Modernism week and decided to have dinner here, you know, to add to the retroisim. ;)
We made opentable reservations and found parking in the back. I suggest you arrive early to find parking in case it’s a busy night. We ordered drinks at the bar before we were seated. The bar area was classic, it reminded me of those dimly lit LA places from the 70s or 80s. Twas an awesome vibe.
After mulling through the menu and scanning the retro sheek restaurant I ordered a few appetizers for my meal. Come on… You know we’ve all done that, it’s like Tapas or Dim Dum «American Style». I chose the fried Brie with jalapeño jelly and the Oysters Rockefeller. So, I live or fried cheese and the fried Brie was no exception. The smooth mild chunks of Brie breaded and perfectly fried was perfect. The side jalapeño jelly added a bit of heat. It was like if French food and Mexican food had a beautiful food baby.
Now for the Oysters Rockefeller. All I have to say is if you are in a retro place EAT RETRO! Slurping these little guys topped with spinach and hollandaise sauce made me feel like I was dining in the same room with a few old celebrities. I can pretend can’t I?
I will always come back to Melvyn’s when visiting Palm Springs to try other items and get my kick of retroisim.

Absolutely love Melvyn’s. Great food and excellent service. Brunch had a very slow and relaxing atmosphere, but that’s okay because I had just woken up a couple of hours beforehand anyways. Salmon and bagel is the perfect meal. I came back for dinner a couple of nights later and the seafood was delicious. I swear, each server will leave a little mark on you because they’re all just so memorable. Steve, Richard, Manny, and Brian are the best. Love the old-​timey Rat Pack atmosphere. I always come half expecting Frank Sinatra to come waltzing in and sit across from me at the dinner table!

Boo for horrible service. Our waitress pushed my friends dinner plate off of the small cocktail table where we were dining onto the floor. Our food had just been delivered, no meal replacement offered and we were charged full price! Brian the manager needs to be educated on customer service skills. I’ve never met a restaurant employee that was so terribly rude to their customers. The bartender was also a jerk. This place needs to be revamped from the top down. Get rid of the mean old men, inexperienced waitress, bad attitudes, and bad service.

EEEEEK. SCARY AND PROBABLY NOT LONG FOR THIS WORLD. While I do find the bar charming and old school, pass on the dining room at this disaster of a restaurant. Wilted salads, sub par French a onion soup, and shoe leather steaks for premium prices may have been Rat Pack favorites in the 60s when your cigarette hanging out of your mouth was all you could taste — today, this place’s days are probably numbered.

No better place for a three martini lunch — just make sure you aren’t driving! Impeccable service and attention. Caesar salad was to die for — and the sole piccata was one of the best fish dishes I have ever had.

The service was terrible! We tried very hard to overlook their affected attitude. It started with the Maitre’D, Brian who set the unfortunate tone for our meal. Even when I said point blanc that I felt as if we we were now his «problem children», we were treated as the «red headed step child».
We eventually asked for our meal to be boxed up (after waiting 45 mins for the soup) paid our $ 200 tab and after nasty comments of nearby patrons; left. Arrived at our suite to eat the food only to realize how sloppily the food had been packaged and wondered if it had really been been worth the $ 200?
See photos.:brown lettuce, 3 thin slices of steak Diane and mediocre Coq Au Vin… Eat here only is you don’t care what the service and food are about and just want a «slice of Palm Springs history»

Well past its Sell By Date. Not even a One rating.
They had a coach party, en masse, in for Thanksgiving for goodness sake.
How low can you go?

Came here on ¹¹⁄₁₂ Thursday night. To celebrate my 60 as my dad had celebrated here too on his 60^th.
Reservations were at 6:15.thought we’d come in early and get a drink at bar first. No valet on duty at 5:30pm. Parked on street and walked in. Its dark out there!
There was one couple at the bar and one bartender. We sat down at a table and waited, waited, waited.10 minutes and no acknowledgement by bartender. They were chatting it up with the couple at the bar previous to us. I’m not opposed to being friendly but don’t ignore other guests. multi task!
I decided to walk out to my car as I needed something. thought I’d get their attention by leaving. came back and one order of drinks came. I made my order. Lemondrop martini with Absolut. The drink was not like I can make them but decent. I would have liked more lemon. At least I tasted the alcohol, not watered down.
The valet was looking for owner of a particular car. He found out we had parked on street. Offered to get our car for us and valet it. That was nice. We took him up on it.
Then checked in with Maitre De, Matt. Very nice but I wanted to sit on patio. Was given some lame excuse why we couldn’t sit out there. I noticed as the evening progressed all guests were seated on the perimeter of the dining room first, then at the 2 tables in the middle. No one sat outside on indoor patio. ??? There was one group out there, a group of doctors. were there before we came… I guess they rate and we don’t? Oh well.
Service was excellent! My second martini. weak! Almost had them take it back. different bartender on duty. I decided not to. The food was good. I had banana squash soup, others had salad which they enjoyed. I had the Frank Sinatra steak, prepared how I liked it. Others had medalions of pork and filet. They liked it. Veggies not over cooked which I liked. We ordered Grand Marnier soufflé for dessert which was very good. Light with plenty of grand marnier sauce. They came by the table and took a picture for us for a memory. Unfortuneately, they were out of frames. but I have the picture. nice touch.
Overall nice visit.memorable.just a few mishaps to not give it a 5*****.

Melvyn’s Restaurant is the epitome of what I imagine to be old school Hollywood glamor. Everything from the service, to the table side cooking, and Thousand Island salad dressing takes you back in time. My boyfriend made reservations here and we were excited to get dressed up for a 1950s style night out.
The portions were large and we were almost full from bread and salad before the main entrees arrived. My boyfriend ordered the Steak Diane which was cooked to perfection at our table. I had the Duck L’Orange which was also good. Too full for dessert, we got two boozy coffee drinks and retired to the lounge to listen to the excellent pianist singing old songs, taken by request.
When you go to Melvyn’s, take it in as an experience. There are not many places where you can sit where the Rat Pack ate and be transported back into time like you can at Melvyn’s. If you’re in Palm Springs, Melvyn’s is a must!

Five Star dinning experience
We were greeted at the door by (Brian) the Maitre d’ by name. This is one of my all time favorite places. The service is world class. Every detail was handled perfectly by Bobby the Captain and the staff. My wife and I ordered the chateaubriand for two, perfectly done finished by Bobby at the table, served with a blue cheese stuffed, broiled tomato, freshly steamed snow peas, sautéed mushrooms and beautifully browned duchess potatoes. The table next to us was having Steak Diane table side, the aroma was intoxicating. So much so, we came back the next night to have the Steak Diane and the table side preparation was FANTASTIC. Melvyn’s is an Exceptional dinning experience

Want to experience old school Rat Pack era Palm Springs? Come to Melvyn’s. I mean, wow. It’s like stepping back in time. We loved it.
This restaurant is situated in a small hotel and the minute you step inside you are transported back in in time. The maitre’d escorts you by the arm to your table into the dining room, which is like eating in a Golden Girls set. We were hands down the youngest people in the room, which we didn’t mind.
TONS of celebrities have eaten here, honeymooned here, been married here, you name it.
The menu has a wide variety of old school options. I opted for the stuffed chicken breast and my other half ordered the sole. The sole was light and delicious while my entrée was good, the sauce was a little heavy, but still delicious. The entrees included salads, which also had a bit too much dressing, but still great. We also split the torte and loved it.
You can order table side prepared entrees such as steaks and such, which we didn’t but were entertained as we watched other tables receive this. I’m so doing it next time.
The service is fantastic and attentive and after dinner, you can head over to the lounge for live singing. Old school crooning and a teeny dance floor lit up with floor lights. Watch the older couples dance away to Sinatra, Johnny Mercer, etc. So much fun!!!

This is purposely one of those old school «if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ places. Service is impeccable. Boasting lots of celebrity photos from Liza, Cher and Sinatra, it’s evident nothing has changed. Even the dress code … People are older and dress up for the occasion.
If it were just up to reviewing service, this would be 5 stars. Even the soup and salad were above average, but when it came to the main event, the meal, you have to deliver and unfortunately, the steak medallions and lobster both lacked any flavor. I rarely use salt but here it was a necessity along with lots of pepper. Even the sauce on top of the lobster was bland-​:(. To their credit, my partner did like his steak.
Sorry but it takes both food and service to warrant a return trip. I will stick with Shame On The Moon for special occasions.

Treated like a famous movie star from the moment my husband and I drove up. Valet man physically helped me out of the car when he saw my high heels and tight dress. We had a reservation and we were seated immediately. Maitre’d was such a gentleman, insisting that my husband let me go first into the dining room. He then pulled out my chair. The first waiter came over to take our drink order, my husband once again got corrected, LADIES FIRST!
Drinks were amazing, then an older gentleman came over to take our order. By now, my husband had been schooled, so I got to order first! Our dinners were amazing and we chatted with the Maitre’d and we mentioned that we would like to have some after dinner drinks in the lounge. As soon as we got up, the Maitre’d ran over and took my wine glass to carry it in for me, and he had a special seat for us right in front of the entertainment!
I absolutely adore the old fashioned charm of this place. I love dressing up for dinner, and I LOVE THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE A DRESS CODE! It’s so nice that there are places like this left in the world!

Vichyoisse is excellent!