On a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Palm Springs I stopped in at Melvyn's Restaurant at the Ingleside Inn for lunch. Melyvn's gained popularity by being Frank Sinatra's favorite local spot for the many years he lived in Palm Springs. I was excited about the chance to go have a meal where the Rat Pack, Bob Hope, Elizabeth Taylor, John Wayne, Marlon Brando, Clark Gable, Dina Shore, and many other names from Hollywood's golden age ate.
If you plan on coming here there are a couple things you should know in advance. First, reservations are always required, even for lunch. Second, men are required to wear a collared shirt, dress pants, and dress shoes. The guys working here seemed like they would enforce these rules vigorously so don't stroll in off the street in jeans and expect to get served.
When I got there about noon on Saturday the place was relatively empty. We sat on the enclosed patio and had a great view outside.
The rest of the decor inside hints of Hollywood's golden era. It is a style I would call classic Californian. It doesn't look like they have changed anything since they opened. The way things look now is likely the same way Frank would remember it.
The staff I saw consisted of older men who took their job extremely seriously. The service was very good and they had a good sense of humor. I ordered the Steak Venetian and the endless champagne. I waited patiently wondering how good the food was to have such a famous clientele.
The presentation of the food was great. The taste was very good, but not what I would consider truly exceptional. This is not in the same league as other celebrity haunts like say, Spago. However, the meal was satisfying, very reasonably priced, and the environment was very relaxing.
While all the famous people of yesteryear are long gone, and certainly not cool enough now for new Hollywood, I still would suggest making this a stop if you are in Palm Springs.
