There a few words to really convey the experience here. It is part of the Parker Palm Springs, which is an SPG hotel otherwise known as Le Meridian. These hotels are usually high end and decadently appointed in mod and contemporary fashion. Well Mister Parkers is the same description but takes on an older 1970's glamour. The hotel's theme seems to be that of a psychedelic, hallucinatory, following Alice in Wonderland down the rabbit hole approach. The restaurant is similar. The staff is very good on the presentation. Very classy and professional waiters. They walk with one hand behind their backs like an upscale server would do. The food is expensive and the alcohol is as well. This place attracts the clientele at the hotel or the locals who are very high end and perhaps a little vain. It is a youthful crowd and there isn't a great bar so don't go alone. Take a date here ONLY if it is your 3rd or 4th date because the lighting is very dim and you'll likely end up sitting next to each other.
I went here for Mother's day and there weren't any noticeable mothers. Just people with money.
Fabuloso! You don't know what to expect walking into that curtained entrance, but don't worry, your night will be wonderful.
A group of friends and I made (sort of) last minute reservations and snagged some late seats around 9:30 PM. We were asked to wait a moment until our table was ready, then led to a side room where a comfortable 4 top awaited us. The interior is dark, cozy, romantic, the type of place you can sit and linger. Our server was super friendly, extremely honest and the service was flawless.
We had several questions about the menu and I really appreciated the truth our server spoke.
"Well, it's late, and that's been sitting out since dinner started so it might be dry" about the duck. And "That's really not the best, in fact, it's coming off the menu next month - I wouldn't recommend it."
It's advice like that I appreciate - especially when you're committing over $30 to an entree.
We ended up ordering some appetizers (escargots, and something else), and the short ribs, steak frites and braised lamb shank. Everything was incredible. Great wine too - we ordered a Malbec that I would love to have again (another suggestion from the waiter).
For dessert, we got a trio of creme brulee which was super tasty, along with a stacked banana dessert (the name escapes me). But as you guessed, it was all incredibly delicious.
I would come back to this restaurant in a heartbeat - it's worth it, whether you're staying on property or have to drive.
I had a very bad experience here on NYE. While this review may not apply to their regular service, I would definitely stay away if they are only offering a Prefix or if it is a Holiday.
I paid $199 for a 5 course prefix and the majority of the dishes were not cooked well, plated long before and lacked flavor.
I did love the decor of the place though and the live music was nice.
This was my last night here at this hotel where this restaurant is located, and our party didn't feel like driving anywhere so we came here. It's an early flight out of Palm Springs back to Reno in the morning, so this will be the last meal for this trip. Maybe a quick bite on the way to the airport in the morning but then we are outta here. Reading the reviews and checking the menu, this might not be my first choice, but again the convenience factor is in play. The menu looks like its going for the French thing. The prices sure make it look that way. I'm here on assignment, so my client is the one paying, so I'm not complaining. As long as I get home in time for Valentine's Day dinner tomorrow.
The interior is quite elegant and service is OK, not super refined service, but OK for Palm Springs. The wine list was off the charts high. Most bottles ranging from the low $100's to some bottle for $800. Since this was our last dinner here, we went for a bottle of  champagne in the low $100's.
Starting off we had the braised pork belly for appetizer. I've really not had pork belly much, but it does seem to be making quite the comeback in the upscale restaurant scene. This one was served with a pomegranate sauce. Quite an interesting flavor, I did like it. Since this was a French restaurant, we had the French Onion Soup. Decent version, not the best, but passable. For entrees I had the beef short ribs and my client had the NY Steak. I think he was looking for something that sounded familiar on a somewhat Frenchy menu. My short ribs were sort of over cooked, at least to my taste anyway, but for $38 one might hope for better. My client's NY steak was cooked to order, but he said it just tasted like a normal steak, which might still have been better then him ordering something French and ending up with something totally different then what he imagined. For dessert I had the Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse and client had the creme brulee' both $14. I did enjoy my mousse, but he didn't say too much about the creme brulee', so I assume it was just OK.
Overall an OK dining experience if you factor in not having to drive anywhere, but if given the choice again, I think I would pick somewhere else to go for dinner.
Ideal for an over the top night, particularly if you're ready to part with serious cash. You'll read your menu with a flashlight and your friends will love the art on the walls.
The food is decent but I suspect that's not the real reason most folks dine here.
On my BFF's thirtieth, Mister Parker's was the classy venue where we convened to properly mark the occasion. We were all staying at the Parker so a raucous affair could be had without anyone worrying how to get home after.
Mister Parker's touts bistro fare. The French onion soup was good (when is it not?) but I was puzzled as to why  a roasted chicken would ever need to be adorned with so much sauce.
Mister Parker's screams "big night out!" and if that's what you're after (especially with a big group in tow) you won't be disappointed. For the record though, I'd never want to go on a date here.
Very disappointing. Â I have no problem paying good money for a quality meal, but when I pay $100+ per person, I think it's fair for me to expect -- at a minimum -- competent service and properly seasoned/cooked food. Â We received neither at Mister Parker's. Â Our waiter, while friendly, made at least 2 mistakes during the course of our dinner that indicated he just wasn't paying attention. Â First, the busboy came by and asked if we wanted sparkling or still water. Â We asked for still water. Â The waiter came by 2 minutes later, poured us two glasses of Pelegrino, deposited the bottle on our table and then left before we had a chance to say anything. Â My wife and I noticed the busboy right behind him, carrying the still water we ordered, but he turned around and left, perhaps thinking that in the interim we had changed our minds and ordered sparkling. Â When the waiter came back, we explained that we'd received the Pelegrino in error, as we had clearly asked for still water. Â Our waiter said "Okay", removed the bottle from our table, but gave me a long look as he was doing so, as if I had inconvenienced him in some way (or perhaps suggesting that in fact I HAD ordered the water but was now lying about it). Â I also thought it odd that he took the bottle away (partially full) rather than offering to let us have it at no charge, as many restaurants often do when they screw up. Â Later on, when my wife was trying to decide between 2 different glasses of wine, the waiter graciously offered to bring her a taste of each to help her decide. Â However, when the waiter returned after she had tasted each, he couldn't remember which glass he'd put in front of her. Â So while she pointed to the glass she wanted, he ended up bringing out the wrong full glass for her meal. Â
As for the food: First, our appetizers were fine, but not memorable. Â A simple mixed green salad with fennel and herbs, and a plate of buttery escargots (this was probably the best thing we ate). Â Both of our mains, however, were mediocre at best. Â Ordinarily, I'm not one to send back food. Â I can find a way to enjoy just about anything you put in front of me. Â But in this case, I truly regret not sending both our dishes back. When you're charging over $30 for a pork chop and a similar amount for a piece of salmon, it's not too much to expect that the meat be seasoned properly. Â Nor is it too much to ask that the dish not be overcooked. Â Both of our dishes were dry and bland. Â I think I was hungry enough by the time our mains came out that I just ignored the fact that I was eating bad food and just shoveled it down anyway rather than having to deal with the hassle of asking them to re-do it. Â
The "trio" of cremes brulees we ordered came highly recommended by our waiter, but other than the "peppermint" creme brulee, none was especially interesting. Â
Did I mention that my wife ordered a Campari and soda at the bar outside the restaurant for $15? That's right, a Campari and soda. Â $15.
2 stars rather than 1 only because the space is beautiful and the staff was at least friendly, if not attentive. Â
If you're going to spend money on a good meal in Palm Springs, go elsewhere.
DEAR MISTER PARKER,
PLEASE TAKE NOTE, YOU ARE NOT EL BULLI. Â
---
DEAR YELPERS,
STEER CLEAR! Â NYE Prefix = HORRIBLE FOOD @ $300/person. Â
I thought this would be a fun place to do a late dinner with two other couples on NYE. Â Having been to the bar there before, I knew it wasn't going to be cheap. Â I had heard from friends that the food was great, and checked out the menu online in advance - the prices seemed reasonable.
I spoke to the restaurant staff, including the manager, 3 times prior to arriving there last night.  NOT ONCE did anyone tell me about a pre-fix, but low and  behold, $195/person, not including any alcohol.  WTF.  Seriously, no one said PEEP, which is ridiculous.  That is their JOB.  It should be incumbent on the restaurant to tell you so you are aware, and can check in advance for allergies, costs, etc. Â
All of us love food and value a great meal, so we talked it over and figured that given Mister Parker's reviews, their 5 course pre-fix should RULE. Â So we decided to stick it out, since it was 9:45 and we didn't want to deal with finding somewhere else to eat on NYE. Â
Big mistake. Â Huge. Â 5 courses: nothing edible. Â
Food had obviously been cooked and plated hours before, it was hard and crusty. Â
I'm not gonna recap every course, but I had to cover the third course, literally called EDIBLE DIRT. Â It tasted like yesterday's used coffee grounds mixed with ground peanuts and cocoa nibs....and then had raw micro onions and other root veggies. Â More like a third rate topping from the yogurtland topping bar. Â
Other "low"lights included:
* Consumme that wasn't even 1% as good as Better Than Bouillion.
* Grossly undercooked steak - asked for medium rare and it was barely seared on the outside, let alone cooked to a lovely pink center.
* White Truffle Risotto that tasted like CARDBOARD. Â Grossly underseasoned, but more salt just made it taste more like cardboard. Â Even the shaved truffles on the top tasted like a brown paper box. Â
All is all, HORRIBLE. Â MAKE SURE YOU ASK THEM EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW IN ADVANCE. Â Will not be returning there. Â Ever.
Amazing atmosphere, from the time you walk through the velvet curtain. Â Fantastic wine list and if he is working, ask for John as your experience will be made even better by his fantastic attention to detail and sense of humor. Â
We have been 2X in 2 months and can't wait to go back. Â The butternut squash soup is delicious and the steak is impressive. Â The desserts are really creative. Â All in all highly recommend coming here to a nice meal in the desert.
OMG! Â Amazing place. Â Excellent food. Â Excellent service. Â Had a slight mix up with my reservation, but, was cleared up in a matter of minutes. Â It was a Saturday night and the place was full...got an excellent table and couldn't have been happier. Â If you are into wines, nice choices...me? not so much, but my Stoli was good! Pricey, valet parking, up scale attire should be worn...I had the pork chops and I almost licked my plate!
Review Source:I have been really looking forward to dining at this place for a long time, and it did not live up to my expectations, at all. Â
We arrived and we seated promptly. Â It is hard to find off the lobby and a very awkward and narrow semi-hallway to the check-in stand. Â The vibe is 70s porn mixed with old-time speakeasy ... I thought it was cool.
The service was good. Â Our waiter was very nice and accommodating. Â I started with the tarte, and it was good, but not what I would expect from a restaurant of this caliber. Â It was very messy and difficult to eat. Â The flavors were there, but, then again, how can you go wrong with cheese, tart and bacon. Â
I asked the server for recommendations for my main course, and he said that the steak was the most popular dish. Â It was like eating an atom bomb of pepper. Â There were full peppercorns stuck in my teeth. Â Yuck. Â I told the waiter about my issue, he said that they could scrape off the pepper and reheat it. Â Umm .. hell to the no. Â So he offered to make a new steak, and asked if I wanted a drink to tide me over as my date ate. Â He offered a Skye Vodka martini, and I mentioned I usually drink Grey Goose. Â It was Skye, but, at least he tried to make me happy. Â When the unseasoned steak came, it was still quite mediocre. Â All in all, it was very bland and disappointing. Â
I also asked for recommendations between two bottles of wine on the wine list, and he ended up bringing a somewhat more expensive bottle. Â When I asked about it, he said that was one of the bottles I had pointed out, which I didn't. Â It seemed like an honest mistake, but we still paid for it. Â
Perhaps it was because I was expecting a lot, but it was very disappointing.
You know a restaurant must be really nice if they ask you if there's any special occasion when you call to make a reservation. If you're looking for a swanky but not stuffy place for a celebratory meal in Palm Springs, Mister Parker's is it.
I was a bit apprehensive about dining at a "hotel restaurant" for my boyfriend's birthday dinner, but upon stepping foot in The Parker, all my doubts disappeared. This hotel has a super funky midcentury vibe (think stark white everywhere with a light up "DRUGS" sign above the fireplace) which is amplified even further in the restaurant. The entrance of Mister Parker's is sort of hidden, giving it the feel of a super exclusive speakeasy or secret poker club. Behind the heavy velvet curtains, you'll be seated in a dimly lit (seriously though, bring a flashlight if you intend to read the menu) room surrounded by dark wood, mirrored ceilings, and awesome modern art, among which we spotted kitschy pinups, skull etchings, and abstract metallic pieces. Kinda like a weird 70's porno version of a polo lounge -- totally into it. Â
The food was good, but didn't completely wow me. The butternut squash soup was delicious, and the scallops were nice but not mind-blowing. This is what my boyfriend calls "pretentious food" -- Â it looks amazing on the menu and on the plate, but ultimately doesn't taste quite as impressive. However, the staff was pleasantly unpretentious -- an awesome surprise given that we are young and of the rock n' roll persuasion in such a nice restaurant. With good food, and amazing ambiance and service, I can't wait to celebrate with Mister Parker again soon.
We dined here on Wednesday, September 7, 2011 at 8:30 PM.
So, I have kind of avoided this place for a long time. Â In my mind it was going to be another flashy looking place in the desert with sub-par food and terrible service (snooty, know-nothings who act like they are doing you a favor to wait on you).
I am happy to report that I was wrong.
We arrived sans-reservation at 8:30 PM on a Wednesday at the tail end of summer in Palm Springs, not exactly the happening time. Â I expected the place to be empty, or closing. Â Wrong, eight tables or so, not packed, but nice crowd.
Decore is pretty much what I expected. Â Dark, a little cool and a little over the top (if you put up enough bad art, does it really make it good at some point?). Â Interesting to look at - still thought we were in for trouble.
Host was great. Â Friendly in a way that is not usual, he made us laugh while they took a minute to ready a table for us.
Server was introduced as "Nathan", (given other reviews and the fact that a table next to us was also supposed to have "Nathan" as their server - who was different from our "Nathan", I think they are all called "Nathan".
He arrived promptly, asked if we'd like anything from the bar while we looked over the menu. Â Offered a few suggestions. Â The usual spiel, but really engaging. Â We brought wine, so he came back in a few minutes to open it. Â Minor mishap with the wine opeing, it was an older bottle and they ripped the cork, so it required a trip back to the kitchen to decant. Â All worked out well in the end and they waived the corkage fee for messing up the cork. Â It was actually kind of endearing how worried they were about it.
Food is basically French Bistro with a few modern touches.
We started with the seared foie gras and the escargot. Â Foie gras was a better disc, but the snails were good, if a tad oily for me.
Entrees were lamb shank and briased short ribs. Â The lamb shank was more like a sheep shank. Â It was large and it tasted like an older animal (the meat was not old, I just wonder how young the lamb was). Â It had a very strong muttony taste, but that aside, was good and the lentils it was served on were great.
Short ribs were tender and very good and a generous serving. Â Served with a thyme jus that was also tasty. Â All in all, the short ribs were the better dish.
Service was spot on. Â Courses were not rushed, but didn't lag. Â Servers were friendly and always there when you needed them. Â A very pleasant surprise!
We looked at the dessert menu and there were a couple items that looked interesting (butterscotch pot d' creme), but were ultimately too full to order anything.
We lingered over the last of the wine and when the check came, it was pretty reasonable (about $120 before gratuity).
So, a pleasant surprise and a place I look forward to going back to again some time.
I love this place and wish there were a Mister Parker's in LA...
The restaurant decor is dark, naughty and fun (boobies everywhere). The service is impeccable (our waiter was the much-yelped-about Steven).  And the food  was very good. Four-star good.
So why the fifth star? Try the chocolate peanut butter mousse, and you'd do the same. It's so much more than what it sounds like. This dessert is HEAVEN times ten. It's what dreams are made of. Really.
Food - delicious  (we had tuna tartar, escargot, mussels and an amazing peanut butter cup dessert)
Service - Â amazing ( waiter, Steven, made sure we had warm bread for our mussels and even made my husband stuffed olives for his martini!!!)
Ambience - everything I'd expect for old school Palm Springs. Fun and kitchy.
This review is only for the dessert, as that's all that I had (this time!)
The chocolate peanut butter mousse item (sorry, I can't remember the fancy name) is just a party in your mouth. Â The flavors are so perfectly complementary that I just wanted to savor every bite (and that's SO rare for me!). Â It was a thick peanut butter mousse enclosed in a hard & delicious chocolate shell, grounded by a small disc of what I can only best describe as a brownie, with a bit of a crisp (like a Nestle Crunch bar... but of course MUCH better quality). Â Topped with two raspberries, and accompanied by a small round scoop of raspberry sorbet. Â Give me more!!
I also had the lime basil sorbet, the red velvet cake ice cream, and the banana sorbet sitting over a butterscotch pudding, with candied bacon. Â
The chocolate peanut butter mousse and the banana sorbet (with candied bacon) are going to be repeats for me for sure! Â I wish I had my Canon SLR with me because my iPhone pictures just do not do these treats any justice!
All the servers were just fantastic... and so super gregarious. Â
A+ to the pastry chef!
We have happily stayed at the Parker for many years, and while we love the hotel, we typically went in the summer which means Mr. Parker's was always closed for the summer.
Because of this, it increased our desire to dine there a bit more each year. So this trip, upon finding out that it was open (it's still in-season), we were excited to try it out.
Made a ressie, easy peasy. BTW if you use Open Table you have to give them a CC and their 'cancellation policy' is a little sketch, it says that you can cancel within 24 hours but then a line down it says if you cancel within 24 hours you may or may not still be charged. Umm k. I called and made a ressie over the phone with no credit card required.
The inside is as swank and dark as can be expected from a posh, trendy place like this. We had the option of dining in the busy main room where it's obvious you want to see and be seen, or a more private secluded romantic back room with a roaring fire and a fabulous bar setup. We chose the back room.
Our waiter was wonderful, very thorough and attentive and never once did we feel ignored even though we were in a smaller back room with 2 other couples.
The food though, left something to be desired. My husband had the grilled foie gras and enjoyed it. I had an appetizer with goat cheese, phyllo, and arugula. Liked it--but man, it was enormous. As in, it could-be-an-entree enormous. They should half that and also halve the cost. I was practically full after eating just 1/2.
I ordered the butternut squash soup with a cream swirl and gingerbread croutons. Sounds yummy right? It was WAY WAY too incredibly sweet, and I have a sweet tooth. I couldn't even eat more than 1/4 of it. It desperately needed something to cut the sweetness, it was like drinking a warm dessert drink.
For entree, I chose the mussels which sounded good in principal. Except they were subbing green mussels for the original black ones. I should have known and steered clear because green mussels are nothing like black, they are usually tough and way too gamey. But I chose it anyway and regretted it. They were overdone to the point of chewiness, and COLD... the dish had obviously been done too soon and sat there for a while until our other food was ready. Fail. I didn't eat them. Oh and a giant pile of green mussels in tepid broth that is WAY down in the bottom of the bowl does not a $25 dish make.
At this point I also had a crazy stomachache, doubt it was from the food but we just paid up and left. My husband did like his lamb and his foie gras, but I guess I made all the wrong choices. It was truly unfortunate as the service and ambiance was great, the food just did not make it happen this time around. Maybe next time.
We dined at Mister Parker's our first night at the Parker in Palm Springs. Â Although we didn't have reservations (it was Friday night), the host was accomodating and found a table for us pretty quickly. Â Great French food, good wine list, and the best part: the ambiance.
I will definitely be back during a future Palm Springs trip.
Mister Parker exudes a sexy cool vibe that would knock the socks off Don Draper on one of those Mad Men episodes where he jets off to a different city.
We had the pleasure of eating at Mister Parkers during our stay at the Parker Palm Springs which I praised in another review. Â The food was the best I have had, and well worth the price. Â I had the mussels the first night and the gnocchi the second night and my husband had to hold me back from licking the plate, as this is a classy establishment. Â
Modern interior and design. I don't know if we were cool enough to eat here, but I definitely felt cool enough afterward.
$200 for dinner with your date including alcohol. It's only open Wed-Sun and it's dinner only so plan accordingly.
I loved that I could make reservations on-line at Open Table. I did it both nights from our room by computer.
The only thing that would have made it better is if mister Parker himself came out to greet us. Fabulous food and atmosphere. You'll be glad you came.
We had a fabulous dinner last night at Mr. Parker's. We were staying at the Le Parker Meridien and were browsing Palm Springs restaurants on Open Table when we discovered Mr. Parker's offering 1,000 points and we couldn't resist. Â When we arrived, we were given a great table located in the corner. Â
We started with the french onion soup and the Salade a Lestragon. The french onions soup was superb. Very deep flavors, nice semi-thick texture and topped with a thick layer of cheese...we ate every last drop of it. Â The salad was okay, I thought it could have been much better, the dressing was very light and the butter lettuce and cherry tomatoes were fresh, but I came away thinking it was just very ordinary.
For my entree I ordered the gnocchi as I wasn't in the mood for a heavy meat dish. I was pleasantly surprised, by how complex the dish was and how well executed. The gnocchi seemed to be homemade and cooked perfectly, not chewy at all and a light, spongy texture. Wonderful. The basil broth was fantastic and complimented the english peas, which to me was what really made the dish. In fact, the gnocchi reminded me of a dish I had at L2O, which was much more expensive and this dish was much more filling. Â
Overall we had a great meal at Mister Parker's. Â The service was excellent and food was great. Â Aside from it being very expensive, I would not hesitate to go back on our next stay at the Parker hotel.
One the best dining experiences I've ever had!
We made reservations for three on a Thursday night at 7:00 not knowing much about the place and we all left feeling the same way, WOW what a great dinner!
Entering this quirky restaurant through black velvet curtains we were greeted by the friendly Maître d'. At first I wasn't sure, it felt a little claustrophobic but after sitting down and getting settled in I fell in love with this restaurant! The atmosphere (loved the music) red wine served at the right temp, GREAT food with good sized portions on HOT plates and fantastic service all around, everything was great!
Very pricey, but surprisingly tasty food.
Okay, this is one of those places that could present a problem posting a review. I had the Scottish Salmon. It arrived on a thin layer of what appeared to be mashed potatoes topped by an even thinner layer of spinach (two of my favorites). The salmon was very tasty. But, $48 for a serving of salmon? And that was one of the less expensive entrees on the menu. For dessert, I had what was basically a hot fudge sundae. $14 for a scoop of ice cream and a ramekin of hot fudge. The ice cream did not have any divine flavor, and the hot fudge was not laced with anything to make it outstanding for the $14 charge. Others in the group thought the food was good, but I never heard, "Oh my gawd, this is the best _____ I have ever tasted!"
Mr. Parker's itself is a quirky little hide-away place at the Parker Palm Springs Hotel. Driving up to the hotel itself tells you it's going to be an interesting and exclusive excursion, albeit quite expensive.
This is definitely not the place to go if you're a BOGO coupon eater. I doubt that you could get out of here for less than $75 / person even if you drank water, avoided the appetizers, or perhaps stopped in for lunch. Bottles of wine start at $50 and go up quite steeply from there.
On the plus side, "they" say that many famous people like the whole ambiance of the hotel as well as the restaurant being small and secluded as it is. As far as I know, I wasn't rubbing elbows with anyone who might be seen on TMZ. However, there was a more private dining room area beyond where we were sitting. I would bet that's where they hide all the famous from the paparazzi.
All in all, it was a delightful experience, considering the fact that someone else was paying for it. I would probably not return unless I won that massive jackpot at one of the local Palm Springs casinos. Or someone else was treating me to dinner.
Oh, and one other thing. The place is dimly lighted. However, they provide little flashlights for reading the menu. How thoughtful. I'll be a lot of those little flashlights walk out on their own.
Mr. Parker's been getting kicked around and dragged through the mud on Yelp lately. Perhaps Mr Parker needed the last few months of getting kicked in the nuts by reviewers.
This past weekend, Mr Parker's was excellent.
First, the decor... to all those who complain about it... Stop your bitching!
You are in Palm Springs, it is supposed to be kitschy! Enjoy it. Relax and look at the painting of a woman's perfectly shaped bum or the pair of breast next to your friend's head. Order a Manhattan and enjoy the contrast.
The Confit de Canard was savory and sweet. The duck breast was prepared perfectly and the amount of sauce was just right. Most places over do duck and compensate with an extravagant amount of sauce - not Mr. Parker's.
The Filet Mignon de Porc was also top notch. The truffle sauce was lovely and the pork was tender. What really made the pork was the side dish that complimented it so well, the sweet corn pudding.
The staff was very attentive. Perhaps they took note of their previous bad reviews. The only thing that would have been nice was to have the table cleared properly and the bread crumbs brushed off. Our waitress was very helpful, friendly and had excellent recommendations.
Skip the appetizers. The were good but drinks are better.
Drinks - I would skip the wines and order from the bar. The Manhattan was perfectly made, perhaps too perfect. The King had to partake of several to make sure it wasn't an aberration or glitch in the matrix. It was not. For the ladies, the pomegranate martini is a favorite and had great reviews all around.
Desert food is rarely ever good, but Mr Parker's is excellent. I don't think there is any place else worth recommending in Palm Springs. One of the best meals I have had after five years in SoCal.
"We're in between chefs right now." Â Hmmm...that could explain the mediocre food, but not the slip in service. Â Several items were served cold, we had to ask for fresh ground pepper for our salads, the waiter never checked back with us after our food was delivered and we had to pour our own champagne. Â Sigh...if it weren't for the fun patrons, there would be no reason to ever return.
Salad w/lardons, however, was still on point.
Lots of ego here...from the prices to the menu items. Really steak smothered in foie gras? How gratuitiously flamboyant can you get? Might as well order the beluga caviar and white truffles to top it with (those two are not on the menu). It seemed like more was invested in cheap tricks to raise the food prices than actual creativity and fine ingredients. Typical for Palm Springs I suppose.
(so more like...3 1/2 stars to be fair)
The food is overpriced for what you get. The portion sizes are not bad at all...and they read all extravagantly (at times, gratuitously so) on the menu, but generally were alright to good, but never really great. While the dishes read all fantastically, when one tasted them, they lacked the distinct flavors of the ingredients that comprised them. It seemed as if all the main menu items in Mr. Parker's were about $15 more than what similar establishments charge...and for what? Nothing really. But at least the food was not disappointing...just not excellent. At best, the food was good in that sort of "pump me with calories/make it good and rich" sort of way, but not really elegant and refined as the prices suggested. Read my other reviews, and you will know that I am happy to pay a lot for food...as long as it is great.
To their credit...three out of the four ice creams we got for dessert were great. Some innovation was among them, with flavors like blackberry mojito sorbet and sage ice cream...both of which were arguably excellent. Our head server was good, and made the evening fun without being omnipresent or intrusive. My only serious complaint about the service was that I wished they came by with a table crumber to scrape away the crumbs that their delicious bread left behind. They really stood out on that dark table cloth. Kinda annoyed me.
Go to Melvyn's at the Ingleside inn for better ambiance, comparable (maybe even better?) food, better service, and a better deal. That's my suggestion!
--Anthony
The restaurant decor and wall art are retro and enjoyable. Â Mid-century and 70's ecletic. Â Poor value as the quality of food is not equal to the price they charge. Â First night we tried the chef's menu thought the food was above average. Â The 2nd night I ordered a NY steak which was above average, but not great. Â They know how to pair wines very well. Â
On both nights the servers were professional and impressive. Â We would not return to the restaurant but would stay again at the hotel.
Mister Parker's is the restaurant inside of Le Parker Meridian Hotel.
"Mister Parker's" the food is overpriced, the service is sub-par but the management is an utter and complete joke (and not a funny one).
A group of 18 of us stayed on the grounds of the Parker hotel from Friday-Sunday 9/5-9/7. We were all in great spirits celebrating a friends 30th birthday. The birthday girl had prearranged the night's festivities at Mister Parkers. She insisted on not having a prix fixe menu and in order to do that we agreed to split our large group into 2 tables of 9.
The waitress told me she would be splitting the checks into 2 one for each table...
When the final bill came it was all on one bill and we were then told at the end of dinner that they can not split checks. They would do us a favor by splitting it between 2 rooms.. a $1500 bill.
When the birthday girl asked about a sharper knife for her pork, his reply (the manager- Michael)
"the knife you have should be just fine but I guess I will try to get you another one"
A couple with our group had previously visited Mister Parkers and upon sitting down at the table ordered the special desert cookies. It takes a while for them to cook fresh... They were never delivered to the table or even noted but they were on the bill and we paid for them.
Oh and the Manager- "Michael" told us there was no atm on site. (which we found out later we could have charged extra $ to our room and the front desk could have given you cash). Â His pompous, arrogant behavior was something I have never before witnessed as the manager of any restaurant high end or not.
He is basically just begging to be fired which is something that would do the Parker justice.
We have been going to Mr. Parker's  at the Parker Hotel since it opened and have regularly brought large groups there for meals over the years and were looking forward to this being another great night.  It became instead the worst dining experience we've had in some time.
Things were rocky from the moment we sat down but the lowlights include the following:
1.) With a party of 11, only 10 main courses made it to the table. This is after the food runners delivered the plates piece-meal over 15 minutes.
2.) Food arrived cold which was surprising, considering  most dishes were overcooked.
3.) No one bothered to check back at all after the food was delivered to see if we needed anything: if anyone may need drinks refilled, more bottles of wine (which we did need and never got), if all the food arrived, etc.
In the end, we literally took a water pitcher from the service bar and started filling our own glasses.
4.) After several unsuccessful attempts to get the attention of our server we had to ask another server to track her down. When still no server ever showed, the maître d' was asked to come to the table. When THAT never happened, one of our party members went to find him.
Shockingly, he had no apologies, and offered only excuses. If anything, he was dismissive and flip, and tried to make it seem as if the breakdown of service, quality of food and utter disregard for our dining experience, etc, were OUR fault - rather than taking accountability or for that matter, offering a simple 'sorry'.
When we reported that not one of his staff had checked back with us, he replied "We don't do that here."
This was actually the final straw, because the maitre d' knew that we've been repeat customers over the years who have spent thousands of dollars here and regularly brought large groups and have been good customers.
We eat out a lot and understand that restaurants have off nights, kitchen issues or staffing problems that can affect service - but the one thing that we cannot accept is when a restaurant won't just say "sorry" and try and rectify the situation. If the maitre d' or servers would have just come over, sorted it out and offered an apology to our table, this would have gone a long way.
What they DID do was remove the cost of the overcooked meals as well as the entree that never arrived, but had the gall to charge us 20% tip.
This entire debacle cost us $700 - which would have been more if they'd bothered to ask us if we wanted more wine, champagne, etc.
More than what it cost us, it cost them repeat customers - because I can assure you, we will never be back.
I would encourage all reading this review to enjoy other Palm Springs restaurants where the service and food match the reputation.
-1 star for not providing us the fancy little flashlights to read our menu (please note this place has a pretty dark interior and the lighting is rather dim to say the least)
-0.5 star for forgetting to remove the parmesan shavings from my beet and mache salad but then prompty replacing it when i pointed it out
-0.5 star for the intermittent service...uhh waiter we need a refill on our water
overall both of our entrees were good but not $$$ good. the duck confit was flavorful and the meat was really tender ($40) and my halibut was a very generous portion ($37). check out the posted pix!
the parker hotel has a great vibe and it extends into the mister parker restaurant. however, we probably won't come to dine here again but we will pop back in to check out the hotel rooms someday.
Other than saying that the decor was phenomenal, think along the lines of an acid trip on Haight and Ashbury (in the late 60's) meets an upscale steakhouse and you'll find yourself in Mister Parker's.
I found the way they did their Wine menu pretty novel, arranged as Crazy (expensive, high end bottles), Sexy (not as expensive, some high end bottles) and Cool (quality, but affordable bottles). We went with a Portland wine off the Cool menu (Pinot Noir) which was pretty tasty.
We ordered a half dozen oysters to appetize on, followed by the Butternut Squash Ravioli for myself and the New York Sirloin steak for my boyfriend. Both were good, but nothing close to blowing either of our tastebuds out of the water (esp. given the prices).
For dessert, we ordered the Profiteroles, which were delicious!
All in all, a great experience, though noticeably loud (it was Saturday night and there were multiple birthdays surrounding us).
For the decor alone, this place is definitely worth checking out...even if you do end up going only for drinks.
This is a fun place and the service is pretty awesome. Â
The food is really good we actually only went in for drinks and some tapas and had a great time during a girls weekend.
I love this hotel.....it has some personality and I really like Jonathan Adler and I like his quirkiness and flair.
While I realize there are a lack of options in Palm Springs, my dinner at Mister Parker's was disappointing, to say the least.
Ok...I'm really not super negative, so let's start out with the positive. The decor is amazing. Funky with a little bit of dirty...there is definitely a naught, underground vibe going on in the place. A+ to the interior decorator. Also A+ to the dessery chef that invented the alcoholic ice cream floats...those were both fun and inventive. Unfortunately, this is where the compliments end.
The service was extremely poor. First, they couldn't find the reservation, which just starts off the night poorly. Then the manager came over and interrupted our meal, rather rudely to ask "who was responsible for the slip up?" ...turns out it was him - what a jerk.
The entree was really unimpressive. I had the salmon and my boyfriend had the halibut. My salmon was grey, umm...I don't think I need to say anymore, that's just disgusting. My boyfriend was really sad because he gets this amazing halibut (at El Paseo on Olvera St in downtown LA for $20) and the Mister Parker halibut was probably about half as good.
$175 dollars later we left Mister Parker's disappointed and irritated.
Save your $$$ and go for drinks...enjoy the awesome decor for 1/4 of the cash. Oh yeah - and park on the street, because if you pull into the driveway it's valet only. This is ridiculous seeing that it is in the middle of NO WHERE.
I feel better now. Thanks Yelpers.
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