I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Palm Springs several times for work over the past couple years. On my last visit, I was there for almost two weeks and really got to know some great places to eat.
I always stay at The Ace Hotel + Swim Club. It has a great relaxed vibe, an awesome pool area and lots of veggie options at their restaurant.
There are two pools, an enormous hot tub, a dog park, spa and super cute bike rentals.
Palm Springs is completely surrounded by mountains. There are always beautiful views, no matter what time of day.
The Vegan Southwestern Tofu Scramble served at King’s Highway, the restaurant at The Ace, is full of multi-colored peppers and red onions, perfect with toast and their incredible berry jam.
It’s all in the details…and they’re plentiful here.
Relaxing by the pool gets even better with the perfect Saturday afternoon snack. The Mezza Plate consists of crisp pita and cucumbers, hummus, baba ghanoush and tabouleh. There is feta in the dish (they accidentally left it on mine as you can see,) but you can ask for them to leave it off.
Koffi is just across the street and offers soymilk, even in their frozen drinks. A frozen soy latte is sublime on a super hot day.
I first encountered Native Foods in Palm Springs – they have various locations in southern California. I seriously cannot get enough of it when I’m in town. Since I’m working, I usually get take out and bring it back to my hotel room. Here are some of my Native favorites.
The Chili Cheese Fries are spectacular. They’re made with vegan chili, the best cashew cheese I’ve ever had, pico de gallo and lots of fresh herbs. They have several kinds of cashew cheese, made from cashews, seeds, nuts and herbs.
Their Baja Surf Tacos are the first vegan fish tacos I’d ever tried and they’re still the best. Crispy battered homemade tempeh, surfer sauce, salsa fresca, shredded cabbage and guacamole piled on top of corn tortillas. I crave these on a regular basis.
Another one of my favorites is their Native Nachos. Corn tortilla chips topped with black beans, freshly prepared taco faux meat, chipotle crema, homemade cheese sauce, salsa fresca and guacamole, green onions and cilantro.
The Palm Greens Cafe is another regular stop for me. For breakfast, the Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes cannot be beat. These pancakes are incredible – fluffy, sweet and really filling. Earth Balance and maple syrup are served on the side.
The Grilled Tempeh Reuben is one of their killer sandwiches, made with sauerkraut, vegan cheese and Russian dressing on rye bread.
They also have lots of great wraps, including the Chicken Caesar Wrap. Vegan chicken, lots of cool lettuce, carrots, tomatoes and homemade caesar dressing. Also check out their Date Shake, a traditional Palm Springs beverage.
The Blue Pear is a fairly new hotel and Tex Mex restaurant. They have a vegetarian section of their menu with several entrees that can be made vegan. I ordered the Puffy Tacos, topped with lettuce, cabbage, pico de gallo and cucumbers, without cheese. When they arrived, there was a sprinkling of queso fresco on top of the rice and beans, but they were more than happy to bring me new sides without the cheese garnish.
Norma’s is a great spot for brunch. It’s located inside of The Parker Hotel.
I ordered their Crunchy Pecan and Macademia Granola with fresh berries and soymilk.
The great part about having brunch here is exploring their enormous outdoor space. There are several pools on the property, various shops, quiet sitting areas, hammocks, and a retro lemonade stand.
On my last morning, I decided to snap a few pictures around The Ace. As you can see, it can get pretty chilly in the mornings.
And this beautiful hummingbird let me get close enough to take this picture. Her wings are moving so quickly they’re a blur.
Palm Springs is definitely a place to relax and enjoy some fabulous vegan eats poolside. In addition to my above recommendations, Nature’s Health Food & Cafe serves all kinds of vegan soups, salads and sandwiches. Tropicale featured a really great special when I last visited, Crispy Tofu Satay with sauteed vegetables. And Thai Smile has a separate Vegetarian Section where everything can be made vegan. Happy eating!