Melvyn's Restaurant, Palm Springs

Want to experience the sophisticated, mellow mood of Palm Springs’ Rat Pack days? This is the place. Since the 1970s, when the likes of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Liberace and Cher really did drop in for drinks, Melvyn’s—as it’s locally known—is the must-visit piano bar. The long, dark-wood bar fills up fast, but if you’re gonna dance, you’ll want a table in the large back room, anyway. The piano is between the two, so the keyboard-playing singer is easy to see and hear throughout. Huge portraits of Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe and photos of stars that have dropped by grace the walls. And mirrors—most of the walls are covered in floor-to-ceiling mirrors, which can make it painfully embarrassing for first-timers searching for the restrooms in the dim light. Sinatra, Cole Porter, Michael Jackson, the Beatles—the keyboardist sings them all. Everybody knows everybody, so if a Broadway or film star is in the room, they’ll usually jump in for a few numbers.

Traveler ReviewsWrite a Review

Write a Review