A modern seating area at Roche Bobois.
PHOTO COURTESY ROCHE BOBOIS
New year, new … furniture store? You bet. The Coachella Valley is forever growing, adding more favorites to a reliable scene of cool shops, exciting concept restaurants, and sleek hotels. Next time you’re in the mood for an au courant experience, check out these nine recently opened spots.
Roche Bobois
Palm Desert
Glossy French furniture store Roche Bobois opened its Palm Desert outpost on El Paseo in September, bringing contemporary and modernist furnishings to desert decorators. The brand is known for eye-catching sofas, including funky, mix-and-match modular couches and cloudlike “Bubble” seating.
Life House
Palm Springs
The newest addition to Life House’s line of boutique hotels opened in Palm Springs in November, embracing a 1970s design aesthetic with soft browns and greens, funky prints, and clean lines. The hotel’s poolside restaurant, Minerva’s, features lounging areas and a quiet indoor bar that stokes a pool-party feel.
Dave & Busters
Rancho Mirage
For years, desert arcade fiends had few places to get their fix once they outgrew Chuck E. Cheese. Lucky for them, the mother of all eat-and-play establishments touched down at The River at Rancho Mirage in September, offering a place to toss back Long Islands and rack up high scores.
Gourmet flavors at La Dolce Piccola Gelateria.
PHOTO COURTESY LA DOLCE PICCOLA GELATERIA
La Dolce Piccola Gelateria
Palm Desert
Perched on El Paseo, the family-owned gelato shop provides a friendly stopping point for shoppers in need of sweet sustenance with scoops in flavors like carrot cake, dark chocolate hazelnut, and grapefruit sorbet. Plus, they sell housemade baked goods.
Camden Cellars Wine Bar
Indio
This tasting room and restaurant breaks the mold in an area known more for margaritas and martinis by serving its own private-label wine. (While locally owned, the vineyards grow on the Central Coast.) You can try tough-to-find global sips, too, like a Portuguese vinho verde and a South African terre brûlée
DSRT CLUB
La Quinta
This Old Town La Quinta restaurant gets its moniker — and the inspiration for its ambiance — from a midcentury social club that was burned down for firefighting practice (but that’s a story for another time). Owned by the folks who operate nearby sister eatery RD RNNR, this spot serves a more upscale menu with options including scallops, mussels, and filet mignon.
Jackalope Ranch
Indio
If the name Jackalope Ranch sounds familiar, it’s because this eatery isn’t so much new as it is reborn. The sprawling property was an Indio institution for almost a decade before shuttering during the pandemic. After a slight facelift, Jackalope has opened its doors once more (under new ownership) and is slinging barbecue and steak.
Scenes from Kiki’s, a new restaurant in La Quinta.
PHOTO BY MOLLIE KIMBERLING, COURTESY KIKI'S
Kiki’s
La Quinta
A handful of Italian American New Yorkers launched this charming pizza-and-pasta joint in La Quinta last fall, packing the space with cozy striped booths, eclectic gallery walls, and a thoughtful cocktail program (try the house Negroni).
Thompson Palm Springs
Palm Springs
Riding the edge of downtown and uptown Palm Springs, this Hyatt property is poised to open more than 160 rooms in two phases this year. A rooftop pool, two restaurants, and a wine tasting room will provide welcome new hangouts that are walking distance from all the action.