Chi Chi at the Avalon Hotel, Palm Springs

In Palm Springs, the options for fine dining are about as rare as heatwaves…. Which is my convoluted way to tell you that you can head over to Palm Springs right now and you won’t stay hungry for very long. With many great hotels and restaurants, you are bound to find your stomach’s soulmate out there. When I visited Palm Springs in August, I was there with a gaggle of friends and while we had a very organised food making roster at home, we still wanted to enjoy the lively food scene. Also, if given the choice, I definitely prefer to sip on some cocktails while a chef cooks for me, so there’s that.

On one blazing hot evening, we all got gussied up and jumped in the car to the Avalon Hotel, to enjoy dinner at Chi Chi, their new restaurant celebrating the traditions of California wellness and clean living. If you are imagining a sad kale leaf on a plate, with a drizzle of water, think again – the food at Chi Chi was anything but a wellness cliché. Using clever substitutions and fresh, local produce, the chef at Chi Chi has created a wonderful menu including a mix of California classics and Hawaiian, Thai and Mexican inspired fare.

The hotel and restaurant interior received the Kelly Wearstler treatment and are now the ideal mix of Hollywood Regency and Palm Springs chic. One to add to your Palm Springs to-do list.