Balisage Bistro

This is a great little out of the way restaurant in the west end of the valley. Daniel has taken a small off beat location and put together a great little bistro which turns out delightful Med/​French/​Turkish food with a nice wine list. There are also some fun upcoming cooking class and farm table events in the near future.
It’s really worth seeking out. Out by the Airport, on the East side, near Atlantic Aviation on Gene Autry. Who would have figured? But believe me, it works!

Great food, wonderful staff, a taste treat for the palate go for dinner soon! We will go back for more.

I recently went to this Bistro by the airport in Palm Springs. It had some great reviews and it lived up to those reviews. It was a beautiful evening so we sat out on the patio. Sitting out there you have one of the best views of any restaurant in the area. Now for the food, I ordered the special which was Halibut. It was cooked perfectly and absolutely delicious. Service was great and we all really enjoyed everything about this restaurant. Can’t wait to go back.

First of all, we found this little gem because of Unilocal.Now we’re leaving our own review, the same night we ate dinner there. You can see that it is a five star restaurant,(in our opinion). It’s small, intimate, and definitely visited by the locals. The service from Carla was personal, informative, and helped make the dinner special. We loved the Moroccan tea, and the refills just kept coming. The tea was a perfect accompaniment, but wine is available should you like. We loved the starter of bacon wrapped dates. As soon as we ate them, we knew we had come to the right place. Salads can be split, so if you don’t want to be stuffed, or maybe just save a few dollars, it’s not a problem. My wife had the duck, which she described a dilectable. The fig cake with goat cheese frosting (no butter cream on this cake) is worth every penny.
Yes, you will have a bill that starts to add up, but you will be like so many who have reviewed this restaurant and know that it is money well spent. This was an anniversary dinner, and we told our server that right at the end of dinner, After we had paid and were walking away from the table she came out with ice cream topped with a candle. We were delightfully shocked, and returned to our table to enjoy some of the best home-​made ice cream we have eaten. We ate two desserts, and we even saved half of the fig cake to bring back to the hotel, which we just finished before writing this review.

Buyer beware! ASK THE PRICE!!! The «special» ribeye was surprisingly $ 47…definitely not worth the price $ 14 more than the price of filet on the menu. Same with the $ 15 micro greens. And the «pastries» were not on menu: $ 10 for grocery store bakery items. And suggesting a la mode then adding $ 5 for a tiny scoop on top is ridiculous. Again, none of these items were on a menu so no prices were available.
When the bill came we were just shocked. We didn’t want to cause a scene so we tipped the server $ 30 and left. (The service took an hour and a half, which given the fact that there were only two other tables was quite surprising itself). On the drive home we decided to voice our concerns, so I called the restaurant and spoke to the server. All she did was to justify the price, saying the steak was large and that the micro greens were rare and that the prices were not out of line with the menu. I disagree. She said the Chef would be in touch but I’ve heard nothing.
As far as the food, it’s only acceptable… As some of the other reviews who stated, nothing special. All of the spices on each dish seem to be the same, and as one reviewer noted the falafel did seem more like a hush puppy.
Before we got the check, the server asked where we were from and we said we were local. She asked if we would be returning and even then I couldn’t say yes. But for a surprise check of $ 80 a person we definitely will not be going back.

We went there for the third time last night. This place is top notch and the offerings are very personal and creative. Each one of the chef’s creations is a piece of art and beyond delicious. Chef obviously loves what he does. Carla gave us excellent service too and was a great help with the menu selections. A true Palm Springs hidden treasure on the other side of the airport on Gene Autrey Trail.

I’m going to be honest here; I’m really struggling with the whole 1 – 5 star rating on this one. During our dinner here my wife and I had such different experiences and the elements that I generally use to rate a restaurant were so disparate that I settled on calling the whole thing a wash and giving the experience the «average» 3-​star rating. Now the details…
As some people have noted, the restaurant is in a refurbished gas station at the airport, but don’t let that be a reason to steer clear. Once inside, the décor is classy and slightly understated (white linen, wood beams, tasteful artwork) so décor scores a 3.
We were greeted shortly after entering by a young woman (Amy) who was the only person working the front of the house. She was very friendly and, as the restaurant was mostly empty (not unexpected early on a Monday evening) we were encouraged to choose any table we liked. Amy eagerly told us what the vegetable selection was for the evening after bringing us our menus and filling our waters. She checked on us regularly throughout the evening and cheerfully answered all of our questions. The ONLY possible negative I could point to was the time between our appetizer and our entrees, but that would be nitpicking. Service was 5-​star for sure.
The appetizer we chose was falafel fritters. My wife and I are HUGE falafel fans and we’ve had felafel from coast to coast; some good, some not so good, but nothing ever like this. That’s because this is not felafel; its felafel fritters! Imagine hush puppies that taste just like felafel; but they were served with a delicious homemade tzatziki. The incongruity of texture versus flavor made our heads spin and not in the best way. Appetizer scores a 3.
Then came our entrees. My wife chose the garlic chicken with mashed potatoes and I chose the kleftiko (more on this later). Both were served with a vegetable medley of rainbow cauliflower, green beans, asparagus, and Swiss chard. If I had ordered the same entrée as my wife this would be a much happier review; her plate was very good. The chicken was moist and flavorful, though a little peppery. The potatoes were freshly mashed and the vegetables (which we both had), as a whole, were seasoned nicely and cooked just right. My wife’s entrée scores a 4.
My entrée was, unfortunately, one of the worst plates of food that I have had in quite some time. Let me preface this by saying that I have never had this dish before, so I cannot compare it to any previous experience. Having said that, the flavor of the dish was terribly muddled; the filling that was composed of lamb, eggplant, fennel, preserved lemon, and herbs had no distinguishable components. I couldn’t even identify the meat as lamb; it could have been pork or beef or any other meat. The entire pastry (I will say that the phyllo was perfectly good) just tasted of red wine, like everything had been braised in it instead of just the lamb, and for way too long. I should have gotten flavors and textures playing off of each other; instead I got wine flavored mush.
Speaking of texture, the third component on my plate was what utterly sank the whole entrée; the rice. If there is one thing that I shouldn’t have to deal with in a restaurant of this caliber, it would be poorly cooked rice. I believe that it was meant to be a Middle Eastern style pilaf, but whatever the flavors were didn’t matter because it was either ridiculously undercooked or three days old; it was jarring and painful to chew and honestly stuck in my teeth every time I bit into it. And since everything else was served on top of it, it was impossible to avoid. Altogether a brutally dismal 1 on the star scale.
We decided to go ahead and have dessert and opted for the fig cake. This was oddly very good. The cake was heavy on walnut and light on fig, slightly dry and dense. The frosting was a citrus buttercream that was very sweet and balanced out the cake nicely. Neither component would have been particularly good on its own, but together they were quite good. Dessert scores a 3.
I really hate saying bad things about an establishment, and I have to assume from all of the great reviews (which lead me to this restaurant in the first place) that this was a REALLY off night for the kitchen, but this was one of the most disappointing dinners that I’ve ever had. Thank goodness my wife ordered the chicken.

This restaurant will blow your mind. The food was a perfect blend of traditional, creative, and locally sourced. The chef/​owner is obsessed with incorporating only the freshest, most interesting ingredients from local farmers into his unique dishes. It’s a very intimate, comfortable, and warm setting. The staff is incredibly personable and friendly. Nothing short of amazing! Oh, and don’t miss the house made vanilla bean ice cream :)

The food looked amazing, but we just tried to stop in for Sat. dinner. Totally excited and happy to wait and eat on the terrace, we seated ourselves but were ignored for 20 – 25 minutes, while three tables who sat down after us outside were greeted, told the specials and drink orders were taken. The two servers even looked right at us, deciding who’d take the table. I tried to catch someone’s eye to order a glass of wine, but they fled inside. When I went in to kindly ask if we could be helped – after 25 minutes – there was no“sorry for the delay,” just «I’m coming.» «I’m coming.» I waited tables for years. I understand when it’s slammed. But at a «nicer» place, all you have to say is «It’s great to have you. We’ll be right with you.» Sad that the service was not only lackluster, but unkind.

I’m here on behalf of myself and my two cousins, The Orleans Trinity. We came here on a whim looking for something other than Italian and burgers, but what we found was something far greater than. It hit my jamBONIIIII… and it can hit yours too. Not only was the food licked clean off our plates but the service… man, oh, man. Amy really knows how to set it off. She’s why I’m here writing about this joint. YOOOOO, get this woman a raise. All of us loved her and I hoped she liked us too. Amy, if you see this, HOLLA.
Lamb was bombacious.
Scallops were divine like fine wine, I ain’t lyin’
And dat baklava… shiiiiit :)
Go here. Weird location but worth every second.
LET’S ROCK THIS JOINT WITH AMY!

Great little bistro. Made last minute reservations while driving into Palm Springs Xmas eve. didnt know what to expect. Glad we picked this spot, staff was courteous. We ordered bacon wrapped shrimp and mussels appetizer. Mussels where one of best we’ve ever had. The main course sea bass was excellent, not too salty and great texture. Chef owner Daniel stopped by table was very friendly. We will defintely come by again, hopefully for one of their monthly cook with chef events.

I’ve had this bookmarked for quite some time but didn’t realize its a refurbished gas station that’s located at the Palm Springs Airport. I arrived solo on a Wednesday evening and parking was no issue.
I had my pick of the entire restaurant since I was the only customer and picked a table by a power plug since I was having laptop issues and wanted to troubleshoot what the problem was. I started off with a glass of red wine from Spain which was yummy and began my meal with the 1924 Cesar’s salad — focaccia, fresh Parmegano and white anchovies. The salad was delish. I followed with Kleftiko — Braised lamb leg, preserved lemon, yellow onions, sweet peppers, carrots, roasted garlic and fresh herbs wrapped and baked in phyllo. The entrée was different from what I anticipated but tasty and unique.
Service from the entire staff was friendly and the chef checked into make sure everything was to my satisfaction. This was nice gesture even though he was tending to a private gathering which was a special holiday event.
If you’re into farm to table dining with a cozy atmosphere I would suggest this restaurant.

Amazing! The food and service (Joey was our server) were absolutely fantastic! Recommend the Poached Eggs Lobster and the Morroccan iced tea, and the pancakes were so fluffy! Best breakfast I’ve had in years, will definitely be coming back with the husband!

I wish I could have given this place SIX stars! My wife and I had passed this place on our way back from Palm Springs and she had brought it up on Unilocal to see the reviews… and very glad we saved the place to try!
Yes, it’s not on the main drag out here and yes, it’s organic and «field to fork», but this place does not disappoint — the meal, the cook and the service staff were all amazing!
Joey, our waiter, was as passionate about the place as the cook is, which made the experience that much more enjoyable. We started with the appetizers of the stuffed dates and the apple salad — both of which had wonderful flavor and were presented simply and beautifully.
Our main courses were prepared with love and passion, which made them spectacular. We can’t wait to come back again to try any of their other dishes.
We had the fig cake for dessert — definitely one to try! Dense and not too sweet… we split it and still had enough of it to take back for a midnight snack.
This is one place that you have to try if you are out here… skip the main drag and the chain restaurants. Find the local places like this and savor the love the chefs put into their creations!

This place is literally a hidden gem! I would come back here in a heart beat.
Everything is organic, grass fed, and pure healthy. I got the beat salad and burger and it was to die for.
I literally wanted to eat more.
I like the waiter his name was Bruce and he was very attentive and welcoming.
It’s very quaint and small, but its totally worth it!
I am going back here again, don’t listen to any bad reviews here, it’s not true. This place would have 10 stars if it was option.
Ps try the Moroccan tea!

The iced Moroccan tea is so good I couldn’t stop drinking it. They also have a Kosher beer– Goldstar. We ordered off the brunch menu, adding chicken to the Croque Madame and a cucumber Greek salad (not on the menu) The apple pie baklava was heavenly. For those who find this place, located on the back side of the ps airport off Gene Autry, it is a nice surprise. Good food in an unusual location. Inside there are a few paintings on the wall with white table clothes, blue napkins, and fresh cut flowers. Moroccan nights was the Pandora station in the background. Our waitress originally from NY, was very personable and attentive. Looking forward to returning for dinner.

**NICE BRUNCH WITH AIRPORT VIEWS**
My father, husband, brother, and I love airplanes.
So it made sense to book Father’s Day brunch here and sat on the front patio.
Lucky for us, Obama was in town with his Air Force One.
So it was a real double TREAT!
AMBIANCE
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Friendly and somewhat casual.
There was no one there on Sunday morning except us.
Highlights were definitely the food.
FOOD
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GRILLED FLATBREAD PIZZA — $ 11.50
Herb and feta pesto, prosciutto, mission figs, organic greens and manchego cheese were delicious and best yet, fresh! Nice crunch texture.
RATING: ⁴⁄₅
POACHED EGGS ‘LOBSTER’ — $ 15.50
Fresh herb biscuits, poached lobster and organic Hollandaise was solid. I couldn’t finish the entire dish because it was a bit too heavy for me.
RATING: ⁴⁄₅
BEVERAGE
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MIMOSA — $ 25 for pitcher
I was obviously the alcoholic in the family because no one had seconds except me. Don’t mind if I do.
RATING: ⁴⁄₅
We had an excellent waitress who did everything for us, including providing me with a stepping stool for my overhead food pictures.
OVERALL
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Good fresh brunch food, would definitely stick to the egg dishes, especially the frittatas and the poached eggs. Dad ordered the pancakes but it was too thick.
Brunch for 4 was around $ 100, excluding tip.
RECOMMEND for brunch and airplane lovers.

Decided to try Balisage tonight and so glad we did. We don’t often dine down this side of the desert but we were really hoping to find a great local restaurant that focuses on fresh, organic and seasonal food. We found it. We expected a quiet night on the Monday evening after restaurant week ended but the food was still delicious and our server Joan couldn’t have been nicer. Always a plus is to walk in and hear your favorite musician’s music being played, Jesse Cook! Perfect for a Mediterranean vibe.
I enjoy a plant based diet so it’s often difficult to get a satisfying meal in restaurants that doesn’t just offer plates with fake proteins or just pasta. Usually if there is a salad it’s not very big and by the time you remove all the cheese and bacon there’s not much left that’s interesting. Not here. I really like that there are 2 options for salad sizes for those that need a meal or those that just want an appetizer. The greens are super fresh and a nice mixture of herbs and leaves.
We started with the flatbread and humus and it was a nice change to have flatbread fresh from the oven. It was very flavorful! My other half started with the special: halibut cheeks appetizer, pan seared with onions, tomato and fennel in a white wine butter. He really enjoyed it.
We both had salads as a main dish and Joan was kind enough to suggest a side for us to share of roasted squash and asparagus that was exceptionally good. My date had the cucumber insalata bowl with heirloom cherry tomatoes, romaine, greek olives, sweet peppers, herbs, feta cheese and mint olive vinaigrette. He kept raving about it.
I enjoyed the insalata bowl with organic apples, seasonal mixed greens, red onion, candied walnuts, and an herb citrus vinaigrette. The dressing was delicious!
We even splurged on desert. Apple pie baklava and a lemon tarte– both delicious! Pictures all posted.
All in all a very nice dinner! We were very happy to make the drive. Look forward to returning again soon!

We went here for Monday lunch this week on the way back to LA from our Coachella weekend. We came based on Unilocal reviews and upon approaching the restaurant, I really thought we had made a mistake. The outside is totally unappealing but don’t let the façade scare you away. The food is actually as good as all the reviews say.
I would probably rate this a 4.5 stars, with the half-​star taken off for the place. It would be great if the restaurant were brighter and the location better-​situated, but I guess it helps keep their costs down.
I had the lobster roll, which was so good. The shoestring fries are to-​die-​for and the homemade ketchup unbelievable.
Thanks to Unilocal for cluing us on this gem!

Imagine leisurely sipping your exotic iced tea or imported Mediterranean wine and indulging in remarkable food, as you watch Lear jets bringing the rich and famous into PS airport. Oh look, there goes Celine Dion now…
Balisage Bistro is the dream child of Chef Daniel, a hard working, single minded, man who left his very successful Hollywood catering business behind to strike out in new territory. PS already brags of great cuisine, but they had not met Chef Daniel, until 7 months ago. Chef Daniel has some of the snootiest chefs in PS murmuring and sneaking into his restaurant to meet the competition. And they should be worried.
Located in a drab beige building with an unassuming sign that is easy to miss from the road, Balisage Bistro attributes their success to mostly by word of mouth advertising. This will not be hard to understand once you have met his staff and tasted your first bite. Prepare to be swept off your feet.
A true bistro, it is small with understated charm inside. You can sit inside or out. Seven tables for 4, one table for 8 inside, and 3 large patio tables outside, for now. And dogs are welcome in the patio. Warm colors, tablecloths, flickering candlelight, vases with fresh flowers, a wine and beer bar (moderately priced yet with interestingly uncommon selections), high ceilings, bold art, mellow Mediterranean instrumentals, and a wall already laden with plaques and food critic’s reviews, awards bestowed in the mere 7 months BB has been open.
Victor, our waiter for dinner — probably Chef Daniel’s greatest advocate. Imagine a delightful bit of eccentric Mad Hatter, a smattering of boistrous Le Cage Aux Folle. My dad would have described his delightful, chatty nature as having been «inoculated by a phonograph needle as a baby». We loved him. He held us captive for 3 hours and you will hear no complaints from me. I would follow him anywhere, with his superb service, wonderful recommendations, and a cache full of captivating stories and PS secrets ready for the willing ear.
So, on to the food. Faaaaaaabulous!
HUMMUS: Not your ordinary hummus, something different made it unique, but not sure just what it was. It came with toasted, delicately thin flat bread triangles that were sprinkled with a beautiful virgin olive oil finish.
House made SANGRIA: A decent red, flavored with clove and orange @ $ 7.50 a glass. Very refreshing.
LAMB: Called Kleftiko, $ 23, this is a Greek braised lamb stew with eggplant, preserved lemon, fennel, onions and fresh herbs served in a small casserole that was topped with layers of buttery, crisp fillo dough. Rich, tender, and complex, but to me, very gamey tasting. Mr. B loved it.
GRILLED BURGER, $ 10.50: With such a simple name, it is so easy to ignore on the menu. BUT this is a fabulous burger. While the burger initially looked on the small side, it was made from a flavorfully crafted freshly ground beef, topped with melty smooth Manchego cheese, placed on a bed of baby greens and Heirloom tomato. The house made brioche generously slathered with a delicious caper basil aioli was the finishing touch. It was moist and juicy and seriously one of the best I have had the pleasure to experience. It turns out it was not so small, it was the perfect size. It came with a choice of skinny fries (a high score on his house made ketchup, too) or a generous salad. And that is how I got to taste their insanely special red pear salad…
PEAR SALAD: Delicate baby greens accentuated with chunks of imported Cabrales blue cheese, candied walnuts, thinly sliced red pear, imported Greek olives, red onion, and delicate herb citrus vinaigrette. While the cheese was too gamey for my taste, the salad as a whole was a success.
That ended our lunch. But I would be a fool to step away without indulging in dessert. So it was CREMA CATALANA, a soft, not overly sweetened custard that was missing the crackling hard sugar top. Inside, a hint of spice and lemon zest. Very good, very different, very recommended.
Add to that the great coffee and espresso served with some of his cinnamon sugar and vanilla bean crème. Our whole bill landed in the $ 90 range. Whoa. And I would do it again.
This experience was so special, we had to return the next morning for breakfast to try the «Frittata More» with Portuguese bacon, pancetta, mushroom, spinach, and Manchego, served with Spanish (potato) tortilla, and yet another hamburger. So, so good. And in foodie heaven, so very reasonably priced.
I felt like we had been magically transported to the exotic land of rose water, preserved lemons, figs, honey, spices and herbs, and superb wine reductions. He has it all and more in his cuisine, and it is a mind boggling adventure.
Don’t let him break your hearts. Make reservations!