Clean Lines, Bold Flavors
Restaurant Name & Website: Workshop Kitchen and Bar Cuisine Type: Modern American, wood-fired
Must-Try Dish: Tater Tots with Salmon Roe, Creme Fraiche, Scallions
Price Range: Moderate to high end
Atmosphere: Minimalist, composed, quietly confident
Location:800 N Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Insider Tip: This is the brunch you book when you want to day drink in the classiest way possible, especially if someone else is paying
About a year ago, Workshop Kitchen & Bar introduced a weekend brunch. It hadn’t really been on my radar, but it absolutely will be a place I go back to soon.
We arrived right as the doors opened for weekend brunch, that brief, calm window before a dining room fills with conversation and clinking glassware. The space felt quiet and intentional. Modern, clean lines. Concrete and steel. Just this side of sterile, which in this case works like a palate cleanser. Nothing here competes with the food. You are meant to focus.
A Brunch That Knows Exactly What It Is
Weekend brunch can often feel like a hectic. Loud music. Bigger plates. Louder opinions. Workshop Kitchen and Bar goes in the opposite direction. I will usually opt for a more diner-like atmosphere. But I was very impressed here.
Design-forward spaces can sometimes forget about pleasure. Workshop does not.
Tater Tots That Demand Bubbles
The tater tots were a showstopper. Golden and crisp outside, soft inside, topped with salmon roe, crème fraiche, and scallions. Each bite delivered salt, richness, and that unmistakable pop from the roe.
Halfway through the plate, I found myself wishing for a glass of sparkling wine. Not because the dish needed it, but because it deserved it. This is brunch food that understands indulgence without excess.
Waffles and Fire
Then there is the wood-fired calzone. Stuffed with chorizo, egg, Monterey Jack, pickled Fresno chiles, Parmesan, and thyme flowers, it comes out of the oven blistered, with a faint smokiness that lingers. The egg softens into the filling, the chorizo brings warmth, and the pickled chiles keeps everything honest.
For dessert, we had the waffles, light and restrained, topped with berries and a small pot of freshly made strawberry jam with a pile of freshly whipped cream. No syrup bomb. No unnecessary sweetness. Just enough to remind you why waffles became brunch royalty in the first place.
Drinks With a Point of View
The Margarita Verde leans smoky and vegetal, built with mezcal, green chili, cucumber, celery, and lime. It feels intentional and refreshing, not boozy. The ube matcha latte brings earthy sweetness and visual drama, while fresh orange juice keeps things grounded.
This is how day drinking becomes civilized.
Who This Brunch Is For
This is a special occasion brunch. The one you choose when you have someone in town who truly loves food. My winemaker sister from Remy Wines immediately came to mind, as did anyone generous enough to pick up the tab. This is where you bring someone when you want Palm Springs to look polished and confident.
Final Thoughts
Workshop Kitchen and Bar is the kind of place you go when you want something extra special for brunch and feel like day drinking in the classiest way possible.
It is controlled, thoughtful, and deeply satisfying. Not flashy. Not casual. Exactly what it intends to be.
What Do You Think:
Let me know your favorite brunch spot Tag a friend who you want to day drink with.
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Dish The Desert 