By The Hungry Mirage

Hello, readers! I’m glad to be the newest staff member at the Tribune. I remember back as an undergraduate in a class delicately titled “Introduction to Beverages” (hello, tipsy Thursdays) hearing an aphorism attributed to French wine makers. There are only two kinds of wine, the saying goes: wine you like, and wine you don’t like. I promise I’ll always share my honest and opinionated perspective about what I like and what I don’t like about food and drink in this beautiful place I call home.

Why Visit Cipolline?

• Inventive, high-caliber Italian cuisine using fresh ingredients and rooted in tradition
• Genuine hospitality in a warm, friendly setting
• Live music, serious cocktails, outstanding rotating specials

At Cipolline Osteria—affectionately nicknamed Cipo by the staff and regulars—taking care of guests is more than an abstract concept. It’s the reason for their success. Located near the bend in Highway 111, Cipo opened its doors in 2024 as a new but reverent successor to Banducci’s, the beloved Italian spot once frequented by Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. The new ownership honors that lineage while creating something entirely fresh, ambitious, and personal.

Karina, the front-of-house manager, grew up in the industry and brings both warmth and precision to the experience. She leads a team that is clearly focused on substance over flash. As she describes it, the kitchen is a collaborative space where staff are encouraged to share, improve, and experiment—a “big learn mode” that makes the restaurant feel alive and evolving.

The Vibe

The restaurant is smartly laid out with a range of seating options: a lively bar, cozy lounge, outdoor patio, large round tables in the main dining room, and more intimate banquettes with beautiful mountain sunset view. Whether you’re out with a group or on a date night, there’s a spot that suits the tone.

The interior is softly lit, warm-toned, and has that magical Palm Springs blend of elegance and chill. Beautiful mountain views grace the front windows, and the restaurant’s glassware—sourced from local consignment shops—is stylish, mismatched, and full of personality. It’s a charming reminder that someone here really cares about the details.

Live music brings even more life to the space. Fridays feature Saigo, a masterful young crooner with an excellent grasp of Rat Pack nostalgia. Sundays offer the soft soul stylings of Angie Whitney, and rotating sets from Black Market Jazz deliver sharp, creative interpretations of jazz standards–for music lovers, it’s worth planning a visit around their schedule.

The Bar

The cocktail list covers both standards and house creations. You’ll find a well-balanced margarita, a pitch-perfect Paper Plane, and a properly brooding black Manhattan. The Vespar—yes, that spelling’s intentional—is a nod to the Bond classic with its own twist. But for those looking to explore something truly different, the clarified milk punch is a must-try. This 17th-century preservation technique uses citrus to stabilize and clarify milk, stripping tannins and cloudiness to leave a silky, luxurious drink. The pineapple version served during my visit had warm spice and tropical brightness, evoking something close to a Thanksgiving Tiki cocktail—deeply warming, utterly refreshing.

But the most unforgettable drink of the night was the Grana Padano martini, a rotating special. With Ketel vodka infused with Grana rinds and olive oil-washed for mouthfeel, it arrives garnished with a romaine leaf, a plump anchovy, and a lemon twist. The cheesy, salty, aromatic experience felt more like an antipasto course than a cocktail—rich, briny, balanced, and perfectly wild. Toss the twist in your glass, wrap the romaine around the fish and dip it in the drink for a Caesar salad disguised as a cocktail. Karina called it “the dirtiest martini in town,” and I agree.

While the servers themselves aren’t wine experts, the wine list is good quality, and pairs nicely with the menu. They boast a number of high quality wine with the DOCG designation, including a number from Ciabòt Berton and a collective in La Morra in Piedmont. Look for updates to the list after Karina comes back from her next trip to Italy.

And don’t sleep on the beer list. From the crisp local Las Palmas pils to a pickle beer to a peanut butter milk stout, it offers classics alongside quirky and refreshing choices for any palate, including a few sour beers—ideal for the hot nights and Cipo’s richer menu items.

The Food

Cipo avoids the clichés of Italian-American comfort food without abandoning comfort. This isn’t the place for cafeteria mozzarella sticks or a fryolator that never gets a break. Instead, you’ll find dishes that center high-quality ingredients and thoughtful preparation.

Start with the focaccia, which appears in the bread basket and a few other places on the menu. Made in-house, the bread has a springy, open texture and yeasty complexity that comes from a lengthy rest. It forms the base for the garlic cheese bread, one of the best versions of the dish I’ve encountered. Topped with melty Grana Padano and served with piping hot pomodoro, it layers roasty sweet garlic underneath with fresher, sharper notes from fresh garlic on top. Nostalgic and comforting, but without a trace of food service cheese.

The burrata special—rotating, so get it while you can—was a standout. Set over lemon-dressed arugula with roasted pistachios and peaches flambéed in butter and brandy, it showcased careful attention to every component. Fresh, rich, sweet, nutty, acidic—it hit all the right notes, and was greater than the sum of its parts.

The gazpacho was cool, smooth without being over-pureed, and full of bright sweet pepper flavor. Importantly, it was served at a temperature that allowed the vegetables’ subtle flavors to shine through; refreshing and not too cold.

Cipo’s pizza margherita is textbook Neapolitan. Made from finely milled semolina rimacinata flour and fermented at least overnight, the dough bakes up with beautiful “leoparding”—those signature dark brown spots from high-heat oven baking. The cornicione (the raised outer crust) has a crisp bite and a tender, chewy interior. The center thins out to support a beautifully restrained topping of barely cooked tomato sauce, creamy fior di latte mozzarella, fresh basil, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Balanced and well-executed, it’s one of the better classic pies in the Valley.

The lasagna, elegantly plated, comes draped with all three of Cipo’s house sauces: a rich pomodoro, a slow-cooked ragù, and a rich, cheesy béchamel. The fresh pasta is slightly thick, which may not be to every diner’s preference, but once you dig in—especially near the crispy edges—it’s clear this dish is a labor of love. The pomodoro is an umami-bomb, the ragu tastes like Nonna stood by the stove all day, and the bechamel is smooth and rich, even if it has a bare taste of the starch used to keep the sauce from breaking.

On the regular menu, the parmigiana di melanzane delivers layers of tender eggplant and fresh tomato sauce without the heart attack. It’s hearty but not heavy, and pairs beautifully with a side of pasta. The lemon risotto con spinaci e funghi is a vibrant vegan and gluten-free option that doesn’t compromise on richness. Citrus brightens the dish, while mushrooms add an earthy, toothsome counterpoint.

One of the best bites across multiple visits was the scampi: plump jumbo shrimp, perfectly cooked and set atop a tangle of garlicky pasta. Classic and deeply satisfying. The tortelli di veggie offers spinach-stained pasta sheets folded around a flavorful filling of cheese and vegetables. The creamy basil pesto incorporates some dairy, offering a delicious reinterpretation of a Genovese staple.

Dessert brought a lush budino, a red wine and milk chocolate pudding with espresso whipped cream and ruby red mixed berry compote. The pudding itself wasn’t perfectly smooth, but the flavors were dialed in: bitter, rich, and just sweet enough. The wine added a subtle tannic complexity, and the warm spice in the compote tied everything together. It was gone in moments.

Service and Pricing

The staff—particularly Terrence and Dawn—bring professionalism and heart to every table. Service is attentive but never rushed, with an easy rhythm that makes guests feel cared for. Pride and teamwork are common threads throughout the restaurant. “We all pitch in,” Terrence said, bragging about how he prepares the roasted garlic and oregano maître d’hôtel butter himself, and shreds the Grana fresh from the wheel that Cipo imports directly from Italy.

Pricing is refreshingly reasonable. Most pastas and pizzas hover around $25, with heartier entrees closer to $35. Leftovers are boxed for you—an increasingly rare, but very welcome, gesture. For the quality and care on offer, the value is exceptional.

Final Thoughts

Your reviewer is excited to see what comes next for Cipo. A past rotating special of a lamb variation of the classic ragu was just a teaser, illustrating the creativity and passion of the culinary team. The kitchen is one tool away–a specialized bronze die–from being able to make chitarra, a long and thin strand of pasta with a square cross-section. New drinks, more pastas and new sauces added to the menu over the coming months will keep me coming back for more.

Cipolline Osteria feels personal. It’s rooted in tradition, but forward-looking and experimental in all the right ways. The food is deeply satisfying, the drinks are ambitious, and the space hums with hospitality. This is not a place just for tourists. It’s a restaurant you return to—and one that only gets better with each visit. It’s “moving at a human’s pace,” as Karina put it, and that’s a breath of fresh air in the desert.

“Come give us a try,” Karina told me during our interview. I plan to. Often.

Cipolline Osteria
📍 1555 S Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92264
📞 (442) 268-9279
🌐 cipollineps.com
📅 Open Wednesday–Sunday, 5 PM–10 PM
🍸 Happy Hour 5–6 PM
📲 Reservations via OpenTable

© 2025 Hungry Mirage