workshop kitchen + bar

this one is getting a "doesn't like" but not by much. the place is super modern in terms of decor. concrete is the go to inside. our server was very pleasant and it was nice to see that management/ownership was present and seemed interested in how things were going for us.

the only thing that was a bit of a let down was the food. we weren't that interested in the mains section of the menu so we ordered 5 starters and salads and such. everything was simply ok. nothing that really blew us away. also worth noting is that our food came out super fast.... too fast for comfort really.

workshop isn't too far off from being a great palmspringsspot. but for now, its just slightly on the "needs improvement" side for me.

i've eaten here once before, a couple of years ago, and really enjoyed the food and experience. however, the extremely unprofessional attitude, disrespect, and petty rudeness i experienced with the hosting staff on saturday, november 13th means that i will never be back.

during the prior week, i called twice for reservations for a table for two persons. no one answered either time so my calls went straight to voicemail with their message stating that 'sometimes the staff is too busy to take calls. please leave a message and we will return your call." however, neither call was returned.

i decided to take a chance and arrived early at 6 pm. when i arrived, there were three couples in line for tables. the first host came down the line and was taking the names of guests. when he came to me he asked if i had a reservation. i said no and i explained that i had called twice but had not received a return call. he stated that they were short-staffed and very busy. i said that they should say they can't return calls if that's the case. at this point, he said excuse me and turned to another guest without taking my name.

within only a couple of minutes, all guests in front of me had been seated and i arrived at the host's podium. the first comment from that host was 'i hear that you called for reservations' at which point i confirmed the statement and explained the situation again. he also stated that they were very busy and can't answer the phone. i asked about returning phone calls but he ignored my question and then informed me that he had no availability until 9:30 pm that evening, three and half hours later.

i completely understand the staff being busy during peak times and having to allow calls to go to voice mail but to have the voice mail say they will return the call and then not is unacceptable. if you can't return the calls do not say that you will.

a simple apology would have made all the difference in the world but instead, i received the pettiness described above. there are too many good restaurants in the palmspringsarea to be ok with this type of bad service.

worst service in 6 years !!. as a full-time palmspringsresident for the past 6 years, it's always nice to hear of a new, exciting restaurant opening up. my partner and i went for dinner with high hopes.
we left after about 1 hour, still not yet having ordered dinner. we ran out of water, no waiter to be found, wanted a glass of wine and had to actually get up and purchase it from the bar because we received no service. we did order appetizers.....they brought mine out first, then after waiting a substantial amout of time, we were informed that the kitchen had run out of whatever it was we were waiting on. that was the last straw......we got up and left, thankfully never to return again. (in fact we are meeting a friend for dinner later this week, when he told us he'd already make reservations at workshop, we said "no way we're going there, please cancel the reservations and pick someplace else".) oh, and i hated the communal seating. the restaurant has an extremely limited menu, and be warned if you order a matini from the bar, they don't have any vodkas that you've ever heard of before.

too soon to tell.... we were excited at the prospect of trying a new palmspringsrestaurant featuring a seasonal menu prepared by noted chefs amid an interior that is unlike anything in palm springs. while the food is good, the presentation is, hmmm... quirky. to say the least. the fact that the bar does not have bombay saphire gin dissappointed one of our martini-drinking friends right off. once seated at our table, our waitron brought our party of five four pieces of what looked to be fresh-baked bread. (i wouldn't know; i never got a piece. we requested more bread, but that never came.) she insisted that the small plates were large enough to share. (maybe, for an anorexic super model from los angeles, but not for five men.) the portions were generous for an individual diner, but hardly big enough to share. two of our diners took her word for it and ordered a ceasar salad. when they asked for salad plates, our server brought them two more bread plates. (4" x 4"). the restaurant has a wood-fired pizza oven but, while the crust looked delicious, only one pizza option was offered on the menu the night we were there. don't get me wrong; the food is good and the place is still trying to find it's footing in a very competitive market. i will give it a couple of more chances; especially want to try brunch here. once they hit their stride, workshop may well become one of the hottest new restaurants in palm springs. if you do go, ask for michelle or richard as your server.