Jillian's - Palm Desert

I have a culinary background. I find the food to be just ok.

This was my first visit and we have booked reservations for next month to bring our out of town guests. The food, service and atmosphere were over the top. The food and company were spot on.

Jillian's is the most beautiful restaurant in Palm Desert. The outer patio is gorgeous but we ate in the interior courtyard which is like a step back in time. Enormous Palm tree in center, lights stung above, flower beds. White tablecloths, place settings perfect. Service is impeccable, details like taking our cocktail order but then giving us time to enjoy them before giving us menus. There is no deadline to vacate your table here. Food was excellent, Maine lobster salad, Icelandic Cod with beautiful vegetables and light sauce. Carrot cake to die for. We asked waiter to select glasses of wine to go with our entrees and he did it perfectly. Wine pours were very generous, I would say 8-9 ounces. This is a place where you feel special and like you have had a unique experience. We will go again and again. Also, they have a dress code and it was so nice to not see shorts and t-shirts or golf shirts on the guests

A bit of a disappointment, but perhaps our expectations were too high for a place for which we needed to get reservations three weeks in advance and only managed 5PM, the last reservation available. Lovely patio, attentive service, recorded music. Food was good but not great; my forestiere mushroom pasta had a sprinkling of mushrooms, and was definitely not the focal point of the dish as I had hoped. Friends taking me there for a big birthday were disappointed that Jillians ' doesn 't do anything special for a birthday other than put a candle on any of a long list of wonderful $15 desserts you care to order. Like I say, maybe expectations were too high, but for the price, I might have expected a more unique experience in fine dining.

Everything about the dining experience at Jillian’s is unique and incomparable. I started with a refreshing Moscow mule and indulged over fresh made bread, which paired perfectly with the veal cheeks special which was so tender and the house made pasta really made the dish unforgettable! The eclectic cuisine and ambiance is nothing like I have ever experienced. The staff is so welcoming and made the perfect suggestions when deciding what delicious entrees to pick. Jay and June have created an experience that cannot be duplicated. I cannot wait to come back!