On the edge of Palm Springs, away from the bustle of downtown, sits a piece of history called Villa Royale Inn. Back in another time, this was a place where Hollywood celebrities would come for privacy. At the secluded location, they would hang out beside the swimming pool and occupy the 30 guest rooms. The rooms are a bit small by contemporary standards. But they are clean and set around the pool on still lovely grounds.
The on-site restaurant is Europa Restaurant. It remains as romantic as ever, teems with history and offers up wonderful food in a beautiful setting. Sitting in the intimate, elegantly appointed restaurant it’s not hard to recapture the aura of days gone by.
As for the food, how about escargot a different way? They’re lightly sautéed, and wrapped in Phylo dough along with minced onion, celery and carrot. Or wild mushroom filled ravioli in a light sun dried tomato and basil sauce. These are among the appetizers offered every night.
You’ll never go wrong with the rack of lamb with a tapenade of dates, pine nuts, shallot and Kalamata olives. Prefer pork? There’s the Andalusia Loin sautéed with an apple brandy sauce. Or try the jumbo shrimp, scallops and wild mushrooms in a Chardonnay sauce. In addition, there are daily specials to add luster to the regular menu.
