Cool and slick setting at the Viceroy Hotel Citron restaurant

Palm Springs is as slick as it gets when it comes to weekend get-aways in Southern California. This oasis of cool in the desert will quench your thirst for relaxation, fun, and all things hip.

The Citron restaurant is both airy and shadowy

Your To Do list must include a stop at The Citron restaurant at the Viceroy Hotel. Put it at the top of your list and make an extra effort to get it checked off early during your stay. The Viceroy makes good use of a black, white, and yellow color scheme. In the evening, this gives the restaurant and bar area the glamour of a black and white film with the yellow bringing a punch of verve. This is complemented by finish and texture – glossy lacquered white finishes and plenty of mirrors add a modern touch to the limited palette.

Chill Out Limeade (foreground) quenches your thirst while the Red Velvet provides sparkle

The cocktail menu doesn’t disappoint. Just like the hotel’s take on the Hollywood Regency style, the cocktail menu is modern and unique. You won’t find a tired remake of a cosmopolitan offered here. While you could always order an off menu classic, you will likely be tempted to stay on script. Citron cocktails share a central theme of refreshing – blends of citrus, herbs, and other flavors. While not limited to fruit flavors by any means, each drink is a proverbial ‘cool glass of water’ for the desert heat.

I must confess that I drift toward the side dishes at Citron. Perhaps it is the heat, but having a few smaller dishes appeals to me – grazing on a little bit of mac and cheese or the mixed lettuce, blue cheese, pear salad with honey vinaigrette. After all, if I were to fill up on dinner, I couldn’t go in the pool for an hour after I ate. Mom said. Cocktails and side dishes give me a pass, so I can always end up in the pool later in the evening.

And, with the atmosphere and lighting at Citron, it is a place that creates anticipation. For me, shadowy corners are a must for a great restaurant or bar. However, it is annoying to need a flashlight to read a menu. The color choices in the restaurant certainly help as light bounces off of the mirrors and glossy white surfaces. Even so, the restaurant serves up plenty of shadowy spots, which creates an anything-can-happen glamour. NOTE: This is different from the anything-can-happen feel that would find you the next morning passed out in your car, car half-way on the side walk, an unidentifiable matter covering your jacket. Pitiful and amateur. This is an anything-can-happen vibe that is flirty, fun, and in control.

Espresso + Vodka = Potenial for anything