We started our night with dinner at Bar Cecil, then stepped next door to Beatons for cocktails. On paper, this sounded like one of those Palm Springs nights that could not miss. In reality, we enjoyed it, but Bar Cecil did not quite live up to the hype for us.
The Cecil’s bread rolls with local date and sage butter were the clear standout. We absolutely loved them. The rest of our food was not bad, but it was not what we expected after hearing how difficult the reservation could be. Maybe we chose the wrong dishes, but nothing else at dinner landed with the same impact as that bread and butter.
Beatons was where the design really resonated with us. The red light, velvet booths, leopard print and layered artwork gave us the same immersive feeling we love in Consortium Holdings projects back home in San Diego. It felt transportive, intimate and full of details worth looking at.
We were not mad at the night. We just expected the food to be the part we remembered most.
Because we had dinner and then drinks next door, we also noticed more connection between the two menus than we expected. Beatons is not another full Bar Cecil dinner, but its current menu includes a section of Bar Cecil classics alongside lounge snacks and a smaller selection of larger dishes.
Two stops with two different strengths
We treated this as one evening with a natural first and second act, but each stop left us with a different takeaway.
Bar Cecil
The room makes dinner feel like an occasion and the bread rolls were our favorite bite. The rest of our order was fine, but it did not match the anticipation for us.
Beatons
The design was the part that won us over. It felt intimate, richly layered and closer to the immersive hospitality spaces we love in San Diego.
The two rooms share the same muse.
Bar Cecil was created as a love letter to photographer, artist and designer Cecil Beaton. Beatons carries that inspiration next door in a lounge of its own, turning the same creative world into a more intimate after dinner setting.
One story in two roomsThe details worth knowing
Book 14 days ahead
Bar Cecil officially releases online reservations 14 days in advance. Limited bar seating may be available for walk ins, but we would not build the night around that.
Check OpenTable and Chase
We caught an opening after watching for availability. OpenTable can notify you when a table opens. Sapphire Reserve cardmembers can also check Exclusive Tables after linking their card, but participating restaurants change, so confirm Bar Cecil is currently listed.
Expect some menu overlap
Beatons has its own lounge menu, but it also includes a Bar Cecil Classics section. You can find several familiar starters there without committing to another full dinner.
Our honest food take
The Cecil’s bread rolls with date and sage butter were absolutely worth ordering. The rest of our meal was not bad, but it did not live up to the hype for us. We may have simply chosen the wrong dishes.