When you go on vacation, especially to a warm, sunny location, sometimes all you want to do is lie by the pool and relax. For visitors to Palm Springs, the longtime Hollywood escape of Southern California, boutique hotels are the perfect place to do just that.

Boutique hotels have become a growing trend in Palm Springs, reflecting the Coachella Valley’s history as a secluded getaway spot. Each hotel features some gimmick, niche, or claim to fame. Sometimes, that added inducement is a great restaurant.

The Drift Hotel is a small boutique hotel that opened in 2023. With the perfect location on Indian Canyon Drive, this midcentury modern-inspired beauty is within walking distance of all the hot spots. However, if you’re looking for delicious food with a laidback atmosphere, you won’t even have to leave the hotel. You can enjoy brunch, lunch, and dinner right by the pool at Maleza Restaurant & Bar.

Poolside or Gourmet

Maleza Restaurant & Bar opened at the same time the hotel did, and it’s quickly become one of the Drift’s main attractions. As the only onsite restaurant, it manages to satisfy a variety of tastes with a small menu.

The décor is chic, modern, and reflective of the desert, with a neutral color palette and engaging design choices. The restaurant opens to the beauty of the location on both sides. On the street side, the wall has floor to ceiling windows, opening onto the bustle of the Palm Springs street with the towering rocky mountains looming in the distance. On the other side of the large, open bar, which serves as the center piece, the restaurant opens onto the pool area. The cabanas, lounge chairs, and yellow umbrellas surrounding the inviting water make the perfect place for all-day repose.

You can order food and drinks from the restaurant to be enjoyed right by the pool, a feature which is frequently enjoyed by the hotel’s guests. Meanwhile, if you feel like sitting at a nice dry table, you can enjoy a more formal dining experience at one of their indoor or outdoor tables, whether you’re staying at the restaurant or just want to stop by for a meal.

The Menu

Maleza describes its cuisine as “serious Mexican flavors with Palm Springs ease.” The menu was developed by chef Ysaac Ramirez, featuring “shareable Mexican favorites” alongside a “rare mezcal and tequila selection.” As a teetotaler, I didn’t sample the latter during my late afternoon visit to the restaurant, but my party of four did enjoy several of their delicious and creative culinary offerings.

This isn’t the kind of Mexican food that you’ll find at your local “cocina.” There are burritos and tacos on the menu, but the flavor pairings and ingredients are far more unusual than the typical rice and beans of American-made Mexican food. I wouldn’t describe my family and I as really adventurous eaters. To be honest, I don’t even like Mexican food that much. Nevertheless, we were surprised by how much we genuinely enjoyed everything we ordered.

Our reservation was at 3 p.m. on a Saturday, so we ordered off the brunch menu. We started with tostadas and guacamole, which featured large pieces of crispy tortillas as chips and a fresh, flavorful, but pleasantly mild avocado dip. For my entrée, I had the breakfast burger, which features a fried egg atop a juicy angus patty on a flavorful Brioche bun. I never expected to find something like this on the menu of an edgy Mexican restaurant, but it was truly delicious. The breakfast burrito, steak taco, and chilaquiles that my dining companions ordered proved equally delicious.

Where and When

Maleza Restaurant & Bar is located at 284 South Indian Canyon Drive in Palm Springs, California. It wasn’t very busy when we went there near the end of the brunch hour on a Saturday, but it is a small restaurant, so I’d recommend making reservations, if possible.

Depending on what day and time you go, you’ll find different menu items. Weekend brunch, which we enjoyed, is served from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Besides savory items such as five types of tacos, a gem salad, a torta, and the other brunch items I mentioned, you’ll find more traditional breakfast fare, like French toast, avocado toast, and Greek yogurt, which might be more appealing at 9 a.m. than a chicken torta. The weekday lunch menu, which is served 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, features the tacos, tostadas and guacamole, salad, torta, and the burger sans the egg; it replaces the breakfast-themed items with oysters and shrimp ceviche.

From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily, Happy Hour offers discounted drinks and $3 off the seven food items available on the bar menu, but the menu options are definitely limited between when lunch ends at 4 p.m. and dinner begins at 5 p.m. On the dinner menu, which is served 5–9 p.m. daily, you’ll find an expanded menu, including a raw seafood bar, several Mexican-inspired appetizers or “craveables,” and five main entrees. These include cabbage, chicken, pork chop, market fish, and Wagyu skirt steak, offering heartier options and a higher price tag.

The next time you pay a visit to Palm Springs, whether for a weekend or a day trip, consider stopping in at Maleza. Whether for appetizers by the pool or a full meal in the dining room, you won’t be disappointed by this creative Mexican fare.