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The Godfather Table.  - Waldo's Ristorante, Palm Desert, CA

Waldo's Ristorante

4.5
4.5
891 Reviews
$31 to $50
Italian

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 19 times today
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
Welcome to our home!
Waldo’s was founded by restaurateur Waldo Cesoni with the intention of becoming “the destination point” for a true Italian culinary experience.

The restaurant pays homage to the essence of the great Italian American restaurants of mid-20th century in New York, where delicious, exceptionally well-prepared food was served in settings that were simultaneously elegant, comfortable, and unpretentious.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, American, Contemporary Italian
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–8:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (760) 423-6061
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual

What 891 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Waldo's Ristorante offers a charming Italian ambiance with "fabulous" wine lists and "excellent" service. Guests appreciate the "large portions" and consistently good food, highlighted by standout dishes like chicken parmesan and veal chop. Although some reviews note crowding and mixed experiences with specific dishes, the overall experience remains inviting and enjoyable.
891 Reviews
  1. Sharon

    Portland

    4 reviews

    3.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Keeping in mind, it was New Year's day, so a busy evening. First impression - very tiny table for 2 just inside the door, next to the cheese station. Nice server. Really bad music. Should have been background, but it was sort of loud and weird. Meal was okay. One of us had Tortelloni alla Roma, and thought that the filling would be what was shown on the menu, but actually the pasta was standard and the filling items were in the sauce; although the diner enjoyed it. We also had Eggplant Parmesan which is a classic, and a favorite, but not tonight. The dish had too much cheese, some burnt, not enough marinara sauce, kind of floating in an orange greasy sauce. Also was served the wrong wine on the second round, and the bill showed that. It was our anniversary, so hoped for a special night. We are not tourists, but locals that live 2 miles away. It was our first time and not sure if we would go back. Maybe in April when things calm down?

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  2. John

    VIP

    Los Angeles

    109 reviews

    3.0

    109 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    We have dined here many times over the years and have always enjoyed it. The last two times were disappointing. A couple of weeks ago we made a reservation through OpenTable and checked in when we got there then I got a notice from OpenTable asking me to explain why we did not keep our reservation. Clearly, the hostess did not check us in as she said she would. My wife’s meal came and we presumed that mine would come out shortly. She politely waited for mine to arrive. After 20 minutes, my meal finally came out by that time her meal was cold. We asked for an explanation and got none. Last night we returned, hoping that things would be better Our server was very nice. We ordered one of our favorites, but because of dietary restrictions due to a cardiac condition we requested that the mashed potatoes be substituted with pasta, which had been an accommodation they had made numerous times in the past. This time we were informed that there was a new policy and that is that they would not substitute the pasta for the potatoes without a seven dollar charge This seemed a little excessive but we agreed. Rather than put the pasta on the plate with my halibut, in lieu of the mashed potatoes, they brought separate large bowls of pasta and charged for each bowl. A small amount of pasta on the plate was all we asked for. We then asked for a separate plate as my wife and I like to share our meals and they told us there would be an extra charge for that as well. So, the charge for our meal ended up being about 30% more than we usually pay for the same meals. Every restaurant is entitled to set their own policies. I understand that. As a result of their new policies, I will frequent my other favorite restaurants. I think it is shortsighted of them to get a few extra dollars from a loyal customer and then lose them. I can afford the money. I just don’t like to be nickel and dimed. We will be dining elsewhere.

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  3. Renee

    VIP

    Palm Springs

    24 reviews

    5.0

    24 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    As always, the food, service and atmosphere were exceptional. It was lovely to celebrate New Year’s Eve in our favorite local restaurant. Our server Erica is the best, as is the rest of the staff. Friendly, courteous and always on top of everything. I would definitely recommend Waldo’s for a wonderful evening out!

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  4. Janice

    VIP

    Edmonton

    25 reviews

    5.0

    25 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This is our go to restaurant as it never disappoints. Went for an early New Year’s Eve dinner and it was wonderful. Will return soon.

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  5. Pete

    Edmonton

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Calamari was too deep fried. Should change to a more healthy version that doesn’t taste like oil and bread crumbs. Also, $8 for splitting a dish into 2 is ridiculous.

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  6. Larry

    VIP

    Omaha

    11 reviews

    3.0

    11 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    The drinks were grossly overpriced. The service seemed to want to hurry us on and out. The food was very average. Very disappointed!!!!!!!!

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  7. Christina

    Los Angeles

    15 reviews

    4.0

    15 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Wonderful restaurant with delicious food. A little mixup with our dessert but they comped it with many apologies (and it was also delicious). Quite noisy (but expected on a busy Saturday night) and the wine list could have more Italian wines by the glass (given it is an Italian restaurant) but again, overall these are small complaints in comparison as overall the restaurant is fantastic. Always a favorite stop of ours in the desert!

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  8. Dr. Rose

    VIP

    Indiana

    417 reviews

    5.0

    417 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Thoroughly enjoyed our dinner— excellent Italian food and great service— would definitely return.

    1 person found this helpful

  9. Steve

    VIP

    Sacramento

    41 reviews

    3.0

    41 reviews

    Dined on December 25, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    The prime rib was so tough I could not eat it. All the server could say was she was sorry. Not as sorry as I was.

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  10. Linda

    New York City

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on December 25, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Christmas Eve dinner was wonderful! Calamari , Caesar salad and shrimp scampi superbly cooked and served! Lovely atmosphere

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FAQs

Waldo's Ristorante is rated 4.5 stars by 891 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 19 times today
Google Map for Waldo's Ristorante

74970 Country Club Dr, Palm Desert, CA 92260

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Palm Desert
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–8:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, American, Contemporary Italian
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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