Johnny Costa’s Ristorante at 50: A Palm Springs Institution That Has Lived the City’s History
When Johnny Costa’s returns from summer break this September, there will be a noticeable sense of occasion in the air. The restaurant that has long represented an authentic taste of Italy, an indigenous taste of Palm Springs, and a symbolic taste of the city’s history is turning 50. The milestone will be marked with a Golden Anniversary ribbon‑cutting ceremony on September 10th.
Founder, Johnny Costa arrived in America from Naples and found himself in Hollywood’s Villa Capri, a gathering place for actors, musicians, and the Rat Pack. It was there he met Frank Sinatra, who trusted Costa’s cooking enough to bring him into his Palm Springs home. Their relationship followed Sinatra into the desert, where Costa became his personal chef and later brought those same dishes — and that same standard — into the dining room that now bears his name. One of them, Steak Sinatra — a pan‑seared steak with peppers, garlic, and clams — still sits on the menu today.
The restaurant Costa eventually opened in Palm Springs carried the Villa Capri spirit into the desert: candlelit tables, classic Italian music, and a menu built on consistency rather than reinvention. Signature dishes like Cioppino, Veal Saltimbocca, Linguine with Clams, and Chicken Marsala became part of the restaurant’s identity — plates guests returned to year after year because they felt timeless. Johnny Costa’s offered a sense of continuity in a city that constantly reinvented itself, a place where time slowed down and where the old Palm Springs still breathed. For five decades, it has remained a fixture of the city’s dining rhythm, nightlife, and nostalgia.
Its longevity, though, isn’t rooted in celebrity history. It’s rooted in continuity. The Costa family kept the dining room grounded in the same hospitality, the same recipes, and the same approach to Italian cooking that defined the restaurant from the beginning. Today, the dining room still feels unmistakably like Johnny Costa’s — familiar, intentional, and unchanged in the ways that matter.
The restaurant remains family‑owned. Johnny’s son, Vince Costa, continues the restaurant’s recipes and traditions alongside other members of the Costa family and the longtime team. And that sense of history is still fresh today, as Johnny Costa’s has been voted Best Italian Restaurant by Palm Springs Life readers continuously for the past 16 years.
“Celebrating 50 years is incredibly meaningful to our family,” says Chef Vince Costa. “My father built Johnny Costa’s on his love of cooking, family and making every guest feel welcome. We’re proud to continue the traditions and recipes he created and especially grateful to the generations of guests who have supported our family over the years. This anniversary is as much a celebration of them and Palm Springs as it is of Johnny Costa’s.”
The Golden Anniversary ribbon cutting will take place Thursday, September 10 at 3 p.m. Palm Springs Mayor Naomi Soto, members of the Chamber of Commerce, special guest speakers, friends, and family members will be in attendance. And you can get an early preview when Johnny Costa’s returns for dinner service on September 4th.
