Bar Issi
Bar Issi’s original inspiration comes from the short-lived Issima that opened as an indoor-outdoor ground-floor restaurant inside the West Hollywood La Peer hotel, serving chic pastas, pizza, and wood-fired seasonal produce. Issima eventually morphed into Charbel Hayek’s LadyHawk, and the Hermers brought the Issima concept over to the desert, where it somehow feels more lived in. The 180-seat space joins the eastern Mediterranean-inflected Lola Rose Grand Mezze and Hall Napa Valley Tasting Room on the Thompson property.
Bar Issi’s versatile menu and fun-first approach should play well with its key location in Downtown Palm Springs, which already boasts a vibrant nightlife scene. Though located nowhere near an actual coastline, Bar Issi’s escapist ambience and party-like atmosphere fit the bill for the Thompson Hotel.