15/10/2025
Behind the menus and dining rooms of the world's most iconic hotels lie untold culinary stories — from secret recipes to legendary tales. In honor of , we are pulling back the curtain on lesser-known fables of food and tradition at our hotels.
1. Green Goddess Dressing at Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Francisco: The iconic Green Goddess dressing was born in 1923 at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. Named after the hit play "The Green Goddess," the dressing was created by executive chef Philip Roemer for actor George Arliss, who starred in the play while staying at the hotel. Made of mayonnaise, anchovies, and fresh herbs, the dressing remains a beloved staple on the Garden Court menu to this day.
2. St. Thomas Beer at Augustine, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Prague: First brewed by the Augustinian Monks in 1352, the St. Thomas Beer has been part of Augustine's history for centuries. Visit the historic St. Thomas Brewery and enjoy a pint of the original recipe, still served exclusively at the hotel.
3. Artichokes at The Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice: Locally grown and seasonally served, more than 6,000 violet artichokes are cultivated exclusively for The Gritti Palace, grown in a private garden on the island of Mazzorbetto. The first buds, called "castraure," are considered a Venetian delicacy—only available for a short time in late April and May, when they're also integrated into dishes at Club del Doge.
4. The Imperial Torte at Hotel Imperial, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Vienna: The Imperial Torte was created by scullion Xavier Loibner for Emperor Franz Joseph I to celebrate the opening of Hotel Imperial in 1873. Made of chocolate icing, almonds, and the fusion of chocolate cream and marzipan, this uniquely square, Viennese confection was beloved by the emperor, and the secret recipe is still handmade by chefs of the hotel today.
5. A Vintage Deal at Hotel Marqués de Riscal, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Elciego: When world-famous architect Frank Gehry was reluctant to create a building in the hills of Spain’s wine country, Hotel Marqués de Riscal offered him one of the last bottles from the designer’s birth year, 1929, on the house. The gift swayed Gehry into designing the hotel, which sits on one of the oldest wine estates in the region.
