21 Hotel Chefs Share The Most Indulgent Dishes On Their Room Service Menu

“The Fried Yardbird is definitely one of the most special because it's a recipe I worked on for many years and on some of my other menus, and it's a shared dish and love offering dishes people can experience together. The Uncle T's Salmon is inspired by my uncle who taught be how to fish and cook in Sweden, so that's a special one too,” says celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson on his in-room dining at MGM National Harbor. “For breakfast go for the Beaten Biscuit Egg Sandwich for lunch or dinner go for the Yardbird or Viking Doggs.”

At The Reach, a Waldorf Astoria Resort in Key West, Florida, guests will enjoy room service from the resort’s fine dining restaurant Spencer’s by the Sea. Known for their fresh-caught fish and being the only restaurant on the island to offer private toes-in-the-sand dining, the Whole Key West Yellow Tail Snapper with avocado-papaya salsa and cilantro puree can be delivered right to your room and enjoyed on your private oceanfront balcony. “The simplicity and the freshness of this dish reflects the lifestyle of Key West. Our local fisherman help us on providing this experience to our guest on daily basis.” Jose Gomez, Executive Chef.

Executive Chef Matt Zubrod’s favorite dish on The Little Nell’s room service menu is the lemon ricotta soufflé pancakes with a side of the hotel’s house-made pork sausage, paired with a bottle of Bollinger champagne. That meal holds a special place in his heart, as it is the meal he prepared for his wife when he proposed. The pancakes are a favorite among hotel guests. The kitchen folds whipped egg whites and house-made ricotta into a buttermilk batter, then sweetens the dish with nutmeg and lemon zest, plus a garnish of raspberries and toasted nuts. Raspberry syrup is served on the side for those seeking a bit more sweetness.

Executive Chef Anthony LePape at The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach offers Caviar with Moët & Chandon, which includes a bottle of chilled Moët & Chandon served with AmeriRoe and Salmon caviar served on top of bellinis with crème fraiche. According to Chef Anthony, "Caviar, like oysters, is a natural aphrodisiac. In ancient times, eggs were considered the ultimate symbol of fertility. Our luxe caviar amenity paired with Moët & Chandon ensures a doubly romantic treat for their special occasion.”

The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort in Waikiki knows that while brides and grooms rarely have time to indulge in their wedding cake during the reception, they’ll definitely remember every bite of the resort’s Pink Haupia Cake. Perfect for a pair, the four-inch round features Pink Haupia Cream Layered between coconut-soaked white sponge cake, covered with Toasted Pink Coconut Flakes and Fresh Berries. It’s definitely Instagram-worthy and also celebrates local flavors of the island. The hotel’s culinary team emphasized that this is a favorite dish of honeymooning couples as it allows them to relive that magical cake-cutting moment in a relaxed setting. “Our Signature Pink Haupia cake is the ultimate room service option for honeymooning couples, or couples in general,” says Executive Chef Colin Hazama. “Its pink hue and delicate coconut flavor is uniquely Royal Hawaiian and serves as a sweet reminder of a couple’s love.”

One of the most luxe and decadent items on the secret room service menu at the Four Seasons Hotel, Silicon Valley from Executive Pastry Chef Eric Keppler is called, simply, C3. C3 is a hazelnut praline with a feuilletine base, coffee mousse inserted with vanilla sponge cake coated with a white chocolate caramel ganache. This delight is then enrobed in a coffee flavored mirror glacage, topped with coffee whipped cream, chocolate puffed rice pearls, and custom, hand-made, two-tone white chocolate feathers.

Chef Enrique Olvera’s favorite items on his room service menu at The Cape, a Thompson Hotel in Cabo San Lucas include the Roasted Beets with orange goat cheese and pecan dressing and the Shrimp Tacos “a la talla.” The Roasted Beets are light, fresh, sourced locally from the region and classically complemented with orange, goat cheese, and pecans. Shrimp Tacos “a la talla”—which refers to a grilled preparation—are made with local shrimp and bold flavors like cilantro, chili, and fresh cabbage. Chef Olvera specifically loves these items and specifically chose them for the room service menu because they are light yet flavorful, saying “we curated a special selection of dishes that work perfectly for in room dining. We have taken into consideration aromas, temperatures, and light meals that would overall contribute, not conflict with, the romantic setting usually associated with ordering room service.”

The award-winning bacon bourbon corn chowder created by Chef Shawn O’Regan of The IRONS Restaurant and Bar at the Hilton Mystic in Mystic, CT is truly a sight to behold. “There’s something about bacon that is good for your soul. Mix that with bourbon and sweet corn for an award-winning chowder. Our house-cured bacon and deep smoky bourbon star in this twist on New England corn chowder. Ideal for in-room dining, curl up with a spoon and enjoy!” says Chef Shawn O’Regan.

Chef Chris Starkus of the forthcoming Urban Farmer restaurant, located adjacent to The Oxford Hotel in Denver’s LoDo neighborhood, already offers room service to hotel guests even though the restaurant isn’t set to open until June. A lavish dish he recently made for a guest was a Salt-Crusted Striped Bass for two. Chef Chris personally delivered the dish to the room, opened up the salt crust, filleted the meat off the bone, and served it with some traditional accouterments – a lemon wedge, sea salt, and sofrito aioli.

Executive Pastry Chef, Bashar Shamali, from Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach loves his Quattro Cioccolato room service dish. "Our decadent Quattro Cioccolato is my absolute favorite room service dish that we offer at Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach," said Shamali. "I am a chocolate lover and the four types of chocolate that we use to create this dessert - white, milk, dark and roasted - are Valrhona, so pure and of the highest quality. The different types of chocolate compliment each other, offering a range of flavors from sweet to sharp. These contrasting tastes make a noticeable impact when hitting your palate, and leave a lasting impression as you work your way through the dessert. The dish itself pairs various textures that match the strong flavors of the chocolate; smooth chocolate Crémeux is placed on the plate, and surrounded by a pliable ganache, fresh chocolate cake, and housemade chocolate ice cream. Final touches of chocolate dust, housemade chocolate sauce, and cocoa crispy tuile add a visual wow factor to this incredibly delicious dish."

JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa is on an exclusive stretch of gorgeous Mexican-Caribbean beach in the heart of Cancun. The best room service bet by far is the Beach Brunch Basket, which perfectly packages all the fixings for a gourmet picnic spread. “This is a fantastic option for guests who want to treat themselves with a luxury breakfast!” says Dominic Esposito, Director of F&B at JW Marriott Cancun. It’s a great choice for couples and honeymooners – you can enjoy it on your balcony, at the beach, or in our Bali Beds. This is one of our signature items and is the perfect way to live the JW experience.” Whether newlyweds want to sip green juice or toast champagne, munch Mexican crudités or dig into bacon-egg burritos, the two basket varieties are filled to the brim with options suited for a romantic picnic spread, whether you have it in bed or by the beach.

The iconic Hotel Adlon Kempinski located right next to the famous Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, offers a signature Adlon-Currywurst, a luxurious take on the popular German dish. "At the Adlon, our signature dish is the famous Curry Wurst - but we have created a much more extravagant version of the traditional street food that dates back to 1949. Guests can order the dish to their room directly, which is served with edible gold flakes on top. Our Adlon-Currywurst is a completely unique recipe; we use a secret recipe for our sauce," says Sebastian Müller, Director of Food & Beverage.

Chef Jason Campbell of Mary Eddy's Kitchen x Lounge, which is located in the 21c Museum Hotel in Oklahoma City showcases Campbell's bold and eclectic take on New American cuisine in an art-filled, communal setting that honors the building's industrial roots (it was formerly a Ford Motor assembly plant): "The way our room service is set up is that guests can get any item on the Mary Eddy's menu, allowing them to have a complete restaurant dining experience in the comfort of their own rooms! If I had to pick a favorite dish, it would be our Crispy Octopus with house made green garlic sausage, fermented samba, shishito peppers, Szechuan peppercorns, Thai herbs and lemon marmalade. I want hotel guests to be able to enjoy Mary Eddy's food in their rooms, so they're also able to enjoy our steak, market fish, seasonal vegetable dishes, and more. It's a little more work on the phone to talk the guests through the menu, but they are getting the best experience possible and not some outdated, generic 'room service food.' We treat room service just as we would a table in the dining room and follow through on quality."

Royal Sonesta Houston has just introduced an entirely revamped room service menu under new Executive Chef Robert Graham, a recent transplant from Cabo and an alum of Tavern on the Green and several Ritz-Carlton properties. In the hotel’s Uptown neighborhood, which is awash in high end steakhouses, Graham wanted to give guests the option of a lighter alternative that combined some of the same smoky and meaty textural qualities of a carnivore’s delight along with some unexpected flavors and flourishes. The result is the Charred Cauliflower Steak with Curried Baby Carrots, Smoked Eggplant, Raisins, Tomato Chutney and Watercress.

Owned by Tommy Hilfiger, art deco hotel The Raleigh in Miami Beach’s Executive Chef, Josh Elliot weighed in: "To me nothing is more decadent than breakfast in bed. The Brioche French Toast at The Raleigh with warm nutella, strawberry maple syrup, lime and Chantilly is rich without being too heavy. Paired with Fresh fruit and berries and a bottle of bubbly in an ocean-view balcony suite ... there's no better way to start the day."

You may go to Panama for the view and the cocktails, but you’ll stay for the chocolate. Executive Chef German Ghelfi, from the Hilton Panama hotel says of his favorite dish: “Most Hilton Panama guests have a sweet tooth and love our local chocolate mousse with crispy hazelnut crust. Our chocolate process is unique in Panama and requires the perfect temperature for the cocoa to be harvested. This lends to a unique and extra rich taste. Chocolate is a symbol of romance and love, so many couples really enjoy this dessert together.”

Jam at 1 Hotel Central Park’s Chef Jonathan Waxman loves fresh and clean foods when it comes to in room dining. For chefs like Jonathan Waxman, decadent has a different meaning than it does to the general public. To most, decadent is a giant piece of chocolate cake or a Porterhouse steak coated in butter but to a chef who grew up on a farm in Berkley California, decadent is farm fresh seasonal vegetables, shaved to release their fresh juices and flavors and tossed in a lemon tahini . His favorite room service dish are the Raw Shaved Hudson Valley Market Vegetables, a mix of raw shaved seasonal vegetables, wild arugula, toasted nuts, lemon-tahini dressing. “Traditionally, I love and adore the first blush of spring vegetables. Carrots, asparagus, radishes, cucumbers, etc. In order to explore their intrinsic flavors, I use a vegetable peeler to gently shave these vegetables. Paradoxically, this preparation changes their flavors to one of protracted sweetness; and by tossing them with a little sea salt and olive oil, further enhances their delicious earthiness. Coupled with a true vegetarian hummus, they form a perfect dish.”

Chef Uri Steinberg from Hotel Montefiore in Tel Aviv, Israel recommends the Hamburger Comte with Truffles and Potatoes for a late night cap. "There really is nothing better than comfort food when it's done right. At Hotel Montefiore we know what our guests want to sink their teeth into after a long night of experiencing the nightlife Tel Aviv is famous for. The Hamburger Comte with Truffles and Potatoes is a favorite among our night owl.

San Clemente Palace Kempinski in Venice, the beautiful resort uniquely situated on its own private in the Lagoon of Venice, offers a signature breakfast dish, Eggs San Clemente with smoked trout, Dijon mustard and paprika hollandaise, a favorite of Executive Chef Vincenzo di Tuoro. “The red of the tomato, which to me is the defining color of Italian cuisine, is in contrast with the yellow of the more international Hollandaise sauce. The acidic taste of the tomato is tamed by the sweetness of the rosti potatoes. What I really like about this dish is the pleasant mix of its ingredients' different consistencies," says Executive Chef Vincenzo di Tuoro.

Little Palm Island is an exclusive tropical paradise located on a 5.5-acre private island in the Lower Florida Keys. “My favorite room service dish I've had is our signature seafood paella dish at Little Palm Island. Given the abundance of local fresh fish contained in the waters surrounding the private island, our seafood paella embodies the soul of our kitchen. The combination of langustas or spiny lobster, smoked clams and mussels infused with garlic white-wine saffron rice and piquillo peppers captures the natural yet expansive flavors of the Florida Keys and further reaches of the Caribbean,” says Chef Stephen Belie, Executive Chef at Little Palm Island.

Chef David Hackett of Miami’s The Biltmore Hotel’s favorite dish off the room service menu is a Smoked Salmon Flatbread Pizza that’s topped with American Caviar, Crème Fraîche, and Dill. He believes the dish is perfect start to a romantic getaway and recommends that it’s paired with a cold glass of champagne. The side of fresh fruit, (strawberries being an aphrodisiac) add a another romantic touch.