a restaurant with tables and chairs

Culinary Heritage

Palmer House®, A Hilton Hotel offers a variety of dining experiences to satisfy every palate. The original purveyor of the brownie, the history of the hotel's cuisine dates back to 1893, when a small-portioned dessert reminiscent of a cake was asked to be created by the pastry chef. To this day, the hotel still crafts their brownies according to this original recipe. Guests can enjoy this tasty treat amid their meal at one of the hotel's many dining outlets.

Lockwood Express

The perfect stop located just off of the lobby to pick up on-the-go favorites. Enjoy a cup of freshly brewed Lavazza coffee, tea, and chilled drinks along with savory breakfast sandwiches or house made pastries and parfaits. In the afternoon enjoy freshly prepared artisan sandwiches, salads, and snacks, along with a selection of local craft beer, wine, and small batch cocktails. For a sweet treat, enjoy a Palmer House Brownie, which was invented in the hotel’s pastry kitchen.

Lockwood Lobby Bar

Enjoy curated cocktails and shared plates. Raise a glass to the Sesquicentennial Celebration at Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel, while toasting under a canvas of 21 Greek Mythological frescos lit by the warm glow of Louis Comfort Tiffany Winged Angel candelabras. An awe-inspiring living, breathing piece of history fully restored to its original beauty with careful attention to the intricate details, down to the most important matters, a perfectly prepared cocktail.

Lockwood Restaurant

Come experience the Lockwood Restaurant, Thursday through Sunday, for à la carte breakfast service including parfaits, steel cut oatmeal, Bertha’s Brownie Pancakes, custom omelets, and more.

History is Hott

Experience this award-winning tour and interactive luncheon to uncover the rich history of the Palmer House with Director of Public Relations, Ken Price, a 32-year resident historian. Please note, the History is Hott tour is subject to change. Please contact hotel for dates of availability.

a large room with a large staircase and chandeliers with The Palmer House Hilton in the background
a long bar with a bar and chandeliers
a restaurant with tables and chairs
a table with wine glasses and candles
Recipes

Dishes with a backstory

Savor our kitchen's signature recipes, each dish a flavorful reflection of our hotel's storied past.

a piece of chocolate cake with a scoop of ice cream on top

The Palmer House Hilton Brownie

Bertha Honoré Palmer, wife of Chicago merchant, real estate developer and builder of the Palmer House hotel, directed the Palmer House chef to create a special dessert to be served at the Columbian Exposition World’s Fair in 1893. This confectionary delight we have come to know as the brownie was created in the Palmer House Kitchen in the late 19th century. The recipe is well over a century old, and is the same one used for the brownie served in the Palmer House Hilton today. It remains one of the hotel’s most popular desserts. The first reference to the “brownie” in America appeared in the Sears Roebuck Catalog published in Chicago in 1898.

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