24 Hours in Versailles

Hotel Versailles & Silas Creative Kitchen

Words by Megan Smith / Photography by Megan Smith & Ben Callahan / Layout by Bryce Patterson

The newly built Hotel Versailles is a modern, luxury retreat just a short 2-hour drive from downtown Columbus. Perfect for a great staycation destination. With just 30 spacious, well-appointed guestrooms and suites, the hotel is a quiet, historic revival getaway, which sits on the same plot of land that has housed a hospitality space since 1865.

The hotel nods to Ohio makers, designers, and creators with a solid dedication to hyper locality. For example, the focal point private dining room table in the restaurant was crafted by Hayrake Furniture Company in Minster, Ohio; the centerpiece window banquette chandelier created by Glass Asylum in Chagrin Falls, Ohio; and locally sourced furnishings and artwork fill the hotel, its restaurant, and private event space, the 1819 Room.

“Working with Ohio-based Kimberly O Design, we have maintained the historical attributes of the property and its rich hospitality lineage while crafting a new modern-day atmosphere to bring a dynamic, one-of-a-kind upscale boutique hotel to Versailles for locals and visitors alike to enjoy,” Managing Director Jack Olshan shares. “We want our guests to experience a historically-rich property that is sophisticated and surprising, friendly and fancy, modern and memorable.”

While in Versailles, visit the Winery at Versailles or play a round at the Stillwater Valley Golf Club. Don’t forget to make reservations at Silas Restaurant on the hotel’s first floor, and if available, book the 350-square-foot Spa Suite with the oversized soaking tub to finish the day.

Executive Chef Aaron Allen, whose 14-year career has taken him around the country to cook and lead teams in famed restaurants like DANIEL in NYC, The Inn at Dos Brisas, and Nemacolin Woodland Resort, now curates an authentic farm-fueled epicureanism experience just two hours from Columbus, in quintessential Versailles, Ohio.

Every menu item at Silas Creative Kitchen + Cocktails is carefully created based on seasonally available ingredients sourced directly from the property’s nearby Sycamore Bridge Farm and in partnerships with local husbandry farms. “As a true farm-to-table experience, each menu at Silas is crafted around ingredients that are seasonally available to source from our 85-acre farm—only minutes away from the hotel,” says Chef Allen. “The rich quality of colors, textures, and tastes that emerge from the heirloom vegetables and herbs harvested, partnered with locally raised meats and poultry, allow us to create an unmatched selection of freshly prepared dishes for guests to enjoy.”

Tasting Menu

Created by Executive Chef Aaron Allen

Assorted Homemade Breads cultured butter, lava salt

1st COURSE

Tempura Fried Wild Mushrooms | anchovy mayo

Pimento Cheese Gougeres | hot honey, pistachio

Spicy Salmon | crispy rice, smashed avocado, micro cilantro

2nd COURSE

Dill Spaetzle | goetta, brussels sprouts, whipped chevre, fried egg, apple butter

3rd COURSE

Roasted Pork Belly Bao Buns | chipotle maple kohlrabi slaw

4th COURSE

Grilled Nantucket Bay Scallops | heirloom bean salad with cucumber, beets, tahini + dill lime ginger vinaigrette, crispy marble potatoes

5th COURSE

Slow-Roasted Ft Loramie Lamb | marinated in rosemary, honey, and garlic. Served with homemade naan bread, assorted chutneys + sauces

6th COURSE

Vanilla Sponge Cake Sundae | mascarpone semifreddo, dark chocolate crémeux, orange curd, brûléed satsuma mandarins, candied walnuts