Luxury travel is no longer simply about where you stay or what you eat. Increasingly, travellers want to know who made it, where it came from and how it got onto the plate.
Few brands are leaning into this shift quite like Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, where food is increasingly being used as a gateway into local culture. From learning the art of dim sum in Paris to tracing ingredients from farm to table in Istanbul, these aren’t simply meals – they’re opportunities to understand a place through the people who cook, grow and preserve its culinary traditions.
The latest luxury travel trend is all about going behind the scenes, swapping passive dining for experiences that bring guests closer to chefs, producers, ingredients and the traditions that define a destination. According to Virtuoso advisors, 49% of luxury travellers plan to spend more on luxury products or experiences over the next 12 months, signalling a growing appetite for travel that feels personal, immersive and worth remembering.
Here are three Shangri-La experiences putting immersive culinary travel firmly on the luxury travel agenda.
Shangri-La Toronto: Meet The Chef Behind The Plate
Toronto is already one of North America’s most exciting food destinations, but at Shangri-La Toronto, guests can go beyond simply sitting down for dinner. At signature restaurant bosk, the hotel’s Culinary Atelier turns the traditional restaurant experience into an intimate encounter between chefs, ingredients and diners.
The series has previously explored The Art of Pâtisserie and contemporary Canadian cuisine, with upcoming editions welcoming Chef Jules Wiringa for modern European cuisine on 9–10 October 2026, followed by acclaimed British chef Tom Aikens on 20–21 November 2026. Each edition centres around a particular culinary discipline, with the featured chef taking guests through the inspiration, techniques and personal stories behind each course.
The ingredients are just as important. Menus draw on seasonal produce from Ontario farms, fisheries and artisan producers, allowing diners to understand the provenance behind what they’re eating. Rather than the chef appearing at the table for a quick introduction before disappearing back into the kitchen, the maker becomes the story.
Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul: From Farm To Baklava
Few cities offer a more compelling culinary backdrop than Istanbul, where European and Asian influences meet across the Bosphorus. At Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul, the hotel’s new Farm-to-Table Experience invites guests to look beyond the finished dish and discover the seasonal ingredients, regional flavours and local producers responsible for it.
It’s a simple idea, but one that taps directly into the growing demand for food-focused travel experiences. Instead of sourcing being something that happens behind the scenes, the journey from farm to plate becomes part of the experience itself. The hotel is also putting a distinctly Turkish spin on culinary theatre with its Baklava Butler experience.
Guests are introduced to the intricate craft behind one of Türkiye’s most famous sweet treats, exploring the delicate layers of pastry, fragrant nuts and syrup that make baklava so distinctive. It’s a reminder that luxury food experiences don’t necessarily need to involve Michelin stars or complicated tasting menus. Sometimes, the most memorable experiences come from understanding the history and craftsmanship behind something that has been part of a culture for generations.
Shangri-La Paris: Learn The Art Of Dim Sum
Paris might be synonymous with French cuisine, but at Shangri-La Paris, guests can explore an entirely different culinary tradition. Housed in the former residence of Prince Roland Bonaparte, the hotel combines French palace heritage with Shangri-La’s Asian identity, creating a particularly unique setting for its Chinese dining experiences.
At Shang Palace, Executive Chinese Chef Tony Xu leads a team of specialist chefs working across disciplines including wok cooking, barbecue, carving and dim sum. For guests wanting to get closer to the craft, The Art of Dim Sum masterclass offers the chance to learn directly from the experts. Rather than simply eating beautifully presented dumplings, guests get to understand the precision and dexterity involved in creating them, shaping each piece by hand.
It’s precisely the kind of experience modern luxury travellers are increasingly seeking: learn something, meet the people behind it and leave with a story to tell. The culinary programme at Shangri-La Paris has also expanded this summer with two new dining destinations. Maison Roland brings a relaxed Parisian bistro to the hotel’s private garden, while Les Salons du Prince recreates the spirit of the Belle Époque inside the palace’s historic salons.
Why Immersive Food Experiences Are The Future Of Luxury Travel
The appeal is obvious. A great meal can be memorable, but an experience that teaches you something about a destination can stay with you long after you’ve returned home. For luxury travellers, food is becoming a way of connecting with place rather than simply another hotel amenity. Meeting a chef, visiting a producer, learning a traditional technique or understanding the story behind an ingredient can transform a restaurant reservation into something much more meaningful.
Shangri-La is continuing this approach across its global portfolio. Its annual Taste of Shangri-La, returning in October 2026, will once again spotlight chefs, restaurants and culinary stories across the brand, while its Dine by Design programme creates private dining experiences in distinctive settings, bringing together destination, menu and service in highly personal ways. Even closer to home, London’s GŎNG Bar at Shangri-La The Shard has launched its Icons of Asia cocktail series, interpreting destinations across Asia through aroma, flavour and mixology.
The message is clear: luxury travel is moving beyond seeing a destination and towards experiencing it through all the senses. And increasingly, the best place to start might just be at the table.
If youre travelling over the next few months be sure to search out Shangri-La Hotels for an experience you wont forget.
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