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Little Rock Restaurants|Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States

The OAK room & bar

Name: The OAK room & bar
Telephone: 501-363-4781

French fare meets Southern comfort in Hot Springs

VERIFIED LUXURY

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Homestyle comfort meets high-end dining in The OAK Room, the newest entry in Oaklawn Hot Springs, Arkansas' culinary renaissance. The charming venue blends contemporary and traditional décor, evoking a turn-of-the-20th-century lounge with oak-wood-paneled walls, black marble finishes and plush leather seating.

The eclectic menu follows suit with a fusion of French, Southern and Asian-inspired flavors that are both familiar and exciting. A recent culinary reconcepting under the careful guidance of executive chef Ken Bredeson and Arkansas-born chef de cuisine Aaron Lyons ensures that the upscale fare maintains its downhome feel, albeit with an eye for artistic plating.

A well-curated wine list rounds out the elegant experience, as does the glass-encased cellar that doubles as a centerpiece of the private dining room.

Our Inspector's Highlights

The OAK Room pays homage to its historic location with a collection of vintage Oaklawn photos and horse-racing motifs dotting the space. Adding a pop of color is a small collection of signed original works by contemporary American artist LeRoy Neiman.
TheHot Springs restaurant draws inspiration from Oaklawn’s racing heritage with vintage pendants suspended by leather straps and brass hardware that recalls horse-riding tack.
Attention to detail is what sets chef Bredeson’s menu apart. Even a simple wedge salad gets a Southern spin with crispy fried Louisiana crawfish and a hearty drizzle of cayenne-spiked buttermilk dressing.
Dishes beautifully fuse French and Southern cuisines with an Asian-inspired twist. Savor Creole scallops tomato beurre blanc and crispy okra or a sake-infused seabass filet served with a cabbage slaw.
The dessert menu continues the Southern-French fusion theme with decadent dishes like bananas foster bread pudding or a chocolate pecan praline mousse.

The Chef

With nearly 30 years of experience helming the culinary program at large-scale casinos, executive chef Ken Bredeson was more than up to the challenge of revamping Oaklawn’s gourmet offerings, including the now-signature OAK Room.
Thanks to his background working in European kitchens, Bredeson combines classic French preparations with his other preferred cuisines, namely Asian fusion, Pacific Rim, and Southern Lowcountry.
The talented toque’s goal with The OAK Room is to take traditional homestyle cooking (namely from French and Southern traditions) and elevate it in a modern and artistic way to meet the demands of modern discerning diners.
Bredeson’s favorite foods are classically tough cuts of meat like pork belly and short rib that he transforms into tender and succulent dishes with just a little extra TLC.

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