Each year, like millions of people around the globe, sat down to watch the glamour that is the Academy Awards. From red carpet and designer wardrobes to tearful speeches and glittering trophies, it is one of the glitziest nights in show business. Only a few filmmakers and stars depart with the iconic Oscar statue.
But once the cameras stop rolling and the ceremony has ended, Hollywood’s biggest party is just beginning. “If anything, another stunning event happens immediately after the awards — a party that’s as legendary as that ceremony.”
This fête is the Governors Ball, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ official Oscars after-party. This is where the winners, nominees and biggest stars in Hollywood go to celebrate, relax and feast on one of the truest luxe menus on record.
And while there are golden statues that head to the awards themselves, many of the Oscars being served at this party hold something far more advantageous — chocolate.
When the Ceremony Ends, the Party Begins
The Oscars are held at the famed Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. For hours, actors and directors and producers and filmmakers endure speeches and performances and emotional moments of award giving.
By the end, when the last award is given, many celebrities have been in formal attire for nearly an entire evening spent under bright lights and in front of cameras. Then, of course the after-party is a great place to chill.
The Governors Ball immediately follows the ceremony. Step into a grand ballroom turned full-service dining space with music, a fine-dining setting and an unparalleled menu designed by internationally acclaimed chefs.
But what’s shocking to many fans is that the food at the Oscars after-party isn’t all about luxury — it has a lot to do with fun, creativity and overindulgence.
Chocolate Oscars: The Most Popular Dessert of the Night
A signature item on the Governors Ball menu are the legendary chocolate Oscar statuettes.
Although the actual Oscar trophy is composed of bronze and gold plating, the dessert versions at the party will all be made from chocolate. These tiny statues are made to resemble the actual award almost exactly.
It takes pastry chefs days to craft these edible trophies. Every chocolate Oscar is molded, polished and then sprayed with edible gold to replicate how shiny the real statue is. They frequently make elegant displays on dessert tables or are laid atop cakes and macarons.
Many guests leaving the party may receive this chocolate statue as a memory from that night.
As one chef quipped at the event, winning a real Oscar is almost impossible. There are only a handful in the world and few ever receive one. But at the Governors Ball, hundreds of guests get to have their own version of the trophy — and this one is actually delicious.
As a result of this custom, hundreds of chocolate Oscars are consumed each year at the after-party festivities.
Feeding Hollywood’s Biggest Stars
The Governors Ball is a massive undertaking that takes weeks of planning and preparation.
The event draws over 1,500 guests annually. This comprises Oscar winners, nominees, filmmakers, actors, producers and studio executives as well as other influential members of the film industry.
To fuel such a massive and high-impact group, chefs output an incredible amount of food. It is said that they use about 25,000 small plates for the event.
The contemporary Governors Ball does not adhere to a traditional reward dinner sit-down format like they did decades ago. In past years, multi-course meals were served at tables to guests. But organizers soon discovered that this style seemed a little too slow and formal for such an exhilarating fete.
Today, the after-party resembles a luxury food festival more than anything. Guests mingle around the venue, greet friends, toast with coworkers and select entrees from a plethora of stations.
This init stem refreshes it where the in person are for all attending.
A Global Menu Inspired by World Cinema
The Oscars honor films internationally, and the menu at the Governors Ball will embrace that global spirit.
Rather than concentrate on one single cuisine, the chefs craft plates inspired by a variety of countries and cooking traditions.
Party guests can browse a menu that features tastes from multiple continents. It really does feel like a culinary world tour packed into one event.
Notable menu highlights over the years have included:
Japanese Cuisine
Our guests love fresh sushi, seafood dishes and light Japanese flavors.
Italian Specialties
Pasta classics and Italian-style plates accompany European delicacies.
Premium Steak and Wagyu Beef
Luxury meats such as Wagyu beef are a major draw for many guests.
Vegan and Vegetarian Dishes
The Oscars menu has lent itself to more plant-based offerings in recent years, mirroring changing food trends in Hollywood.
Luxury Ingredients
The menu sometimes includes caviar, black truffles or other high-end ingredients more typical of the world’s best restaurants.
With this vast selection, there is something for everyone — regardless if you’re in the mood for gourmet cuisine or light bites.
A Culinary Team Working Behind the Scenes
For one thing, the preparation of the Governors Ball menu is not an overnight task.
Days — sometimes weeks — of planning and preparing the food for the event goes on behind the scenes with a team of chefs, pastry pros and kitchen staff. Each plate needs to be meticulously crafted to reflect the sophisticated nature of the Oscars.
The kitchen operating behind the scenes is like what you might find in a luxury hotel or large international event.
It’s a scheduling ballet where chefs coordinate thousands of dishes being prepared seamlessly and ingredients remain fresh on the plate that should all look like pieces of art.
Timing is also extremely important. Because the party starts at the exact moment the ceremony ends, every detail must be in place at just the right time.
For the chefs, making food for the Oscars isn’t just another gig — it’s a chance to present their vision before some of the most well-known faces in existence.
Signature Cocktails Designed for the Night
And of course, no Hollywood celebration would be complete without some signature cocktails.
Every year, mixologists create special drinks that are only served at the Oscars after-party. These signature cocktails are inspired by global flavors, imaginative ingredients — and occasionally the themes of nominated films.
One recent cocktail that was served at the Governors Ball brought together flavors found in Italy and Mexico. The drink was tequila based, mixed with Italian bitters, soda water and cucumber notes with a smoky salt rim.
The result was a crisp cocktail that beautifully distilled the essence of Hollywood’s multicultural ingenuity.
Such special beverages quickly become the highlight of guests, adding another level of excitement to the affair.
Why the Governors Ball Is So Special
For many stars, the Governors Ball tends to be the most fun part of Oscars night.
The ceremony is formal and meticulously orchestrated. Each speech, performance and award presentation is timed down to the second.
The after-party, though, is far more relaxed. It’s a chance for guests to celebrate with friends, congratulate winners and, finally, relax after months of awards-season campaigning.
Actors who battled for the same prize earlier in the evening are seen laughing together, swapping stories and digging into food.
Directors and producers typically use the occasion to connect with collaborators, discuss future projects and strengthen industry bonds.
The Governors Ball is the very spirit of Hollywood — creativity and celebration and collaborators.”
A Night of Celebration Beyond the Awards
While the world’s eyes are on who takes home the trophies, the Governors Ball also serves to remind us all that this evening isn’t just a celebration of individual films and performances, but of showing off an entire industry.
Hundreds of people are involved in creating a movie — writers, editors, cinematographers, costume designers and sound engineers and more.
For them, going to the Oscars after-party is a time to celebrate their work and revel in a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
I was very very happy; I have never been as happy and free as that day, no pressures, just the laughter inside the party, music, conversations with friends…after a good season of awards.
And of course, lots of great food to eat.
Hollywood’s Most Delicious Tradition
The Governors Ball has become one of Hollywood’s beloved traditions over the years.
It incorporates all that is special about the film industry — glamour, creativity, world culture, celebration.
From the decadent chocolate Oscar desserts to the lavish menu with some of the finest ingredients on earth, the Vanity Fair after-party is as famous as awards itself.
For fans tuning in from around the globe, seeing these behind-the-scenes details shown gives insight into what goes on once the cameras stop rolling.
Because once the winners are revealed and when the speeches finish, Hollywood’s biggest stars migrate to a party where both trophies may be forged from chocolate, where the food is incredible and with revelry that stretches deep into the night.
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