Currently booking private events for 2026 and 2027, including holiday parties. Click here to learn more.
Over the course of nearly five decades, Frank Lloyd Wright transformed Taliesin into much more than a home. The 800-acre estate included Hillside Home School (containing Hillside Drafting Studio) and Hillside Theater, which were built to provide architectural training to enthusiastic apprentices. Wright knew that the property was special—and wanted to welcome guests in an equally special way. That’s why in 1953, he designed Riverview Terrace to serve as the “gateway to Taliesin,” featuring a restaurant to serve as a gathering place and have a meal. Wright envisioned his apprentices at the helm of the restaurant—growing food, cooking meals, and serving guests.
With construction starting in 1957 and then stopping in 1959 after Wright’s death, it seemed as if Riverview Terrace would never be realized. It sat unfinished for nearly a decade, until 1967 when construction was finally completed—and The Spring Green restaurant came to fruition. The restaurant saw its fair share of glamorous guests, like first lady “Lady Bird” Johnson who attended the opening reception. Owned and operated as The Spring Green restaurant until 1993, the building was then acquired by Taliesin Preservation.
Today, that famed restaurant is known as Riverview Terrace Cafe, and when I visited recently, I was stunned to learn that this architectural gem was the last remaining Wright-designed restaurant in the world. In 2024, it was even added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Many of Frank Lloyd Wright’s buildings have been demolished, including the Lake Geneva Hotel in my hometown, which was torn down in 1970. But in Spring Green, Wright’s legacy is alive and well — and it’s not far from my own backyard of Madison, Wisconsin, which has its own history about Frank Lloyd Wright. My visit reminded me of just how lucky we are in Wisconsin to have such rare and beautifully preserved examples of his finest built works.
The cafe’s other big news? Along with the rest of Taliesin, it received a spike in interest after it was spotlighted on Bravo’s Top Chef Wisconsin, which aired last year. The “cheftestants” were uniquely challenged with creating dishes inspired by Wright’s designs and philosophies.
Inspired by Nature & Seasons
The moment I walked into the cafe, I felt the historical gravitas of the space. Taliesin might be the star attraction, but the cafe instantly conveyed Wright’s genius. Sweeping views of the Wisconsin River from the windows made it clear that Wright intended to bring the outdoors in. As I took my seat near a window, I took in the freshly picked flowers adorning the tables, mirroring the gardens outside.
The menu, filled with a variety of sandwiches, salads, and house-made soups, includes fresh foods grown right on the estate. During my visit, I savored the Fruit Field salad, fresh and bursting with flavor through its seasonal greens, just-picked strawberries, and crumbled feta.
Keeley Fike, Cafe Manager, puts it perfectly when she says, “Every morning, I am blessed with beautiful views, and every step around the cafe is truly a work of art. The cafe captures the spirit of Taliesin because it symbolizes all of Frank Lloyd Wright’s ideas about organic architecture and earth.” She further stated that she enjoys utilizing “all that the earth offers here.”
“We use vegetables from the garden on the estate, along with locally sourced cheeses and beef,” says Fike. The food also draws upon the seasons. Fike notices the “amazing color change” that comes with these seasonal dishes, saying that the vegetables change from vibrant to richly colored root veggies.
“When the leaves change, so does the menu,” says Fike. “Fall will offer hardy soups, such as chili, squash, and stews, and there are new sandwiches such as a turkey-apple gouda grilled cheese,” she says, adding that Fall also welcomes apple and pumpkin-flavored dessert crumbles, iced coffee, and warm apple cider.
For an additional dose of coziness, Fike says that some of the new offerings include house-made bakery items such as scones, pastries, cookies, and homemade cakes, plus locally roasted organic coffee.
Taliesin to Table
Frank Lloyd Wright originally imagined growing food on the estate and serving it to guests. The very fruits and veggies that became my salad were grown close to where Wright’s apprentices grew their food nearly a century ago—and who knows? Those apprentices could have tilled the soil that grew the delicious food I enjoyed. How’s that for a connection to the 800-acre Taliesin estate?
Today, Wright’s vision has become a reality, but the food isn’t grown by apprentices. Instead, these operations are headed up by Abbie Lehman, Foraging Instructor and Kitchen Gardener at Taliesin.
Previously working at Westridge Organic Farm and cooking at Cafe 43 in Mineral Point, Lehman is enjoying her third season at Taliesin. This summer, she and her team of volunteers have already supplied the cafe with pea shoots, pea pods, carrots, cilantro, parsley, chives, arugula, and Swiss chard, along with many more delicious greens and vegetables to come through October.
“The Kitchen Garden’s focus is on supplying useful ingredients for creative weekly specials, as well as more consistent staples, such as herbs, edible flowers, and leafy greens,” Lehman explains.
There’s even a small orchard and grape vines on the property that remain as vestiges of the original orchard at the Taliesin house. “Although they are not officially part of the Kitchen Garden, they will definitely be harvested and used at the cafe,” Lehman says.
Reflecting on this connection to the land, I realized how much Riverview Terrace Cafe truly feels like an “appetizer” before a tour of Taliesin. I was enveloped by Wright’s architecture as I rested before exploring the estate—admiring the striking wooden ceiling beams, earthy tones inspired by the natural surroundings, and geometric accents that punctuated the space.
Lehman captures this connection and nods to the estate’s history, saying, “Sourcing our food from the estate honors the story of the Taliesin Fellowship, an almost completely self-sustaining community for many years.”
To get up close and personal with the Kitchen Garden and public trails at Taliesin, you can take part in the seasonal Grow & Gather series, which offers foraging classes and gardening workshops.
Food with a Mission
When you dine at Riverview Terrace Cafe, you’re supporting the nonprofit mission of Taliesin Preservation to preserve these historic buildings, while sharing Wright’s vision and legacy—all while boosting the local community through employment opportunities, vocational training, and more.
“Visiting Riverview Terrace Cafe is not just a cafe,” Fike concludes. “It’s the amazing views, a history lesson, a unique menu, a mission to support local, to satisfy palates, and to provide an exceptional organic experience for everyone. If you’ve ever thought of visiting, just do it. It will surely build a memory, if not from the architecture, history, and beauty, but from the food itself.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.
