The Belvedere is the marquee restaurant at The Peninsula Beverly Hills that recently retooled after 25 years. Executive Chef David Codney previously worked with famed Colorado resort The Broadmoor and The Ritz-Carlton. He now combines Mediterranean-inspired dishes with seasonal California ingredients, some of which luxuriate on an almond wood grill. Wine of course flows like water in the art-lined dining room. The Belvedere also developed a new cocktail program that’s better suited to modern times. You should also take note of their soda program.

The Belvedere makes three seasonal sodas in-house, no doubt inspired by the farmers market. The rooftop garden probably factors into carbonated concoctions as well. Oftentimes, soda is so sweet that I lose interest after a few sips, but that’s not the case with the restaurant’s espresso, chicory, and anise soda. This combination is pleasantly bitter, with shades of root beer and a licorice tinge. Each Collins glass features the soda on ice with a coffee bean float.

In a sense, the success of The Belvedere’s espresso and chicory shouldn’t have surprised me. After all, Blue Bottle Coffee has sold thousands upon thousands of New Orleans style iced coffee cups brewed with roasted chicory, milk, and sugar.