If you didn’t already know, my little sister Lisa is full of brilliant ideas of things to do while on holiday…Lisa is basically a million times better than Pinterest. As I love afternoon tea and beautiful historic hotels, Lisa thought it was a good idea for my birthday to book me in for Afternoon Tea at Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul; Istanbul’s most historic hotel.
Most famous for its connection to the Orient Express train journey from yester-year and where Agatha Christie actually wrote part of Murder on the Orient Express. It is a dream of mine to take the train journey…one day folks, one day (preferably without the murder though)…I should add this onto my bucket list page!
So without further ado here is my review of the Gluten Free Afternoon Tea at Pera Palace Hotel, Istanbul!
Gluten Free Sandwiches
The sarnies were actually two gluten free buns which weren’t too bad in texture, taste or chewability! The first bun contained roast beef which was rather scrummy and the second was filled with grilled vegetables which I’m not a huge fan of inside sarnies but that’s just a matter of my personal taste…they both were inhaled.
Gluten Free Scones
So there were no scones and I wasn’t expecting any to be honest as the hotel had advised on booking what they could provide which was quite a decent gluten free afternoon tea so I was disappointed about the lack of scones.
Gluten Pastries
Now this is where the Pera Palace Hotel excelled…the gluten free pastries were pretty tasty and included mini cheesecakes, a beautiful light and fluffy cake…
…and rice pudding which was delicious and I’m not usually a fan of rice pudding (rice and pudding are not two words that should go together in my world!).
On the afternoon tea buffet there were lots of fruit options available as well…
….however I was filled right up to my nostrils with gluten free pastries so no fruit was required.
^^I made a rather fine attempt of eating every pastry…nobody leaves a pastry behind on my watch!
Afternoon Tea for the Gluten Eating Monsters
So this where the afternoon tea at the Pera Palace Hotel is a tad different from all the rest we’ve experience over the years…it’s an afternoon tea buffet!
It means you can graze to your bellies are about to pop…there was a great selection of sarnies, pastries, fruit, jams and scones available for you sample at your leisure.
G didn’t complain at all…it was lovely to see an afternoon tea fashioned in a non-traditional way.
^^G’s first visit to the afternoon tea buffet…I had to give him a stern talking to as he decided one helping was enough as he had to watch his weight…he was told that this was not the time to hold back and he was allowed to shovel as much as he wanted as he was getting no dinner!
Tea
There isn’t a choice of tea but it was exactly what the doctor ordered as Istanbul in February is a bit chilly to say the least….and I needed defrosting. The options are tea or coffee.
Service
The service was attentive and the entertainment lovely. On the day we visited on my birthday a few weeks back, they had a lovely gentleman on the piano and everyone joined in with a jolly bit of singing.
^^I refrained from singing…I didn’t want to break the chandelier with my screeching!
Atmosphere
Now this is where the Pera Palace Hotel rocks…the atmosphere is like you’ve stepped back in time…it felt so calm that I’m sure if you dropped a yoga pose in the middle of afternoon tea nobody would batter an eyelash at you. It’s not over the top excessive…it didn’t feel pretentious in any way at all which is fabulous as so many luxury hotels are just dripping with it these days and it’s coming across as tasteless…this is definitely not the case at Pera Palace Hotel; everyone is friendly and sweet and it didn’t feel forced.
Snooping Around Pera Palace Hotel
So a little bit of the history about the Pera Palace Hotel; it was the first hotel to have air-conditioning, the first hotel in Turkey and second hotel in Europe to have a lift.
I decided to ask if we could have a little snoop around the hotel and they agreed…thank you folks…we were able to enjoy the beautiful original lift which is still in working order and includes a seat.
We visited Ataturk’s favoured room which is now a museum…he preferred a room on the first floor with a balcony in case he needed to escape in a hurry.
The room contains pieces that were used in hotel when he stayed plus gifts, books and original newspapers from the day of his death.
I actually learnt so much about the man on this visit to Turkey and have vowed to read more about him…google the speech he made about the ANZAC soldiers and you will realise why Australia, New Zealand and Turkey share a mutual respect for each other.
^^My much shorter hair complete with Dennis the Menace curl.
The hotel has many references to its previous guests including Agatha Christie whom wrote part of the Murder on the Orient Express in Room 411.
If there is no availability for afternoon tea at Pera Palace Hotel, you can still enjoy a cake or two at the patisserie inside the hotel…it’s very pink..
…and why not check out the sedan chair which used to transport guests from the Orient Express train at Sirkeci Train Station to the Pera Palace Hotel….
…not sure where the excess luggage goes or half my body…I could imagine having to break a window just to get my long legs into this sedan chair!
If you head to the Orient Bar you can see photos of the famous guests that have stayed at the hotel and also enjoy a number of classic cocktails or mocktails in my case.
^^I may have fallen asleep in the bar…jetlag, a raging headache and turning 38 all in one day…a total rock star, that’s me!
Would I recommend the Afternoon Tea at Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul: Yes, looking for something a bit different to do in Istanbul then book yourself in for afternoon tea, we weren’t disappointed and I’ve enjoyed a few afternoon teas over the years. Bookings are essential as they were fully booked on the day we visited.
The cost for 3 persons for Afternoon Tea at Pera Palace Hotel, Istanbul was £55 (around £18-20 each depending on exchange rate at the time!) so it’s definitely cheaper than many afternoon teas offered in London. The beautiful hardcover Murder on the Orient Express book is available through Waterstones…a wonderful birthday present from Lisa.
You can find the Pera Palace Hotel website here.
Disclaimer: the post contains affiliate links however this costs you nothing additional if you make a purchase.
xx
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