The Ritz-Carlton Istanbul serves an afternoon tea with a view of the Bosphorus. It has many merits which make it well worth a visit:
The Ritz-Carlton Istanbul Afternoon Tea
Masala Chai Tea with Cakes & Sweets
Afternoon Tea / High Tea
Ritz-Carlton Istanbul, Turkey (five-star hotel)
Overall Mark: ★★★★☆
Afternoon Tea price: 95TL/person
Tea refills: Yes (tea & coffee)
Food refills: No
Service: Every day from 2:30 to 5:30 pm
in the Atelier Lounge
The Setting ★★★★☆
The Ritz-Carlton Istanbul is located in Beşiktaş, inside the Suzer Plaza building which overlooks the Bosphorus Strait.
The Atelier Lounge ★★★★★
Afternoon tea is served in the Atelier Lounge. The venue is cosy and offers an excellent view of Beşiktaş Stadium and the Bosphorus.
I reviewed the afternoon tea on a very grey day which deprived me of what must be a very nice view, though admittedly not as nice as the view from the neighbouring Four Seasons and Ciragan Palace hotels which offer a terrace right on the water.
Live music: Piano-cello music ceremony from14:30- to 17:30 every weekday
The Tea & Beverage Selection ★★★★☆
There are 13 teas and infusions on offer from the Ronnefeldt company, the German tea house which seems to supply over half of the hotels in Istanbul. The quality is excellent but the green tea was a bit bitter as it’s brewed at high temperature.
I recommend the Masala Chai which is among my favourite Ronnefeldt teas.
Turkish Tea and 12 teas & infusions from the Ronnfeldt teahouse (black, green and infusions); 3 coffees.
The Ritz-Carlton Istanbul Afternoon Tea
The Ritz-Carlton Istanbul Afternoon Tea
The Savouries ★★★★★
The Ritz-Carlton Istanbul afternoon tea starts with five savouries:
- Feta, Tomato & Lettuce Ratatouille Sandwich ♥ ♥
- Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Wrap ♥
- Grilled Vegetables Focaccia & Pesto Sandwich ♥
- Smoked Beef & Pickled Burger Bun
- Rice Roll on Yoghurt (shot glass)
Each savoury bite is tasty but I especially love the Ratatouille Sandwich.
The Scones ★★★★☆
Each guest is served with one lemon scone and one raisin flavoured scone, both delicious and moist.
The slightly odd part is that they were served with honey and cream but without jam, which may have been forgotten. I ended up using the honey which was brought with my Earl Grey tea but I’m pretty sure the jam can be brought on request.
None of the afternoon teas in Istanbul are served with traditional clotted cream so this criterion cannot be taken into account
The Cakes & Sweets ★★★★☆
The Ritz-Carlton Istanbul afternoon tea ends on a light note, with five gorgeous sweet bites:
- Crunchy Raspberry Eclair ♥
- Chocolate and Almond/Orange Signature Cake (aka the Ritz-Carlton Cake)
- Mango Chia Shot ♥♥
- Madeleine
- Fruit Tart
Everything is delicious but it seems a few cakes and sweets featured on the menu were missing (e.g. the Macaron).
The Mango Chia shot is the tastiest and the Crunchy Eclair is the cutest.
Service ★★★★☆
The service is as expected: professional and efficient. Special thanks to Gibem who was extra nice and made sure that I’d never run out of tea.
Conclusion & Overall Mark ★★★★☆
The Ritz-Carlton Istanbul Afternoon Tea is among the city’s safest bet: the location is prestigious, the tea selection is solid and the food is as tasty as it is plentiful.
Priced at 95TL per person, it’s also great in terms of value for money. I recommend going on a sunny day in order to enjoy the view of the Bosphorus.
+: The Atelier Lounge
+: Fantastic view
+: The Ronnefeldt Teas
+: Tasty food
+: Ritz-Carlton service
+: Great value for money
-: No jam with the scones
-: Indoors only
Phone: +90 212 334 41 88
Email: rc.istrz.restaurant@ritzcarlton.com
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