The festive holiday season arrives in early December when Istanbul’s most luxurious hotels put up Christmas decorations that look like Hollywood movie-sets. Even if you’re staying elsewhere you can still enjoy the hotel’s x-mas displays to your heart’s content.
A little walk along the Bosphorus will be more than enough to get you into the Christmas spirit. The glorious decorations at Ciragan Palace, Four Seasons, Hilton, and Swissotel even make Santa smile when he passes overhead.
For those looking to celebrate on New Year’s Eve, note that all these decorations will still be there for a little while after New Year’s Day.
Ciragan Palace Kempinski
This luxurious restaurant has amazing offers for you from December 24th and 25th. Between 3-5 pm on these two days, you get to enjoy special tea only for 250 TL per person.
Their special Christmas menu costs 595 TL per person while their Italian special menu will cost you 950 TL per person. Here you get to enjoy special pizzas, differently prepared pasta, and seafood.
Festive Offers | Website
Four Seasons Bosphorus
At the Bosphorus, the hotel welcomes Christmas with a Winter City event. Their special menus especially that of December 22- a Sunday Festival Brunch is a favorite to most.
On Christmas day they offer lunch at Aqua Restaurant, a signature restaurant in Istanbul. Their branch at Sultanahmet also offers Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas brunch
Website | Festive Season | Reservations: 0212 381 42 40
Hilton Istanbul Bosphorus
All across Istanbul, Hilton offers you at least 25 hotels which include signature restaurants. Their intricate Christmas menus feature luxurious meals such as salmon caviar, beef cheeks, smoked duck, and lobster.
The hotels host several restaurants and Lounges within which uniquely stand out from each other. For instance, Cloud 34 in Bomonti is popular for its magnificent views and its Lobby Lounge is known for its relaxing ambiance. This promises you different experiences from the same location.
They offer packages for Christmas Eve enjoined to the New Years’. This means you can stay here and enjoy their amazing Christmas Eve open buffet and Christmas brunch with live music throughout the festivities.
Swissotel the Bosphorus
Made up of three restaurants, this luxurious hotel offers different mouthwatering menus originally designed by the famous chef Ali Ronay for Christmas and New Year.
This signature restaurant (Sabrosa), offers a Christmas Eve buffet and Christmas brunch, accompanied by live performances from the Avantgarde Orchestra.
The second restaurant (Chalet) will offer a variety of meals from their special menu. You get to enjoy an incredible Swiss atmosphere and a historical and cozy Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Their third restaurant (Gabbro) is popular for its Christmas Eve dinner that features top-notch seafood platters and roasted turkey. Expect the feast to be accompanied by Royals Orchestra’s performance.
Raffles Istanbul
This restaurant is known for the different kinds of holiday specials it offers. They offer a six-course menu at Rocca Restaurant accompanied by saxophone performance from (Hülya Uysal’s),
There will be an after-party with music from a popular DJ on the deck.
For visitors with kids are well taken care of here. Raffles has considered your child and they have put in place plenty of special activities including playgrounds, a dinner buffet, and a cinema room designed for children.
Website | Facebook | Reservations: 0212 924 02 00
Ritz-Carlton Istanbul
On Christmas Eve this posh restaurant serves dinner at 325 TL for the whole prestigious meal. This is an offer to enjoy as during New Year’s Eve their prices go extremely high- a meal here during that time can cost you up to 975 TL.
Their chefs, Selami Güleryüz and Alper Kızılbayır ensure that you get value for your money with their moth watering indigenous and exotic meals including Sushi.
Festive Season | Website
InterContinental Istanbul
The holiday menu at the InterContinental Istanbul includes cannelloni, lamb loin, bergamot sabayon, lemon and basil granita, and petit four.
For those intending to have a special holiday in Istanbul, from as early as Christmas Eve to New Year’sDay, this hotel/ restaurant seeks to deliver that.
The place has a panoramic view of the city meaning you can enjoy the view in the day and at night you can view the amazing lit city of Istanbul as you dance to music.
Divan Istanbul
These luxurious restaurants offer holiday menus at 200 TL per person and 275 TL with matched beverages and wines. They accompany their meals with a live DJ performance.
Their New Year’s dinner at Divan Beyoglu Brasserie will be accompanied by live jazz music, at only 250 TL per person and 325 TL with matched beverages and wines.