Miss. Delicious #95 : W Hotel, Istanbul & La Petite Maison + Celebrating 2nd Steemit Anniversary Competition!

Dear Steemit Friends:
We have done so much exploring over recent weeks that it was well past the time when we needed to stop, relax and enjoy some good accommodation and good food together. In today's blog we get to chill out together in the beautiful W Istanbul Hotel, of course located in Istanbul, Turkey. Then let's have some lunch and some dinner together, taking some time for relaxation and good food in the hotel and in the city.

As you shall discover, W Istanbul is one of the most unique hotels you will ever see and as a result, I just couldn't stop taking pictures! Every time I went to the lobby or back into my room or to the front of the hotel, I saw new beautiful things I wanted to take note of. To help you, my dear readers, I've tried to put all of my shots of the hotel itself, then the room and then the meals together. But as you will see, many of my snaps today came from different times of the day as I came and went from W Istanbul and discovered new sights to see each time I did!

W Istanbul is part of the W Hotels chain of hotels, first launched in 1998 in New York. There are now 52 different hotels in the chain, aimed at younger travellers who want something a bit different, special and artistic. The W here in Istanbul was the first of the chain to open in Europe - in May 2008. Located in the historic Akaretler Row Houses, an area of Istanbul full of high end homes, restaurants, cafes, art galleries and many more amazing sights. From the outside you could be forgiven for thinking that W Istanbul could be upscale homes in central London with a hint of the Ottoman empire about them. Built in the later 1800s the old row of houses offers a feeling of high-class homeliness to the exterior of the hotel.

The cobbled streets of the 19th century area of Instanbul outside W Hotel

W definitely Love U, W Instanbul Hotel!

But the interior of the hotel... well that is a different story! As soon as you enter the hotel it feels like you are transported into a different reality. This entrance hall truly encompasses everything about W Istanbul's interior. Beautiful lighting, stunning modern design and the real 'wow' factor. With 140 rooms, 3 restaurant and bars and stunning common areas, the hotel is one of the most stylish places I've had the pleasure of staying.

Just look at this entrance hall!

Every single wall and ceiling has been carefully lit, with different shades, designs and beautiful artistic patterns everywhere you look. This was just the concierge desk, complete with hashtag statement lighting and walls covered in geometric metal artwork. Once you'd thought you'd seen it all you'd just see more!

Further into the lobby were these seriously gorgeous seating areas. It was almost impossible to choose a spot to sit to have a coffee while I waited for my room. The area doubled as the hotel's cafe, but the conventional idea of cafe just doesn't apply here! As you can see, every seat, every wall, every piece of ceiling has beautiful moody lighting with the design feeling like a cross between an English garden, an Ottoman style nightclub and an American Jazz hall. With all of those different styles, you'd have thought it would look cluttered and feel a bit messy, but it doesn't! W Istanbul have pulled this one off nicely and I almost forgot to drink my coffee because I kept getting up and wandering around.
kept getting up and wandering around.

A great cup of coffee too!

Even the the bar and cafe area, called W Lounge was full of different funky lights. Greens, blues and pinks, hashtag feature lights everywhere, with modern black marble table tops, the atmosphere was really cool. The design of the lounge is very clever, with many different corners, screens and high backed seats making you feel like you are relaxing alone in your own private seating area. This was very clever because though the hotel can get quite busy, you were always able to find your own private alcove, all in a different style, to find some privacy and time to relax. Some hotels have large open lobbies which feel very hectic when there are a lot of people, but in W Instanbul you feel like you've got your own secret seating spot, away from noise and other people.

Even more examples of the beautiful lighting that is the real winner of this hotel

As you can see I tried out many different hidden seating spots. I felt like a little girl exploring the secrets of a modern mansion and finding my own little hiding places to relax and enjoy. No two areas are quite the same and would you believe that all of these pictures come from the same little lounge area. W Hotel spared no expense on the design of their common areas, making you feel both in awe and comfortably at home, in the same moment!

A few more quick explorations, the bottom right is the small spa area which unfortunately I didn't have time for

You can see the stark contrast between inside and outside the W Istanbul Hotel. Outside and you feel like you could be in a cobbled street somewhere in a boutique area of Paris, and inside you're transported to another world. I loved the contrast and couldn't wait to start exploring what my room had in store for me next! I was ready for more surprises.

Being transported through the neon pink halls to my room!

Each room number was noted in neon lighting set into pillars on the wall!

Where to start with my room. Absolutely gorgeous, artistic design was forefront in making these rooms as special as the rest of the hotel. Being limited by the space of the original building, the room certainly wasn't the largest I had ever been in but what it lacked in size it made up for in design. First, I noticed the huge mirrors on both walls, making the whole space feel much bigger, and of course beautifully framed by more excellent lighting.

Of course the mirror is framed with crazy geometric designed wood and the bed is lit from underneath with gorgeous pink neon lighting.

I did feel very welcome here in W Instanbul, and not just because of the pillow. The staff were excellent and though Turkey is known for its generally friendly service, it isn't always known for efficiency of service. My hotel here had both, with a lovely welcome as well as fast, efficient and attentive service from every member of staff I met. They checked and made the room twice a day to make sure it was completely up to scratch and not wanting for anything.

The bathroom was very spacious with this amazing celebrity style mirror that provided the perfect lighting for any lady doing her make up in the morning. I felt like a super-star with a mirror surrounded by lights.

There were some great examples around the hotel of modern art as well as homages to the Ottoman roots that are prominent around the city. Istanbul is famous for being a real melting pot of cultures, being the 'gateway' to Europe from Africa for centuries. As a result it has been fought over many times and has changed hands frequently. That means that culturally it's one of the most diverse places in the world - a fact that W Istanbul Hotel captures beautifully, showing that Istanbul is proud of its heritage, and excited about its future.

Having lunch in W Secret Garden

W Hotel's newest addition, W Secret Garden is a great place to hang out when the weather is good and you just want to relax. As you can see, it's so secret (and new) that not many people have discovered it yet! But I'm sure that it won't be long before this place is bustling with activity because everything about it was amazing. The food was great, the location just perfect with the beautiful bamboo and plants surrounding it, and the funky bar area for evening drinks!

Look at these crazy massive beanbags!

Got the entire place to myself!

It was very hot so I wanted a fairly light lunch, and I had quite a treat planned for my dinner, so I started with one of W Secret Garden's beautiful smoothies. They offer a range of appetisers, detox smoothies and mocktails with cocktails and other drinks also served, particularly in the evening where this becomes a place to hang out with friends, have some drinks and try some hookah.

Beautifully presented tomato soup with a side of croutons and cheese

Well... you know how I said I wanted a light lunch? Turns out there were too many beautiful looking things on the menu. I also ordered a fresh grilled chicken salad, make your own breakfast burrito with a unique take on hashbrowns...

Oh and the bacon and cheese burger sliders looked too good too...

After feeling well and truly full, I saw another customer who had come out to the garden order some ice cream and I just couldn't resist. It was a very hot day, as you can see, because my ice cream was melting before I'd even had a chance to taste it! But it was exactly what I needed to help me cool down in the heat of the day. I have to say that the food at W Secret Garden was surprisingly good for what is essentially a cafe. The menu was varied and enticing and all o the food extremely tasty and well cooked. For a quick snack, or for a really large meal (whoops), this spot was perfect.

A bit of shopping and then more food at Istinye Park

Istinye Park was first opened in 2007 and offers nearly 300 stores. It is widely regarded as one of the best shopping malls in all of Istanbul and it's easy to see why. It's absolutely massive, beautifully open and airy with all important air conditioning. It also has a Gym, restaurants, a 12 screen cinema and its owners won Shopping Mall developer of the Year in 2008 as well as the mall itself being awarded Europe's Best Shopping Mall the very same year!

The mall itself is 242,000 square metres, which is huge, comprising shops, food, parkign and common areas. It was designed by US architect Tom Kelly and it took 3 years in total to design and build. I distracted myself for the afternoon with a little retail therapy, checking out the many different shops, just resting and relaxing after some busy days of sight-seeing. It was a really lovely way to unwind. But the real reason I had come to Istinye Park was that the world famous restaurant, La Petite Maison, had one of their restaurants right here in Istinye Park. They have six restaurants at the moment in London, Dubai, Istanbul, Miami, Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong so I was really excited to be able to visit!

The design of the restaurant is just perfect. With doors that can completely open the front of the restaurant, and the expressionist art of many different French artists, you feel as though you could be in a fine restaurant in France itself. They've done amazing work at decorating the entire place and the atmosphere was both sophisticated and relaxed at the same time - just what you'd expect from a lovely French restaurant.

The bar for some pre-dinner wine or drinks before being seated

The art work here was truly spectacular, with many different representations of art style from around France. I loved the acrylic 3D style shot of Steve McQueen on his motorbike and the fresh flowers must have cost a fortune to maintain. This level of detail is what makes an internationally recognised restaurant like this so special to visit.

The french love their wine so this restaurant can be no exception

As the sun begun to set, I was finally ready for some dinner after such a big lunch. Feeling like I was going to sit outside in a little down in France, I chose the seating out on the terrace for my dinner. Even though this wasn't really dining al fresco, I liked the idea anyway!

Even the drinks were beautiful and I hadn't even ordered food yet! In the top left I had what the menu called a 'Carnivale de France' which was Vanilla Ice Cream, Banana, Walnuts, Milk and Honey. And yes, it was as rich and creamy as it sounds! It was absolutely beautiful, as you'd expect, but not as refreshing as I needed after all of my retail therapy so I also got a 'Home-made Ice Tea which was made with Berry Punch Tea, Orange Juice and Berries - that was absolutely delicious!

Admiring the setting of the French feeling restaurant, right in the heart of Turkey

Cheers!

I was still pretty full from lunch so I opted for some small dishes and a simple main to make sure I could still stand up out of my seat at the end of the meal! To start I had the Chou-fleur Tabblouleh or 'Cauliflower Tabbouleh' which is a Lebanese salad mostly made with fresh herbs, tomatoes, onions and bulgur wheat. With a very current twist La Petite Maison had swapped out the grains for cauliflower instead. Beautifully seasoned, you could taste the freshness of the herbs used - a real delight.

I also ordered the Ratatouille et Feta, which was beautiful. A mix of Mediterranean Vegetables that had been marinated in olive oil, they were cooked down to the most perfect soft but slightly firm texture, and then topped with small pieces of feta cheese. I felt much healthier for these two choices after the slightly less than healthy food choices at lunch and I was amazed at how tasty such simple dishes could be made to taste.

To finish off my starter I had Aubergine Grillee, Mozzarella et Cravettes au Pistou which in English means Grilled Aubergine, Mozzarella, Shrimps and Pesto. Beautifully cooked this felt like a real delicacy. I could have just eaten a couple of these and gone home happy!

Finally, for the main I had the Saumon Confit Au Deu De Bois, a slow cooked salmon fillet with a sweetcorn relish and confit lemon sauce. A classic combination, the lemon and the salmon went so well together. Every mouthful was truly a delight with the salmon being perfectly cooked. Salmon can become a bit dry and flaky but this dish was a complete triumph. So far from France, the chefs here are still able to turn out beautiful French inspired foods that suit the most sophisticated pallets.

I hope you've enjoyed a relaxing time with me in my blog today. Time to unwind, enjoy my accommodation, and eat a variety of really really good food. Sometimes, you need a break. You can see too much too quickly and your brain just can't process it all. By the end of my trip to Turkey I was beginning to take some of the sights I was seeing for granted because I had already seen similar things around the country. But this can also be due to spending too much time on the road. It was lovely today to just sit in one place, enjoy some good food, relax in a comfy bed, and recharge my batteries.

I hope you've enjoyed this blog as much as I enjoyed writing it. Just looking back on the beautiful meals has made me so hungry again already. I can't wait to take you on some future explorations around the world, tasting different foods from different places. If you've enjoyed my blog today, please comment below and tell me which food you most wished you could have tried! Also, make sure you like the post and follow me for even more blogs about food, travel, life and love in the future. Until next time Steemit Friends!