Perfectly curated for the foodie-obsessed and exclusivity-seeker, the Baklava Butler service is available for in-house guests only in the Lobby Lounge and at the IST TOO restaurant.

With the long weekends and holiday season around the corner, people are making plans to travel and unwind. Guests traveling to Istanbul can look forward to a sweet and signature experience with the world’s first Baklava Butler at Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul.

Perfectly curated for the foodie-obsessed and exclusivity-seeker, the Baklava Butler service is available for in-house guests only in the Lobby Lounge and at the IST TOO restaurant. Dressed in a traditional and stylish Turkish outfit, the Baklava Butler presents the historic sweet dish dating back to the Ottoman Empire. A veritable treat for the palate, eyes and camera lens, the Baklava Butler offers a one-of-its-kind experience for guests’ travel memories, culinary bucket list and Instagram feeds.

Upon arrival at the retreat on the Bosphorus Strait, guests receive an ornate key to redeem the exclusive service. When presenting the key to a hotel staffer either in the Lobby Lounge or the IST TOO restaurant, the Baklava Butler will serve a portion of the classic baklava, rich in flavour and filled with Antep pistachio. The tasting is served with Maraş ice-cream,a traditional Turkish ice-cream made of clotted cream, prepared and cut from a vertical skewer. The Maraş Turkish ice-cream can be served either on the side or inside the baklava like a sandwich.

The baklava served at Shangri-La Bosphorus is baked to order from a specialty shop in Gaziantep, known as the birthplace of baklava and Turkey’s Pistachio Capital. Gaziantep baklava bakers use a simple blend of honey, phyllo pastry, butter and crushed pistachio to make Turkey’s famous dessert.

Royal Delicacy from the Ottoman Empire - A trip down the lanes of history

During the Ottoman Empire’s reign in the Middle East, Eastern Mediterranean and Balkans, baklava took on elaborate forms throughout the region with written evidence in Topkapı Palace kitchen notebooks as early as 1473. In its early days, the dish remained so prized it was served to royalty. Now a milestone in culinary history, baklava was officially registered as a Turkish dessert with a patent in 2005.

Making the rich, flavourful dessert is an art and takes years to perfect. Traditional Turkish baklava is made of 40 layers of handmade phyllo dough that is so thin one can read behind each layer when placing it against any text. Filled with chopped nuts, the baklava is sweetened with syrup or honey.

Enhanced Health and Safety Protocols

Shangri-La Bosphorus provides a safe environment for all guests via Shangri-La Cares – the Group’s global safety programme. Comprising a range of enhanced protocols designed to ensure the staff work with peace of mind and guests can confidently enjoy memorable moments. The hotel follows World Health Organization recommendations, or more stringent local directives where appropriate, ensuring its operational protocols are comprehensive. Concrete measures have been adopted at all Shangri-La Group hotels and resorts to combat the risk of contracting infections so that guests can feel safe when visiting its properties.

The protocols include: increased frequency and full attention to the deep cleaning of all high-touch surfaces and areas used by guests throughout the hotels; use of medical-grade sanitizers and disinfectants approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency; increased cleaning frequency of air filters and air-conditioner systems to ensure optimal air quality; and safe dining, meetings and events with extra precautions to respect physical distancing and enhanced food safety norms.