Grand Pera Mediterranean Kitchen & Lounge — Restaurant in Hastings

A Trip to Turkey Without Leaving Your Seat!

Visited Grand Pera Mediterranean Kitchen and Lounge today with the family, and let me tell you – if I had a lira for every time someone said “wow” at our table, I’d be booking a return trip to Istanbul by now!

Location? Absolutely stunning – perched right by the sea with a breeze that makes you feel like you’re on the Bosphorus. The view alone is worth the visit – you almost expect a boat to pull up offering baklava.

Now the food… oh, the food. From the first bite of warm, fluffy bread and creamy hummus to the juicy kebabs that arrived like edible trophies, everything was seasoned with love (and probably a secret Turkish grandma’s recipe). The lamb melted in our mouths, the meze platter was a colour festival, and don’t get me started on the baklava – I briefly considered proposing to the chef.

The staff? Warm, attentive, and genuinely lovely – the kind of people who make you feel like you’ve been coming there for years, even if it’s your first time. Service was smooth, friendly, and fast without being rushed – a rare balance.

In short: this isn’t just dinner, it’s a delicious journey through Turkey on a magic (flavour) carpet. We came hungry and left full, happy, and mildly addicted to Turkish tea.

Already planning our next visit – because once you’ve tasted Grand Pera, takeaway just won’t...

Started well, tasty complementary mezze with our drinks was very tasty, but we weren’t asked about allergies so my partner (lactose intolerant) couldn’t eat 3 of 4 dishes. Drinks pricey and nothing exciting. Waitress mentioned they’re changing over menus, we ordered a mixed platter which was missing whitebait and onion rings (replaced by filo parcels with feta that my partner couldn’t eat) and hash browns. No comment, no explanation. When we pointed it out, we were told ‘oh well’ by the owner (?) with no apology or explanation. He then brought undercooked prawns despite having not asked whether we could eat shellfish. Seemed to expect us to just eat what we were given, so we left. We were the only people in there at 8pm on a weekday so absolutely no atmosphere to speak of. Shame as the bit of food we...

We found this place by accident, just wandering around the town.

Food: Vegetarian Pizza, Ali Nazik Lamb. Pint of Birra Moretti, Pineapple Martini. All excellent. The menu has plenty of choice (even for vegetarians).

After ordering, we received a 'compliments of the chef' array of sides with a bowl of bread. These were delicious and filled me up so much that I couldn't finish my Pizza afterwards. (Obviously this was a great touch - But I assume that it's only done when less busy).

Service: Exceptional - Quick and friendly. (It was a quiet, mid-week, lunchtime).

Atmosphere: A quiet time of day, but the decor is nice and the restaurant spotless.

Overall: I got the impression that the whole team were trying really hard to impress. Hoping that customers return (and tell all...