When we started planning our engagement party, I knew instantly that food was going to be at the heart of it.
And of course, not just any food, I wanted to honour my heritage with Persian food. I wanted my culture to be part of the celebration, and Galleria Restaurant Catering absolutely delivered on that notion.
Founded in 1995 by Atta and Bahar Bidarbakht, Galleria are famous in London for their rich flavours and warm Persian hospitality. Think: fragrant saffron rice, delicate pastries - their food has become a community staple. What once began as a pastry kitchen and art studio has grown into one of those restaurants that just feels so steeped in tradition, but doesn't lose that sense of style.
It was the perfect fit for our celebration.
We hosted our engagement party in my parents' back garden, so we wanted to strike that balance between laidback and homely, but still sophisticated and elegant.
We worked with their team to design a Persian-inspired finger food menu for the evening, tailored to suit the vibe. It was, of course, totally elegant, but more importantly it was so delicious and so full of the flavours I remember from growing up. Seeing it all come together on the day, presented so beautifully and received so warmly, just added to all the warmth and excitement we were feeling already to start off the celebrations of our love.
There’s something so incredibly special about sharing food from your own culture, and if you come from a culture that's got food at the centre then I would 100% recommend incorporating that into your celebrations if you can. It really just creates this wonderful connection and brings such warmth to an event. The Galleria team understood that instinctively, of course, and it set the tone for the evening so spectacularly.
Many of our guests were trying Persian food for the first time, and it was such a joy watching them go back for seconds (and thirds!). The dishes were so flavourful, and served in a way that felt celebratory without being too formal, which was exactly the vibe we wanted.
Another lovely touch, which complemented the food beautifully, was a Persian tea station set up nearby. Though this wasn’t provided by Galleria, it created a cosy spot for guests to gather and sip traditional teas throughout the night, a little nod to the ever-present tea culture at Iranian events, and a really novel experience for anyone that hadn't witnessed one before.
I think it's such a nice touch to build different aspects into the event that compliment the food, especially if you're opting for a cuisine that's new for some of your guests. It makes it feel like a real experience and really special, and we got so many compliments on how all the aspects came together.
Working with Galleria was such a smooth and collaborative experience. Their attention to detail, warmth and deep understanding of Persian hospitality made all the difference, so if you're looking for a caterer that creates delicious persian food, then I couldn't recommend them more.
You can get in touch with them via their website here.
