Falaknuma Palace images still dance in my mind from the time I took my team out for a luxury six-course lunch in Hyderabad, India, one of my favorite ways to turn a work trip into a bleisure extension.
You can visit Falaknuma Palace Restaurant for dinner or high tea, but we found the Taj Falaknuma Palace lunch service to be amazing and a bit more affordable.
What better way to take a midday break than a gourmet menu and a walk around the historic grounds of this top Hyderabad points of interest taking plenty of photos along the way.
From the Gatehouse to Falaknuma Palace
Our cab pulled onto the grounds after the one-hour ride from HITEC City. We were delighted to see this horse-drawn carriage roll past. Alas, it wasn’t for us and I was told later that it costs 12,000 rupees (>$200) to take this mode of transportation from the gatehouse to the palace.
If we weren’t convinced before, we were now: Falaknuma Palace is most definitely a luxury hotel, make that Luxury with a capital “L.”
We piled into the free golf cart that drove us to the entrance. It had the added benefit of moving fast enough to generate a cooling breeze to break the oppressive heat (>100 °F).
We were impressed by the sun-bleached exterior of the palace as we rolled past.
The golf cart dropped us off and we looked back at a side building done in the Mughal style.
The European Side of Hyderabad Taj Falaknuma Palace
The rest of Falaknuma Palace felt quite European in architecture … from these silver lampposts …
… to the columned facade.
A number of antique cannons pointed outward from the terrace toward the city below.
Classic European-style sculptures anchored the edges of the terrace.
Admire Views of Hyderabad from Falaknuma Palace
We looked down from the hill and could see the center of Hyderabad, including Charminar, in the smoggy distance.
The beautiful greens of the trees and grass popped against the heat-induced smog.
The Front Porch of Falaknuma Palace
We walked onto the front porch, which was cooled by the marble floors. Giant columns of dark wood stood sentinel.
A series of intricate double doors stood out against a geometric-patterned tiled floor.
We turned back to take one last look at the terrace before ducking inside.
The Museum at Falaknuma Palace
Falaknuma Palace is one of those hotels just dripping with history.
There was a small museum inside the palace decked out in historical furnishings and featuring large dramatic painted portraits of the Nizams (historic Muslim rulers of Hyderabad) who called Falaknuma home. Photos weren’t allowed inside.
Iconic Falaknuma Palace Images in the Courtyard
We soon emerged onto an interior courtyard and took a walk around since we were early for our lunch reservation.
An impressive cobbled path lined the interior.
Beautiful trees with orange flowers added some vibrant color to the scene.
We emerged onto a Victorian-styled terrace near the Falaknuma Palace restaurant.
An antique stained-glass dome topped the structure.
We could see the chaos of Hyderabad sprawled out below.
I even caught a glimpse of some children playing a pick-up game of cricket.
Small fountains provided a welcome playground for the resident pigeons.
Falaknuma Palace Hotel
The Falaknuma Palace is now run as a hotel (part of the Taj chain). The rooms ran alongside the interior courtyard with rattan furniture offering a shaded place for guests to sit outside. Rumor has it that rooms here cost upwards of $500 per night!
The Secret Gardens of Falaknuma Palace
We caught a glimpse of another terrace off to the side of the central courtyard and made our way to it.
We emerged onto a lush garden shaded with palms.
We spotted an antique bathtub that was now home to lily pads and other greenery.
The palms themselves were heavily laden with dates.
The garden continued along the outside of the Palace.
We stopped for a few minutes to rest in the heat on this shaded wrought-iron bench.
The tangle of leaves above offered welcome cover from the sun.
A Six-Course Lunch at Falaknuma Palace
Finally, it was time for our lunch reservation and we were ushered into the dining room. I had a small backpack with me which the host immediately took and put on its own pedestal next to the table.
The dining room was tastefully decorated with small chandeliers and high ceilings.
We were the first to arrive for lunch that day and business seemed a bit slow (another couple arrived just as we were finishing up).
The food itself was amazing. The meal started with poppadoms and a variety of chutneys.
Mangoes were in season during our visit, so, of course, I had to try a mango cocktail.
We each had our own colorful fruity drink to kick off the meal.
The first course was a pan-fried corn cake.
Next up was a trio of vegetarian appetizers including chargrilled baby corn, paneer, and another pan-fried cake.
The waiters delivered an egg-shaped dish to our plates …
Inside we found an exquisite tamarind sorbet to cleanse our palates.
The main courses were served in shiny brass pots alongside a heaping basket of naan.
I opted for the vegetarian choices (part of my strategy when in India to avoid food poisoning due to a sensitive Western stomach). I tried a dollop each of a delicious vegetarian curry, paneer makhani, black lentils, and a creamy spinach dish.
A refreshing cold towel arrived on a pearlescent platter.
Dessert consisted of five mini-dishes, including a creamy yogurt, spiced apples, apricots stuffed with a sweet cheese, and a beetroot pudding.
I managed to devour all of the desserts except for a smidge of the beetroot. It was just too unusual a flavor for dessert.
A Post-Lunch Stroll of the Grounds at Falaknuma Palace
After a very filling and satisfying lunch, we retraced our steps through the courtyard.
We took one last look out across the city drawing a sightline over one of the cannons.
The golf cart bumped its way down the cobbled driveway back to the entrance gate of the property.
Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad is definitely worth a splurge if you find yourself in India.
