The Ritz Restaurant — Restaurant in London

The Ritz Restaurant

If you were to ask me what was my most memorable dining experience ever then I would have to say that our lunch at The Ritz on saturday would be the one. This was an incredible afternoon from the moment we arrived to the moment we left. In fact this was the hospitality industry at its finest.

We arrived at the hotel to be greeted by the doormen who were not only very friendly but pointed us the way to the restaurant via the facilities so we could freshen up first. The staff inside were equally as friendly making the afternoon get of to a fantastic beginning.

Now it was time to dine. This started with a friendly welcome at reception before being escorted through the splendour of the dining room to our table in the corner. This gave us a stunning view of the entire restaurant. Once settled we were greeted by head waiter Kevin and Amy who looked after us superbly all afternoon along with Alessandro and the rest of the team.

As we enjoyed a glass of Charles Heidsieck we were given the history of our table that had included many a famous person sitting at our table including Baroness Margaret Thatcher.

Now it was time for the surprise Epicurean Tasting Menu to begin. This started with an amazing selection of snacks that included Smoked Sea Trout, Menton Lemon, Horseradish and Dill as well as the Tartare of Beef, Savora Mustard and Imperial Caviar. These were enjoyed with the Bread made with Guinness and butter.

Before moving to the first course we discussed with the sommelier about the wine to compliment the the menu and we opted for the 2019 Cerreto Barbera d’Alba that was soft , light and fruity.

Now to our first course which was a light and refreshing tomato delight. The Datterini Tomato with Basil and Parmesan was simply the perfect way to cleanse the palate after the snacks and bread. This was followed an incredible Ballotine of Duck Liver with Damson and Pistachio. Next to arrive was the stunning signature dish of Langoustine , A La Nage and Bronze Fennel that was simply sublime.

Our next course was a pasta sensation of Agnolotti , Parmesan and Truffle. Now it was time for the theatre of the main course. This was the Chestnut Fed Pigeon A la Presse. This was prepared by the team on three separate tables in front of us and the result was exquisite. The pigeon was accompanied by white asparagus and a sauce that was to die for.

Before moving on to dessert we decided to share a cheese course from the amazing selection of French and British Cheese described with great detail by Amy. The pre dessert of Grapefruit , Lemon Pepper and Yoghurt that followed cleansed our palate with delight. This led to chocolate heaven with the Ritz signature Chocolate , Hazelnut and Fudge that left you in dreamland.

It was now time to finish with mint tea and petit fours and if you thought the theatre had ended then no because before our eyes came the mint trolley. This was a selection of flavoured mint to which my wife chose the grapefruit and I the apple. All prepared beautifully by Alessandro.

This brought to an end a truly memorable afternoon where the hospitality of The Ritz Restaurant will make our experience one to remember for a very long time. I would absolutely recommend a visit as this restaurant is very special. The food created by Chef John Williams and his team was exceptional , the service from Kevin , Amy , Alessandro and the team was first class and to be seated in this sensational dining room is an honour.

What was also nice to see is that everyone is dressed up. The men in jackets and ties and the women in dresses. This is one thing that I feel is missing and a shame when you visit other Michelin Star restaurants especially when visiting a Michelin restaurant is supposed to be a special occasion.

I would now like to Thank John Williams and every single member of his team for an amazing afternoon and look forward to be...

Complete rip-off!!! I was left hungry after their so-called 7-course tasting menu. Miniature dishes but not sophisticated. After the main course, I told the server that I had found the dishes too small to form a decent meal. He responded that no guest had ever complaint about the portion size before (I still don't believe him) and people who opted the tasting menu did not have a big appetite. He was so rude with a smile.

I have been to over 30 Michelin-starred restaurants in London in the last 6 months (I should have covered most of them in Google review recently, too); so to be fair on comparison, talking about £220 (range) tasting menu in London in 2025, the Ritz is the WORST. And even worse than many 1-star or no-star restaurants offering better tasting menu at more competitive prices.

The first restaurant staff refused to take negative comments initially, I thought I might just keep quiet afterwards. But annoying enough, another server asked the same question. Then I had to repeat my comment on the portion size. Perhaps then they realised they might need to address my comments.

Commonly found ingredients for an over-£200 tasting menu price in London in 2025? You would easily expect good portion of fresh seafood, raw and cooked, and red meat of multiple (rare) cuts, demonstrating a wide range of culinary skills using seasonal produce. But in Ritz tasting menu, there was NO langoutine, NO lobster, NO prawn, NO fish, whatsoever. The red meat course served pigeon, which according to the server, they served me 2 pieces already and normally only one piece of pigeon breast would be served. Oh my goodness. Still, that was tiny tiny tiny.

In fact, their online sample menu had lobster but lobster wasn't offered this evening. They even printed the menu for me after payment mentioning lobster in the menu. I asked them to rectify the menu to reflect what they actually had served and they surely did. Simply unprofessional.

Since I said I was still hungry after the main, another server brought me the a la carte menu to the table asking if I would like to order something more from their main course menu. I said no, thinking why I would order a main course after the tasting menu failed to satisfy tastebuds and stomach. He suggested the cheese trolley, more warm bread, crepe, but I did not see I needed to order from this restaurant again or even they offered it free. My original reply was when I was still hungry at that point after all savoury courses, I was actually craving for good protein and I shouldn't eat a lot of sugar and dessert to fill up instead. As much as I enjoyed fine dining experiences, I was conscious about having a healthy diet at the same time.

To be fair, dessert wasn't good either. Presentation was more like Lego putting ingredients together, not an integrated dish, and the sticky texture didn't go well with cold ice cream. I had two bites and gave up.

Oh, talking about carbs, now I recalled, the server also stressed at one point that they were not the type of restaurant that cooked rice. I did not mention about rice at all or mean high carbs in the menu and I had no idea why he thought rice was the only food that would make up the insufficient menu. I did suspect he was making assumptions about Asian customers and I had to clarify to him again that I was referring to the portion size of the dishes and rather I'd expect good protein, not sugars or carbs.

I haven't given 0-star for a Google review to any London fine-dining restaurants before as I always see something good and interesting even the concept hasn't evolved into fine execution (or I don't even bother giving a review). Very likely the Ritz is the only one that I can brutally conclude 0-star. I wonder where the positive experiences are though, and it leaves me thinking if they are genuine paying customers contributing to Google...

I could barely contain my excitement as my boyfriend and I walked through the elegant entrance hall of the Ritz in London. It may seem silly to some, but it’s not everyday that one gets to take afternoon tea at the Ritz, an institution synonymous with aristocratic elegance and the glory of a bygone era. Being a hardcore tea drinker (although I have always been perplexed by coffee aficionados), I love afternoon tea: an affair which the Ritz is famous for taking to decadent heights. As we walked down the gilded hall, the soft lull of music guided us to Palm Court, the Ritz’s stately and bejeweled tea room.

Once seated, I looked around the room. Despite the price (about sixty-six dollars per person), the twelve week advance reservation requirement, and it being a Wednesday, the room was packed with elegantly dressed individuals. Neither jeans nor sneakers were to be seen in this crowd of cocktail-dress wearing and coat and tie bearing customers—the Ritz has a very strict dress policy. I savored the old-world charm of the room: the gilded ceiling, the crystal chandeliers, the waiters in tails, and the ever present tinkle of china and conversation. The place exuded charm, refinement and over all luxury. I was definitely ready to start.

Within moments our waiter appeared with menus and a three-tiered silver cake stand, which was quickly covered with dainty, no-crust sandwiches on the bottom, freshly baked scones with preserves and clotted cream in the middle and topped with delicate little pastries. Our teas were prepared in silver teapots and served in fine bone China designed exclusively for the Ritz. Feeling very posh, we started eating, as we thought logical, from the pastries down.

It was only half-way through devouring our pastries that I noticed that we were the only ones consuming our sweets—everyone else was nibbling away at their sandwiches. Feeling very plebian for neglecting some rule of afternoon tea, which I later tried to Google, but never found, I too started nibbling on these crustless bites. Waiters, rushing about the room, refilled trays with more sandwiches, scones and sweets than I thought humanly possible for any individual to consume.

After eating and drinking tea until we were about to burst, we finally had to beg our waiter to stop placing more food in front of us. Two hours in Palm Court left me satiated both physically and spiritually. I had drunk in enough of the beautiful décor, the melodic piano music, the superior service and the wonderful sensation of feeling swank and special. The Ritz is definitely more than tea, it’s an experience.

If, unfortunately, time, distance and price make afternoon tea at the Ritz in London impossible, do not despair, there are options in Philadelphia for even the snobbiest tea drinker. The Four Season on Logan Square offers tea every afternoon from 3 to 4:30 in its Swann Lounge. Additionally, the Rittenhouse Hotel’s Mary Cassatt Tea Room and Garden also offers an English style tea daily from 2-5pm. However, for a different type of tea experience, try Ray’s Cafe and Tea House in China town, where you can enjoy their bubble tea or their famous coffee (if that’s how you roll), while nibbling on Taiwanese...