“Tea at the Ritz”
The Ritz is one of a kind, there’s no other way to describe it.
When you arrive you are greeted by doormen and whisked inside, as you enter, you leave the hustle of the busy London streets and step inside to the height of opulence. Imagine the most ornate decor, mixed with romantic and stylish flower displays and a scattering of the chicest guests, with the hum of conversation mixed in with the sound of the piano.
We were there for the famous ‘Tea At The Ritz’…
Afternoon tea is served in ‘Palm Court‘ which is a cream-coloured Louis XVI setting, in simple terms, it’s a feast for the years and I don’t just mean the cakes.
There is a waiting list for ‘Tea at the Ritz’ and the general recommendation is booking for around 7/7.30pm Saturday evening. However, if you have the luxury of a week day I can imagine that would reduce the 2/3 month waiting list significantly.
The setting is traditional and encourages you to sit side by side, which is ideal for people watching and welcoming the cake trolly. These are both highly important elements of visiting The Ritz for tea, I’m sold on the idea of cake, but I do love admiring a nice pair of shoes.
So, you may wonder ‘How was the food?’ after all, the food was the main event.
My answer is simple, the food was excellent, warm buttery scones, countless sandwiches and the chocolate and hazelnut cake was some of the best cake I’d tasted.
You start with tea, or like all good adventures with something cold and fizzy, but tea for good measure too! Then move onto a selection of sandwiches including: Ham with grain mustard mayonnaise on sliced brioche, cheddar cheese with chutney on tomato bread cucumber with cream cheese.
Warm scones are presented lovingly with clotted cream and jam, alongside a selection of dainty cakes and pastries, it’s a cake lovers dream.
My friend has a gluten and nut allergy and they couldn’t have been more accommodating, bringing us huge plates of sandwiches and loading my us up with our own personal cake selections. Due to the fact, everything on the cake trolley was made with gluten, the staff brought Lorraine a beautiful fruit platter. May I add, this was in addition to the scones, sandwiches and cakes we’d already started enjoying, I assure you that you will not leave The Ritz hungry.
The staff are attentive and personable, encouraging us to take photos, offering seconds and endless tea refills, which in my book is always a good thing.
The only thing I would say is that the poor lighting and the fact I took most of the pictures on my phone, means that these photo’s don’t really give the venue or the food the justice it deserves. There’s only one thing for it, you need to go and try yourself!
Have you ever been to ‘The Ritz’?
Katie
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