The Ritz is a powerful name, even in China, The Ritz Carlton commands a lot of respect for it's high end luxury hotel offering, definitely considered a mainstay for the affluent and business people. What a lot of people don't know in China, is that the Ritz in London is considered one of the leading hotels of the world. Yes, let that settle in for a minute, a top hotel -in the world-.
The Ritz was opened by Cesar Ritz in 1906 just a few years after the successful opening of the Ritz in Paris. Over the decades it has changed owners from Bracewell-Smith family, The Ellerman Group, and Trafalgar house.
Today, the franco-american building is in perfect suit to it's Piccadilly location, commanding a very strong presence amongst the architecture of nearby buildings. Hotel aside, it is well known for the Palm Court where you'll have the famous "Tea at the Ritz". We know that high society has always enjoyed a casual chat over tea and cakes, and this is one of the reasons King Edward made repeated visits to The Ritz, the cakes according him were scrumptious.
The aforementioned Palm Court is the most recognisable feature of the Ritz, designed in an opulent creamed coloured Louis XVI style, it looks like a function room fit for the royals. Actually, it is frequently visited by the royal family since the Edwardians. Other notable people that have had "Tea at the Ritz" include : Winston Churchill, Noel Edmonds, Judy Garland, The Queen and the Queen Mother.
Formal wear is more than just a recommendation, it is a requirement, no trainers, only smart shoes. I must say, I absolutely love the interior, I felt like I was in the ballroom from a fairy tale story like Snow White or Beauty and the Beast. According to Montgomer-Massingberd, it is suppose to "epitomize the elegantly frivolous comfort of the Edwardian High Life" and yes it does!
The trays of cakes and sandwiches were served with our tea for which we had quite a selection to choose from. Ear grey, chocolate mint rooibos, lemon verbena, the list goes on. This same diversity can be said of the sandwiches which range from mustard and ham brioche's to cheddar cheese and chutney. My personal favourite has to be the chicken and parsley cream on malt bread, but the smoked salmon and lemon butter on sourdough bread was really good too.
Too much savoury food is never a reason not to kick back on the desserts. These are on the top plate and included a macaron, a choclate mousse, lemon tart, and some cheese cake. They are most definitely made in limited amounts on the day and taste nothing like what you might buy from the food hall at Selfridges!
No "Tea at the Ritz" would be complete without the scones. These were the "mains" and were served straight out of the oven. Warm, fluffy and so aromatic I was drooling before laying my eyes on them. What makes an ideal scone isn't just the scone itself though, it's also about the clotted cream and jam. To my surprise, both were homemade and very blotchy, the kind of non commercialised, non machine made style that I have come to love and expect from high end places like the Ritz.
All of that food and I left the place feeling very satisfied but not stuffed. Quality food shouldn't leave you feeling too full, because then the food loses it's appeal. I understand why "Tea at the Ritz" is famous, because aside from the terrific cakes, scones, and well, tea, the service was definitely amongst the best in the world. Regardless of your actual occupation or what social class you belong to, the formal dress code allows all of us to dine like a Royal just for a few hours and what a pleasant experience it turned out to be.
What a privilege to eat there. That name reminds me of Princess Diana. I can not imagine what the cheesecake tastes like!
Yes I'm too glad to have this opportunity, it's difficult getting bookings for the Tea at the Ritz.
I imagine! Regards!
a very good post I like very much
really? I'm really happy francoojy, I will write more similar posts in the future.
I know Rittz as the famous European rapper. It's really good.
Thanks for the helpful info
I didn't know Ritz was a rapper, I don't listen to rap but that's good to know.