The Ritz Restaurant was located in the Ritz Hotel which dates to 1906 and was built to be the most luxurious hotel in the land.  No expense was spared on its opulent interiors and furnishings and royalty and celebrities have dined there.  You can read more about their history if you want, it’s star-studded.  The elegant dining room was under Executive Chef John Williams who loves to highlight seasonal British ingredients. The floor-to-ceiling windows shine light on the marble columns and widely spaced, floor-draped large tables while the formally dressed staff meticulously attend to the diners.  At lunch they offer a 3, 5 or 7 course tasting with wine pairing available and you specify your preference when you make the reservation.   We opted for the longest and were happy with our choice but know that it will take 3.5 – 4 hours.  Also beware that they have a rigid dress code that is enforced.  We had read the fine print, so knew about the rules but this place really takes it seriously.  The doorman at the front didn’t even want to let some people in due to their attire.  They do not allow jeans or tennis shoes and require ties and jackets for men.  It’s the sort of requirement I’ve seen from other places and then you get there and you see plenty of jeans and sneakers.  This place takes formality to heart so know that before you go and you won’t get hassled.  We had a lovely afternoon and the staff were all super friendly; it didn’t feel stuffy or pretentious.  Most importantly the food was fabulous and beautiful.  They do have a one Michelin star rating. (Note – they were awarded two Michelin Stars in the 2025 guide)

Set-Up

 

Food

We couldn’t resist their champagne cart and started with a glass of Piper-Heidsieck Brut to go with the starters and then move to white wine with the meal.  Amuse bouche were Parmesan mousse with basil and Foie gras square.  Both were on some kind of cracker and positively delicious.

 

Tartare of beef was topped with Imperial caviar in a delicate pastry shell.   The delicious soft beef was matched with delicious poppy caviar in the crisp shell.  Divine.

 

Croustade of crab with Menton lemon was topped with white radish slices.  The tiny strips of radish and shell were a perfect crunch to go with the dressed crab.  The flavor was expelled into your mouth with the one-biter.

 

A loaf of sourdough bread was served with a dish of Brittany butter.  The thin crisp crust of the bread matched nicely with the light doughy inside. It tasted great and was a beautiful little loaf with a circular pattern on top.

 

Isle of Mull scallop was served with avocado and citrus.  The Scottish scallop had been marinated in citrus liquid and then dressed with a citrus sauce alongside dots of avocado.  The citrus was perfect with the scallop slices.  Very good here.

 

Ballotine of duck liver was plated with Damson plum gel alongside a pistachio tart and a browned slice of brioche.  The duck liver was great and well-matched with the tart plum gel.  The brioche had a fun presentation but I think I preferred to eat the ballotine and gel together without the dilution of the bread.  It was that good.  There was a small tasty salad bit on the side.  To clear your palate after was a tartlet of pistachio topped with Greek yogurt and edible gold.  The crisp buttery tart shell was divine with the moist cake inside and the sweet yogurt.  It was a second round of yummy.

 

Langoustine was a la Nage (in the swim) with bronze fennel.  In this dish, the swim was a butter sauce with cauliflower purée mixed with seasonal coastal vegetables from Cornwall.  The butter sauce was made with the shells of the langoustines and was obscenely rich and flavorful.  Inside were 2 perfectly cooked langoustines and small dice of vegetables and herbs.  The langoustines are at their best now with the cold weather and this was a positively delicious preparation.

 

Egg custard was made with parmesan mousse topped with French black Perigold truffles and surrounded by veal stock made with Madiera.   On the side was a cheese gougere stuffed with truffle cream.  Here the truffle flavor really came through and was delightful.  The custard was smooth and rich and nicely enhanced by the savory veal stock and truffle slices.  This was another divine combination of items filled with flavor.

 

Anjou pigeon a la Presse was a show in itself.  They presented the roasted bird and cut the breasts out tableside.  Then the remaining carcus was put into the press to extract a bit of jus to add to the sauce made tableside to adorn the meat.  Alongside were amazing fried potatoes.  Crisp delicate blown-up pieces of potato – so very good.  The pigeon was rare and delicious and the sauce simply intensified the flavor.  Another divine group of offerings.

 

Preserved elderberries were a palate transition.  They were mixed with yogurt and lemon zest with a bit of ice cream under the foam.  The berries had a lot of seeds and that would have been my only complaint the whole afternoon.  It was good flavor here with nice temperature variations too.

 

Menton lemon from France was with yoghurt and honey for dessert.  Made with meringue, sorbet, yogurt, honey and gold tuile topper.  This was accompanied by warm lemon Madeleines – tender cakes with a slight crisp on the edge and tender cake inside.  The custard and sorbet part was another work of art that you hated to eat.  Light, lemony with tons of textures and a good amount of sweetness spelled perfection.

 

Last treats were pink grapefruit gel with peppercorn with a very strong lovely grapefruit flavor; macarons with white chocolate ganache which were very sweet, and hazelnut chocolate pralines that were addictively good.  Oh my-

 

While they had an elaborate tea cart we finished with a coffee.