The Ritz Restaurant

We were given a pre-theatre dinner for two as a gift. The surroundings were grand, interesting and all you would expect. Alas, the meal was not. Quite frankly it was very so-so and you can probably enjoy more interesting food at your favourite local eaterie. We finished our three-course meal in an hour - certainly we were made to feel that we had to hurry up to make way for people who were not in the "cheap seats". The service was also poor - we were served the wrong things twice. My husband also felt the maitre d spent the whole evening giving us dirty looks. Experience at your peril!
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Sarah K
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 1
Wednesday, September 06, 2006

With the Ritz doing a three-course luncheon offer for £37, I decided to visit for the first time. My companion had had to cancel at short notice so I called ahead to let them know and to specifically ask for a quiet table, of which I was assured. On arrival, I tried to stroll nonchalantly past grandeur and orchids and palms but was astonished out of my facade on catching sight of a room packed with families and their grannies tucking in to tea, complete with tiered cake-plates, at 1230. It was so surreal I did a double-take.

Seated in the dining room I realised, too late, that my table was anything but the promised quiet spot, although even at peak time, the restaurant remained half empty. I was seated next to the waiters’ main station, the nearest table to the kitchen. Crockery rattled, four waiters at a time jabbered to each other and the kitchen door squealed continually. Worse, a principal waiter grumbled and swore in Italian several times behind me. Another principal stormed past me in a fury of angry muttering and one poor soul mooned by the door talking to himself. Two principals called across my table several times to their staff at the station behind. I sat in amazement, horror and embarrassment. Two other parties were not having much joy. One clearly thought the wine was corked, and another sent a main course back to the kitchen. Besides the principal waiters, who were in a league of their own, I thought service was amateur and detached. The Ritz management should take a trip to Orrery, but I suspect the management, at least on the floor, might be part of the problem. There was one quiet and helpful waiter who looked rather put-upon and clearly did not fit in.

I am ashamed to say that my principal of not ordering bottled water abandoned me and I paid £5.50 for the Duchy Original brand. My mullet in parsley sauce arrived, but was as salty as the disastrous pasta at the Marylebone Getti. I began to wish deeply and guiltily that I’d spent my lunch money with the charity collectors outside. Temporarily unable to eat a range of foods from shellfish to unpasteurised cheese this left me with lamb as a main course. It was uninspiring, surrounded by dollops of goo but worst of all did not agree with me. Dessert was crème brulée with raspberry sorbet; not extraordinary fare but good and beautifully presented. By this time though I had lost enthusiasm and appetite and could not summon the will to finish it. I just wanted to leave.

Surely people who love good food and exquisite service do not go to the Ritz. Do they go for the exclusivity, to be among fame and fortune? Take a look at the tea-room at lunchtime and think twice. My fellow diners were mostly businessmen with a dusting of elderly ladies and gents and a few uncomfortable-looking younger people who seemed to wish they were elsewhere. Perhaps people go for the grandeur? The dining room’s style to my taste is a kind of grubby, dated, rather vulgar opulence. The carpet and table floral decorations were just plain awful. But the silver did gleam and I’m sure it all looks better in the evening. Why people eat here remains a mystery to me. I left trying not to think that I could have eaten at Galvin three times for the same price, and resisting the temptation to try to save the helpful waiter.
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Felicity
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 2
Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Amazing atmospher on a saturday night, with the Ritz band playing live.

Service was exceptional, it was like having a personal waiter. The staff are incredibly friendly.

The food was outstanding, perfectly cooked, with strong flavours.

One of the best bits was the desert being cooked at the table!
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Fox - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, May 10, 2006

The Ritz Restaurant is unquestionably one of the world's finest dining rooms and due to the sheer opulence of its surroundings and the renowned levels of service as well as the cuisine itself it has been elevated to world-class heights (being the highest rated restaurant for service in London by the 2006 Michelin Guide). Lunch here a few weeks ago was certainly memorable, with most of our high expectations met. The meal commenced with a seared fillet of red mullet with a squid and tomato vinaigrette, which, for me, was one of the most exciting and unforgettable taste sensations of all the culinary delights of London. Even so, this impressive starter was preceded by a well-cooked ballotine of brill with seasonal vegetbles, which although perfectly saatisfactory was rather uninteresting in textures and flavours and left us slightly disappointed, as you really don't expect this from such a prestigious establishment. In contrast to this, dessert was a rich chocolate torte with praline ice cearm and coffee cream, another stroke of culinary brilliance. Even so, to finish three courses of the size and richness of those presented at The Ritz was a tall order (even for someone who likes their food,like myself, this was a marathon task in many ways). So, in conclusion, The Ritz was an unforgettable experience and truly is a must for anyone in search of the best in fine dining, although if several refinements were made, and a greater sense of consistency was established, I am confident that this restaurant would be on course for more success and the addition of some Michelin stars. There is a very fine line between the good and the sublime, and I believe that The Ritz Restaurant is in need of some inspiration if it hopes to prosper within the contemporary London restaurant scene.
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John Haidar
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Saturday, April 29, 2006

This was an exquisite restaurant. The service was wonderful, kind, curtious, and brought me everthing that I asked for. The food was to die for and was prepared just the way I like it. The atmosphere was beautiful and I felt as if I was in a scene of the movie Hello Dolly at the Hrmonia Gardens. Since i'm from America and was on vacation with my boyrfiend, they really treated us well just like we were special guests. I would definately recomend the Ritz to anyone who wants to dine out.
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Morgan Lee MacCloud
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Ritz in London? Nothing to do with Ritz in Madrid... Same qulity of service but nothing special! London, I expect a diferent setting, diferent colors, diferent... food?

Great but.... room for improvement.
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Alonso-garbayo
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 3
Thursday, March 23, 2006

On a bit of an impulse I went for lunch to the Ritz a little while ago.As a woman on her own I was initially a little nervous but staff were most kind and provided me with some reading material to pass the time between courses.Food and service were wonderful and I enjoyed having a chat with the pianist on my way out.I hope to return soon with my daughter when I am next in London.
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Joan O''Hagan
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Friday, January 27, 2006

We took my mother and father here for afternoon tea on my mothers 80th birthday. It was fantastic! My mother is disabled and everyone was so kind and helpful without making a fuss.The pianist even played Happy Birthday for her, which she loved. I would certainly treat someone to this wonderful English tradition again.
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Paula Hibberd
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, January 24, 2006

A strange one. Sometimes you'll have food here that just gets up off the plate and SINGS. 'Come back the very next day and eat bland, insipid cooking. I've noticed that at lunch the food tends to be considerably worse...leading me to beieve that the "A" team may only work at night.

As this is without a DOUBT the most gorgeous room in London, it is a tragedy that they don't strive for greater consistency...because when they are on...the food is sensational....which when combined with the room and general atmosphere can lead to one of London's finest nights out.

Come on you lot..shape up!!!!
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eating out
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 7
Saturday, January 14, 2006

Think of the Ritz as a tourist attraction cum theme park rather than as a serious restuarant and you'll have the right idea.

There's nothing particularly wrong with the food or service, it's all quite competently done, if rather expensive.

However, my over-riding impressions of a dinner there are of being deafened by the ghastly cruise-liner type band pounding away in the enormous dining room - ruling out all conversation with the others on my table; the show horror of the elderly, fussy waiters which greeted the removal of my jacket in the over-heated restaurant.

All in all, I came away reflecting on what felt like a rather grotesque experience, and not one I would want to repeat.
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city luncher
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 2
Sunday, January 08, 2006