Review: Afternoon Tea at The Ritz, London — Her Favourite Food & Travel

Style Points: 5/5
Price: £££
Overall: 5/5

Palm Court, The Ritz Afternoon Tea Review

Image Credit: The Ritz London https://theritzlondon.com/

The Ritz London is one of the most glamorous places to dine in London, and it has also been repeatedly cited as offering one of the best Afternoon Teas in the capital city too.

Although I had walked past The Ritz on many occasion, this was my first time I entered the building. The interiors were exactly as I had imagined they would be, luxurious and ornate.
With Louis XVI-style decor and antique furnishings as well as grand pianos, butlers and Rolls Royces lined up outside, dining at The Ritz certainly as a sense of occasion to it.

Afternoon Tea at The Ritz is served in the Palm Court, a palm tree-lined courtyard with palatial interiors. The Afternoon Tea is served in sittings so make sure to arrive on time for your allocated slot, otherwise the waiters will get started without you.

Also there is a dress code which isn't too strict for women, as we turned up after work in smart/casual outfits with a nice pair of heels, which suited the dress code.

Review: The Ritz Afternoon Tea Champagne

Would I Want Seconds?

The Ritz Afternoon Tea is based on a classic menu and an almost royal selection of teas to choose from. I choose to try the Dragon Pearls which had a fruity but subtle flavours.

We started with the selection of sandwiches, of which there were many on the menu! They included ham with grain mustard mayonnaise on delicious brioche bread; cheddar cheese with chutney on tomato bread; cucumber with cream cheese, dill and chives on granary bread; chicken breast with parsley cream on malt bread and an exquisite egg mayonnaise with chopped shallots and watercress on white bread. My favourite was the delicate Scottish smoked salmon with lemon butter on sourdough bread.

This was an incredibly large selection of sandwiches for a Afternoon Tea and I was impressed with the care and precision put into producing each one of them

Review The Ritz Afternoon Tea Dress Code

Once we had made our way through the sandwiches we moved onto the scones. These included freshly baked raisin and plain scones with Cornish clotted cream and strawberry preserve. These perfectly formed scones were warm and ambrosial.

By this point we were quite full, especially because of the many sandwiches we had consumed However the last course on the menu of pastries and cakes remained and we couldn’t say no to the delightful creations. The assortment of treats included lemon macarons, chocolate mousse and mille-feuille. These were all intricately created and full of flavour.

We thought we had nearly completed our meal when one of the waiters came around with a trolley full of more cakes and asked if we wanted to a slice. For course we couldn’t resist and sampled a slice of chocolate gateaux and orange cheesecake. Finally we were done!

Scones - Review The Ritz Afternoon Tea Menu

Cakes - Review The Ritz Afternoon Tea Menu

Could I Afford Seconds?

The traditional Afternoon Tea at The Ritz costs £52, and with a glass of champagne the Celebration Afternoon Tea is £68. Although this may seem a bit steep it is actually a very reasonable price for the quantity of food that is served. In addition, considering the grandeur of the venue and the sense of occasion that comes with dining at The Ritz, this is a very fair price to pay.

Overall?

I was stunned at just how beautiful the interiors of The Ritz London is and especially so by the opulent Palm Court where the Afternoon Tea is served. I was also very impressed by the quantity of food that was served, which justified the price significantly.

Even with competition with classic venues such as Fortnum and Mason and Claridges, The Ritz Afternoon Tea menu still stands strong. I would highly recommend Afternoon Tea at The Ritz London and it is one of the best Afternoon Tea’s I’ve tried in London so far!