The Ritz
Mayfair, London
This has to be London’s most lavish and enchanting dining room, handsomely proportioned, marbled and chandeliered, with lavish swathes of pink and gold everywhere. It lifts the spirits with golden light, high comfort levels and discreetly spaced tables. The appeal is not hard to fathom. A practiced kitchen (led by John Williams MBE) delivers a succession of classic French dishes – Escoffier-esque cuisine and unashamedly luxurious ingredients – while tailcoated service, glidingly smooth as you would expect, continues to flambé crêpes Suzette and prepare Anjou pigeon à la presse (the carcass of the bird compressed, its juices used to thicken a sauce) under the rapt gaze of diners. Nowhere else in the UK is it possible to find such a well-defined cuisine being practised with such breadth and range. We found the ‘five-course experience’ to be a good introduction, opening with beautifully worked canapés before moving tantalisingly from a John Williams' classic – a rich, deeply flavoured ballotine of duck liver with damson, pistachio and feather-light toasted brioche – to faultlessly roasted and silkily sauced Cornish halibut with verjus and cucumber. In addition, a velvety Parmesan egg custard atop a rich truffle infused sauce, plus a truffle- and Parmesan-filled gougère on the side, proved to be one big, delicious umami hit, while two perfectly pink and tender Suffolk lamb cutlets had fabulous flavour and perfect accompaniments (Roscoff onions, a mini pomme boulangère, a nugget of chicken mousse, a teaspoon of pea purée and a glossy lamb sauce). The kitchen's high standards are maintained right to the end, most notably with a delicate palate-cleanser of mandarin and vanilla cream. It's all reassuringly unfashionable, with a dress code, an accompanying pianist (at our weekend lunch) and dinner dances on Friday and Saturday evenings. As a place for special occasions, we can’t think of a better treat. To say that all this comes at a price is to state the obvious, not helped by a great tome of a wine list with mark-ups that take no prisoners.
Dining Information:
Accommodation, Private dining room, Separate bar, Wheelchair access, Family friendly
150 Piccadilly, Mayfair W1J 9BR
020 7300 2370
