Afternoon Tea at The Ritz

We tried afternoon tea at the Ritz and here are our thoughts

Patchy weather, long commutes and lots of crowds – just a few things that make it hard to live in the capital. But London also has its perks, including a unique culinary traditions. And to celebrate this, we’ve come for a restorative Afternoon Tea at The Ritz.

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It’s no secret that afternoon tea has a special place in my heart, and the version at The Ritz is one I’ve been meaning to try for a long time.

So far so good, but…

Yep, there’s a but.

But the popularity of The Ritz means it can be difficult to get a reservation, and if you do manage it then you should expect crowds of tourists. And I mean crowds.

The tables are really packed in, and diners of different parties are often very close to one another. What’s more, the poor wait staff seem stretched to capacity. It can take a fair while to place an order for tea or to get empty plates removed, and the standard of service sometimes falls below expectations.

So although it’s a lovely setting for an afternoon tea, it’s turning out to be less that we expected.

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What’s the food like at The Ritz?

Afternoon tea at The Ritz starts with a silver stand of refillable finger sandwiches and scones, and a plate of patisseries.

The sandwiches are all freshly cut and include cheddar with chutney on onion bread and smoked salmon with lemon butter on rye bread.

Although the sandwiches and scones are of a serviceable quality, the sweet treats stand head and shoulder above, both in terms of quality and intricacy.

My favorite part of afternoon tea at The Ritz has to be a choux bun bursting with cream, followed by a sticky chocolate cake and berry macaron.

To drink, you can choose from a bunch of teas that have their own menu.

And finally, service concludes with a cake trolley wheeled around which carries a delightfully juicy orange loaf and a strawberry cake.

While our afternoon tea at The Ritz has not been entirely flawless, the quality of the patisseries and the general luxuriousness of The Palm Court are lovely, and help to elevate the experience.

Afternoon tea is served at 11.30am, 1.30pm, 3.30pm, 5.30pm and 7.30pm, with a resident pianist or harpist playing. Every Tuesday – Thursday evening from 7.30pm to 8.45pm the music is provided by Soprano Miranda Heldt, and the firm dress code states that men wear a jacket and tie at all sittings.

Overall thoughts of afternoon tea at The Ritz

The afternoon tea at The Ritz has its positive points, but these come hand-in-hand with the negatives. Although our food has been lovely, the desserts especially so, the overall feel of the place is diminished. They’re just serving far too many people in too tight a space. I don’t blame them – The Ritz is an iconic part of London and everyone wants a piece. But I would’ve liked to have felt less like I was on a conveyer belt of people, and a little more special.

Is the food at The Ritz Halal?

The Ritz don’t ordinarily have any halal meat, but if you give them two days’ notice they can source halal chicken, both in the afternoon tea sandwiches and if you were to go for a dinner. They also have halal fish and vegetarian options if you’d like to visit.

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The Details
The Ritz, London
Address – 150 Piccadilly, London W1J 9BR
Website – The Ritz, London
Phone – 020 7493 8181
Nearest Tube – Green Park

Disclaimer – the halal food status note for The Ritz London is true at the time of writing. Please phone or email the restaurant before you make a booking to double check the halal food status and anything around cross contamination.

We dined as guests of The Ritz