Ritz

I have written previously about the background to The Ritz, its executive chef John Williams and its head chef Deepak Mallya. This is the last meal that I will be able to eat in the grand 1906 dining room for some time, as the Ritz hotel is undergoing a multi-year refurbishment and expansion. As part of this the dining room will soon temporarily move to a new room nearby, the current room will have a light spruce up, and the restaurant will move back to its original site later in the process. The full seven course tasting menu here is £215, but there are a host of menu options, including a la carte.

The meal today started with a trio of classic canapes that have been on the menu for quite some time. Ragstone cheese mousse with wood-roasted pepper and basil was roasted on a sable base. The mousse was smooth in texture and the base of the canapé was very delicate. Coronation chicken is wrapped in a sugar tuile cylinder. To make this, chicken is mixed with curry powder and salt, steamed and then chilled. This is then combined with spices, coconut cream, mayonnaise, coriander, raisins and mango chutney. The mix is wrapped in a sugar tuile seasoned with coconut, curry and espelette pepper, the ends then being dipped in toasted breadcrumbs. The result is a lovely blend of flavours, with the delicate tuile melting on the tongue. The final regular canape was duck liver parfait with sour cherry and gingerbread, the richness of the liver nicely balanced by the sharpness of the sour cherry. Two further canapes followed. Barquette of beef tartare was flavoured with a Savora mustard emulsion, nasturtium and topped with a crisp shallot crumb cooked in foaming butter. This was lovely with the contrast of textures, and the seasoning was spot on. Tartlet of white crab meat was mixed with brown crab that had been passed through a sieve. This was mixed with crème fraiche, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. A chopped jelly was made from granny smith apple juice, fennel juice, grape juice and minus 8 Verjus. This was pretty to look at and had excellent flavour (18/20 canapes).

Next was a dish of scallops and tomatoes. Fresh Orkney scallops were seasoned with salt, espelette pepper, spice of angels and Menton lemon, these are served with Datterini tomatoes that have been blanched, peeled, lightly seasoned, and semi-dried to intensify flavour before being plated with olive oil and Maldon salt. Basil is transformed into a vibrant oil and emulsion and accompanied by an intense Menton lemon gel. A clear tomato consommé is created through slow infusion and filtration. On the side was a crisp "bread pillow" that was baked and filled with rich tomato fondue, then finished with basil emulsion. The dish is completed with fresh herbs and seasonal edible flowers for aroma, colour, and balance. This was a pretty and very enjoyable, light dish (17/20).

Next was a signature dish of the kitchen. Butter poached langoustine sourced from the coast of Scotland was served on a bed of cauliflower puree, baby Cornish vegetables and bronze fennel from a grower in Merseyside. The langoustines were large, tender and had excellent natural sweetness, this being nicely balanced by the vegetables. This is a timeless and lovely dish (19/20).

Cornish turbot "Dieppoise" was taken from a quite large 7kg fish, seasoned with curry salt and then caramelised until golden brown and cooked gently in salted butter until the beurre noisette stage, and infused with rosemary, lemon and bay leaf. This was accompanied by Portwood asparagus, broad beans, confit razor clams, Cornish mussels stuffed with a turbot and lobster mousse, herb emulsion and a Diepoisse sauce made from lobster shells, mussels and clams infused with ginger, cardamom and lemongrass. The fish was cooked on the bone and the fillet carved at the table. This was not just for show, as almost all fish taste better when cooked on the bone (18/20).

A simple and elegant new season lamb rack from Dorset was aged on the carcass for 10-12 days before being pan-roasted and finished in the oven for a tender, rich flavour. Served alongside was a smooth courgette purée blended with basil oil, garlic oil and Parmesan for a fresh, savoury finish. A delicate stuffed courgette flower was filled with confit courgette, potato cooked in aromatic lamb fat, lamb tongue and roasted sweetbread, balanced with herbs, olives and espelette pepper. There was also a red pepper condiment with basil, coriander and black garlic, adding sweetness and depth, while baba ghanoush and black garlic purée brought some smoky richness. The dish was completed with a deeply flavoured lamb sauce infused with rosemary, thyme, basil and black olives, finished tableside with fresh basil, San Marzano tomato and kalamata olive. Served alongside was a crisp lamb bun filled with braised lamb shoulder and tongue, this having lovely depth of flavour (easily 17/20).

Pre dessert was a smooth set vanilla cream of mascarpone and sour cream topped with compressed Granny Smith apple infused with apple juice and mint. A crisp mint sugar tuille added texture, finished with a curl of Bramley apple and mint sorbet, and a garnish of paztizz top cress, adding a delicate anise note. This was a refreshing pre-dessert (17/20).

The final dessert was based on wild strawberries. A crisp vanilla sable formed the base for vanilla yoghurt parfait, topped with a caramelised layer of puff pastry and encircled with piped vanilla Chantilly. At its centre was a wild strawberry compote infused with pink peppercorn, finished with a second layer of puff pastry and crowned with wild strawberries from Spain. Delicate star-shaped tuiles, astina cress and white alyssum flowers added an elegant finish. Served alongside, strawberry sorbet rested on vanilla sable, while at the table a strawberry and pink peppercorn sauce was poured into the ring to complete the dish (17/20). Petit fours were dark chocolate and hazelnut praline, salted caramel, vanilla macaroon and pate de fruit. I drank a tea infusion, as the Ritz inexplicably serve a disappointing industrial coffee from an Italian supplier.

The service was exemplary as always, and the bill came to £408 per person including wine and service. Obviously you could eat for much less if you had a short menu and ordered carefully from the wine list. The Ritz remains at the pinnacle of London fine dining.

Further reviews: 06th Apr 2026 | 02nd Mar 2026 | 26th Sep 2025 | 11th Jul 2025 | 26th May 2025 | 04th Mar 2025 | 28th Jan 2025 | 15th Oct 2024 | 28th Mar 2024 | 02nd Feb 2024 | 11th Dec 2023 | 01st Nov 2023 | 24th Sep 2023 | 26th Jun 2023 | 10th May 2023 | 08th Mar 2023 | 09th Dec 2022 | 04th Nov 2022 | 30th Sep 2022 | 20th Jul 2022 | 24th Jun 2022 | 15th Apr 2022 | 08th Feb 2022 | 14th Dec 2021 | 06th Dec 2021 | 22nd Oct 2021 | 14th Oct 2021 | 25th Jun 2021 | 25th May 2021 | 15th Oct 2020 | 28th Aug 2020 | 31st Jul 2020 | 29th Feb 2020 | 19th Nov 2019 | 25th Oct 2019 | 30th Sep 2019 | 30th Aug 2019 | 16th Jul 2019 | 18th Apr 2019 | 12th Mar 2019 | 26th Sep 2018 | 01st Aug 2018 | 04th May 2018 | 20th Apr 2018 | 13th Feb 2018 | 11th Dec 2017 | 02nd Feb 2017 | 15th Jun 2016 | 27th Jan 2016 | 26th Aug 2015 | 28th Feb 2015 | 21st Dec 2013 | 24th Aug 2013 | 30th Apr 2013 | 29th Dec 2011 | 01st Feb 2011 | 01st Dec 2010