Afternoon Tea at The Ritz, London

Afternoon Tea at The Ritz has become something of an institution be it the inarguable epitome of daytime indulgence. With an illustrious reputation for fine dining, a 'sitting' at the hotel's prestigious Palm Court ensures a positively first rate experience which although also warrants a rather sizeable price tag, is perfect for a special occasion...

Date and Time: Wednesday 11^th July 2012, 11:30

Name of Establishment: The Ritz*

Location: 150 Piccadilly, London

Reason for Visit: An extra-special birthday treat for an extra-special auntie

Upon ascending from the hustle and bustle of Green Park tube station, it becomes instantly clear that The Ritz really does equals glitz; its name, brandished in lights above the window displays of fine jewellery, accentuating its presence amidst the other high-profile landmarks that embellish this part of the city. Dating back to 1905, this is a space which screams sophistication; with stunning art-deco handiwork, high ceilings, rich colours and plush furnishings tastefully reflecting the anticipated etiquette of an establishment of this calibre. Here, service is impeccable; the sincerity of the welcome extended to each and every guest setting a precedent for the duration of one's visit. I really liked that such a high level of service (whereby I became 'madame' for the day and my napkin had been placed across my lap before I'd even had time to unfold it) did not constitute an air of pretension; quite the contrary in fact as the waiters (all six of them) that addressed our table were not only courteous and efficient but cheerful and chatty; something which took the formality from what could have otherwise proved a rather stuffy affair. Furthermore, I noted how well-attended the space had become and, despite having to take afternoon tea well before noon (seriously, I suggest that you book early), a back-drop of contented chatter muddled with a little musical input courtesy of The Ritz' resident pianist, Ian Gomes, really made for a relaxed ambiance.

Ritz-style Bling!

Tea-cups for coffee

First up, a drink or two and despite the seventeen types of loose-leaf tea on offer (which includes the likes of; Rose Congou, Rooibos Red and the ever-so aptly-named Ritz Royal English), my auntie and I opted for coffee which, served into dainty bone-china tea cups from solid silver jugs, certainly looked the part. In addition to this, it would have been rude not to toast to the birthday girl with a little fizz – The Ritz offer champagne at £19 a glass, or you can opt for the package that includes it...OK OK, I know what you're really waiting for, a round up of the grub which began with a round of six varieties of daintily portioned crust-less sandwiches; my favourite of which constituted the cheddar cheese and chutney ensemble which, layered between slices of fresh onion bread, ensued a deliciously punchy after-taste. We were also treated to chicken breast and horseradish cream on white and Scottish smoked salmon on rye; the latter accented with the citrus zing of lemon butter, yum! My auntie particularly enjoyed the traditional cucumber sandwich which, arguably an institution in itself, had, in this case, been combined with cream cheese and dill. Flecked with caraway seeds, the wholemeal batch utilised for this undersized sarnie offered a decidedly fragrant twist to the tried and tested recipe!

Next up came a duo of perfectly-formed and freshly-baked scones; the latter evident on account of their oven-warmed disposition. Slathering both fruit and plain varieties with strawberry preserve and Devonshire clotted cream, I can report that these were beautifully textured and tasty; though, I have to be honest, not the best I've ever tasted due to the genius of the buttermilk and lemon curd scones that I am somewhat partial to stock-pile upon each and every visit to Bristol's Lahloo Pantry! Nevertheless, It has to be said that The Ritz excelled in the confectionery department; the petit fours on the top tier of the initial arrangement causing that sharp intake of breath as they were just.that.beautiful! The rosewater macaron for instance was especially imaginative; its pastel-pink appeal and careful composition proving almost as decadent as its exquisite aroma given that even the pod of subtly-sweet Panna Cotta had been finished with a coin of white chocolate that sported the distinctive 'R' emblem. To accompany this, fruit tarts piled with plump raspberries, an intricately constructed chocolate ganache (which was essentially a chocoholics dream) and a bite-sized mille-feuille which delicately balanced a lightly whipped vanilla cream with flaky pastry - heaven! After being plated another helping of sandwiches, plus two additional macarons (at my request), a trolley of additional cake-type creations began to do the rounds. This comprised an impressive-looking carrot cake, complete with prettily piped peaks of crème fraîche as well as a strawberry and pistachio franzipan which I have on good authority, was absolutely divine! By this point however, we simply had to decline any further replenishment given that we were well and truly ready to rest our (very full) stomachs; opting instead to sit awhile, people-watch and recover from what had unsurprisingly accelerated to a sugar-rush of epic proportions!

All together now...oooooh!

Snap them up or they'll be scone!?

In conclusion, it's fair to say that afternoon tea at The Ritz altogether lived up to my expectations. Not only was the fare fantastic, the service was faultless and the surroundings recherché – not to mention the attention to detail proving second to none. Incidentally (or not if you're into shameless name-dropping) my auntie and I were also impressed to note the presence of The Ritz' more famous clientèle; the pomp and ceremony attracting even the likes of an ex-American president! And quite frankly, if it's good enough for the A-list, it's good enough for us...as it was, without doubt, the fanciest foodie foray of the year thus far...

The franzipan we were allowed to take home in a doggy bag...yes really!

So much sugar, we were seeing double!

And now for the second opinion...

The Birthday Girl herself gave The Ritz a phenomenal 10/10 and in three words, described the experience as ' truly truly scrumptious!'

References:

*http://www.theritzlondon.com

NB. There are five sittings every day at: 11.30am, 1.30pm, 3.30pm, 5.30pm and 7.30pm and prices are as follows:

Traditional Afternoon Tea - £42

Champagne Afternoon Tea - £54

Where's Bill?!

Afternoon Tea at The Grand (Thistle) Hotel – Broad Street, Bristol

Pre-empting the need for a post-Christmas wind-down, it seemed sensible to invest in the conveniently-timed online offer* of afternoon tea for two at Bristol's prestigious hotel, The Grand. For £29, our pre-paid print-out also allowed for a visit to the adjoining (Otium) spa whose facilities include a well-equipped gym, both sauna and steam room, plus an ever-popular jacuzzi and small swimming pool. Consequently, after taking advantage of all the above and shocking our lethargic festively-fed bodies into action, my lovely mum and I made our way to the hotel's restaurant, 'Tyrells' for our intended après-spa refreshment...

Date and Time: Tuesday 27^th December 2011 – afternoon tea at 15:00

Name of Establishment: The Grand Hotel*

Location: Broad Street, Bristol

Reason for visit: The notion of a little R&R amidst a chaotic bout of seasonal merry-making!

Shown to a suitably sized table-for-two, mum and I took a moment to visually appreciate our surroundings. The Grand Hotel's classic Victorian architecture has clearly been treated to a degree of modernisation and thus, there is an overriding sophistication that is tinged with bland practicality. That said, with plush carpet under-foot and cut-crystal chandeliers overhead, it's fair to say that touches of opulence attractively punctuate this otherwise neutrally -decorated space. Furthermore, large floor-to-ceiling windows flood the restaurant with natural light (in this case, a momentary burst of winter sunshine) which makes for a buoyant, fundamentally airy ambiance which, coupled with comfortable leather-effect furniture and the subtlety of a chilled-out soundtrack constitutes the stay-a-while appeal that only a thoughtfully determined aesthetic can establish. Consequently, The Grand seemed the perfect location for a spot of afternoon tea which, quintessentially English, is both an age-old tradition and a novel variety of bite-sized indulgences – although on this occasion, these embodied a notably Yuletide theme!

Offered either tea or coffee in the first instance (which transpired to a standard breakfast brew for mum and a rather average filter coffee for me), it wasn't long before the rest of our pristinely-presented fare made an entrance. Glass containers of chilled mineral water had been provided as standard and tumblers of mulled wine accompanied two tiers of edibles. Unfortunately, a coffee versus mulled wine juggling act unfolded as neither particularly complemented the other in terms of one's palate and both required prompt consumption due to proving equally as unpleasant with a tepid composition. I doubt that the addition of mulled wine is available outside of the festive season and yet, it would have been rather better received a little later during the proceedings. Moving onto the gastronomical goings-on and initially the savouries which I'm afraid were not quite up to par; the individual cheese and onion quiches were fairly soggy and underwhelmingly bland in regards to their flavour (or lack of it) and the crust-less, teeny triangular sandwiches, albeit richly filled with good quality ingredients, had been created using bread that was ever so slightly dry – perhaps suggesting that the sandwiches themselves had been prepared (and plated) hours in advance...disappointing.

Things started to look up as we moved on to the duo of scones. The first, a fruit scone which despite looking suspiciously as though it had been ejected from a supermarket multi-pack, had been crammed with juicy sultanas and arrived 'oven-fresh' – lovely. The second was a 'plain' wholemeal scone which, rustically chunky, epitomised the sense of a home-made effort proving crumbly and satisfying – slathering our 'halves' with generous measures of strawberry jam and clotted cream, both were devoured (and entirely enjoyed) in record time! Next up came mini mince pies and dainty fruit tarts; both of which were picture-perfect, with expertly executed fillings portioned within melt-in-the-mouth shortcrust pastry cases, yum! Lastly, mum and I just about managed to make room for the sizeable hunks of Christmas cake which were unanimously the highlight of the experience; proving rich-tasting and moistly textured as well as layered with a commendable marzipan-to-icing ratio. And, leaving the distinctive twang of Christmastime booze as an after-taste marked with its decadence, this was quite simply, a deliciously different final foray!

In conclusion, an enjoyable afternoon spent at The Grand – service was courteous yet relaxed and efficient and the surroundings were calming and comfortable. That said, I'm not sure that I would be willing to pay the usual £18.50 fee (per person) for the same experience (minus the spa) given the number of foodie faux-pas encountered on this occasion. Yet, with a little attention to detail, I think that the quality of the fare could be augmented to a standard that would be rather more likely to warrant a return visit. I also learnt, after liaising with others who had purchased the same deal, that the afternoon tea line-up itself is rather inconsistent; the Best Foodie Friend, for instance, getting rather a raw deal with a lot less offered over her two-tiered arrangement just a few weeks previously. I have noticed that 'Groupon'* are currently offering a similar deal (at £32 for two people including the use of Otium's spa facilities) and so, you may wish to take note of my 'contents may vary' disclaimer before clicking the 'purchase' button! That said, we all know that good old mother-daughter outings are priceless and there is no doubt that you'll have a top afternoon in good company...so do let me know what you think...!

And now for the second opinion...

Mum gave The Grand Hotel (Tyrells Restaurant) a generous 8/10 and in three words described the fare as 'elegant afternoon tea'.

References:

*http://www.kgbdeals.co.uk/bristol

*http://www.thistle.com/en/hotels/united_kingdom/bristol/the_grand/index.html

*http://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/bristol