The Ritz Hotel, Mayfair, London

Quintessentially British and one of the most famous hotels in the UK (if not the world). High tea at the Ritz is an institution and a fantastic experience. Creamcakes, strawberries and tall cups of tea. Perfect. I’ve never stayed here, but i have eaten in the restaurant a number of times.

Awesome and highly recommended.

What can I say that hasn’t already been said?!!

My husband and I were lucky enough to experience The Ritz when our daughter was married in London a few years ago and held her reception there. No, we’re not rich (although the hire of a room and the catering provided is actually very reasonable and well within most people’s price range).

As you can expect, the service is second-to-none. The surroundings stylish, sophisticated and elegant.

We not only had the wedding reception there, but in the evening we ate in the restaurant and enjoyed a little music and dancing. The food was sumptuous and quietly and elegantly served by the delightful waiting staff.

The next day, we experienced the famous Afternoon Tea in Palm Court.
Tea served in a solid silver teapot, cakes and tiny, finely-cut sandwiches, scones and clotted cream and a selection of wonderful pastries. A truly memorable experience.

Afternoon Tea at the Ritz is something everyone should sample at least once in their lives. Advance booking is essential.

If I never visit London again, our day at The Ritz is something I will treasure forever.

As you would expect, afternoon tea at The Ritz is not cheap, but the experience you get for your money is well worth it.

I took my Mum and family here for a joint celebration - her birthday, and the news that she was going to be a grandparent for the first time.

The entrance is fairly breathtaking, as you would expect, and there is a feeling of being transported back in time to old fashioned England - with proper tea pots, freshly laundered tablecloths, comfortable seating and polite staff and waiters ready to help you at every turn. They happily indulged my odd pregnancy dietary requests as well.

A piano player accompanied the dining experience, which was made up of delicious sandwiches, freshly baked scones with cream and jam, and a marvellous selection of cakes and pastries that we could hardly force down after the previous two courses! The variety of teas was extensive and very pleasant, and the waiting staff were attentive and helpful.

Its a once in a lifetime must do, and I’d definitely recommend it for special occasions - a real treat and an evening to remember.

I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon tea here. Without sounding rude I did not think that it was that expensive, to be honest I thought that it would have been a lot more. I would recommend this lovely hotel to everyone especially if you want to treat someone dear to you. Fantastic.

I took my parents for afternoon tea here for reaching the grand old age of 60. I didn’t tell them where I was taking them and just told them to look smart so when we reached the place they were so excited and to be honest so was I.

We had afternoon tea in The Palm Court, a beautiful setting made even more so by the fact that a piano and harp were playing in the background. The tea itself was fantastic, delicious staked up sandwiches, a great selection of teas followed by pastries and scones. Everyone was happy, relaxed and well fed and amazing service too.

Not cheap at £37 per head if you think of it as just having some tea and sandwiches but as an experience it was worth every penny.

Faultless for its (expensive) afternoon tea, which is probably all most people can afford here! A really good way of rising to the aristocracy for an hour or two - i think the teas are about £35 per person, and you have to book months in advance. They consist of sandwiches with the crusts cut off, specialty cakes and teas, and chocolate. And you have to dress formally - gentlemen in suits and tie! The room has an ancient elegance about it, with lots of yellows, golds and glass, and the service is, as expected, exceptional.

This could be a good place to spot a celeb or have a good cuppa. Bring a friend or a book along and enjoy the beautifully decorated environment.

We went for a coffee yesterday for a bit of relaxation after a day of shopping. It’s perfectly located near Picaddily Circus Tube and the cakes are delicious. We ended up trying a couple of cakes variety and skipped dinner. Although it may be a little expensive during the current economic climate, it’s certainly worth a try. You will not regret for the experience.

Went there for afternoon tea as was not amazed by the quality of food. I prefer Claridges. However, the service is undoubtedly good. The waitress who served us was very attentive to our requests and also very friendly. It made the overall experience memorable. I would recommend to my friends because the service is good, although the food quality is only average.

I recently had afternoon tea at the Ritz for my 30th birthday - it was something I have wanted to do for years (and so I had incredibly high expectations) but it was an amzing experience - I really did enjoy every second.

Service is attentive (as one would expect!) and the food, divine. Immaculately presented sandwiches, freshly baked scones and the most delicate pastries ever. Oh my god, it was so good!

Definitely need to book in advance - and not cheap - but so, so worth it!

The Ritz caters for so many tastes and so many expectations, it is difficult to do it justice in a couple of hundred words. Briefly, for the prices it charges it has to deliver quality, and in my(limited!) experience it certainly does. That is the acid test of any establishment.

I dined in the restaurant for the Saturday night 'dinner and dance’ sitting, and every aspect of the occasion was superb. The treatment guests receive, from the doormen on the way in to the doormen on the way out, is exemplary. The dining room is clasically English (perhaps over the top, but not unexpected), the food traditional but expertly prepared, the wine list of extraordinary breadth and quality (the only downside was a somellier who lived up to the worst stereotypes).

Tea at the Ritz- simply perfect. It might seem quite expensive but it is really worth it. A fantastic experience, the Ritz is elegant and traditional and deliciously decadent. Also you must go to the bathroom, as it is beautiful!
The tea itself includes sandwiches, scones and cakes. There is variety of teas available and they will top these up for you. What I really didn’t expect was them to fill up the sandwiches too- a bottomless selection of fine finger sandwiches, all of which were delicious. A fantastic experience.

Tea at the Ritz…..such a London thing to do. Even though i’m a born and bred Londoner, i’ve never gotten around to it - however I recently had some american friends over and thought i’d take them here. They loved it and so did I - can’t believe it took me so long to get around to it! Perfect tea, cake, sandwiches and service (not too stand-offish, or in-your-face)

solidly in the 'hope someone else is paying’ category. its nicely located, the tea ceremony there is very well known, and it oozes history. maybe the play is to do the formal tea and stay elsewhere, using the 300 quid saved for a nice dinner at Wareing’s place in Knightsbridge or Nobu.

This is the most fantastic place to go and experience 'afternoon tea’. You have to go suited and booted but it is certainly worth the effort. There are several different teas available to try and waiters are more than happy to explain the subtle differences between them all. The food itself is exquisite, many different types of sandwiches and cakes beautifully crafted and presented. I expected to leave a little hungry but i was completely stuffed and couldn’t eat for the rest of the day. The waiters discretely fill up your serving dishes so that there is a constant choice of which delicacy to try next.

The service is impeccable, the staff excellent and their attentive yet discrete manner is most impressive.
Conveniently situated on Piccadilly, the location is perfect for those looking for somewhere close to theatreland, the Royal Parks, shopping on Bond Street and Jermyn Street, etc. etc.

The only problem with The Ritz is that being such a landmark it does attract a bizarre mixture of people.

If you want to stay at the best, stay at The Ritz.

Swanky and with a lot of history behind it, though unfortunatly, over several visits during the year, the “magic” seems to have slowly faded, but is still very much apparant.

The expensive decoration and furnishings reflect the costs paid for accomodation or a meal, and sometimes the people you find walking round are perhaps too pretentious for some to deal with, this is nothing overly offensive to anyone really, and the staff will treat you the same whether you’re wearing an Armani suit or t-shirt and jeans, which is very admirable.

Pretentious, expensive and a complete tourist trap.

I’ve found that anything that advertises on sites like lastminute.com are overly priced and hyped. It’s more of a landmark than a place to hang out, have a drink and a decent meal.

Lunch I had was average, service was excellent but there was nothnig memorable about the experience. I should be clear about the cost, it’s not that expensive for what I was expecting, but then I expected so much mroe! That probably doesn’t make sense!

A bit too old school for me unfortunately.

Been here before and it was great, but lately gone downhill in my studied opinion. The sandwiches were reasonable and the coffee quite bland. The only thing that saved it this time was the hilarious antics of the head waiter. unintentional would be our word to describe the scenario!..

The hotel really did have everything you could wish for and was almost good enough just to keep us indoors for our entire four days and nights but being a huge London enthusiast I just had to venture out lol! Once we had arrived at the hotel and parked the car in the hotels car park which incidentally is plenty big enough to accommodate the needs of all the guests we decided as we usually do that we would not use the car again for the duration of our stay. The London transport system is easily good enough to make this possible and with a tube stop right outside the front of our hotel I could travel the way I most enjoy on visits here.

The Rivoli Bar is a stunning art deco treasure within the Ritz Hotel. It may be small but when you walk in for the first time it will take your breath away. Expensive of course, but an ideal setting for a special treat. A champagne cocktail in hand, nibble on the complimentary olives and nuts and live like a film star! My sister and I took my mum here as a birthday treat and she loved it. A great way to start a special evening out.

oh oh the grand daddy of 5 star living, swift and conservative, it is one of the most prestigious hotels in the UK, IT offers great discount on your stay if you try it out. Nice comfortable living.

Excellent afternoon tea, but not for everyday use!
Well worth organizing a trip there, at least to say I have been to the Ritz…
The Ritz also offers a champagne afternoon tea, which costs around £45 per person, and it is an excellent experience. 5 star service in an amazing location, being greeted to a nice glass of bubbly on arrival, what more can you ask for!

I stayed here once and guess who was just down the corrdor from me? none other than Al Pacino (see the photo I uploaded.)
Really classy place, couldn’t really afford it but only stayed to fulfill a life dream.

elegance is wht you portray when staying at the Ritz dining with celebrities and being pampered is what you could expect

Afternoon tea at the Ritz is held in the gorgeous Palm Court and it is quite the experience. The quintessential destination for afternoon tea in London, five sittings a day, booked up to 6 weeks in advance.

What makes tea at the Ritz so special is hard to pin down. Is it the beautiful silver tea pots and the exquisite porcelain teacups and dishes? The traditional 3-tiered trays of perfectly arrayed no-crust sandwiches, freshly baked scones and delicate pastries? Or is it simply the impeccable service for which The Ritz is known worldwide? Of course the most sensible answer is that it’s not just one factor but the whole package, coupled with the reputation and the legacy of being the gold standard.

The service was, of course, unbelievable. So much so that the waiter sniffed that I wasn’t absolutely thrilled with the first tea that I chosen and offered to bring me another (of his recommendation), and then another. The sandwiches are delightfully simple, and particularly nice when you alternate these with the pastries. The mini-millefeuille (aka napoleon) was quite possibly the best I’ve ever tasted. And then when I was 'ready’ for the waiter to bring the scones I wondered how I’ve gone six months in London and only just had scones with clotted cream and preserves… What I was waiting for I’ll never know… More details are on my blog here.

Any future trip I plan to London will include a booking at the Ritz for afternoon tea.

I know, I know, I know - It’s the Ritz!! How can it not have 5 stars right? Let me explain, no, it will take too long….let me sum up. ;-) The building itself is beautiful, the decor is exquisite and makes you feel like royalty. The service is fabulous and the menu for the afternoon tea, what I had, it scrumptous. The price? Not that bad considering what you get… £37 for umlimited crust-cut-off sandwiches, mini assorted cakes and coffee or tea from a wide selection. Of course you have to book a month or two ahead to get a table and you are not allowed to take photographs.. However, this is not what bothered me. The place (palm court) is full of people trying to experience what it would be like to be posh and very rich so you can’t even pretend that you are one of those people that live like the other half because everyone else there is doing the same! :-D This is why it only gets four stars from me. Still, a good experience which is a must-do whilst you are in London in my opinion. Enjoy!!

book for your tea! they do get fully booked !

Everyone has to go to The Ritz for tea once, don’t they? My best mate took me here for my birthday and we had a great time. You get dressed up, you feel important and you drink tea.

But then you realise that you’re drinking tea with a whole load of tourists. That doesn’t matter though. You’re treated like royalty and the food is yummy. I should have rung them beforehand to tell them I have a berry allergy, but I didn’t mind. I just had more scones.

The food looks great. But to be honest, it isn’t as wonderful as you’d expect. But you don’t come here for the food. You come here for the experience. And that experience is wonderful and fun and exciting. It’s about £35 per head and worth every penny.