Tea at the Ritz

I'd been to the Ritz many years ago to celebrate the success of a business deal, and then we merely celebrated with cocktails before heading off to a nearby restaurant to continue the celebrations. At that time I said I would return one day to enjoy Tea at the Ritz, the ultimate in afternoon pleasures. I'm delighted to say that my return visit was all that I thought it could be, and a great deal more besides. As a teacher I thought my guest and I may be the only refugees from education in this marvellous hotel, such is the style and manner of the Ritz it may purely be full of international ladies who lunch and 'do' afternoon tea. How wrong I was, the first two ladies I encountered were from a school in Harrow, visiting for a day of retail therapy during half term but the heart of the day in town was to be spent enjoying the food and ambience of The Palm Court in the Ritz. 'A wonderful experience, the highlight of the day', they stated, as they left to mount a pincer movement on the shops of Piccadilly.

The sheer beauty and elegance of the Palm Court with its glazed roof and intricate gilt trelliswork is the home of afternoon tea. Such is the popularity of the institution known as 'Afternoon Tea' that there are three sittings each day, with my booking made some five weeks before in an open room from a bygone age which seats more than one hundred guests!

Light, bright and busy surroundings, a veritable army of beautifully appointed waiting staff attend to the every need of the chattering visitors, all-keen to share this unique experience for a variety of reasons. It is and always has been an experience to savour, and one that my guest and I savoured. It wasn't just the food or the service levels which brought sighs of satisfaction, it was the overall experience, almost two hours of relaxation, total relaxation away from the regular bells of time within school, the professional and courteous staff who added further sandwiches, replenished the teapot and actually enjoyed the art of service with a smile. Even the pianist savoured the moments when regular and melodic tunes were interrupted for a light rendition of 'Happy Birthday' as the staff delivered a singular lit candle on top of a miniature cake to those celebrating another milestone in their life in the Palm Court.

Stuffy? No!
Enjoyable? Very much so!

A much more relaxed and entertaining two hours with the opportunity to watch other like-minded people watch like-minded people. Time flew by as Tracy and I rose through the three layers of afternoon tea, from the dainty but tasty sandwiches, through the scones with tempting clotted cream to the pastries and fresh cream cakes.

Replete and content it was a sad time when we departed almost two hours after we entered. A long lingering glance back as we bid our farewells to our fellow tea drinkers, the staff preparing for the third session of the day as we contemplated a return to school after a half term break where we had studied food at its finest, discovered the geography of the Ritz Hotel and enjoyed a taste of the high life from a bygone era.

A schoolteacher's work is never done!

For those who wish to plan, and book ahead call 0207 493 8181 or use the web to access www.theritzlondon.com

Traditional English Afternoon tea

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