I have written previously about the background to the Ritz, whose grand dining room dates back to 1906. There was a three-course menu for £86, a five course tasting menu at £186 and a seven course tasting menu at £207. I have also written previously about the extensive wine list.
Canapes now appear on an elegant little tray. Initially there was Parmesan with black olive and basil, duck liver parfait with sour cherry and yoghurt, and a return of my favourite Coronation chicken cylinder. The latter is made by mixing chicken with curry powder and salt, steaming and then chilling the chicken. It is mixed with spice mix, coconut cream, mayonnaise, coriander, raisings and mango chutney. This is all then wrapped in a sugar tuile seasoned with coconut, curry and espellete pepper, the ends dipped in toasted breadcrumbs. There were two additional new canapes. Scottish cep tartlet and a brik pastry case filled with wild mushrooms and finished with ceps and black truffle. The pastry had lovely texture and the mushrooms were top quality. A final canape was croustade of smoked trout, dill and crème fraiche. The croustade was made from a sparkling beer batter that was deep-fried until golden in colour. The trout was treated in citrus salt bound with lemon zest, salt, lemon juice, pepper and chopped dill. The croustade was filled with a layer of creme fraiche, then the trout mix is layered on top and garnished with trout caviar, pickled dill and alyssum flowers. The whole thing is finished with a dill vinegar pickle gel. This was a classy canape, as indeed they all were. A separate canape was Isle of Mull scallop with a tin jelly of rice wine, topped with fresh fennel pollen, hyssop flowers and shiso flowers. There was an aromatic bergamot dressing made from soy sauce, olive oil, salt, sugar and citrus. The scallop’s natural sweetness was beautifully balanced by the dressing, and this is a particularly pretty dish. I have had worse canapes in many three-star restaurants than this (19/20).
Ballotine of duck liver used foie gras from the Landes area of the south of France. This was deveined and marinated in salt, sugar, pink salt, pepper, port, Sauternes and Armagnac. It comes with a little damson and pistachio puree, micro leaf salad and lovely brioche. The texture of the ballotine was silky, the flavour was deep and the acidity of the damson cut through the richness of the liver (19/20). A vegetarian alternative was Delica pumpkin and sage. Pumpkin velouté was made from roast pumpkin blended with aromatic spices and enriched with fresh sage and saffron, garnished with butternut squash and warm Parmesan foam. Sometimes in restaurants, a vegetarian alternative to a meat dish can feel like an afterthought, but this was top class.
Langoustines a la nage is a signature dish of the Ritz. Scottish langoustine tails are poached in butter and served on a base of cauliflower puree, Cornish baby vegetables and bronze fennel. The large langoustine tails are a very expensive ingredient but they are shown to their finest here, the richness of the butter balanced by the vegetables and herbs of the nage (19/20). Dover sole meuniere was the next course, this one a fish weighing around 900g. This was seasoned and lightly floured to create a thin crust when caramelised in foaming salted butter. The fish was trimmed, served and garnished with razor clams, cockles, lemon segments ad fresh sea herbs. It was accompanied by a rich jus infused with chicken, shallots, herbs, beurre noisette ad fresh lemon juice. Alongside was a roast scallop, mussels stuffed with fish mousse, braised fennel and lemon puree and finally new potatoes cooked with kombu and seaweed butter. The fish had lovely flavour and the fennel was a nice accompaniment, balancing the richness of the butter (17/20). I would say that this was a big dish for a tasting menu, just a bit too filling.
My main course was roast Brittany pigeon. These birds were raised in a national park on Brittany and fed on a diet of chestnut flour and corn. The pigeon beast was garnished with girolle and ceps, baby turnips and lovage, all with a rich sauce of the cooking juices. On the side were superb souffle potatoes, light and crisp and airy. The pigeon was carefully cooked and the richness of the sauce was cut through by the turnips and the potatoes (17/20). A vegetarian alternative of smoked potato gnocchi with Scottish ceps and girolles were garnished with roast kohlrabi puree, baby turnips, Parmesan sable and pickled radish. The mushrooms were lovely and the gnocchi had lovely texture, and even the little turnips were impressive. Any kitchen that can make a turnip taste great gets my vote.
Pre-dessert was apple yoghurt and celery, made with compressed apple celery, apple gel and mint with celery cress, along with apple and celery sorbet and yoghurt foam. Although the technical execution of this was fine, I just don’t think that celery is a good idea in dessert, and especially a pre-dessert, where the aim should all be about refreshment. The apple makes perfect sense, as indeed would just about any citrus, but much as I am fond of celery in the right context, this wasn’t it (15/20).
For dessert, sour cherry souffle was lovely, evenly cooked and having risen perfectly, covered with a garnish of cherries, the texture light and airy. On the side was a compote of Amarena Italian (native to Bologna and Modena) black sour cherries with vanilla Chantilly. The sharpness of the cherries was a nicely judged balance for the richness of the souffle and cream (18/20). Petit fours were dark chocolate, almond and hazelnut praline, raspberry pate de fruit with lime gin gel, and a vanilla macaroon.
Service was superb, the staff being attentive and engaging. The bill with wine came to £341 per person for the full tasting experience. If you opted for the three-course lunch and shared a modest bottle of wine then a typical cost per person might be more like £130. The Ritz is the best restaurant in London, and clearly better than the multi-starred places that Michelin has chosen to honour in the capital.
BookFurther reviews: 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
tim wharton
Ok Andy, I've not eaten in many (OK, most) of the *** places you have, but the meal I had last time here (two weeks ago) - the canapés, the foie gras, the langoustines, the Dover sole (too large a portion, wtf?) and the Beef Wellington - suggest to me that this is the best food in London. Even 19/20 is harsh. I add that I refused to book a table here for ages because of the dress-code, but was convinced to visit because a review of yours a few years back. The whole experience here is light years ahead of most other places in London I've eaten at for sheer quality and (in my experience at least) consistency. Brilliant.