I think this would conclude the series on K's 40th birthday.
Amidst all the surprises, I did plan one last one, just me and him. I was doing some research on where to bring him on this milestone birthday, and I came across a deal - 3 courses and a glass of champagne. It looked reasonable enough especially considering it is at THE RITZ *gasp*
actually make it *super gasp*
I have to say my heart was beating with excitement after booking a table for both of us a month before. Friends told us that it is a snobbish place with the strict dress code and all, but you know what, they can do what they want because it is The Ritz.
Backtrack- you have to remember we just came back from our exhausting road trip and K wasn't in the best of mood. He kept reminding me I've been banned from organising road trips westwards of London unless I get more people (i.e. drivers) next time, or I get my licence. And I knew he would want to stay at home all day Monday doing nothing. During the trip I decided to break the surprise lunch to him and told him where it was. To prepare him mentally that we are actually not spending the day at home like he wanted to. Oops! To top it off I had also pre booked tickets to the super popular art exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts.
Of course we took the train in on Monday. No more driving for a while I think!
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| Arriving at Green Park station |
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| Excited about our lunch date |
We were greeted by the doormen and soon asked to proceed to the cloakroom. I have to say they have a strict dress code here which we had to check before we left the house:
DRESS CODE
Reflecting the elegant nature of the hotel’s architecture The Ritz London has a dress code in different areas of the hotel as follows: Gentlemen are required to wear a jacket and tie for afternoon tea in The Palm Court and for lunch and dinner in The Ritz Restaurant and Terrace. In all other areas of the hotel (The Ritz Restaurant breakfast service, The Rivoli Bar, The Long Gallery) and The Ritz Club, smart casual attire is suitable. Please note that trainers or sportswear are not permitted in any of the hotel or Club’s restaurants or bars.
In fact I saw a lady wearing jeans and trainers and the cloakroom lady was trying to find a pair of trousers and court shoes for her to change into before allowing her in. Once we deposited our coats I went to the Powder Room which was in such a sweet pink colour that I couldn't resisted taking a few pics.
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| The Powder Room |
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| It was huge with a sofa and newspapers in there although I do wonder who would read newspapers here in the toilet, I mean Powder Room |
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| The table outside the restaurant decorated for Easter |
We were shown to our table by the attentive waiters. Our waiter for the day was David.
We came to realise from David that the hotel would be celebrating its 110th anniversary in a few days' time.
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| Some crispy bread with butter. We were later served more bread. |
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| Starter: Soy glazed tuna |
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K's look: look at that tiny thing… I can use my hand and pop into my mouth.
Which he did. |
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| The beautiful dining hall which David told us has remained the same look since the Ritz started. Of course they have done refurbishments over the years but they have tried to keep the look consistent. |
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| K's main: Bresse Duck |
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My main of lobster and shellfish gratin
They poured lobster bisque soup into it when it arrived.
Served with some buttered veg on the side
This dish was very good. |
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| The ceiling |
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| Of course you need a selfie |
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Dessert: Mango mousseline
Tasted as good as it looks. |
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Banana soufflé with chocolate ice cream
The soufflé was really fluffy and well made |
To respect diners' privacy, the restaurant has a rule which says you cannot get any of the waiters or waitresses to take photos for you. However you can take pictures yourselves. But we would love to have a couple shot, especially our table was strategically placed next to this golden statue of some mythical gods. So then we noticed what the few tables around us were doing - getting the diners from the next table to take for them! Genius. So we did the same lol.
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| Thank you, neighbour! |
Our two hour experience soon came to an end. Apart from the strict dress code which they enforced, we didn't think the place was snobbish. The waiters were attentive and very friendly, made sure we were enjoying our food throughout. I read some reviews about photo restrictions but we didn't experience any that day. We walked around the hotel a bit more, took a few more photos before collecting our coats and out into the sun. We had to walk about 8 minutes to the Royal Academy of Arts for our exhibition.
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| The lift. |
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This exhibition was surprisingly crowded. It showed the gardens of famous Impressionist painters - and I love Impressionism - such as Monet's garden in Giverny and how Impressionism evolved to Post Impressionism and Avant Garde. It was really good. Not really K's cup of tea but oh well, overall it was a very relaxing and enjoyable afternoon.
Fact: We took more pics that afternoon than Lynton/ Exmoor National Park.
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