The Ritz, London altered my brain chemistry

TL; DR – 11/10 food, 11/10 service, 11/10 ambiance. I absolutely love the Ritz, I’ve been a patron of it ever since I moved to London. I adore everything about it, and I have no shame in admitting how biased I am towards it.

Live at the Ritz: 7-course Epicurean Menu
A weekend evening with my beautiful partner, celebrating a milestone anniversary at our favourite restaurant, hotel and the epitome of our bonvivance

Canapés- absolutely delectable, the duck liver parfait was my favourite. great range of classic flavours, very refined and a perfect morsel of texture, balance and style. stunning

Amuse Bouche – great balance of salinity, freshness, acidity and umami fishiness, perfect to appetise your palate for the decadent and divine journey ahead.

Bread Course – served at the optimum temperature,perfect balance of maltiness, nuttiness, acidity and aeration. The butter was served at the perfect contrasting but spreadable consistency and temperature. Shamelessly had two servings of the bread itself.

1) Dorset Crab – complexity of texture, light, refreshing, with a beautiful freshness from the lemon verbena. the sweetness of the crab was highlighted through multiple variations and the caviar was used purposefully

2) Ballotine of Duck Liver – a constant since I first began frequenting the Ritz some five years ago, with the arrival of the second star, it has been executed beyond and better than before. The gameiness of the foie was embraced but complimented by the tartness of the cherry and nuttiness of the pistachio. This has been a staple fixture at the Ritz and for good reason. The brioche at the side was warm, eggy, had the perfect consistency and served at the ideal temperature.

3) Native Lobster – I still fantasise about this lobster. I could have a bucket of just the sauce that it’s served with. Lobster cooked delicately and perfectly, keeping it texture intact, but soft and sinking into my palate embellished by a sauce that sweet, savoury, creamy, fresh, umami, complex yet so simple and refreshing. The spiced carrot accentuated the sauce and provided a new dimension to this dish. Just wow.

4) Agnolotti – Savoury, Umami, with the perfect texture on the agnolotti, complimented by the fragrant and almost sultry savouriness of the truffle paired with Parmesan in perfect measure, preparing my palette; serenading it with a prelude of the flavours to come in the main act.

5) Pigeon à la Presse – rarely have I had moments where I’ve been spellbound. This was one. Just ethereal. The presentation including the table side Christofel Silver Presse with a stunning flambé and the breasts delicately carved by my trusty serveur Enzo. Oh Mon Dieu. The course itself. PERFECTION. Savoury, Gamey and Decadent Breasts of Pigeon cooked to perfection, melt in your mouth, scintillated by the rich, velevety and umami sauce with just the right sweetness from the remnants of the spirit, and some fresh pepperiness from the green peppercorns, and some crispy pommes soufflé to provide textural complexity and an occasional interlude from drowning in the decadence of the Pigeon. (I must confess, we’ve had this before, and we enjoy it so much that we learnt that for a £40pp supplement you can get a whole pigeon per person)

6) Pre Dessert – Bitter, Acidic, Sweet, Lukewarm but also Cold, it refreshed my palate and let me come back from the divine plane that this meal had taken me too and rekindled my palate just enough to be nostalgic in memoriam of the moments I just experienced.

7) Crepes Suzette – I have proudly had every Crepes Suzette in London (Savoy Grill, Dorchester Promenade, Connaught Grill, Ruben’s at the Palace) and notably Badrutt’s Palace and Suvretta House outside of London have been some of my favourites out of other innumerable instances where I have relished this classic preparation. I am a Crepe Suzette expert. The Ritz does it BEST. Two Flambées. More Cognac that Edward VII would relish in an evening. Sweet, Angelic Decadence. So good it felt like a sin. What a way to end in glamour, glitz and gastronomical genius.

Petit-Fours – Just what I needed to let my palate settle, from the tryst with its epicurean lust that it had witnessed this evening. These have pretty consistent over the years. Always a pleasure.

Dresscode: The Ritz mandates a coat and tie for men and elegant wear for women. They do however most wonderfully allow national dress, so I have always worn an Ivory Cashmere Achkan and my partner wears her elaborate sarees. We’ve been welcomed graciously on every occasion.

We left the Ritz just after midnight so happy, embracing our love for each other, life, the wonders of gastronomy and the Ritz. with our stomachs and hearts full. It’s moments like this, seated by the glamorous performances of the Roaring 20’s a century hence, that one truly feels celebrated and grateful for the journey hitherto and elated towards the journey hereafter.