The iconic Ritz London offers the classic British tradition of afternoon tea
It is, quite literally, a feast for the eyes as neatly pressed waiters deliver tea stand after tea stand heaped with freshly cut finger sandwiches, warm baked scones with clotted Devonshire cream and strawberry preserve, and a mouth-watering array of cakes and pastries.
Polished silver pots of coffee and loose-leaf tea, bearing regal names like Ritz Royal English, Lapsang Souchong Imperial and Darjeeling First Flush, are poured into delicate china cups.
The elegant Palm Court, with its mirrored panels, marbled columns, gilded trellises and central glass ceiling, echoes with idle chatter as well-heeled guests catch up with family and friends.
Welcome to afternoon tea at The Ritz London, a classic British tradition in a quintessential British hotel, located in Piccadilly next to the leafy expanse of Green Park.
With its French chateau-style architecture, Louis XVI furnishings and Edwardian ambience, The Ritz delivers a grand and stately setting for this delicious ritual.
The Palm Court is the centerpiece of the Long Gallery, an architectural masterwork extending the length of the hotel from the entrance lobby at one end to the resplendent Ritz Restaurant at the other.
With the afternoon tea service offered in five sessions daily from 11.30am to 7.30pm, it’s not uncommon for visitors to spend all day at the hotel, moving from a light lunch in the 1920s-inspired Rivoli Bar to afternoon tea in the Palm Court and then dinner in the restaurant.
A vision in soft pink, pale green and white, with glittering crystal chandeliers, floor-to-ceiling windows and a sun-splashed terrace overlooking Green Park, the Michelin-starred Ritz Restaurant is an iconic London venue for dining in style.
The lavish Louis XVI décor extends to all 136 guestrooms, including 25 suites, skillfully blending antique furnishings with modern comforts and technologies.
The signature Piccadilly, Royal and Prince of Wales suites naturally come with the service of a full-time Ritz Butler, who can take care of everything from unpacking to restaurant reservations.
Be aware, the hotel’s afternoon tea service is hugely popular. Reservations should be made well in advance and a formal dress code of jacket and tie for gentlemen applies in the Palm Court. The Ritz really is London to a tea.
For more information, visit theritzlondon.com.