11th September 2007
Teetering on the Edge of Trash?
Afternoon tea at The Ritz skates a fine line between exquisite, fine dining and tourist trash...and it skates it very well indeed. You may be surrounded by a bizarre mix of wealthy regulars and trainer-clad tourists, but almost everyone would, to some degree, spruced up a little for the occasion, and all can settle down to enjoy the temporary illusion of extreme wealth that afternoon tea and The Ritz brings.
Although you will have booked a rigid time-slot [if you were lucky, or very organised, you may have managed to select one actually around the time that afternoon tea should be taken], you can arrive anytime to enjoy a cocktail or a cuppa in the restaurants reception area. Yes, they may be a little on the expensive side [around 10 pounds for a cocktail], but you're at The Ritz! Relax and soak up the atmosphere...and whet that appetite!
The three tiers of sandwiches, scones and cakes are constantly refilled...as is your selected jug or tea or coffee. The waiters patter around you with silver platters and solemn, dignified expressions to the music of a harp and violins in a somewhat theatrical, even hyperbolic performance of the dining experience. [For birthdays, a cake can also be ordered and the musicians will play 'Happy Birthday'...If you can fit any more cake in!]
If there is a down-side to tea at The Ritz, it is self-inflicted...From a personal point of view, the only barrier to a full investment in my temporary illusion of wealth was gluttony. I left feeling shaky from coffee and sugar, and a little unwell...Not quite the dignified aristocrat after all ;p In terms of value...The Ritz is excellent. Perhaps 30 pounds plus is pricey for a stack of sarnies, scones and cakes...But you pay for the experience...The theatre of eating. And that's just it...afternoon tea at The Ritz offers a slice of the 'unreal'...A performance of tradition. Delicious grub, theatrics and unforgettable memories for the price of two Dominos Pizzas? Bargain...Even if I did have to buff my trainers a little beforehand.
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