The Ritz London

About The Ritz London

The Ritz London opened in 1906 on Piccadilly, built by Swiss hotelier Cesar Ritz and designed in the French neoclassical style, with a long arcade of covered colonnades running along the street front. It was one of the first steel-framed buildings in London, and from the start it was aimed at the wealthy and the fashionable. Over the decades it has hosted royalty, heads of state, writers, and film stars, and the hotel's name has become shorthand for a certain kind of old-fashioned grandeur. Today it still operates as a working luxury hotel, so most people who visit without a room come for one thing in particular: afternoon tea.

Afternoon tea is served in the Palm Court, a light-filled room under a gilded trellis and a glass ceiling, and it is the experience most tours and tickets are built around. There is a strict dress code. Smart attire is required, jackets and ties are expected for men, and trainers, sportswear, and jeans are generally not allowed in the tea rooms. Tea sittings are timed and run across the day, so a confirmed reservation with a set time is essential rather than something you can walk in for. The service follows the traditional format of finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and preserves, and pastries, with a choice of loose-leaf teas.

The hotel sits right beside Green Park, a short walk from Piccadilly Circus and close to the Mayfair and St James's districts, which makes it easy to combine with a wider walk through central London. The nearest Underground station is Green Park, a few steps away. If afternoon tea here is on your list, book well ahead, since weekend and holiday sittings fill fast and there is no standby. It's worth checking the current dress code and any seasonal tea themes before you go, as these change through the year.