I had been really looking forward to this experience, but to be brutally honest, I left feeling disappointed.
Before anything else, I want to emphasise that the staff were brilliant—extremely welcoming, polite, and friendly. I have no criticism whatsoever regarding their attitude or the service they provided. They did an excellent job and deserved full credit for their professionalism. Mariano in particular provided a superb service with a big smile.
I booked a week in advance and even called the day before to confirm that everything was in order and that my dining partner and I were expected. However, when we arrived at the lobby bar, there was clear confusion about our reservation, and it felt as though they had not been expecting us. Still, the staff remained professional, asked us to take a seat, and quickly disappeared behind the scenes with some frantic whispering and hand waving.
We settled inside rather than on the terrace, and our champagne arrived promptly, followed by tea and coffee. The table was nicely set with linen napkins, plates, and cutlery, but only just had enough space for the teapot and cups. This led to the first issue: once the food arrived, there simply wasn’t enough room for it. A second table—at a different height—was brought over hastily. It was a solution, but not one you’d expect at a five-star deluxe hotel, especially when the experience costs €78 for two people.
By this point, our tea and coffee had gone cold while we enjoyed our champagne, and to make matters worse, what we were served did not match the menu.
The menu stated six savouries each; we were served five. When we pointed this out, staff apologised and allowed us to choose an extra item, and to their credit, they quickly brought us two additional pieces.
Now, regarding the food itself:
- The mini croissant with braised ham and truffled brie was simply a croissant with ham and cheddar cheese.
- The vol-au-vent prawn with Marie Rose sauce arrived as a pastry tartlet.
- The cucumber and smoked butter sandwich had been toasted.
- The foie gras toast was served on plain bread, not toast.
- Of the two other items listed—salmon and caper mousse tartlet and vol-au-vent of Kalamata olive tapenade with sun-dried tomatoes—we aren’t sure if we received either of these. We did get a tartlet with a fish filling topped with caviar. (Also worth noting: the menu spelled “Kalamata” incorrectly as “kamalata.”)
Now for the sweets.
The menu promised: mini carrot cake, raspberry macaron, mini sour strawberry tartlet, 70% dark chocolate silky muffin, pistachio financier, and a red fruit and champagne verrine.
It all sounded wonderful.
What we received was: a selection of chocolates, four flavoured macarons, a chocolate éclair, a pistachio éclair, and a fruit-filled pastry. All perfectly pleasant, but not what was advertised, and certainly not what we paid for.
As for quality, although everything tasted nice, it didn’t feel like the standard one would expect from a deluxe hotel. None of it seemed freshly made on site—the tartlet cases and macarons looked like something I could purchase at a local supermarket. Overall, it was rather underwhelming.
On a positive note, as mentioned earlier, the staff were exceptional. Telmo, the Head of Food and Beverage, handled the situation with great professionalism. He offered us an additional glass of champagne each, as well as more tea and coffee, all while sincerely apologising for our disappointment.
The explanation given for the lack of preparation was that the hotel had not been open for long, and they were “still learning how to do things.” I’m not entirely sure how I feel about that. Some may think I’m being harsh, but if the hotel wishes to attract and satisfy five-star clientele, they need to ensure that what is served matches what is promised. Preparation at this level is paramount – and they had a week to prepare for my High Tea!
I certainly couldn’t imagine walking into The Ritz and being served food on mismatched tables or receiving items not listed on the menu.
As the saying goes, first impressions last—and unfortunately, mine were not great.
