Latest news with #TheRitz
IOL News
25-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Inside Sea Point's Ritz Hotel: Big hopes, shattered dreams and no sale . . . yet, but almost
Security guard Asive Kantyi escorts us through the dilapidated corridors. The Ritz Hotel is up for sale. This derelict Sea Point landmark has turned from icon, to eyesore in recent years. Since the pandemic, illegal occupiers had settled in the top few floors of the once-luxury hotel with breathtaking vistas. Today the hotel is empty. But the Revolving Restaurant and the hotel may still get its turn again. Located on the popular Atlantic Seaboard, the Ritz Hotel Cape Town is on the brink of being sold for about 300 million. Image: Armand Hough/ Independent Newspapers A matric certificate lies in a pile of other materials in a room in the condemned Ritz Hotel in Sea Point. In another corner is a fire fighter certificate. Under an old duvet cover is a job rejection letter. During Covid the once glamourous Ritz Hotel was taken over by hijackers, alleged prostitutes, drug dealers and... an 88-year-old woman who walked 17 flights of steps a day to go to 'her' abandoned room in the building. A bulding, that even without water and electricity, completely rundown, and with almost no maintenance over the years, still boasts the best views in the city. It's no wonder then that there is an offer of close to R300 million on the table for it by a foreign hotel consortium - not Dutch, not Spanish, not French, not even from Europe, as has been widely reported. They have almost signed the deal, says Bruce Hendricks, MD of Hendricks Harmse Attorneys, one of the representatives of the owners and whose company is managing the Ritz Hotel building. It could be a done deal by Friday, he says. Or not. "Let's say it is about 80% there." The present owners - the Hurwitz and Roffey families - have been in no rush to sell the building. In one of the biggest evictions - Hendricks and his team were able to get the hijackers out of the building in 2022 leaving the place ready for a new owner - and bringing down the crime level in that end of Sea Point substantially, say some. Not quite a soft launch: a walk through The Ritz. Image: Armand Hough/Independent Newspapers He says while there has been a lot of interest to buy the building over the years, the present contenders have been the most serious. Rising higher than most buildings in the hood - at 23 storeys - a walkabout inside yesterday revealed shattered dreams with glimmers of hope of a restoration to awaken its former glory days. Views from top of the Ritz Hotel Cape Town. Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers You can't use the lift, so be prepared to climb 23 flights of stairs to be able to view the once glam revolving restuarant at the top. And you had best watch your step, even some of the marble stairs at the grand entrance hall are broken. The floors are strewn with bird feathers with some water puddles. Wallpaper with a quote from Nelson Mandela - who stayed at The Ritz after his release from Victor Verster Prison in 1990 - is half crumpled. "i walked out the door that led to my freedom... " The hotel has some legendary stories around it. Yet, even in its eeriness - dark passageways, concrete steps up 23 flights - you still gasp when you enter the once revolving restaurant on the highest floor: the views stretch across every angle of Sea Point. "I get many letters from people with stories about the hotel," says Hendricks. One man said he was conceived at the hotel, another recalls proposing at the restuarant. On social media old Sea Pointers have been reminiscing. It's an estate agents dream: Sweeping 360 views, conference facilities, a pool area, a restaurant... of course, it will be once it revamped. However the building lacks balconies, and while some windows are broken, we heard because of strong winds, some of the windows were made not to open. Like the Titanic of Sea Point - except not underground - tables and blue chairs are placed as though ready for business in the restuarant. On the floor lies an old invitation for a soft launch still in the time when Nicky van der Walt and his company had big dreams and a R120-million revamp in its pocket. Before the Cape Town High Court ordered Van de Walt and his company to vacate the building in July 2018, effectively halting the reopening. Inside the Ritz. Image: Vivian Warby
Daily Mirror
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Food reviewer told he has 'no class' after 'rude' act at The Ritz
Toby Inskip, known by his social media handle Eating with Tod, filmed himself enjoying a dining experience at The Ritz, but one 'rude' act left people declaring he has 'no class' A food reviewer on Instagram who regularly films his unique dining experiences across the country has been told he has "no class" after visiting The Ritz. Toby Inskip, known on social media as Eating with Tod, headed to the world-famous hotel to dine in its stunning restaurant, which was recently awarded a second Michelin star. But commenters on his latest Instagram video were not interested in the impressive array of dishes he was served during his visit and could only talk about one thing - his table manners. They claimed one thing he did while tucking into his lavish meal was so "rude" that it put them off the video, with others stating he has "no respect" for the "high-class restaurant". The Ritz is a five-star luxury hotel in London, and its two-Michelin-star restaurant is considered to be one of the most beautiful dining rooms in the world, complete with marble columns, chandeliers, and floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook nearby Green Park. When Tod visited the restaurant, he tucked into a seven-course tasting menu that cost £221 per person. He started with a selection of canapés and a wine list that he claimed was 73 pages long. He filmed himself tucking into pâté that he described as the best he'd ever had before moving on to a "sublime" dish of turbot, followed by truffle pasta. During this segment of his video, he praised The Ritz for their impressive sauces, and was seen drinking the last drops directly from the gravy boat he was given. Next was the "star of the show" - chestnut-fed pigeon. This dish involved several trolleys that were wheeled to Tod's seat, where restaurant staff could be seen making the sauces for his dinner right in front of his eyes. He said: "Every bite literally booted my tastebuds for six. I was not wasting anything. Who needs a dishwasher when the food tastes this good?" At this point, he made the faux pas that had people in the comments reeling - he licked his plate. One person commented: "Sorry, but you have no class here. Licking the plate at such a high-class restaurant is totally uncalled for. No respect." Another added: "Looks incredible. Your table manners, not so much. Why? Just why?" While a third posted: "Licking the plate and knife and eating with your hands? In the Ritz? Showing as much class as a school summer holiday." The meal didn't end there, though. Tod was served "the best cheese board" he had ever eaten, coupled with port from 1896 and topped off with a delicious chocolate soufflé for dessert. It seemed that The Ritz staff didn't mind his plate-licking antics either, as the restaurant's Instagram account responded in the comments with a heart-eyes emoji. And as many other commenters pointed out, licking the plate or miming the action is part of Tod's branding. He does a similar thing in many of his videos to show his appreciation for the food, and it isn't meant to be rude. One person stated: "I really appreciate how descriptive this was. Sometimes I'm a bit grossed out by the videos when you do kind of stuff your face, but licking a plate is very fun and feels like what I'd do. I know it's probably all branding. Also, as someone who'll never be able to afford the Ritz, thanks for sharing inside it." Another defended Tod's table manners, writing: "Why are so many people being so mean ... he's having the time of his life! Good on him, I'm so jealous!"
Daily Mail
12-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
The Ritz chef claims his £221 menu is 'the best value in London'
The Ritz's long-standing chef has claimed the hotel's two-Michelin-starred restaurant's £221 tasting menu is the 'best value in London '. John Williams MBE has been The Ritz Restaurant's executive chef for more than 20 years and has curated a high-end menu using only the finest ingredients. Despite charging £221 for the seven-course The Epicurean Journey menu or £199 for the five-course version, he 'solemnly' believes his cuisine is the best value in the city. The seven-course experience allows diners to sample the best Williams MBE has to offer and includes signature plates of native lobster, duck liver, Dorset crab and pigeon. Because the chef goes above and beyond to source the finest British ingredients and ensures his kitchen employs the 'highest level of technique', Williams MBE believes his prices are a steal. 'I believe solemnly, 100 per cent, [that] I'm the best value in London, for cost of product and then selling price. Value for money is everything that I believe in,' he told The Telegraph. When Williams MBE started his role at The Ritz in 2004, his first change was to lower the prices of the menu du jour by £10 - which was a significant amount 21 years ago. The tasting menus can change depending on what produce is in season and feature an array of signature dishes. While most fine dining establishments strive for the best ingredients, Williams MBE believes he takes his produce sourcing to the next level. 'You could interview 100 chefs, they're all going to say that,' he said. 'Let me tell you there's only about three or four of them looking for the very, very best, and capable of paying the very, very best. Some of my ingredients are extreme in price.' Williams MBE told The Telegraph that he buys his Dublin Bay prawns for up to £9 each and the champagne and lobster sauces on his turbot dish are so precise, they are the sole responsibility of one chef. On today's seven-course epicurean menu, diners start with a plate of Dorset crab with crème fraiche and imperial caviar before being served a ballotine of duck liver with damson, a small plum-like fruit, and pistachio. Third in the line-up is the Native lobster with spiced carrot and lemon verbena then the Agnolotti, a stuffed pasta, with black truffle and Parmesan. Next is the chestnut-fed pigeon then dessert starts with grapefruit with lemon pepper and buttermilk. There is the decadent Ritz Signature Chocolate hazelnut and fudge to finish off the meal. What is on The Ritz Restaurant's £221 seven-course menu? Dorset Crab, Crème Fraiche and Imperial Caviar Ballotine of Duck Liver, Damson and Pistachio Native Lobster, Spiced Carrot and Lemon Verbena Agnolotti, Parmesan and Black Truffle Chestnut Fed Pigeon À la Presse Grapefruit, Lemon Pepper and Buttermilk The Ritz Signature Chocolate Hazelnut and Fudge The £199 five-course menu has the crab and duck liver, and Suffolk lamb as well as the famous Cornish turbot with two sauces; one made from lobster and the other from the Ritz Reserve Champagne Barons De Rothschild. For dessert, diners are served the grapefruit and, to finish, wild strawberry with lemon verbena and lime. To accompany the food, customers can add five or six glasses of wine selected to pair perfectly with the Epicurean Journey. Wine packages range from £140 to £750 meaning, with the 12.5 per cent discretionary service charge, one diner could pay almost £1,000 for the entire experience. According to The Ritz's website, the menus are 'fitting ways to impress a client with a corporate lunch, enjoy quality time with friends or family over a weekend lunch, or celebrate a special occasion with a memorable dinner.' Those who can fork out the eye-watering prices will have to wear their finest attire so as to not break the Ritz's strict dress code. Men are required to wear a jacket and tie and ripped jeans, trainers and sportswear are explicitly forbidden. This week, The Ritz Restaurant was named the UK's best at the National Restaurant Awards. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Williams MBE, said, 'With so many great restaurants across the UK, it is a true honour and privilege to receive this recognition. 'This award is a testament to our commitment to culinary evolution and affirms that, whilst The Ritz Restaurant is part of an historic landmark, it continues to remain relevant.' 'London's most decadent dining room is a wonderful and memorable assault on the senses,' the National Restaurant Awards wrote after revealing the prestigious rankings. Alongside the restaurant's 'exceptional' food, judges noted the allure of the opulent dining room settings.
The Herald Scotland
11-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Six Scottish restaurants named in UK top 100
Three of the six restaurants are based in Edinburgh with one in each of Fife, Perth and Argyl and Bute. The awards are the largest gathering of top chefs and restaurateurs in the UK. The Ritz, in Mayfair, came out on top and many of the top 50 are made up of London eateries. Only two of the six Scottish restaurants are in the top 50, with Lyla in Edinburgh placing at 17 as the highest. Described as 'fish-focused', the restaurant is Stuart Ralston's and the Glenrothes-born chef has impressed those in the industry with it being described as 'calm and elegant'. Read More It goes to 41 for the next Scottish restaurant, with The Glenturret Lalique in Perth. Housed within The Glenturret distillery, the restaurant was previously named Scotland's best in 2023 and 2024. Mark Donald is the chef and his tasting menu is described as 'taking you on a journey through the Scottish landscape'. The Kinneauchar Inn in Fife is placed at 66th having become known for its 'good-value daily-changing à la carte menu that celebrates seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, from whole-carcass meat and game to just-picked vegetables and seafood from nearby Pittenweem'. There's two in a row at 78 and 79 with Argyll and Bute's Inver and The Little Chartroom in Edinburgh, before the capital's The Palmerston rounds off the Scottish restaurants in 97th.
Telegraph
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
The Ritz's chef John WIlliams: ‘I'm the best value in London'
The kitchen beneath The Ritz's dining room is in full swing at lunchtime. Around 20 chefs in whites – toques and all – are applying finishing touches to their plates. Waiters in black tailcoats push trolleys hurriedly through narrow corridors. The only hint this isn't a normal day at the 119-year-old hotel is that the team have all just enjoyed a glass of Bollinger before service. The previous night the restaurant was named the country's best at the National Restaurant Awards (NRAs), just four months after it earned its second Michelin star (long overdue according to many in the food industry). 'I was absolutely amazed, ecstatic,' says John Williams MBE, The Ritz's executive chef, in his office, which offers a panoramic view of the kitchen like a pundits' studio at a football stadium. 'You're always hopeful to do better than the year before [it finished 13th in 2024]. I squealed a bit when they read out number two.' With previous two-time winner Moor Hall confirmed in the runner-up position, The Ritz's fate was sealed. In an industry beholden to trends, its resurgence is remarkable. No natural wine, small plates or Korean fried chicken here. Instead, you'll find pressed Anjou pigeons, a beef Wellington trolley and crêpes suzette prepared tableside. ' The Ritz is a special place, I thought we were forgotten,' said Williams after the Michelin announcement in February. Perhaps it suffered from always being there, a symbol of old London preserved in aspic – a rich tourist's destination? 'I do believe it took a long time for people to accept. You have to break the bar of what that expectation is to get noticed.' Stefan Chomka, editor of Restaurant magazine which organises the NRAs, says The Ritz is a 'transformative restaurant'. He continues: 'The moment you cross its threshold you are taken to a place unlike any other in London, or indeed in the UK.' I have been lucky to eat there and it was certainly memorable. At tables in the grandiose Louis XVI dining room, all pinks and golds with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling fresco, sat wealthy septuagenarians with their granddaughters (or possibly their girlfriends), families celebrating special occasions and couples on what seemed like impressively expensive second dates. As for the food, the turbot 'ton sur ton', a preparation involving two sauces – one champagne, the other lobster – was perfect. The crêpes theatrical. Most delicious? A tuile filled with coronation chicken, a dish which last year gained the attention of restaurant critic Tim Hayward for involving 'every kind of twattery required' and marking every culinary 'cliché on the bingo card', but tasting 'bloody gorgeous'. The Ritz isn't subtle. A neo-Baroque sprawl of alcoves and dining rooms, it has been called ' cartoonishly grand '. Almost everywhere you'll hear someone playing piano. The Long Room gives Versailles a run for its money. It is the perfect home for Williams, a chef with five decades experience in hotels. But it is a far cry from where he was raised. Born in South Shields in 1958, Williams grew up with food playing a significant role in his childhood. His father was a fisherman, bringing home seafood from the North Sea. Williams, the second of six children, was always on hand in the kitchen or doing the food shop. One of his earliest food memories is aged around 11, helping his mother to scrape Jersey royals for the Sunday roast. 'I made some mint sauce that day and as a treat she gave me three large Jerseys with melted butter on top,' he recalls. 'That was it, I was hooked.' Williams talks with Proustian verve, his accent becoming ever so slightly more Geordie, about his father's love of pig's trotters and curries, and his own occasional treat of minced tripe with vinegar. And strawberries. The 'pungent' smell of the grocer's, when there was still little refrigeration. 'The aroma was magnificent, you hardly get that now, because they're all chilled.' Walking home, he and his mother would stop to eat the berries, the juice running down their chins. Unlike most of his peers, Williams was what one might now call a 'foodie'. Most of his contemporaries would become fishermen, miners or dock workers. He enrolled in a cookery course, making bolognese and impressing his teacher. That led to an apprenticeship at The Percy Arms, a hotel in Northumberland, where Williams realised he wanted to cook 'posh food' for 'posh people'. London was the logical next step. Before turning 17, he enrolled at catering school and secured a job at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington. By 27, he was second in command at Claridge's, in charge of around 80 cooks, before stints at The Berkeley and a return to Claridge's as executive chef, where he cooked for at least three US presidents. But The Ritz, which Williams joined in 2004 as executive chef, was arguably his calling. He remembers walking under its fabled arches back in the 1970s, peering through its glass windows and thinking, presciently, 'maybe one day I'll work there'. Many have shared the desire to step inside the neoclassical building. Founded by Swiss hotelier César Ritz in 1906, eight years after its Parisian counterpart, it has been the hotel of choice for Hollywood royalty and actual royals. Jackie Onassis stayed there, as did Charlie Chaplin and Noel Coward. Edward Heath and Harold Macmillan dined there, while Winston Churchill met Charles de Gaulle and Dwight Eisenhower in the Marie Antoinette Suite in 1942. Princess Diana was a fan, and it was where the then Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles were first pictured together in public, in 1999. Queen Elizabeth II hosted Charles's birthday bash at The Ritz in 2002, following with her own 80th birthday celebrations in 2006 for which langoustines and lamb were on the menu. On the wall in Williams' office is a framed letter of congratulations from King Charles III, received two days after the restaurant earned its second Michelin star. It is easy to see why The Ritz is beloved of the great and good. Its front doors, manned by porters dressed in tailcoats, top hats and white gloves, are a portal into another world. The afternoon tea parlour is packed (hosting five sittings and around 400 people a day), the scones sound tracked by soft jazz tinkling from a grand piano. So culturally significant is The Ritz that it spawned an adjective – the best word to describe it is, indeed, ritzy. For Williams, the challenge from day one was to evolve without straying from what makes it The Ritz. In 2004 it was, he has said, a 'reliable, if slightly outdated establishment'. Certainly not anyone's idea of trendy. 'It wasn't the greatest, in all honesty,' says Williams now. 'It was ultra expensive, but they weren't delivering the very best. That made me think of [ensuring] value for money, making sure we give the very best we can.' Williams' cooking is firmly rooted in the tradition of haute cuisine and grand hotels – he is a disciple of Georges Auguste Escoffier, who popularised traditional French cooking methods in the late 1800s. But he has tailored that to contemporary needs – introducing vegetarian and vegan menus, using less sugar and serving lighter sauces, without compromising his gastronomic principles. 'I was the correct kind of person to come to The Ritz because I solemnly believe in classic cooking and Escoffier. We really wanted to bring that on. It's not about totally changing the menus. In a place like this there's a structure, and you can't just say 'that's all out and this is in'. You'd have a riot.' What does Williams think sets The Ritz apart? It's not only the basis in classical cookery but sourcing the finest possible ingredients. Being part of a Qatari-owned hotel surely helps purchasing power (the proprietor is Abdulhadi Mana Al-Hajri, a business tycoon and brother-in-law of the Emir of Qatar), but don't all restaurants claim to use only top-notch meat, fish and veg? 'You could interview 100 chefs, they're all going to say that,' Williams admits. 'Let me tell you there's only about three or four of them looking for the very, very best, and capable of paying the very, very best. Some of my ingredients are extreme in price.' Dublin bay prawns are an example, which Williams says he buys for up to £9 a pop. Those sauces for the turbot, from champagne (which is made with Ritz Reserve Champagne Barons De Rothschild) to lobster, are also costly both to source the ingredients for and to create (it's the single role of one chef). The £221 seven-course tasting menu begins to make sense. 'I believe solemnly, 100 per cent, [that] I'm the best value in London, for cost of product and then selling price. Value for money is everything that I believe in.' One of the first things he did when taking the reins in 2004 was reduce the menu du jour by £10 – a relatively significant sum at the time. Many still tell him he should charge more. Williams has earned a reputation as one of the nation's best chefs without acquiring much fame beyond his industry. He is rarely seen on TV and uses social media sporadically (mostly when his partner makes him post holiday snaps; Williams has spoken in the past of his previous 20-year marriage coming to an end because of his career). Chef Henry Harris, who runs Bouchon Racine, a hugely popular French restaurant in London's Farringdon which took fifth place at the NRAs, recalls cooking alongside Williams and 'several truly great chefs' at a private dinner 25 years ago. 'He out-cooked us all. His understanding of our craft, techniques and traditions delivers some of the most beautiful and memorable dishes I've been lucky enough to eat. He is also a rare individual who embraces complex, often forgotten techniques that deliver dishes that aren't found anywhere to that level. We all crave tradition and comfort, and to get that in London's most beautiful dining room, with generous and attentive service, makes [The Ritz] somewhere we should all go at least once.' For Williams, a great restaurant starts with the front-of-house staff. Many have been at the hotel for years, including head hall porter Michael de Cozar, who joined in 1973 following his father's footsteps, and starred, albeit briefly, in the film Notting Hill,which included several scenes filmed on site. 'The quality of the food is one aspect, but if the human touch is not there, you might not come back,' stresses Williams. For some, however, the service can be a little out of touch. Telegraph columnist Xanthe Clay is a big fan of the food and dining room but admits 'things don't always go perfectly'. On her last visit, a working lunch with a female colleague, she found 'glitches in the service, starting with a peremptory receptionist and a delay being seated. Then, when a cheery waiter sallied forth declaring, 'Ladiiies, what are we celebrating today?' I could feel my esteemed companion shudder. Two women lunching alone, apparently, must mean a birthday at least.' Yet the accolades are finally rolling in, with a royal warrant in 2024 preceding the second Michelin star and the NRAs result. Last week, however, a report labelled the Michelin guide 'Eurocentric'. Williams believes that's 'totally untrue. They're worldwide, they've become more diverse than ever before.' The NRAs were certainly London-centric, with over half of the top 100 (and seven of the top 10) located in the capital. Yet, winning was seismic for Williams. 'For someone to say you are number one in the UK, it's one hell of a statement.' He has strong views about social media, not least the rise of restaurants creating dishes specifically for Instagram and TikTok. 'That really winds me up. I have gone to a couple of places where I've thought that looks nice, and it tasted absolute rubbish.' Nothing at The Ritz, he insists, is made for show. Williams is still at the pass every day ('I taste all the sauces on a daily basis'), playing as much golf as he can in his spare time. He is motivated by nurturing the next generation of top chefs, and plenty have already passed through his kitchen. Spencer Metzger, who rose from apprentice to head chef at The Ritz, now runs Row on 5 in London, while Adam Byatt (of Trinity, in Clapham) and Adam Smith (of Woven at Ascot) are former Ritz employees. He points to a young chef in the corner of the kitchen, Daniella, who he claims will be the 'next great chef. There are certain people [in whom] you're able to see that. The women at the moment are a bit better than the men.' Williams bookends our interview with sartorial gripes, starting by telling me most chefs at the previous night's ceremony weren't suited. Of those who were, the majority were from The Ritz, Williams jokes. I tell him the only time I wear jackets are at weddings and funerals – and when I ate at The Ritz. 'A lot of people say that,' he admits. Before I leave, he expresses a mild disdain for chefs in T-shirts and aprons. His own 30cm-tall white pleated toque is worn at all times, except when he's in his office, and he believes strongly in the dining-room's dress code which dictates a tie and jacket for men, no sportswear and no jeans. 'You walk into that restaurant and go wow. It's special, isn't it? Next thing, you see the waiters, they're dressed in a particular way. You look at the tabletops, they're dressed in a similar style. My belief is you don't want anybody with shorts and flip flops walking into a room like that, do you?' Just before leaving to join the lunch service, Williams weighs up The Ritz in the context of London's current dining scene. Its approach to sourcing and seasonality are thoroughly modern, he argues, but few chefs are turning out dishes like pressed pigeon and soufflé in a decidedly old-school dining room. 'The beautiful thing about it,' he says, 'is we've become unique, and now people are coming back to us.'
