Ritz London: The World's Best Restaurant?

#1 at the Uk's National Restaurant Awards on June 9th

I’ll start with a few disclaimers. First disclaimer: Is there such a thing as best restaurant? No. Why do I use the term? Duh. Google search. What do I really think? I think best does not exist beyond Google but it is fair to speak about your personal favorite restaurant, album or painting:

Van Gogh: Starry Night

So, what does this have to do with the Ritz, London?

On Monday June 9th, Ritz London came in 1st at the The National Restaurant Awards. How do these awards describe themselves?

The definitive Guide to the UK’s BEST restaurants

Why do they use that annoying word Best? Duh. Google search.

Second disclaimer: I have written a lot about bad, expensive tasting menus and the demise of great a la carte menus. One could conclude I only like traditional cooking. Not true. Some of the greatest meals of my life would include: Marc Veyrat Megeve, ElBulli, Somni, Jordnaer, Noma, Alchemist, DiverXo, L’Enclume and Vespertine. But as modernist cooking continues to spread - I am campaigning for the defense of Classical cooking served a la carte.

There is a sharp divide in the world of foodies between classical and modernist cuisine with arguments defending the past vs others promoting the future. Indeed, there are entire publications promoting one over the other.

Modernist Lists: W50 Best and OAD

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants clearly favors modern restaurants in well trafficked Metropolitan centers. The highest rated UK restaurant on last year’s list is Mexican in at #17 and the only other UK restaurant on the list has West African roots in at #42. This is not a list for the Ritz.

Opinionated About Dining Firebrand Steve Plotnicki has actually divided his lists into the Europe Top 100 for the best of modernist Europe (emphasis on Top) and a separate list for Classical Restaurants in Europe (emphasis on not top) where the Ritz languishes at #30. He has said he is not interested in visiting the Ritz or any other place on the Classical list serving cuisine like Paul Bocuse. Opinions differ!

More Classical lists: Michelin, Andy Hayler

Michelin is the most inconsistent of the lists as star rating quality fluctuates across styles (One star taco stand?) and countries where a three star in one country would not have even one star in another country (A seperate post on that). They famously held The Ritz at one star for years despite sustained campaigns to raise it to 2. They finally capitulated last year. Some of us think this was thanks to Andy Hayler who reviewed the Ritz 58 times since 2010.

Andy Hayler Was one of the world’s first on line food blogs (1994) and became well known for dining at every 3 star Michelin restaurant in the world in 2004, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018. He loves a good modernist restaurant but slants traditional having awarded France 15 perfect scores out of 94 reviews and Japan 0 perfect scores out of 144 reviews. One suspects Andy will be delighted about the Ritz being voted #1 in the UK.

Jeffrey Merrihue - I’ll keep this short. Is the Ritz the best restaurant in the UK? Europe? The World? I don’t know. I included both the afternoon tea and the dinner in my London’s Best Restaurants post It is my favorite restaurant in the world with 60 chefs/servers serving 60 diners all manor of the greatest classical dishes ever created. I would choose The Ritz London as my Last Supper even though you have to wear a tie 😱