The Ritz vs. Brown's for Tea
 

I recently had tea at both hotels and LOVED the Ritz and was extremely disappointed with Brown's.<BR><BR>I arrived half an hour early for the last seating (17:30) and was immediately seated. The decor is very ornate with gilt ceilings and columns. An accomplished pianist played in the background. The waiters were very elegantly dressed and were kind and helpful. The atmosphere is elegant but not overwhelming.<BR><BR>The quality and amount of food was amazing. There were 6 different pastries (fruit tarts, etc.), 4 scones served with clotted cream and jam (if you've never tried clotted cream, it is fabulous), and 7 different types of sandwiches: cream cheese, ham, roast beef, etc. You have your choice of approx. 7 different teas or coffee. <BR><BR>The server was very attentive and overall, this was one of the best things I did in London. The price was 27 pounds which included gratuity.<BR><BR>Brown's, on the other hand, was dreadful. Service was extremely poor. The selection of items was nowhere near as nice as The Ritz's. You could order the Miss Marple tea, with better pastries, for a whole lot more money. <BR><BR>The atmosphere is totally different than The Ritz's: dark paneling, chintz fabric chairs. The pianist playing in the background hit a lot of clinkers.<BR><BR>The regular tea price was 24 pounds and did not include service. I did not leave a tip.

Thank you for this update! There have been so many questions regarding teas, it is good to hear a comparison.

Londoner Ben Haines has long recommended afternoon tea at the Charing Cross Thistle Hotel.<BR>Perhaps less ornate and formal an experience, but he recommends it for the food, the view, and the pleasant atmosphere. I'm hoping to take his advice next month.

Just for the record, there is no difference about the service fee at the Ritz and Brown's. It's just that at The Ritz they tell you that gratuity is included, since they know most of their guests are tourists.<BR>I doubt that Brown's currently says "Service not included" on their bill. Service is always included as locals know. There is no reason to tip at either place.<BR>Did the Ritz give up their string quartet at tea? That was always my favorite part there.

yes, brown's bill definitely said that service was not included. the ritz' bill defintely stated that it was included.

IMO the Ritz was ritzier and Brown' was cozier. As to actual food, I liked the sandwiches and pastries better at Brown's [but not the long wait].

Brown's is cozier, but the Ritz is better as far as everything else. IMHO

Actually, I prefer the Connaught for high tea. The service is impecable, and the waiters all remind me of Wodehouse's Jeeves.

Do you need reservations at The Ritz for tea? How far in advance? This may be a stupid question, but what time do people usually have "tea"? We will be there on the weekend. Any advice on which day is best?

I can answer a couple of your questions. When we had tea at the Ritz it was served between 3-5pm. Yes, you should make reservations, and the sooner the better. The 1st time we went we did not have reservations, and luckily a party of 6 had not shown up so we (5 of us) got their table.

you can go to the Ritz Hotel website and see that there are 3 seatings per day:<BR>http://www.theritzhotel.co.uk/tea/index.html<BR>to make reservations online, scroll down toward the bottom and click on Booking Form. they will reply via email. when i was there in january, i had booked online about 3 weeks ahead of time. i just booked this weeke for a mid-february visit and it was confirmed. when i was there in january not all tables were full on a monday evening at 5:30pm. they didn't even ask my name when i said i had reservations. it may be more difficult on weekends.<BR><BR>as to what time, i think it depends on your eating habits. i was going to the theater directly afterward so i wanted the later sitting as it replaced my evening meal. my husband would never be satisfied with finger sandwiches and pastries as a replacement for his dinner, so i think it just depends on your personal eating habits. if you go to the last seating, no one's going to kick you out because they need your table.