London "Ritz" - not the hotel is rather a symbol. The symbol of the comfort, how it was represented in the XIX century, and that luxury, which has been preserved only in the family castle. 

Undoubted dignity royal hotel - outstanding service, magnificent cuisine, absolute security. Equally obvious shortcomings - primness have forgotten (like the requirements tie even at lunch), King's lack of amenities price and type of high-speed Internet access.

First time on the "Ritz" I told the Swiss director Daniel Schmid. His grandfather, too, Schmid served as head waiter here in the days when there lived Sarah Bernhardt. Father Schmid loved actress and has done all it required (or even more) to ease the difficult life of a great guest.

For example, Sarah loved to breakfast with the newspaper. Or to what books. Will have happened in a restaurant, sits down at the table, open The Times and awaiting breakfast, which is the grandfather Schmid covers this side of the newspaper. Sarah, not descending The Times, extends one arm and enough pastries. Pulls, and then another pours cream in coffee. So it is with soft-boiled egg, with the kidneys, with pates - and all what rich English breakfast. And all the blind! And all without a single mistake because his grandfather Schmid alert. And this idyll lasted exactly until at some far-fetched about (plot!) Grandfather's wishes not to dismiss. Schmid did not balk, and took the hands of a single suitcase, put his underarms only blanket, and went vosvoyasi, ie, in the Swiss canton Grizon. But Canton did not manage to get it, because Sarah is arranged in a restaurant row, poured salt in the coffee instead of sugar and is not found in the usual place of cream. Schmid immediate return, gave the second suitcase, nominated prize, but left the sediment, but because he still had fled to Switzerland and opened a family hotel "Shvaytserhof.

Perhaps the story Schmid was the only spot on the impeccable reputation of "the Ritz." I, in any case, no other stories discrediting not heard.

But then I heard the 300 members of reigning monarshego family here danced to exhaustion, recently celebrating 50 years of vosshestviya to the throne of Elizabeth II (Queen decided not to invite all the cousins and Kuzin to their homes). I have heard stories about how to remove the entire floors of other monarchs, as early in the January booking their apartments found in "the Ritz" New Year's, as two to three months to reserve a table in the "palm garden" lovers of the hotel to drink tea, as together with gourmets all over Europe to a new menu rittsevskogo boss. Yeah what little I've heard! I saw quite a lot.

I saw the world's best concierge, working in a hotel of good half-century. Saw Staiky tetushek (eighty years), enthusiastically discussing new revenue for lunch in Fortnum and Mason. " Saw facing billions of owners of factories, ships, steamers. The only thing not seen, so this is Christmas illuminations, and it is a miracle how good here (all told). Here you are, for example, to gather forces and ragged in London at Christmas. Stay at the Ritz ", listen to the orchestra Ray Fernandez, go to the reception hall in the name of Maria-Antoinette, then - in the theater, then - for dinner at Palm court. Is not it a holiday? By the way, if you go with somewhere in the Caribbean (at the "Royal Clipper", for example), the daily billet at the Ritz "do not even need visas UK - Booking Form for The Ritz will be the immigration officer at the border is sufficient.

But if you decide to Christmas madness, then take the dinner menu to explore the night of 31 December to 1 January. First, you will be served foie gras with black truffles. Secondly, consomme of veal tails. On the third - the meat of Omar in orange sauce. On the fourth - turnedo "Rossini" with the root. Desserts and cheeses. Under the champagne and wine from a huge cellar. Fireworks, bagpipes, and skiing in the horse crews included. Tuxedo and the generous tip required.

I do not want tuxedo and steaks - go to the bar "Rivoli", recently finished a masters of Lalique nut. Here you will double the eight excerpts bottle Dom Perignon, salmon, all the same calf's tail, quail with Alsatian zucchini and other desserts. It is clear that the closer to the night, all have come together in this house, and the ladies in diamonds will be dancing in their Manolo Blahnik heels of cavalry, whose ties-Butterflies are hopelessly separate already somewhere in the vicinity of the traditional champagne sorbet from The Ritz. What else can you expect from the aristocracy - they are precious and it leased to the evening at a local jewelry store, because of their safety is not entrusted, as someone else's 25 times perestrahovany, and the drive there and back they do not need it, and simply go down or ask counterman climb up, then check the reliability of fasteners, and then flex the champagne in the room and even then only to go to the sound of bagpipes in the restaurant, "Palm yard or lalikovsky bar.

Yes, and be sure to familiarize yourself with the Concierge. This person can it all: get tickets for the opera premiere, reserve a table at Gordon Ramzeya postpone departure of the aircraft, to meet with Abramovich, bring you to the lozhu Uimbldonskogo tennis club, borrow tuxedo. What else? Yes, all, I think.