Lunch at The Ritz in Madrid

The artist Salvador Dali always took his lunch at The Ritz when he visited Madrid. Today the hotel is no longer the official residence for foreign visitors to Spain but this remains the hotel of choice for film and pop stars.

No doubt the famous Goya restaurant will soon be hosting more guests from Arabia. In August Emirates Airline will start direct flights to Madrid. Qatar Airways already has direct flights. And for the past six days Spain and Russia have been the only two countries in Europe open for travel because of the volcanic dust clouds.

Lunch with the stars

ArabianMoney can heartily recommend this opulent restaurant for a trip back in time to the days when the crowned heads of Europe stayed at The Ritz. Perhaps the original chef or at least his traditions is kept alive.

Lunch begins late in Madrid. Two o’clock is early. Five courses is considered a light lunch. Let the chef guide your choice. Carpaccio stuffed with fois gras is a great starter, then a small bowl of beautifully cooked Spanish mushrooms with prawns.

Fish lovers will love the finely flaky hake in batter. For the meat course try a Ritz steak. Spain is well known for its fine beef. We also squeezed in two deserts: a type of chocolate brownie and a pineapple concoction.

Spain is also particularly known for its red wines and fine sweet desert wines should also not be missed. It is perhaps not so surprising that Salvador Dali never wanted to eat lunch anywhere else in Madrid, this great master of the arts had great taste.

Quite a performance

Then there is the faultless service by liveried waiters and a salon straight out of a film set. That might be why Holywood stars seem so at home in The Ritz, the whole place is one long memorable performance.

But do not take your calorie counter with you. This is not light or fare for the health conscious. You should lighten up on another occasion and treat The Ritz as something special. You will not be disappointed.