London, Monday 10th February 2025: The Ritz Restaurant has today been awarded a second star in the MICHELIN Guide Great Britain and Ireland 2025.
Commenting on the announcement, John Williams MBE, Executive Chef of The Ritz London said:
“I have waited 50 years for this moment. It is so special – The Ritz is a special place. I thought we were forgotten, but we carried on cooking to the best of our ability looking after our guests. I am incredibly lucky to have fantastic people working for me, including the service team who are fantastic at the ‘Art De La Table’ experience, which I have focused on for many years. The food, we all know as chefs, is very important but the experience comes from the service. Thank you very much.”
With his menus, Williams continues to build on the principles and beliefs of Auguste Escoffier, drawing inspiration from classic dishes and making them relevant to today’s diner using the best quality British produce in season, always precisely executed and impeccably presented. The Ritz Restaurant, considered by many to be the most beautiful hotel dining room in London, has become unique in maintaining the quality and style of the restaurant, while consistently showcasing the very highest level of technical expertise and personalised service demonstrated by the Front of House restaurant team.
In his role as Executive Chef, John Williams MBE has overseen The Ritz kitchen since 2004, bringing three decades of hospitality experience to the venerated kitchens of the legendary Piccadilly hotel. The son of a Tyneside fisherman and taught by his mother to cook, Williams developed his passion for food at an early age and today he is one of the most respected chefs in Britain. Under his leadership, The Ritz Restaurant was awarded one Michelin Star in the Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland 2017 for the first time in the hotel’s history and in 2019, The Ritz London: The Cookbook by John Williams, was published. In 2024, he was appointed as the president of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts after 20 years in the role of chairman.