The Ritz is perhaps the most famous hotel in London. The Ritz in Madrid is part of the same brand, it may not possess the same iconic status but still has great prestige and glamour.

Situated on museum mile – among the Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen – this hotel could easily be mistaken for another historic house of art. It has always received famous guests but those unable to afford the accommodation can still experience a little bit of glitz at the Ritz with the signature English afternoon tea, or the local speciality churros with hot chocolate. We opted for both!

Entering through the sun-soaked garden terrace, we were escorted to the Hall and Bar, an opulent lounge where guests and visitors can snack and chat whilst classical piano plays.

The tea is as you would expect, very smart and civilised, three tiers of crust-cut sandwiches, scones and cakes all prepared immaculately. Very soft petite, rectangular sandwiches contained classic fillings such as cucumber, salmon, egg and ham. The scones were warm and delightful, fresh out of the oven. The top layer of the stand was filled with bite-sized cakes, that were very pretty but a little too sweet for me. The food was accompanied with loose leaf Earl Grey tea, which was nice but I would have preferred a cold glass of Cava, which despite asking, never arrived.

Churros was the main attraction. Just made, the thin donut-style sticks were crispy and fresh on the outside, and puffy and airy inside. Served with a jug of hot, thick, milk chocolate, they looked, smelt and tasted delicious.

As we sat enjoying our sweet treats, I took in the magnificent surroundings and flicked through the inspiring book recently published to honour the hotel’s history.

More information and book a stay at The Ritz Madrid here.

Many thanks to the Madrid Tourist Board for their help with this trip, more information here.