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The Ritz’s dress-code requirement is outlined by the hotel’s liveried flunkies – box hats, birds’ feathers and all – who address many guests by title and surname as they pass through the lobby.
The stratospherically over-the-top decor in the Rivoli bar harks back to the golden era of cocktails between the wars, although it’s far more garish than it needs to be. Prices only appear sensible if money is of no consequence: among the nine house speciality cocktails are the Cesar Ritz (£120), made with Courvoisier l’Esprit, Ruinart Blanc de Blancs champagne and Angostura bitters; and, a comparative snip at £17, the Ritz Whiskers (Four Roses small-batch bourbon, Ketel One vanilla vodka and amaretto).
Champagne cocktails, martinis, long drinks and after-dinner cocktails are priced in similarly if-you-have-to-ask-you-can’t-afford-it fashion.