The Ritz chef claims his £221 menu is 'the best value in London'
John Williams MBE has been The Ritz Restaurant's executive chef for more than 20 years and has curated a high-end menu using only the finest ingredients.
Despite charging £221 for the seven-course The Epicurean Journey menu or £199 for the five-course version, he 'solemnly' believes his cuisine is the best value in the city.
The seven-course experience allows diners to sample the best Williams MBE has to offer and includes signature plates of native lobster, duck liver, Dorset crab and pigeon.
Because the chef goes above and beyond to source the finest British ingredients and ensures his kitchen employs the 'highest level of technique', Williams MBE believes his prices are a steal.
'I believe solemnly, 100 per cent, [that] I'm the best value in London, for cost of product and then selling price. Value for money is everything that I believe in,' he told The Telegraph.
When Williams MBE started his role at The Ritz in 2004, his first change was to lower the prices of the menu du jour by £10 - which was a significant amount 21 years ago.
The tasting menus can change depending on what produce is in season and feature an array of signature dishes.
While most fine dining establishments strive for the best ingredients, Williams MBE believes he takes his produce sourcing to the next level.
'You could interview 100 chefs, they're all going to say that,' he said.
'Let me tell you there's only about three or four of them looking for the very, very best, and capable of paying the very, very best. Some of my ingredients are extreme in price.'
Williams MBE told The Telegraph that he buys his Dublin Bay prawns for up to £9 each and the champagne and lobster sauces on his turbot dish are so precise, they are the sole responsibility of one chef.
On today's seven-course epicurean menu, diners start with a plate of Dorset crab with crème fraiche and imperial caviar before being served a ballotine of duck liver with damson, a small plum-like fruit, and pistachio.
Third in the line-up is the Native lobster with spiced carrot and lemon verbena then the Agnolotti, a stuffed pasta, with black truffle and Parmesan.
Next is the chestnut-fed pigeon then dessert starts with grapefruit with lemon pepper and buttermilk.
There is the decadent Ritz Signature Chocolate hazelnut and fudge to finish off the meal.
What is on The Ritz Restaurant's £221 seven-course menu?
Dorset Crab, Crème Fraiche and Imperial Caviar
Ballotine of Duck Liver, Damson and Pistachio
Native Lobster, Spiced Carrot and Lemon Verbena
Agnolotti, Parmesan and Black Truffle
Chestnut Fed Pigeon À la Presse
Grapefruit, Lemon Pepper and Buttermilk
The Ritz Signature Chocolate Hazelnut and Fudge
The £199 five-course menu has the crab and duck liver, and Suffolk lamb as well as the famous Cornish turbot with two sauces; one made from lobster and the other from the Ritz Reserve Champagne Barons De Rothschild.
For dessert, diners are served the grapefruit and, to finish, wild strawberry with lemon verbena and lime.
To accompany the food, customers can add five or six glasses of wine selected to pair perfectly with the Epicurean Journey.
Wine packages range from £140 to £750 meaning, with the 12.5 per cent discretionary service charge, one diner could pay almost £1,000 for the entire experience.
According to The Ritz's website, the menus are 'fitting ways to impress a client with a corporate lunch, enjoy quality time with friends or family over a weekend lunch, or celebrate a special occasion with a memorable dinner.'
Those who can fork out the eye-watering prices will have to wear their finest attire so as to not break the Ritz's strict dress code.
Men are required to wear a jacket and tie and ripped jeans, trainers and sportswear are explicitly forbidden.
This week, The Ritz Restaurant was named the UK's best at the National Restaurant Awards.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Williams MBE, said, 'With so many great restaurants across the UK, it is a true honour and privilege to receive this recognition.
'This award is a testament to our commitment to culinary evolution and affirms that, whilst The Ritz Restaurant is part of an historic landmark, it continues to remain relevant.'
'London's most decadent dining room is a wonderful and memorable assault on the senses,' the National Restaurant Awards wrote after revealing the prestigious rankings.
Alongside the restaurant's 'exceptional' food, judges noted the allure of the opulent dining room settings.
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