Simply Abu Dhabi XXVI

1 2 5 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I Launched by Charles Ritz (César’s son), L’Espadon, the hotel’s iconic restaurant, was last renovated in 1982 when the hotel was owned by Mohamed Al-Fayed. Lined with eight mirrors evoking a miniature Hall of Mirrors, L’Espadon is still arranged with banquettes at its centre. Its symbol — the famous wood sculpture representing the swordfish — has been restored in London and is back in place to welcome visitors. Lunch at the one-Michelin starred Les Jardins de L’Espadon can be served on the terrace— adjacent to the Bar Vendôme—but dinners are always served inside at the two-Michelin starred La Table de L’Espadon under a trompe-l’oeil painted ceiling, perfectly complemented by ornamental moulding, gilding and wall coverings. Ritz Paris is located within walking distance of Paris’s renowned jewellery and fashion boutiques on Place Vendôme and rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, as well as the LouvreMuseum, Champs-Elysées, the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. Its eponymous Bar Vendôme faces the grand staircase houses and elegant French brasserie which can accommodate up to ten guests and which features a retractable roof to transform the cosy winter garden into a leafy year-round patio. A menu of brasserie classics – veal Viennois, sole meunière and plats du jour – offers a counterpoint to the menu at the Ritz Bar. No corner untouched, the renowned École Ritz Escoffier – the cooking school named for its first chef Auguste Escoffier, godfather of French