If I’ve made one thing obvious on this website, it’s that my love of the Ritz-Carlton Macau knows no bounds. I waxed ecstatic over its lobby and hotel room, swooned like a starlit debutante over Lai Heen, and will blush beat red again in this review of the Sunday Champagne Brunch at the Ritz-Carlton Cafe.
While it’s not the best buffet in town (that’s Urban Kitchen), it’s certainly the nicest and the one to try when you can’t afford 4000 Mop rooms but still want a sniff of the Ritz-Carlton experience. Maybe it’s the pristine white marble, maybe it’s the incomparable service and setting, maybe it’s all the people who go there just to be seen, whatever it is, the Ritz-Carlton Cafe feels like another world and I’m behind it with everything I got.
I’ve only ever had the Sunday brunch, but they also do a la carte in the evening along with a slew of Special Nights: Surf and Turf (Sat/Sun), Seafood (Friday), Fish (Mon/Tue), and Steak and Fries (Wed/Thu).
Held from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm, the Sunday Brunch runs $498 for free juice, coffee, tea and soft drinks, while the real fun starts from $588, which allows free flow Barons de Rothschild, Cuvée Ritz Brut Champagne or Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut Champagne, along with house wine.
For the truly elite, there’s an even more exclusive wine pairing option that costs $888, while children aged 6 to 11 are charged $188 a head.
Before you get all up in arms about the price, keep in mind that you won’t find a weekend brunch buffet worth its salt in Macau for less than $400, so paying an extra $200 for free flow champagne is a very fair deal indeed. In fact, I’d even call it a bargain considering that over at Banyan Tree, Belon chargers $800 for their Champagne Brunch and it’s not even as good as the one at the Ritz, especially in terms of food quality and service.
As for what they offer, it all starts the seafood station and its fine selection of shrimp, clams and mussels, highlighted by Grilled Maine Lobster and Salt Crusted Salmon.
Meat lovers can dig into the Smoked Beef Short Ribs, Roasted Whole Chicken, Roasted Pork Knuckle and Pork Belly, along with a standard assortment of cold cuts, while lighter eaters can peruse the salads, nuts and cheeses.
Dessert is another strong point and is equally extensive, with home made Ice Cream. Serradura, Chocolate Mousse, Strawberry Cheesecake and Mocha Truffles all available.
The only knock against the buffet is its size – there aren’t a hundred stations with unlimited choices, but who can eat that much anyway? The selection is plentiful enough and it’s hard to see a true weakness anywhere, even when you consider the price.
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