Salon Proust

Inquisitive and Parisian to the end, a witness to the whisperings of his day, the author of “In Search of Lost Time” made this lounge-library his headquarters, a social observatory right in the heart of the Ritz Paris where no shred of inspiration could elude his keen eye.

Named in his memory, this wood-paneled sitting room where a fire crackles in the hearth in winter remains one of the hotel’s musts.

This is where our Head Pastry Chef, François Perret, offers "French-style teatime" daily, a special moment that nods to Proust’s beloved madeleines, which are served alongside other biscuits, and marble cakes.

Starting at 6pm, the Salon Proust transforms into a Champagne bar.

French-style teatime, daily from 2:30pm to 6pm.

Champagne bar, daily from 6pm to 8pm.

A master in the art of making the classics contemporary, Chef Perret has transformed the Salon Proust into a place for a moment, and a moment in itself: that of a French-style tea that restores tea cakes to their rightful glory.

Sponge cake, Russian cigarettes, Florentines, sugar tarts, and chocolate chip buns with dry-roasted chocolate bean grué follow in the wake of an exceptional tea selection from the prestigious house TWG.

"That way, everyone can find their own Proust’s madeleine", the extraordinarily talented pastry chef says with a smile.

A guest at the hotel’s inauguration, Proust immediately made the Ritz Paris his second home and it proved an unparalleled source of inspiration.

Here, he hosted intimate salons where he gleaned secrets from literary and aristocratic sets and took great pleasure in using them in his writings.