Harrods Dining Hall
Knightsbridge, London
With two dozen or so catering outlets spread over its eight floors, Harrods looks set to become an on-trend restaurant complex with a department store attached. The latest phase of its dining-fuelled renaissance (and its most ambitious project to date), is the lavishly renovated Grade ll-listed Dining Hall – a stunning centrepiece to the ground-floor food halls. A cool amalgam of several counter-dining eateries, it has quickly become a destination in its own right, drawing the crowds with its lively, vibrant atmosphere and the sheer quality of the food available (booking is recommended, especially at weekends). Our own favourites include Sushi by Masa from Masayoshi Takayama (chef/proprietor of highly acclaimed Masa in New York) where we watched the preparation of delicate, outstandingly fresh sushi and sashimi, including ‘signature bites’ of opulent toro tartare with caviar, and hamachi with crisp potato julienne and thin slivers of green chilli. Prices throughout reflect the impeccable raw materials. Over at Kerridge's Fish & Chips, a plate of Cornish day-boat fish in crisp gluten-free batter was a whopping £37 when we visited, but if indulging in small treats rather than splashing out on a designer frock is one of the joys of shopping in Harrods, then this is the place to be. There are some conventional tables, but it’s always worth bagging a ringside seat to watch the action, especially at another favourite spot, Harrods Grill, where chefs wrangle hefty cuts of prime beef over charcoal. We had leftovers from our rotisserie chicken and 200g slab of tender, flavoursome US prime rib, which we had teamed with smoked béarnaise, Koffmann fries and creamed spinach – and were delighted when the cheerful, on-the-ball staff happily packed it up in a Harrods carrier bag to take away. Elsewhere, Kinoya Ramen Bar (an offshoot of Neha Mishra’s acclaimed Dubai restaurant), lays claim to be the most popular spot in the room – the chef’s tonkotsu with 12-hour rich pork broth, bacon-flavoured katsuobushi salt, anchovy oil and torched chasu (pork belly) is exclusive to Harrods. Completing the current line-up are the Pasta Evangelists by Perbellini and the Mediterranen Grill by Assembly from Greek-born Athanasios Kargatzidis, which offers some delicious skewers, small plates and meze. Each restaurant has its own wine list. Note that the ratings relate to the overall Dining Hall experience, not individual restaurants.
