Is there any greater pleasure than holing up in a cosy restaurant and ordering an array of warming, comforting dishes on a cold, grey day in the capital? While everyone loves a rooftop bar and al fresco dining is lovely, there’s nothing quite so wonderful as allowing the outside world to slip away as you linger over seasonal ingredients and a bottle of something full-bodied.

Few know this better than Harvey Nichols, which has been allowing its guests to step into a fantasy land of fashion, food and luxury since 1831. This winter, the escapism extends to its hospitality offerings both in-store and at the lauded OXO Tower Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie, with delectable set menus and collaborative offerings guaranteed to satiate even the most serious foodie. Here’s everything you need to know…

Harvey Nichols Fifth Floor Café

The elegant Fifth Floor Café at Harvey Nichols’ Knightsbridge department store has long been a go-to for shoppers in need of a sophisticated pitstop, as well as those looking for somewhere unusual and impressive for a date night or to catch up with friends. This season, the kitchen has teamed up with fine spirits brand House of Suntory to devise a set menu perfectly paired with Suntory cocktails.

Offering two courses for £25 or three for £30, both of which come with a cocktail, highlights include starters of smoked salmon terrine with champagne jelly, and cured duck and spinach salad, followed by main courses such as braised lamb shoulder with creamy polenta, rainbow chard and girolles or a tempting vegan option of mixed grains, pickled swede and turnip, mixed mushrooms and roasted tofu. An array of sides is also available (because everyone loves fries) while desserts include milk chocolate cheesecake, sticky toffee pudding and vanilla and orange flan.

To wash everything down a choice of two House of Suntory cocktails are on offer. Akemi is a highly grown-up serve blending Suntory Toki whisky with Prucia plum liqueur, port syrup, dried plum and orange zest. For something fruitier, meanwhile, choose the Roku Bramble: Roku gin, creme de cassis, lemon juice, sugar syrup, blueberry and a lemon twist.

Winter dining menu, £25 for two courses or £30 for three, harveynichols.com

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OXO Tower Brasserie

The more casual of the OXO Tower’s two restaurants, dining at the OXO Tower Brasserie centres around an open kitchen and the unique flavours created by cooking over charcoal on a Josper grill – as well, of course, as the dining room’s incredible views over the London skyline.

For winter, Head Chef Keir Barry has created a three-course set menu which highlights fine British produce and modern European cooking techniques. Begin your meal with a range of indulgent starters, such as roast Jerusalem artichoke and mushroom soup with truffle mascarpone or confit duck wings with mushroom pate, warm lentil salad and tarragon mustard dressing. For the main event, roast salmon with brown crab and mussel beurre blanc, spinach, gnocchi and samphire offers a quintessential taste of the British coastline, while Josper grilled pork chop with apple sauce, wild rice and barley, roast parsnip and grained mustard is sure to please carnivores.

Finally choose from a range of classic desserts, such as chocolate and peanut tart, and orange marmalade cake, while the House of Suntory has also created a range of modern twists on traditional cocktails to pair. Will yours be a peppery Roku gin and tonic, a Toki whisky and soda with grapefruit or perhaps an always-reliable Negroni?

OXO Tower Brasserie winter set menu, £35 for three courses and a cocktail, harveynichols.com

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OXO Tower Restaurant

Helmed by Executive Head Chef Jeremy Bloor, with the cellar manned by Head Sommelier Diego Muntoni, the upscale OXO Tower Restaurant excels in modern British fine dining perfect for everything from special celebrations to business meetings and romantic nights out.

Alongside its delicious a la carte menu, this winter the OXO Tower Restaurant is also offering a fantastic set menu bursting with the finest seasonal ingredients. Once again, the experience starts with a refined House of Suntory gin and tonic or simple mule, before guests are invited to tuck into starters of smoked tofu with leek puree, sea bream and fennel escabeche or slow roast pork belly with confit shallots.

The star of the show is a trio of mains, including cauliflower steak with onion bhajis, grilled salmon and roast beetroot, and duck breast with confit leg and savoy cabbage. And for the finishing touch? Choose from rhubarb and custard mousse, banana cake with caramel cream or a rich pecan fondant with chocolate ice cream. We defy you not to book a return visit.

OXO Tower restaurant winter set menu, £40 for three courses and a cocktail, harveynichols.com

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