Make Harvey Nichols your go-to destination for fine dining this summer
There’s so much more to the famed department store than designer clothes and bountiful beauty halls
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Harvey Nichols
Restaurants and bars have now been fully reopen for just over a week which means, if you’re organised, you’ve probably visited all your favourite local haunts and are on the hunt for new dining discoveries and mixology marvels. Well, allow us to introduce you to one of the capital’s most varied, reliably delicious and perhaps surprising dining destinations: Harvey Nichols.
While best known for its expansive designer clothing departments, cornucopia of beauty brands and enticing food halls, the iconic Knightsbridge department store is also home to a wide variety of restaurants and bars catering for all tastes and occasions. So, whether you’re planning a celebratory reunion dinner or are looking to impress on a first date, here’s why to make Harvey Nichols your go-to for dining and drinking this summer.
OXO Tower Restaurant, Bar & Brasserie
Ranking as one of the capital’s best kept foodie secrets, Harvey Nichols’ fine dining outpost at the famed OXO tower is a must for meals to remember. The coming together of these two iconic London landmarks is just as impressive as you would expect, with the restaurant offering sweeping views across the Thames to St Paul’s – best enjoyed from the stunning terrace which hosts regular takeovers, the current being The Botanist Gin.
The space is home to a sophisticated bar serving a regularly rotating menu of cocktails and snacks, as well as a Michelin Green Star-holding casual brasserie helmed by head chef Keir Barry, boasting a seasonal, modern all-day menu centred around the deep smoky flavour achieved by cooking over charcoal on a Josper grill. The star of the show, however, is the restaurant, where executive head chef Jeremy Bloor serves up classic afternoon teas alongside contemporary a la carte and tasting menus foregrounding fine British produce. Accompanied by fine wines carefully selected by head sommelier Diego Muntoni, highlights from the new spring menu include slow cooked pork belly with miso caramel and charred turnips and wild bass with English squid primavera, tomato and lemongrass broth.
Harvey Nichols Fifth Floor Terrace
This may come as something of a surprise given the recent weather but there will come a time this summer when you’ll actively want to eat outdoors. And, when that time comes, there are few prettier or more peaceful spots than Harvey Nichols’ Fifth Floor Terrace, overlooking the rooftops of Knightsbridge.
Happily, the terrace also adjoins a light and airy indoor restaurant, making it a great dining option year-round. Open all day, the menu is designed to make the most of fine seasonal ingredients, with options for brunch, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. Start with a cocktail from the terrace’s current collaboration with Malfy Gin (our pick is the Sgroppino Al Lampone: Malfy lemon gin, lemon juice, raspberry sorbet and Harvey Nichols Prosecco) before diving into the brilliantly varied menu. Will it be the burrata and tender stem broccoli followed by shellfish gnocchi or a classic charcuterie plate and a stellar club sandwich? Whichever you choose, we promise you’re in for a treat.
Fifth Floor Bar
Just looking to drop in for drinks? With its impressive views of the west London skyline and extensive list of wines, champagnes and seasonal cocktails, Harvey Nichols’ Fifth Floor Bar ranks as one of the capital’s best. Served alongside casual meals and bar snacks, choose from classic cocktails (Harvey Nichols’ mixologists make a mean Espresso Martini) or select something new from its more experimental cocktail menu, which is organised by flavour profile to help you find something you love. If you fancy getting hands on, the Fifth Floor Bar also runs regular cocktail making masterclasses to help you sharpen up your skills and impress at your next dinner party.
Burger & Lobster
Looking for a decadent mid-shopping pitstop? The Harvey Nichols outpost of the phenomenally popular Burger & Lobster makes for the perfect pick-me-up. Just like its siblings across the capital, you can expect a concise but perfectly formed menu featuring burgers and lobsters in all their iterations. The seafood is served in its shell or as rolls while the tender Nebraskan beef burgers come complete with all the extras. There’s also a selection of starters, desserts and vegetarian options, alongside a full drinks menu, to help sate even the biggest of appetites.
Madhu’s2Go
The newest addition to the Harvey Nichols Fifth Floor dining experience, Madhu’s2Go is inspired by the award-winning restaurant Madhu’s which was founded in 1980. Featuring food influenced by the culinary traditions of Punjab and Kenya, dishes are a combination of cherished family recipes and contemporary takes on regional classics, with a Robata grill and Tandoor oven pressed into service to create some truly stunning plates. As the name suggests, the menu has been designed primarily to be taken away but the restaurant does offer stylish seating for up to 18, making it the perfect spot for an intimate bite to eat.
Zelman Meats
If it’s reliably great food without the fuss you’re looking for, Zelman Meats is sure to deliver. Created by the team behind Goodman restaurants, the emphasis here, as you may have guessed, is on top notch meat – with a constantly rotating choice of cuts available. Sold by weight, and accompanied by a well thought out range of starters, sides and salads, current offerings include Australian rib-eye, Brazilian striploin and fillet from Uruguay. Feeling particularly peckish? Every meal can be upgraded with the addition of a massive 500g Scottish Tomahawk steak.
Gift Experiences
Once you’ve tried Harvey Nichols’ hospitality offering for yourself, we’re certain you’re going to want your nearest and dearest to be treated to the department store’s spoiling foodie treats too. The best way to do this is with one of its specially curated gift experiences, which have been designed to make the most of Harvey Nichols’ world-class facilities. Mums will adore the Decadent Champagne Afternoon Tea for Two (a classic high tea served alongside a glass of Harvey Nichols champagne) while dads are sure to enjoy The Bartender – a spirit tasting, mixology demonstration and cocktail masterclass followed by a two-course lunch.
Shopping for a serious oenophile? Harvey Nichols offers no fewer than four wine-focused experiences, ranging from a tasting of the latest and greatest bottles to hit the market and a world tour of great wines to a session discovering brilliant but underrated gems and a journey through the Harvey Nichols own-label wine range. Chin chin!
