Summer diary already full of postponed weddings, long overdue get-togethers and out-of-town friends in need of entertaining? You’re not alone – so it’s going to help to have the experts in your corner for a season of socialising. Allow us, then, to point you in the direction of Harvey Nichols.

As well as being the perfect place to pick up something chic to wear to all those weddings and events, the Knightsbridge department store offers an extensive range of homewares, beauty products and accessories ideal for all this season’s big gifting occasions. There’s also the Fifth Floor fine dining restaurant and Harvey Nichols-owned OXO Tower Restaurant, Bar & Brasserie, both of which make impressive destinations for celebratory meals, date nights and beyond. Here’s our guide to what to book and buy at Harvey Nichols this summer.

To Book

Monkey 47 Jungle Terrace

Long balmy evenings in the capital call for one thing: exquisite cocktails served in surrounds that boast tremendous views of the capital’s skyline. Happily, Harvey Nichols is primed to provide. If you’ve yet to visit the Monkey 47 Jungle Terrace, a collaboration between Harvey Nichols and Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin that has taken over the department store’s Fifth Floor Terrace, you have until the end of June to experience it. A paradise for those serious about their mixology, expect an unusual and experimental cocktail menu featuring Monkey 47’s Experimentum gin – a limited edition spirit infused with mint sauce and exclusive to Harvey Nichols. Our pick? The Golden Monkey: Monkey 47 Experimentum and Fever-Tree ginger ale infused with lemon juice and white apple vinegar.

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Live Music at the Fifth Floor Bar

If you’re in the mood to party, head inside to Harvey Nichols’ Fifth Floor bar where panoramic views over Knightsbridge will be accompanied by a rotating roster of live musicians and DJs on select weekends throughout the summer. Arrive early to secure a prime window-side booth and order from a menu of classic bar snacks, including club sandwiches, Caesar salads, gnocchi and mezze, before perusing the extensive drinks menu. Here you’ll find timeless cocktails, fine wines and champagnes, spirits and an impressive low- and no-alcohol selection guaranteed to get the party started.

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Chandon Garden Terrace

Over at South Bank’s OXO Tower, meanwhile, a partnership with Chandon has seen the terrace bar transformed into a lush al fresco oasis boasting some of the best river views in the capital. Settle in among the citrus trees and seasonal blooms to enjoy a Chandon Garden Spritz. The newest addition to the bar’s cocktail menu, this refreshing blend of Chandon sparkling wine, unique bitters crafted with Valencia oranges, and macerated orange zest, herbs and spices makes for the quintessential summer cocktail. Cheers!

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Cosmetic Acupuncture Wisdom

And to get you ready for all these stellar social occasions? Harvey Nichols’ Ground Floor beauty department is the only destination you need know about. Promising all the latest wonder products, as well as a whole host of in-store beauty services and treatments from some of the world’s most renowned brands, you’ll be looking and feeling great in no time.

For something a little different, book an appointment at Cosmetic Acupuncture Wisdom. This unique approach to skin health sees the ancient art of acupuncture put to the service of flawless, glowing skin, with founder Athena Giralea using her background in anatomy and physiology to increase blood flow and promote skin luminosity. Acupuncture techniques are also combined with traditional massage, skincare and microneedling to target client’s specific concerns and create long-lasting results.

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Kate Somerville

Alternatively, receive one of Kate Somerville’s signature facials to experience for yourself why celebrities and beauty aficionados can’t get enough of her cult products and treatments. Harvey Nichols is home to the only Kate Somerville treatment room in the UK and there are a variety of options on offer, including facials targeted at outbreaks and treatments including LED light therapy, microcurrents and glycolic acid peels, but for your first time, we recommend the classic. Including a double cleanse, extraction, jelly mask, DermalQuench Oxygen Pass and massage, your skin will never have looked better.

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To Buy

The Ultimate Whisky gift: Whisky Collection Hamper

Whether your dad is a foodie, a grooming aficionado or a wine lover, Harvey Nichols’ wide array of hampers take the stress out of finding him the perfect gifting – and for whisky connoisseurs, there’s only one choice. The Whisky Collection hamper offers a whistlestop tour of some of Britain’s finest distilleries, with featured bottles including The Singleton of Dufftown 18-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Green Spot Château Léoville Barton Cask Finished Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey and Harvey Nichols Peated Burgundy Cask Single Barrel English Whisky. Inside the chic black wicker hamper, he’ll also find three Glencairn tasting glasses from which to sip them.

Whisky Collection hamper, £299, harveynichols.com

The Beauty gift: Hello Baby Hamper

Looking to pamper someone who has a really special gift on the way? Harvey Nichols’ Hello Baby hamper is packed full of treats to make expectant and new mothers feel pampered and cared for. Every product has been certified for use during pregnancy and breastfeeding, with goodies including Hatch Mama’s belly mask and belly oil and a Slip silk sleep mask and scrunchie set. There is also a host of gentle and luxurious Dr. Barbara Sturm products for newborns, including a bathing milk, shampoo and bum cream, to give them the best start.

Hello Baby hamper, £180, harveynichols.com

The Foodie gift: Ultimate Italian Collection Hamper

‘Mangia bene, ridi spesso, ama molto’ (eat well, laugh often, love much) is the guiding principle behind Harvey Nichols’ Ultimate Italian Collection hamper and any foodie recipient is guaranteed to agree that it’s nailed the brief. Cramming 16 of the store’s best-selling Italian items into one stylish hamper, lucky Italophiles can tuck into pesto, bruschetta, pecorino, olive oil and amaretti biscuits all washed down with fine Prosecco and Chianti.

Ultimate Italian Collection hamper, £230, harveynichols.com

The Thank You gift: Set The Bar Hamper

Any good guest knows it’s customary to bring a bottle when invited for dinner or a long weekend. Really great guests, however, go the extra mile with the Set The Bar hamper from Harvey Nichols. The ultimate hosting kit in a box, it boasts a bottle of award-winning Botanist Islay Dry Gin, Harvey Nichols’ own Prosecco and Corbières Rosé, mixers and a selection of delicious bar snacks, including pimento-stuffed olives, Japanese rice crackers, chilli clusters and pitted Kalamata olives. Your return invite is assured.

Set The Bar hamper, £90, harveynichols.com