Harrod's Food Court info needed
 

Hi,

My friend is arriving in London a few days after I do. By the time she lands, gets to the hotel and freshen up, it will be around 12noon or so. Since it is my first time in London and I'm only there for 8 days, we both agree that I shouldn't waste the morning staying at the hotel waiting for her to arrive.

She has been to London quite a few times and suggested that we meet at the food court at Harrods, since I do want to go to Harrods and it will be apx lunch time anyway. Here's our challenge, I do know that the food court is quite big, and she can't remember off hand the name of a particular restaurant/company that we could meet at. I've gone to Harrod's on line to see if they might have a list of all the food places but couldn't find anything.

Would anyone remember the names of restaurants that we could make our meeting point? If our cell phones worked in the UK, there wouldn't be a problem, but they don't, so we need a meeting spot and I need your help in determining which location within the food court.

Thank you.

I went back to Harrod's website and found the list of every place at the food court. However, if you have any ideas, I'd still love to hear them.

If you want an actual restaurant, Cafe Harrod's is on the 2nd floor. I've been to Harrod's a few times and I really don't see where you would have a problem meeting up with your friend in the Food Hall - say at the entrance, or there is a coffee bar, sushi bar, deli, within the FH. Have fun - it is truly mind boggling!

What would you like to eat? There are a number of restaurants in the Food Halls, mostly counters with stools. Most convenient would be the Pizza counter, since it's opposite the entrance from the street (Hans Place). Next to the Pizza counter there's an icecream bar. There's a deli in the meat hall. An oyster bar right next to the fish display, a cheese bar right next to where the cheese counter is.
An easy place to meat is at the fish display, next to the oyster bar. You can't miss it.
There's also a tapas bar in the basement; take the escalator right next to the pizza counter.

I suggest the Krispy Kreme counter. You can smell them from a mile away... .

How about the cheese bar. (Not the counter) you can sit have a coffee/wine and wait and get a cheese plate if you are peckish. Its just in side one of the entrances to the hall. Its nice for people watching as well. Thats where I usually meet friends when I am over.

The oyster bar or the sushi bar would be a great place to meet.

I'd eat at the cheese bar, they do very nice little bits, but if you want somewhere to meet - Krispy Kreme as this is by an entrance so can be found easily!

Food Courts in American malls are great areas full of fast food restaurants.
Harrods Food Courts might be better imagined as a huge market full of every kind of delicious food, divided into seafood, cheese, bakery, etc.
Meet her by the desserts :)

We have rented a flat in So Ken and made great use of the Food Halls. Dinner of caviar, smoked salmon and cheeses, breakfast of same:) and all those desserts to taste test.
Have a lovely time!

Yes, there is a vast difference in the food halls in US malls and England. You won't find McDonalds, Pizza Hut or Chinese restaurants in the UK food halls. :)

Here's another place you might want to consider for a meeting point - Starbucks. It's on the lower level (basement to Americans) and it's small enough that you shouldn't have trouble finding each other like you may in the very large & sometimes crowded food halls. Also it's a little less expensive than the other restaurants in Harrods. When I was there last Apil, I left the Starbucks shop to find the loo and while going up the escalator, I saw Harrods' owner, Mohamed al-Fayed and his bodyguards. When I returned to Starbucks where my mom was finishing her snack and minding our packages, she was very jealous that she missed him - our only celebrity sighting in the U.K.

I've encountered him countless times when I'm at his store - always beautifully suited and booted, flanked by two burly looking chaps.

I don't know what folks are talking about "meet at the entrance". There are many entrances to the Food Halls - and several halls. At mid day they will all be VERY crowded and fairly overwhelming if you have not been there before.

So I'd select a different location to meet up and then you can go into the food halls together. You could meet at the bank or the tax desk which are both on the lower level (basement), fairly quiet and have chairs where you can sit and wait.

or you could meet in the Harrods shop which is near the tax desk.

There is only one entrance that leads directly into the Food Halls from the street, and it leads you directly to the Pizza counter. It's on the side street (Hans Place I think, anyway, the street where Rigby and Peller is); coming from the direction of Kensington, turn right just before the building, and the entrance to the food halls will be a little further on the left. (not the first entrance; this will take you to the hosiery department).
Really very easy.
And Mr Fayed does always look well dressed. I have seen him several times too. I think it's always good that the boss is around regularly. I used to be a guest shopper at Harrods, filling out questionnaires and reviewing the departments, and was told that Mr Fayed takes a keen interest in that too.

To be honest, I wouldn`t recommend to meet in the food halls. Sometimes they are very crowded and it could be difficult to find someone. Why not meet at a place less crowded, like the room of luxury. It is on the same level, not very crowded and small enough to see each other in seconds. And if your friend is late you could have a look on all these beautiful things. Later you both could decide together what and where you want to eat...

Or do an Audrey Hepburn and meet in the Tiffany concession on the ground floor behind the food hall.

There is only one entrance from the street - but there are several entrances from other departments. And it is on the opposite side of the store from the tube station so you have to walk around or through the whole store. I would not want to have to hang around out on the pavement (sidewalk) or just inside this very congested doorway. Just decide on a quieter department (that's why I suggested the bank or export desk) to meet up.

if you have to go to a food hall in britain at least go to go fortnum and mason. harrods is really really bad. you might as well be at the mall of america.

I'd meet at the Krispy Kreme donut place--you can "smell" you way to them!
surfingmomma

"harrods is really really bad"

My dear, I love their foodhalls, if I'm having a dinner party I will always have little bit bought from their. The selection is superb, and quality is topnotch. Their turned vegetables to serve with meats are beautifully prepared. You have no idea what you are talking about. Fortums, whilst very charming, is far smaller than Harrods, and as a result the selection suffers.

Stop being so negative when you have no idea what you are talking about.

I'm by no means a shopper (ex: wine) so I found Harrod's an outrageously expensive schizophrenic nightmare during their summer sale in July.

I would meet at Manicomio @ Sloan Square for lunch.

M

Being a shopper (and an eater) :) I love Harrods and the Food Halls.
I do like m_kingdoms idea of Tiffanys, though.
"Really really bad", I cannot understand where that comment comes from. What is "really really bad"? The food, the amound of choice, the quality, or just the expense? Weird.
Although, I might be a little ignorant of most malling experiences, I have never been to the Mall of America nor do I plan to. But I cannot imagine Harrods being compared to anything remotely like an American mall.
While you are there, lyb, get some Harrods coffee or teas. They come in lovely green tins that you can keep and use in your kitchen :)

m_kingdom...harrods sells crispy creams (and about 2 years after they went out of style)....'nuff said.

Harrods during sale time is crowded-but if one comes very early on any given weekday, it is heavenly walking through the nearly empty store. I always find wonderful staff and get a relaxed and sophisticated start into a day of shopping and sightseeing!

The only thing I've found "really, really bad" about Harrods food halls is the crowds of people. The prices of their "eat-in" food are high, but the other food isn't out of line for nice quality foods. And there are so many interesting things to look at! :)

scarlett...to explain...harrods is not the british institution that americans make it out to be. the whole store is a farce of itself (not my words but they fit). the whole idea of a mega-store is un-british. why come all this way to mingle with the same americans who you see at the mall of america?

no, the food is not really bad but this post is about some dramatic pilgrimage to meet someone at harrods on their trip to britain. i just don't get it.

walkinaround, if you are British, perhaps that is your opinion based on living there.
But while I would never consider going to Harrods as a pilgrimage, it is a treat and not just for Americans.
My friends in Paris and in Japan, love to shop in Harrods, as well as my American friends.
American abounds in Mega everything, Harrods is actually not so big compared with what is going on in the US..but it has an atmosphere, a cache to it that makes it a treat to just walk around in.
But then again, I like to shop and I take my time in reaching that blase point where I am not thrilled by certain things.

I have been to both Harrod's and the Mall of America. To say they are alike is idiotic to say the least. MK2 and I don't always agree, but here we are in agreement. The Food Halls are excellent. As is the rest of Harrod's. Sure, it is expensive, but you get your money's worth. And this comes from someone who is a budget traveller.

The staff at Harrods are first class. I could care less about shopping, but I have had nothing but good experiences at Harrod's.

Everyone,

Thank you for all the suggestions, I've read them very quickly and after I get some dinner, I'm coming back to read in detail and will then print this out.

Walkinaround,

>>about some dramatic pilgrimage to meet someone at harrods on their trip to britain. i just don't get it.<<

No, this is not a pilgrimage, this is about a "meeting point" and combining it with also seeing a place that you want to visit anyway. It's called killing two birds with one stone, common sense, etc...especially since at the time we will meet, we will both be ready to get something to eat. We will then be in London together for the next 5 days.

Will we spend our whole day shopping?? Most definitely not! Will we walk around Harrods and see it? Most definitely! Harrod's is a place that we hear about all the time and I think is worth going to see, and when I come back to London in the future, will I go to Harrod's again? I don't know, I don't see it as a pilgrimage, I see it as somewhere to go and see since I've heard so much about it.

lyb, I hope you have a nice time in London-and at Harrods!

Darlings,

Before you head to Harrods, I'd recommend you meet in a much more salubrious foodhall, the top floor of Harvey Nicks:

http://www.harveynichols.com/html/st..._directory.asp

Both the top-floor coffee bar and proper bar (with properly strong drinks & a view over the rooftops) would be a wonderful place to meet. Have fun watching the Edinas while you wait -- it's a lovely store.

Harvey Nicks is right across from the Tube exit, less than a block away from Harrods. You could then contrast & compare the Harrods foodhall (ground floor, no view, tourist grand central station). There's a world of difference * )
HTH, enjoy Blighty!

I am salivating just thinking about the beloved food halls! It is just a pitty nobody has come up with the idea of microwaves on wheels placed just outside the street entrance to the food halls. It is such a shame to eat it cold when on the run and they will not heat it for you. I would have paid someone for the use of their mircowave just to heat up some of our selections. We always end up at the Indian counter.

Since there is a Starbucks inside of Harrod's it may just be easiest to meet there. That is where I would meet up with DH when we would get lost. Have fun! You are in for a treat!

to ealing_calling - please educate me on something you mentioned in your post in this thread, when you mentioned watching "the Edinas" from the rooftop coffee bar in Harvey Nicks - what exactly are "Edinas" in this context? I ask because I used to live in a town called Edina (in Minnesota, USA) and was wondering what the British version was. I believe that my former home town was named that because it was founded mainly by Scottish Immigrants, and Edina is a term for a person from Edinburgh.

Also, like rj007, I have also been to both Harrods & the Mall of America (since I used to live right across the street from it) and I agree with him or her that to compare the two is utter nonsense. They are apples & zucchini, each with their own appeals and drawbacks. I vist the MOA evey time I go to Minneapolis and Harrods every time I go to London. I enjoy them both but for totally differnet reasons, and could never confuse one for the other.

Hi there!

Edina was the main character in AbFab

http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/abfab/

and Harvey Nicks featured in a couple of episodes. The bar & cafe there are the ne plus ultra in people-watching. And, last time I ordered take-away (to go) goodies, they *did* heat 'em up for me. It's in a different class altogether IMO.

Amusing to see Betty Crocker boxed mixes at £5 each too!

Thanks for the info, ealing_calling. If I should be so fortunate as to return to London I will make a point of visitin Harvey Nicks and look for Edinas. How is the lady's name pronouced? (haven't seen the show) The town of the same spelling was pronounced ee DINE uh.

It's Ed-dee-nah darling.

Harvey Nichols 5th floor is disgusting. The washrooms are poorly serviced, vile. Harvey Nichols as a building is terribly overrated. The fashions are superb, but the store itself needs a major overhaul, the escalators are archaic - Harrods is in a far better state of repair (the Egyptian escalator is lacking any taste), and is a more pleasant experience.

Pictures speak louder . . .

http://www.harveynichols.com/html/re...s_profile5.asp

Harrods 'a more pleasant experience'?
Ha! Mobbed, always. Tourist central.
You do surprise me on this one * )
However, one can have divergent opinions . . .

Only the ground floor is "mobbed", the lower grounds menswear, and first/second floor of womenswear are always quiet with lots of assistants on hand. Virtually every serious department is quiet. Harvey Nichols is much more unpleasant!

I have posted before my comments Re: Harrods's - their 40% off July sale prices (in USDs) make Nieman Marcus seem like give away here in the US.
M

Title of this thread: Harrods' Food Halls . . .
which are on the ground floor,
and *they are heaving with people.*
So we agree.

BTW I would never spend £ on clothes in either of these fine establishments, nor $ in Needless Markups.

Just thought I'd offer a more civilized department store experience, since the original enquiry was about meeting places (& the Patsy- & Edina-watching is quite intense @ HN).

Give me a roofop view and a properly prepared macciato by cute Italian barrista, thank you very much and goodnight.