Harrods unveils elegant refurbishment of The Georgian
Harrods will always be the gem of Knightsbridge and London itself. In a word – it’s iconic. The Audrey Hepburn of department stores if you will. People from all over the world flock to this Knightsbridge treasure to fawn over the clothes, the jewellery (we’d happily spend an entire weekend staring at Boodles’ designs) and of course, the delicious food it serves. The Georgian at Harrods, a pillar of fine dining and fashion since 1913, epitomises everything that is elegant and classy about our capital whilst the traditional carvery and classic English afternoon tea reminds us that Harrods is the quintessentially British department store.
Both frequenters and would-be attenders of The Georgian would’ve been undoubtedly dismayed when it closed its doors for refurbishment. Luckily for you, YCB has all the insider knowledge of what to expect when this timeless establishment throws open its doors on the 25th July.
Expect only the best from this unveiling. Once you’ve finished your day of browsing the latest designer pieces and lusting over Cartier watches (it’s a hard life), it’s impossible to resist heading over to The Georgian for a spot of The Champagne Afternoon Tea. Whilst you can expect to have all the finery retained from this iconic institution, bespoke interior designer Christopher Guy Harrison has given the elegant hotspot a fresh new look and you certainly won’t be disappointed.
The elegance of the 20s has been hot both on the catwalks and within the dinner party scene since The Great Gatsby re-emerged in film form. Harrison took inspiration for this glamorous era and fused it with crisp modernism. There’s no better place to play Gatsby and Daisy than in one of Harrods’ last remaining historic sections and that’s exactly what we intend to do. Expect to see regal carved wood silver panels, the historic chandeliers, as well as awe-inspiring mosaic features that house over 13,000 individual pieces. If you’re going to do fine dining, it may as well be in fine surroundings.
Whilst the décor of The Georgian is a force to reckon with, it’s also the mouth-watering food that draws punters in over and over again. A hard day’s worth of shopping can be equated to a full on work out – it’s undoubtedly the best form of exercise, we’re sure you’ll agree. And really, what better way to recuperate than with a delicious and exquisite English Afternoon Tea and a refreshing glass of Harrods Rosé Champagne?
With the interior refurbishments come menu changes. Don’t fear, the classic British feel of The Georgian will never be lost instead they’ve added some genius modern twists to the famous high tea. Of course, fine champagnes, traditional scones and freshly prepared tea pastries are retained, it wouldn’t be high tea without them. But alongside expect to find incredible modern additions: roasted open steak sandwiches, strawberries served in a martini glass with Pimms syrup and Somerset brie tarts. If there’s anything that the YCB team love as much as shopping on Brompton Road, it’s dining in Knightsbridge, and we can’t wait to sample the menu as soon as the doors are open. Oh, did we mention there’s a live pianist on weekends?
There is just something about Harrods. It’s hard to pin down what makes it so special or why we’re so eager to see their Christmas windows every year over everybody else’s. For such a huge department store it feels personal. It could be the service or the fact that you’ll fall in love whilst you’re there – be it with a puppy, a Marc by Marc Jacobs purse, or Giuseppe Zanotti snake print loafers. Nothing says luxury like Harrods and nothing says English fine dining like an elegant high tea. Don’t expect the Georgian to be anything less than exceptional.
Whether you were a dedicated regular or had been mulling over your calendar trying to pencil in the visit, mark the 25th of July in your calendar, you may just see our team with our Moleskine notebooks on the table next to you. Cheers!
