London’s department stores are now just as famous for their restaurants as their retail offerings—here’s where to eat.
London’s department stores are now just as famous for their restaurants as their retail offerings—here’s where to eat.
From fabulous food halls to fine dining restaurants, London’s top department stores aren’t just great places to shop — they’re fantastic places to eat, writes Tamara Hinson
It’s 2pm on a weekday and during a brief interlude in my retail-themed foray along London’s Oxford St, my waiter is refilling my champagne glass while I browse the menu, torn between the pumpkin ravioli with chilli butter, or the avocado, tahini and yuzu toast. But I’m not in a swanky standalone brasserie or a luxury hotel restaurant — I’m in Selfridges, one of several London department stores upping their culinary game.
Years ago, the only time I’d dine in a department store was when I accidentally stumbled across its (typically forlorn-looking) cafe after becoming so lost that I’d given up hope of making it out alive and was more than happy with a stale scone and a cup of builder’s tea.
But change is afoot. The restaurant I’m dining in is Selfridges’ Jackson Boxer at the Corner, one of several recent examples of collaborations between department stores and top chefs, in this case, Jackson Boxer, whose Michelin star-spangled career has involved openings of countless top fine dining establishments, including Notting Hill’s swanky seafood restaurant Dove. Located in a roomy corner of the store’s second floor, Boxer’s Selfridges restaurant, which specialises in seasonal British cuisine, feels spacious and airy, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Oxford St.
Selfridges has around 20 different in-store restaurants to choose from. Photo / Andrew Meredith
Amazingly, it’s one of about 20 in-store restaurants. Heading downstairs to Selfridges’ food hall? Consider visiting Harry Gordon’s Bar & Kitchen. Named after Selfridges’ late founder, it specialises in tapas and is tucked into a sleek glass cube with rust-red floor tiles and artfully displayed sherry barrels designed to recall Spanish bodegas. I order delicious pinchos de pollo with chestnut salsa, which costs just $22, resisting the temptation to add a trio of starters — order three from the tapas section, which includes Padron peppers, boquerones and patatas bravas, and you’ll pay just $31.
Collabs such as Selfridges’ partnership with Jackson Boxer prove department stores are upping their game in increasingly innovative ways. Another example is Harvey Nichols — in early March the Knightsbridge store unveiled Trullo, a pop-up restaurant that will remain in place until late May. A tribute to the Islington Italian restaurant of the same name, it features the same chic decor and delicacies that put the original Trullo on the map, and guests can watch their pasta being hand-rolled in the centre of the restaurant. I recommend the beef carpaccio with black truffle, or the burrata with black Iberico tomatoes.
Selfridges’ food hall features a tapas bar inspired by Spanish bodegas.
Ben Purton, group director of restaurants, kitchens and hospitality at Harvey Nichols, says owners of London’s department stores are increasingly keen to tick multiple boxes.
“Department store owners now want to combine elegance and tradition with artisan craftsmanship and hospitality to create dynamic experiences,” says Ben. And at Harvey Nichols, it’s no longer just about in-restaurant dining. Fancy pimping your pantry? Head to the in-store deli next to Trullo, where you can stock up on own-brand honey (complete with a chunk of honeycomb inside), Watermelon and Vodka Jelly (otherwise known as jam) or Lime and Coconut Curd.
Swankier still is Fortnum and Mason’s 45 Jermyn St restaurant, where diners recline on cherry-red leather banquettes or perch at the marble bar. The menu is as far from my earliest memories of department store dining as it’s possible to get. I skip the caviar menu (varieties on offer include Siberian sturgeon caviar) and order the Dover Sole à la Meuniere. Moments later, a waiter arrives at my table to present the uncooked specimen for my approval. I somehow muster an approving nod fitting of someone who regularly feasts on Dover Sole à la Meuniere at posh department stores. Which, to be clear, I don’t, although the packed restaurant suggests I’m now in the minority. Simon Thompson, Fortnum and Mason’s chief customer officer says the growing number of fine dining restaurants in department stores reflects the fact that visitors now want more than just a retail fix.
At Fortnum & Mason’s 45 Jermyn Street, you can order from a dedicated caviar menu.
“London’s department stores are an integral part of British culture — from their earliest inception they showcased wonder and finery, introducing the public to the newest innovations,” says Simon. “But fantastic products are no longer enough to keep customers coming back, and experience has become increasingly important for stores wishing to remain relevant.”
Not that there aren’t still plenty of options for those simply seeking a quick cuppa in between explorations of London’s top stores. At the flagship John Lewis store on Oxford St, I recommend Huffkins, a cute, colourful cafe inspired by the one founded in the Cotswolds in 1890.
Despite being in the deepest reaches of the department store, it feels like a village cafe. It has floral bunting, sepia pictures of the Oxfordshire farms that provide the flour used to bake the cakes, and a deli section where diners can purchase Huffkins-branded biscuits and brightly coloured totes adorned with the cafe’s logo.
Some department store restaurants serve dishes prepared by Michelin-star chefs.
Huffkins’ managing director Joshua Taee agrees that customers no longer visit stores such as John Lewis just for retail therapy, but believes Huffkins is proof the humble department store cafe will always have a place in customers’ hearts. “Since 2020, the capital’s department store cafes have evolved to meet changing expectations,” points out Joshua “After the challenges of the past few years, people want experiences that offer comfort, connection, and quality over material goods, and this has led to a greater focus on inviting, memorable spaces.”
Huffkins at John Lewis brings a taste of the Cotswolds to Oxford Street.
At Knightsbridge’s Harrods, which now has a button-bursting 26 restaurants, The Georgian restaurant is the setting for London’s most spectacular afternoon tea. The Georgian, which dates back to 1911, emerged from a major revamp in 2024. New additions include plum-hued banquettes and 25 enormous chandeliers, and afternoon teas are served as a pianist tinkles the ivories. Highlights of the afternoon tea include delicate duck à l’orange sandwiches, along with the teas themselves — more specifically a black tea from Hawaii which costs an additional £50 (only 5kg are harvested annually).
Harrods has a staggering 26 restaurants, including a historic afternoon tea spot.
It’s everything an afternoon tea should be (there’s even a jam trolley, rolled over to tables to allow diners to select their perfect preserve), served in a breathtakingly beautiful setting but with several innovative takes on staples, including a cocktail version of the Victoria sponge cake — a Woodford Reserve bourbon-based tipple made with Victoria sponge syrup, vanilla and house jam. This, I decide, is my kind of cafe.
Finally, it’s not just department stores getting in on the retail therapy restaurant act. If you’re ever in Regent St’s flagship Boss store, head to the rear of the boutique to find what might just be the coolest cafe ever — the world’s only Boss Bar, where you can order a bespoke Boss matcha latte topped with your name written in chocolate powder. Suddenly the average cuppa — even one made with rare Hawaiian black tea — looks rather plain.
The Boss Bar in Regent Street serves lattes with names written in chocolate powder. Photo / Tamara Hinson
