The retail strip of Oxford Street is a cut-throat place. But one of the ways department stores can distinguish themselves from their competitors on the road is through their food and drink offering. Selfridges was early to the game and recently opened On the Roof with Q Grill. Now John Lewis is getting in on the action.
The store has just announced that they'll be opening two new branded restaurants, Ham Holy Burger and pizza restaurant Rossopomodoro in their flagship Oxford Street shop.
Ham Holy Burger and Rossopomodoro both originated in Italy. Rossopomodoro began life in Naples back in 1999 and already has eight sites around the UK. The burger restaurant will be new to most London foodies and the John Lewis site is Ham Holy Burger's first UK restaurant for the cult Italian burger restaurant with three restaurants in Milan and Rome.
Their menu features gourmet hamburgers made from Piedmont beef which you order via an iPad. The Holyburger is a patty with Slow Food Presidian, salad, red onion rings and holy sauce. Other burgers include ingredients such as Capitelli roast ham, sauteed Jerusalem artichokes, caper mayonnaise and thyme courgettes. Side dishes on their Italian menu include Piedmont beef meatloaf, cured meat platters and a range of salads and desserts. And we hear they'll be featuring a lot of interesting Italian craft beers on their drinks list.
Both Ham Holy Burger and Rossopomodoro are expected to open in late July at John Lewis, 278-306 Oxford Street, London W1A 1EX.
