Angelo Musa with his new toy - a chilled patisserie trolley
So this is another high-end patisserie for London?
It is. Angelo Musa is A Big Deal when it comes to pastry, having won both the Best Pastry Craftsman of France and World Pastry Champion titles. He's currently Executive Pastry Chef at the super luxe Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris.
And he's opened in Harrods?
Yes, the Angelo Musa pâtisserie is up on the fourth floor of the Knightsbridge department store. It's not the easiest of places to find - but if you look for the tea room and Gordon Ramsay Burger, then you're in the vicinity. The Berkeley nearby has had great success with its Cedric Grolet cafe, so Harrods will be hoping for something similar here.
What's the new place like?
It's actually a pretty big restaurant with the option for either counter dining or taking a table in the dining room.
It's a pretty decent-sized space with a range of tables for three and four and the counter dining at the back.
What's on the menu?
Here in London, Musa's has a wider remit than in Paris, so the menu includes both savoury and sweet options. As far as the latter goes, you're probably going to want to try his famous 100% Vanilla cake or his award-winning Papilio. But there are also two London exclusives to try that we ordered too...
Strawberry mint tartlet (£15) - sweet pastry dough with almond and pastry cream topped with strawberry and mint gel, fresh strawberries and strawberry brunoise.
À la minute grapefruit and vanilla millefeuille (£15) - Homemade puff pastry featuring both grapefruit crémeux and vanilla mousseline cream and topped with grapefruit confit, grapefruit pieces along with edible gold and flowers.
Musa's patisserie at Harrods also gives you the chance to try his savoury options for the first time (in Paris there are only cakes to try).
Lobster brioche roll (£18) toasted with herb butter and filled with poached lobster tail and dill mayonnaise.
What's on the menu for vegetarians or vegans?
We liked the look of the Roque Foret (£16) - a toasted chestnut mushroom and parmesan sandwich with gruyère cheese and free-range egg which comes with a flourish of black truffle shaved all over it in front of you. There's also a summer vegetable and herb tart with aubergine caviar or a salad of baby beets and goat's cheese with an orange and sherry vinegar dressing.
What about drink?
The menu covers all manner of hot drinks along with Harrods' own labels wines and Champagnes and a short cocktail menu too. We had a chai latte, but next time we'd be tempted by the Mirabelle Alexandre (£18) made with plum eau de vie and Briottet prune liqueur among other delights.
Overall thoughts
There was considerable interest from Harrods shoppers on the preview day we visited, with bookings being taken thick and fast for this new patisserie. It may not have quite the glamour of Cedric Grolet at The Berkeley but then it is considerably cheaper - cakes here are £15 in comparison to £25 at The Berkeley. If you have a sweet tooth and love trying the next new thing, then you'll definitely want to check this out.
More about Angelo Musa at Harrods
Where is it? 87–135 Brompton Road Knightsbridge London SW1X 7XL.
Find out more: Visit the Harrods website or follow Angelo on Instagram @angelomusaofficial
Hot Dinners dined as guests of Harrods. Prices correct at time of publication.
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