The main dining room at The Georgian
So what do we need to know about The Georgian?
For starters, this restaurant has been around for quite some time, so we were a bit embarrassed that this was our first time even seeing it. The Georgian first opened its doors in Harrods back in 1911 and for the past 113 years, it's been the place to take tea.
Now it's had a massive makeover by the David Collins Studio (which has been responsible for such glitzy creations as The Wolseley and Bob Bob Ricard). That involved the arrival of 25 new chandeliers and a total redesign of the huge room, which had to be undertaken hand in hand with English Heritage (as this is a Grade II listed space). The net result is a suitably OTT design look - The Ritz is probably the most similar space in London. If you're after a minimalist experience, this is not going to be your cup of kombucha at all.
Where is it?
That's a good question because Harrods is such a cavernous store that you could get lost for days trying to find it. The key is knowing which entrance to come in. Use door 10 on Hans Road (to the right of the store if you're looking at it from the front). Go up the escalators to the fourth floor and you'll find it just beside the baby department.
Where's a good place to meet for a drink first?
The Knightsbridge store isn't short of places to meet for a drink - there's the Baccarat Bar on the lower ground floor for cocktails or the Moet et Chandon bar on the ground floor for a glass of bubbly, for starters. But it's worth knowing that The Georgian now has its own standalone bar, hidden off the left-hand side of the dining room as you go in. There are six stools in here and if they're free, a cocktail here would be a great way to start dinner.
The bar at The Georgian is worth seeking out (you can just come here for a drink on its own too).
The Victoria Sponge cocktail is illustrated on the menu, but not listed in it oddly, so you'll have to ask for it by pointing to the picture. It's made with Woodford Reserve bourbon, Victoria sponge syrup, vanilla, house jam and clarified milk. Very much cake in drink form, although not overly sweet with the vanilla being the prominent flavour.
Where should we sit?
There's a lot of choice; tables in the central section have a good view of the entertainment (there's a pianist and singer in the evenings), and there are multiple private dining spaces dotted all over the room. But we absolutely loved our table which was one of the booths that line the rooms, each with their own chandelier. It's all very Liberace in the best possible way.
One of the lovely booths
What sort of food are we talking about?
The answer to that depends largely on what time of day you're coming to The Georgian.
During the day it's all about afternoon tea with Executive Pastry Chef Markus Bohr in charge of the menu. But in the evenings, the kitchen becomes the domain of chef Calum Franklin, lately of The Holborn Dining Rooms and also Public House in Paris. His menu is all about classic British cooking with many dishes from the Harrods archives featuring the dates they were first served there. To that end, this is more of a formal three-course meal, with a few sharing dishes. Here's what we had to give you a better idea.
Seasonal tart (£5) - a savoury custard tart of Godminster Cheddar and caramelised onions topped with toasted buckwheat and green apple. These are tiny, so you'll want one all to yourself.
1960 pâté en croûte (£18) - a half serving of croute made with smoked rabbit, Alsace bacon and pistachio set with Marsala jelly and served with Cumberland sauce
Devonshire crab tart (£25) - hand-picked crab with brown-crab mayonnaise and pickled shallots. Crab tarts can sometimes be a delicate affair but this was a punchily-flavoured starter and all the better for it.
At this point, you have to make a decision about mains. There's an entire pie selection with six options - two of those are sharing dishes and one is vegetarian. There's also a series of mains you can have to yourself if, like Joey on Friends, you don't share food. But the first of the below should definitely be high up your list of choices:
The Georgian Pie Experience (for two, £90). This is clearly the restaurant's signature serve so we felt duty-bound to order it. The slow-cooked shoulder of lamb pie is presented to the table before it's put back on the trolley for carving.
It comes with a dish of ratatouille, a selection of sweetbreads on sticks and anchovy tempura along with a lamb and mint consommé. It's a gorgeous pie, as you would expect from the King of pies, and all the extras make this plenty for two people to enjoy.
1951 veal with sour cream and smoked paprika sauce (£52) - We wanted to try one of the mains as well so we opted for this chargrilled veal cutlet, which comes with roast garlic, smoked paprika sauce, fresh basil and sour cream. Beautifully cooked and highly recommended.
Roast potatoes (£9) - the menu suggests this will be bowl of potatoes (they really should take the "s" off that description) but what arrived for us was a single glorious crispy triple-cooked potato, finished in duck fat and topped with sour cream, confit garlic purée and crispy sage.
Room for dessert?
In all honestly, there probably shouldn't have been after all that but we're nothing if not dedicated, so we ploughed on regardless. It proved worthwhile.
Sticky toffee pudding (£15) served with buttermilk ice cream, topped with a pecan tuile and accompanied by a jug of brown butter sauce. Absolute, calorific heaven.
The Georgian trifle (£15) - a tableside experience which sees the trifle being assembled from scratch before you. It starts with a layer of caramelised Bramley apple compote then a Calvados-soaked sponge (non alocoholic also available). At this point loads of vanilla crème diplomate is piped all over and it's finished with your choice of toppings. A lovely trifle but as the calvados is only added at the table, it's missing the boozy kick. In an ideal world, the sponge should be steeping in it before it comes to the table.
What's the wine list like?
They say "our wine list draws from the Harrods cellars to offer you the finest bottles from prestigious estates and hidden gems alike". We thought their own brand Premier Cru Champagne was a very good by the glass offering to start with. There's also a lot on offer by the glass and 375ml pot too. Bottles start at £50 for their own label Provencal rosé (and a few other options near the same price) and soaring up to £15k for a bottle of 2007 Montrachet from Domaine de la Romanee-Conti.
Overall thoughts:
Our expectations going into The Georgian were high, because we're long-term fans of Calum's food. We also love a bit of old-school glamour when we go out. The good news is that The Georgian manages to serve up great food in a space that's unashamedly OTT (the pianist playing versions of pop classics really helps in that regard).
So if you're after a place where the chandelier to guest ratio is off the charts, where diners are serenaded by a chap tinkling the ivories on a massive white grand piano, and waiters glide around making sure everyone's having a great time, then this is the place for you.
More about The Georgian
Where is it? 4th Floor, Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, London SW1X 7XL
How to book: Book online.
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @harrodsfood
Hot Dinners dined as guests of Harrods. Prices are correct at time of publication.
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