The word iconic gets thrown around a lot these days, but The Georgian is iconic.
When it first opened way back in 1911, it was the largest restaurant in London, and in the intervening century-plus-change it’s become a byword for opulence, going through a series of updates & refurbs to keep it current (while still clutching onto that ever-more-storied heritage). And right now, it has just flung its doors open once more for its latest chapter.
This time it’s under the stewardship of a chef who’s spent his career turning humble pastry into high art: Callum Franklin. His appointment as head chef is a pretty canny move, because he basically embodies the very notion of modernised heritage. His precise, almost architectural pie-making at Holborn Dining Room has earned him virtually total ownership over that particular niche in the world of fine-dining, and The Georgian would struggle to find someone more perfect to fill that niche.
The space itself is a study in timeless opulence, with high ceilings adorned with intricate plasterwork and glowing chandeliers, and a palette of soft golds, creams, and deep purples pairing with plush upholstery and marble columns. If you closed your eyes, and tried to picture a restaurant in Harrods, that’s what you’d probably see. In the corners, you’ll notice recessed booths that almost feel like private diners. There’s a piano in the centre of the space, with someone tinkling the ivories to live singing most nights. The only downside? The bathrooms are roughly a kilometre through the store.
The menu, naturally, places an emphasis on pies, though Franklin has broadened his horizons for the relaunch. Expect intricately latticed creations filled with luxurious ingredients like lobster, venison, and black truffle, as well as nods to British classics reimagined through Franklin’s exacting lens. The standout is the ‘Pie Experience’ for two, which involves a lamb pie served with ratatouille, anchovy tempura and sweetbreads that’s lacquered in a lamb consommé. It’s a showstopper. But the beef shin pie (wrapped in a saffron suet pastry) is nourishing and delicious, as is the lobster pie, which comes packed into a huge vol-au-vent, and the chicken penny bun pie.
And for dessert? Get the trifle. It comes with the classic trolley service, and is made table-side. And there’s a certain joy to knowing that people were having the same service, and the same dishes over a century ago, and enjoying it all just as much.
NOTE: The Georgian is open now, seven days a week. You can find out more, and make a booking at the Harrods website.
Harrods (fourth floor) | 87-135 Brompton Road, SW1X 7XL
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