No place in London celebrates the festive season quite like Harrods. Whilst the luxury department store’s breath-taking lights and creative holiday window displays attract queues of tourists out on Brompton Road, inside its storied walls, shoppers are busy flicking through racks of designer clothes and getting presents wrapped in preparation for the Christmas season.
Unbeknownst to many, Harrods saw its beginnings as a grocery store in the mid 1800s before eventually expanding into multiple departments, at one time even selling lion cubs.
Last year, a new glitzy addition made its way into Harrods’ iconic halls when Champagne powerhouse Moët and Chandon opened a Champagne Bar hidden amidst the department store’s beauty halls.
The festive spirit was in full swing as we made our way through the pillared entrance, flanked by towers of Moët and Chandon’s emerald bottles. We were escorted to our booth in a cosy spot from which we could see the hustle and bustle of Christmas shoppers outside our window.
The sprawling bar stretched out in front of us, hand-sculpted to reflect the hillside vineyards that make up the Champagne region and, hanging on top of it, an eye-popping chandelier. The drinking den is bathed in white and gold, with curved edges and a glimmery feel, an homage to the Maison’s legendary chalk cellars in Épernay.
To bring some holiday cheer to shoppers, the bar launched a new selection of festive Champagne cocktails. There’s the warmly-spiced Joie d’Hiver with Imperial Brut and mulled spice cordial, the Abricot en fête with candied apricot, and the Cosmo D’Or which brings in some tequila blanca into the mix along with kumquats and cranberries. Specially curated seasonal bites are also available to be paired with either the cocktails or a regular cuvée.
Ethan Boroian, UK ambassador for Moët Hennessy, shares that Champagne goes best with savoury food, which is why it makes for a perfect match with oysters and caviar. We opted for a bottle of the classic Moët and Chandon Impérial Brut, known for its extra-dry palate and clean finish.
We selected some classic bar bites such as juicy Noccellara olives and Cinco Jotas jamón Ibérico, but also tried a number of the bar’s more innovative options like lobster on a smoked paprika cracker with a miso and yuzu dressing, buffalo burrata with spiced kimchi and roasted butternut squash, and glazed brioche with wild flower honey and fresh thyme.
“Harrods is an iconic place which celebrates many luxury Maisons with wonderful heritage, so it felt like the perfect place to launch our first ever Champagne Bar from Moët and Chandon,” says Boroian. “We also know that Harrods attracts real foodies and fine wine lovers, given their state-of-the-art food hall and fine wine room, so where better to be able to showcase our range of Champagnes with delicious pairings?”
With every pop of a Champagne bottle, a celebration follows. As the Christmas lights twinkle outside one of London’s most famous buildings, we have no doubt there’ll be clinking glasses and lots of fun and laughter from the sparkling slice of France by the beauty halls.
Factbox
Moët and Chandon Champagne Bar
Address: Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Rd, London SW1X 7XL
Website: harrods.com
