Food reviews

Harrods' Oyster Bar

Guide your Valentine through Harrods’ glorious food hall and install yourselves at the new oyster bar. This is a new outlet from the Prunier Caviar House people and there’s nowhere better to perch for a dozen rocks à deux, on Valentine’s or any other day.
Even if you’re not a shellfish connoisseur, this is a good place to come for an introduction. There’s an enormous enthusiasm and knowledge behind the counter that’s instantly infectious. “Try these rocks,” says the manager, pouring glasses of champagne and producing half a dozen shells. “And then try the natives,” he says, allowing us to compare – the natives are smaller, rounder and sweeter. Everything is perfectly served, kept at precisely the right temperature and elegantly presented. Staff are opening oysters expertly and swiftly, and the small space is peopled with a decadent bunch of diners eagerly sampling the various crustacea.
But the oyster bar isn’t exclusively all about oysters – there’s also an impressive range of salmon and a tasting dish of three different fillets offers mouthfuls of juicy, pink deliciousness. There’s a Norwegian wood-smoked variety that adheres to a Russian recipe, a marinated version that’s intensely infused with dill and a flawless Scottish variety, clean and fresh like sashimi. Take some away with you from the nearby counter and continue the experience at home. l PH