Harrods Dining Hall Is Expensive But Offers a Workable Business Model

The refurbished Harrods Dining Hall in Knightsbridge exuded a Byzantine atmosphere the night of its unveiling to selected guests and the press on Oct. 5. Was it the way W.J. Neatby’s dazzling 1902 art nouveau tile work on the walls combined with the raucously contemporary live music? Or the furtive sightings of celebrities (actors Stanley Tucci and Riz Ahmed, author Elizabeth Day) as cheerful servers brought out endless trays of treats and bottle after bottle of Harrods-branded champagne? The splendor of Neatby’s designs comes to us from an age of decadence — Edwardian Britain sliding into a post-imperial phase — and I couldn’t help feeling history was repeating itself as I wandered from counter to counter to sample the luxurious offerings of famous chefs, including Masayoshi Takayama and Tom Kerridge.

Takayama’s Sushi by Masa commands the nave of this gourmet cathedral, framed by a period metal arch. Its menu lists a toro tartare with caviar as a starter for £105 ($128), as well as sukiyaki (with poached egg and foie gras) for £95 and grilled A5-grade wagyu steak (£150 for 150 grams). These prices should not surprise the well-to-do regulars of his restaurants across the Atlantic in New York City, give or take the wobbles of foreign exchange. The toro tartare in Bar Masa in Manhattan is $98; the wagyu is $180.