I am very particular when it comes to visiting food halls. At some, I find the mêlé of sounds and aromas overwhelming, while at others, I wholly embrace the world of fantastic flavours from various vendors. However, when the opportunity to dine at Harrods’ Dining Hall came knocking, I had to check it out – read on for my review of one of London’s fanciest food halls.
Harrods’ Dining Hall
My meal at Mediterranean Grill by Assembly, located in a cosy corner of the dining hall, marked the first time I’d ever been inside Harrods. Hey, I’m just a regular North London girlie, as much as I aspire to be a Knightsbridge Queen. To say I was dazzled by the shop floor and dining hall would be an understatement. From the moment I stepped into the building, the service was fantastic, and everything just gleamed.
Harrods’ Dining Hall recently underwent a refurbishment (2023); the space exudes an old-world, Art Deco charm, with pretty painted frescos on the ceiling, gold detailing, plush seating, and live music. I utterly adored the singer, Sofie Anne Music, and pianist, who performed on my visit: renditions of hits by Alicia Keys, Rihanna, and Neyo rang out through the evening. I could have listened to her silky voice for hours more.
Mediterranean Grill by Assembly review
Mediterranean Grill by Assembly, my choice of restaurant in the food hall, joined Harrods’ dining hall last October, following the refurbishment. This restaurant is the brainchild of award-winning chef Athanasios Kargatzidis, who came up with the concept less than a year ago (July 2023); it marks his first restaurant in the UK. His other ventures have been billed as one of Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2023, and the Best Restaurant in Lebanon in 2023, so I had high hopes.
The menu at Mediterranean Grill by Assembly offers authentic Levantine and Eastern Mediterranean mezze, with a focus on open-flame grilling, and other vegetarian plates. I don’t say this lightly, but all of it was beautiful: the food, the service, the atmosphere, the aromas of each dish. I cannot fault one aspect, and would happily return in a heartbeat.
I enjoyed the best hummus of my life here – it was nutty, and full of flavour – while the pita bread was super soft and well-seasoned too. The aubergine was served with such flair; cut open table side by our server, so it didn’t lose its flavour, and the mix of seasoning was added there too. The team took so much care to prepare it tableside, we chatted and I learned a lot about the chef.
As for the meat dishes, again, just wow. The scallops not only smelt absolutely delicious when they arrived at the table (like everything else, to be fair), but they were so soft and smooth – like butter with a little fiery kick at the end. The duck, of the duck rice, just fell away from the bone, and the lamb skewers? Melt. in. your. mouth. Even my side dish of humble chips was fantastic; they were almost reminiscent of a savoury churro (if such a thing exists). It goes without saying that the presentation of each dish was flawless.
Mediterranean Grill by Assembly offers just two desserts; while both are nice, the ice cream most definitely stole the show for me. From the softness of the ice cream to the crunch of the baklava ‘flake’, the saltiness of the olive oil to the almost sweet palette cleansing effect after the main meal, the balance of opposites works in harmony at this restaurant.
As you can imagine, my overall review of Mediterranean Grill by Assembly and Harrods’ Dining Hall is that they are both exceptional. There’s no shying away from this being a treat, or one to reserve for a special occasion for us regular salary-ed folk, but boy, will the team at Mediterranean Grill by Assembly make it special.
