The Italian Restaurant Opposite Harrods
After Harrods, the easiest thing to do is cross the road.
If you're looking for the best restaurant near Harrods at that point in the afternoon, the answer most locals give is to walk out the front and cross the road. ALBA London, an Italian restaurant in Knightsbridge, sits at 70 Brompton Road, directly opposite the store.
Where ALBA Is
ALBA sits directly across the road from the Harrods main entrance. Cross at the lights and you're there. For anyone searching for an Italian restaurant next to Harrods, or an Italian restaurant opposite Harrods, this is the literal version of both. Postcode SW3 1ER if you're dropping a pin.
Plenty of restaurants close to Harrods sit a five or ten minute walk into Knightsbridge or down towards South Kensington. That's not a long way in the abstract. It's a long way when you've been on your feet since the store opened.
Why a Restaurant Opposite Harrods Works Either Side of a Shop
The interiors take their cue from the Amalfi Coast, with deep, natural colours drawn from the sea and surrounding landscape. The atmosphere is somewhere between a private yacht and a Mediterranean hideaway: natural textures, warm tones and a distinctly Mediterranean sense of calm.
At the centre is the open kitchen, framed by a tailor-made copper counter, where the cooking becomes part of the room rather than something hidden behind it. Olive and lemon trees add another layer, filling the space with a subtle Mediterranean fragrance.
After a few hours in Harrods, it is exactly the change of scene you want: bright, calm and beautifully removed from the noise of Brompton Road.
ALBA opens every day from noon, which means the airy interior holds up at 1pm on a Saturday as much as it does at 9pm on a Tuesday.
What to Order Before You Go In
Eating before a long shop is a balance. You want something proper but not something that's going to sit with you through the handbag department.
A few that work:
- Burrata mozzarella with heritage tomatoes and truffle
- The pink prawns carpaccio, served with burratina
- The Amalfi Tagliolini - Mazara prawns and bottarga in a lemon sauce
A glass of something cold and white from the southern Italian end of the list.
What to Order After - Main Courses
This is when you can take your time.
The shopping is done, the bags are down, and there is no reason to rush the next part of the afternoon. Start with the Lobster Linguine - whole lobster, a rich bisque tomato sauce, and exactly the sort of pasta you want when there is nowhere else to be.
Then there is the Pizza Appennina, with porcini mushrooms and black truffle, or the Pizza Quattro Formaggi with pear and truffle honey. Or stay with the seafood, the crudo and the dishes coming out of the open kitchen. The full menu is here.
The Business Lunch, Monday to Friday
On weekdays ALBA runs a set menu - the Business Lunch, served Monday to Friday from noon until 4pm, at two courses for £32 or three for £39. It's particularly convenient if you're in Knightsbridge for a meeting, a fitting at Harrods, or simply looking for a quick lunch near Harrods that still feels like a proper lunch. Sit down, have a glass of wine, take your time with the food, and still be back on Brompton Road when you need to be.
When to Book
Saturday lunch between 1 and 3 is the busiest window in summer. If you have flexibility, a weekday lunch at 12:30 is the quiet version of ALBA, with good light through the front windows. Sunday evenings are gentle too - ALBA is open until 10:30pm.
Book at alba-ldn.uk/book-now, or call 020 3985 4992. The bar takes walk-ins when the restaurant is full.
Related reading: ALBA's guide to the best Italian restaurants near Harrods, where to eat near Harrods, the Knightsbridge caviar menu, the Knightsbridge wine cellar, and Christmas in Knightsbridge, and what's on in Knightsbridge this summer. For gatherings, see how ALBA handles large group bookings and private dining in Knightsbridge.
A Few Common Questions
Is there an Italian restaurant opposite Harrods?
Yes - ALBA London is at 70 Brompton Road, directly opposite the Harrods main entrance. Book your table today.
Where's the best restaurant near Harrods for a quick lunch?
ALBA's Business Lunch was built for exactly this - two courses for £32 or three for £39, served Monday to Friday from noon until 4pm.
Is there an Italian restaurant behind Harrods?
A few sit in the streets behind the store. ALBA is opposite it, on Brompton Road, which is usually the easier walk if you're coming out of the main entrance.
Opening hours?
Mon-Thu: noon to 11:30pm. Fri-Sat: noon to midnight. Sun: noon to 10:30pm.
