The Italian Restaurant Opposite Harrods
The food halls felt like enough at the time. They weren't.
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 room was built around the Amalfi Coast. Lemon yellows. Citrus trees in the corners, actually scented. An open kitchen with the seafood on display. After a couple of hours in Harrods it reads as a kind of relief - quieter, brighter, considerably more horizontal.
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 sea bass crudo, cut raw and served cold
- 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. You'll be back on Brompton Road inside the hour.
What to Order After - The Proper Meal
This is the best meal, honestly. Shopping done, no clock running.
The Lobster Linguine is the dish Alba is known for - whole lobster in a bisque tomato sauce. The ALBA Pizza is the one people photograph, with fior di latte and soft-scrambled eggs, and a spoon of black caviar to add if you like. In the evening, the nine-course tasting menu offers a journey through the flavours of regional Italy. See the full menu for the rest.
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. Southern Italian, unhurried but easy to fit around an afternoon. It exists because enough guests came in mid-shop with a fitting at three or a train at four and no time for a two-hour lunch. If you're after a set lunch or a quick lunch near Harrods, it's probably the most useful thing on the menu.
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.
