It might be unashamedly ostentatious, stuffed with tourists and forever associated with the world’s most vulgar statue – even if the bronze of Dodi and Diana was mercifully removed in 2018 – but Harrods is still spectacular. Serious shoppers browse the elegantly tiled and fragrant food halls on the ground floor or the wealth of exclusives in the beauty halls. But indulge the excesses too: Harrods has an art gallery, a stunning new interiors department and a kitchenware floor that hosts live cooking lessons from household names. Got kids? Head straight to Toy Kingdom on the third floor, with its enchanted forest, intergalactic science lab and bespoke sweets-maker. Elsewhere, Harrods excels at shoes – with a gargantuan footwear department stocking labels such as Ferragamo, Charlotte Olympia and Giuseppe Zanotti – and the Fashion Lab, on the fourth floor, is dedicated to young designer labels such as Zadig & Voltaire, Wildfox and the Kooples.
As featured in the 100 best shops in London