When work in Roppongi is getting you down, go out to lunch. Hmmm, I prefer to go out to lunch every day…what does that say? Harrod’s is a great place to go when you want to escape – the décor is interesting and comfortable, the food is tolerable, and you can sit on stuffed leather chairs or couches if you ask nicely.
Slightly hidden up a set of stairs on Keyakizaka, down the hill from LV, you probably won’t be stumbling in without knowing it in advance. It’s above the Harrod’s store though, which is a more convenient way to find it. Big wooden doors and nice window displays (champagne, I think. Always a nice way to start) set the tone.
Inside has a number of nice touches. There’s conventional seating in the front, but the tiling on the walls, the nice chairs, the high ceiling and fake balcony are all positives. The bar in the middle looks hip (to a guy who’s always mistaken as being 5 years older than he is…) and in the back is the couch ‘n’ chair area, much like someone’s living room has been transported to a bar. It’s a little difficult to sit on those stuffed couches and leather chairs and eat your lunch, but we suffer through these things for comfort and fashion.
It’s taken me all this time to get to food, almost inexcusable. This is an English Restaurant, which means you can have such things as a sausage platter (sausage, bacon, fried egg, beans, toast!) or add some fried fish or liver croquette to it. There’s always a pasta, and a lackluster vegetarian plate. I’ve seen people order the chicken in cream sauce with some success. For me though, the appeal has always been in the pancake set (I know, more breakfast-at-lunch). I think it’s 3 small pancakes plus a bit of salad, plus a very full range of accompaniments – butter and syrup, salmon mousse, blue cheese-cake, bacon and sausage (recurring themes). This sounds weird, and is, but in a nice way. Everything comes with coffee at the end.
Bring me my smoking jacket, Jeeves 03-5770-5413