Mango Tree Harrods – An Innovative Thai

When shopping in Harrods, it is essential to know where you are going, which entrance and escalator to take or you will end up wandering around getting sidetracked by all the beautiful displays. I used to know the layout and the departments of Harrods really well. Until they changed everything.

Housed in the western end on the ground floor are several magical rooms that make up the Harrods Food Halls. For regular grocery shopping, you can find most of it here and it not all super expensive. (See my other post for a walk through).

There used to be a great Malt Bar at the bottom of the stairs from the fashion department. They used to served the best old fashioned Strawberry milkshakes with real fruit. Unfortunately, it’s not there anymore.

In the Food Halls, there are several places to eat including the offshoot of the upmarket Belgravia Thai, Mango Tree.

Situated in a bustling corner of the big hall that sells deli food, the casual counter seating attracts shoppers to linger for a quick bite. It seems that they are almost always full throughout the day. The average customer stays for 30 minutes and by my count, they serve up to 400 people a day. That’s quite impressive.

The seating is quite close together so not a spot for a hot date or private conversations.

On their innovative Thai menu, you have a choice of starters like dim sum or spring rolls. For mains, there are some recognisable Thai dishes but these are not so ordinary. Premium ingredients like Wagyu, lobster, caviar and truffle is used in various guises throughout the menu. The man sitting next to us had a bowl of the wagyu ramen which looked fab.  There is a short list of cocktails and this one is one of the house Champagne Cocktails, the Hibiscus Flower Fizz.

There is a short list of cocktails and this one is one of the house Champagne Cocktails, the Hibiscus Flower Fizz.  There is a wide choice of wines and beers on offer too.

Our very friendly server suggested that we have the fried platter which consists of these Lobster Popcorn, Golden Phoenix Prawns and Vietnamese spring rolls. Indulgent nuggets of lobster in a spicy mayo drizzle, delightful.

The Dim Sum platter consists of their signature dumplings. The centrepiece is the famed wagyu beef dumpling topped with truffle caviar and gold leaf. Around the basket are the XO sauce siu mai, Alaskan King Crab with spinach, Lobster and chives. This would be a great choice for someone who is on a low carb diet looking for a light and tasty lunch.

The Dim Sum is very well executed, with thin skins and very delicate fillings, made by their special Dim Sum chef from Hong Kong.  This will rival any top Chinese restaurant.

While we were waiting for the next course, a very stylish lady laden with shopping sat down next to us. She said she had 15 minutes and ordered something quick and some champagne. In that time, she had one dish and 3 glasses of Champagne. The average customer?

The Roast Duck curry served in a whole pineapple is a showstopper both in flavour and presentation. Highly recommended for a main. If you like it hot, then the spicy crispy chicken will be your bag. There is only one choice for green veg on the menu and they didn’t have any on the day we were there.

For balance we had a salad as a side order. They zingy lime dressing was a good foil against the rich curry sauce.

Mango Tree in Harrods is a great spot for a casual Thai meal, a bowl of ramen or a quick glass of champagne or two. In Knightsbridge, there are not many Asian choices to be had. I’d definitely add the list of places to eat and especially recommend it to my Asian visitors as they are always in search of a taste of home. (Even when travelling in Europe). They don’t take reservations and at meal times, there can be a bit of a queue. It’s worth the wait.

Mango Tree 
Harrods,
87-135 Brompton Rd,
Knightsbridge,
London SW1X 7XL

Here’s another picture of that delicious lobster popcorn, in case you missed it earlier.

EatCookExplore was a guest of Mango Tree.