It was all the way back in 1824 when Prada opened the Pasticceria Marchesi in Milan, the very definition of Italian pastry, coffee and hospitality. So, to hear that the recently opened Prada Cafe at Harrods is based on this legendary establishment was, to put it mildly, an excellent jumping-off point.
The question now is, can it really compare? After all, Harrods have already enjoyed huge success with their Dior Cafe and Louis Vittion x Yayoi Kusama pop-ups, meaning the bar has been set pretty high. The good news, however, is that after a lengthy and perhaps somewhat indulgent investigation on our part, we’re happy to report that the Prada Cafe really is as devilishly pleasurable as we’d hoped (even longed) it would be.
Now, before we get into the sheer quality of the food and beverages on offer here, we should warn you that the cafe is only open until the end of the year. In the meantime, a true foodie fashionista couldn’t be more well looked after. Situated on the ground floor, this is Prada given a 1950s twist, with a sumptuous pistachio green design, chequered black and white floor, black marble tables, immaculate glassware, and silverware bearing the Prada logo. So far, so chic. Absolutely effortless, in fact.
What’s even more important is that, at any time of day or night, the food, coffee and drinks are nothing short of spectacular. So much so, it’s hard to know where to begin, but let’s start with the expresso, which is exactly as good as it should be. Even better when served with the Fagottini, an oven-baked sweet laminated dough that comes with either chocolate, pistachio cream or raspberry jam. And that’s just breakfast! For lunch, the crab and dill brioche is rich and morish, as is the Cannelloni served with fresh black truffle. Meanwhile, the wine list spans every corner of Italy, just to be on the safe side. Cocktails are traditional fare in the best possible sense, with the Martini, Garibaldi or Negroni mixed, as you’d expect, to absolute perfection.
Overall, we probably could’ve guessed that Prada had done it again, but that’s no reason not to celebrate the sheer level of artistry it takes to create something so peerless. Harrods, too, has always been about the finer things in life, making them, as ever, a natural fit. Did we mention the Pistachio cake with vanilla Bavarian cream? Put it this way, even after the event, it lingers long in the imagination…
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