Harrods to launch Italian truffle lounge

Italian truffle lounge, Tartufi & Friends, is to open on the lower ground floor of London’s most prestigious department store, Harrods in Knightsbridge.

With flagship restaurants in Milan and Rome, the London branch will offer a range of authentic and innovative ways to try the truffle. The delicacy will be a featured ingredient on the menu, from the starters to desserts, and play a key role in the cocktail list.

Bruce Langlands, Harrods food director said: “As a team, we felt Tartufi and Friends perfectly conceptualises what we are working towards; making Harrods the best food emporium in the world.”

Signature dishes to feature on the menu, created by chef Jean Christophe Reali, include fresh homemade taglioni pasta with fresh truffle and a dessert of vanilla ice cream with pine nuts and dried figs in truffle honey.

Tartufi & Friends signature cocktails include a truffle martini, the savoury truffle - featuring truffle infused amaretto, rosemary fizz and a Tartufi & Friends truffle margarita.

Harrods aim to source the finest quality ingredients from around the world. Bruce explained: “The Harrods Food and Restaurants team travel the world constantly on the lookout for premium products; forecasting trends in order to offer our customers the most innovative of dining experiences.”

The Harrods restaurant will be decorated by Italian architect, Laura Franco, with prints from the 1500s that showcase the history of the black and white truffle to create an immersive dining experience. Laura designed the dining space at both restaurants in Rome and Milan, both of which receiving four stars on trip adviser.

Opening among the ten existing restaurants at the London department store, Tartufi & Friends is set to offer a unique, luxury experience. The Sermoneta Group, founder of the concept, has been a prominent Italian name in the luxury fashion and retail sector for 40 years.

The lounge will also offer truffle products to be purchased separately, including the brand’s limited edition range of extra virgin olive oil with white truffle, truffle infused chocolates, truffle salts, condiments and truffle infused honey.

The Harrods food collection is renowned for the exotic and luxury ingredients taking pride of place in the food court, from Foie gras de canard truffle to sourcing Alae Red Salt from Hawaii.

The restaurant is set to open in April, ready for the Italian black truffle season starting in May.

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By Ashley Chalmers