Harrods may move wine shop for new restaurant

London store Harrods may move its fine wine shop out of its basement location to make way for a new restaurant, but has denied suggestions that it will offer less choice or that the 'wine room' is closing down.

Harrods confirmed to Decanter.com that it had submitted a request to Kensington & Chelsea Council to redevelop its lower ground floor space as a restaurant.

But it denied suggestions that this meant closing down its fine wine section, which inhabits the same floor, amid a decline in spending by high-roller customers.

Reports suggesting this are ‘categorically untrue’, Harrods said.

However, it is possible that the wine section could be moved elsewhere in the Knightsbridge department store.

‘Whilst we have submitted a planning request to redevelop the space in the lower ground floor to make way for a restaurant, we are not closing down the [wine] department,’ said a Harrods spokesperson.

‘We will continue to host an extensive wine offering in the store, providing the same range of high-quality products and brands to customers.’

The spokesperson added that the location of the wine room – whether in the basement or elsewhere in the store – would be subject to the success of the planning request.

The draft plans seek permission to open a 225-seat restaurant in the 7,000sq ft lower ground floor space, with extended opening hours until midnight from Monday to Saturday.