Em Sherif

Em Sherif opened its first European restaurant on the Second Floor of Harrods in early 2022, bringing to London the Beirut group widely credited with putting Lebanese fine dining on the map. Founded in 2011 by Mireille Hayek and now run alongside her daughter, head chef Yasmina Hayek, the house has since grown across Beirut, Doha, Dubai and Cairo. The London dining room keeps its signature look: walls tiled floor to ceiling in cobalt-and-white Iznik botanicals, mirrored ceilings, and navy velvet chairs embroidered with the Levantine evil eye.

The kitchen is mezze-led and generous, an extensive spread of hot and cold plates, grills and Lebanese sweets. The setting draws an affluent, fashion-conscious crowd, yet the mood stays warmer and less formal than the surroundings suggest. A street entrance at door 10 on Hans Road lets guests arrive straight from the pavement rather than through the store.

The restaurant seats around 130 across a spacious main room and a lighter, glazed terrace looking out over Knightsbridge. The whole space is available for exclusive private hire, with the indoor terrace suited to smaller gatherings; enquiries are handled through the house.