Harrods

Where: London, England

When: June 2003

With: Brendan & Chris

Ah, Harrods. The only department store where you could buy an elephant and a tea set in the same day. 

Founded in 1849, Harrods has grown into THE department store of British shopping and now holds the title of largest department store in all of Europe. On its eight floors, customers can find almost anything, from beauty and menswear to home decor and tech. It is a tourist haven for souvenirs of all things British, in particular, its signature bear that is updated each year with a new outfit. It also has an epic food hall of top notch things to snack on and purchase. 

I wasn't completely wild by saying one could buy an elephant. One department called the Pet Kingdom once allowed customers to order any exotic animal they'd like, from lions to tigers to camels and everything in between. President Reagan famously called and ordered a baby elephant from here. While that department was (not unexpectedly) shut down in the 1970s, the saying "you can even buy an elephant there" lives on and adds to Harrods' legend. 

It was famously one of Princess Diana's favorite places to shop. She ironically began dating the son of the then-owner of the store, Dodi al-Fayed. The name may sound familiar as he would be the one who died with Diana as their limousine rushed into a Paris tunnel away from papparazzi back in 1997. His father, Mohamed, commissioned a memorial in their honor that stood in the store for 13 years. However, a few years after selling Harrods to a Qatari holdings company, Mohamed took the statue into his own home to keep it "with family". 

Over my years in London, I have made a few stops in Harrods. The first was while studying abroad in London. It was where my flatmates and I chose to go for our first fancy, proper "Afternoon Tea". While Harrods may not be famous for afternoon tea compared to some other notable London spots, it doesn't half-ass anything. It was amazing. Scones with clotted cream, an endless barrage of sandwiches and of course, delicious tea. 

 

And all hosted in this gorgeous room at the top level. 

While living in London years later, I returned to dine again while Dave's parents were in town for his graduation. His mother and I decided to indulge ourselves with a stop at the Ice Cream Parlour in the Harrods basement that had opened in 2011. It was like 1950s soda shop meets Harrods glamour, with neon signs, marble countertops and ice cream sundae glass chandeliers. We each ordered a massive sundae and loved the gorgeous colorful glasses they came in. 

Harrod's is a fun place to stop in, even for someone like me that isn't a big shopper. It's a bit overwhelming, but guarantees an experience whether you're in for eating, shopping or gawking.