Harrods to close fine wine basement

One of London’s most famous luxury department stores, Harrods, is to close its basement fine wine shop it has been announced, with the range being moved elsewhere in the building.

The store’s 7,000 square foot basement which boasts one of London’s more impressively expensive arrays of fine wines and spirits will be replaced by a 225-seat restaurant according to plans unveiled this morning.

According to the Evening Standard, the decision was made following a fall in the number of wealthy, overseas clients coming to the shop.

Harrods did say it would not do away with its wine department completely but had decided to “rethink” how best to use the space. The wine department is to be moved to another part of the store although whether it will exist in the same form or size is unclear.

A statement from the Harrods press department said: “The Harrods Wine Room will be maintained, and will continue to provide the same selection of quality products, either in the lower ground floor or another section of the store, subject to planning.”

The current wine store opened six years ago as the “ultimate wine shop”. Over the years it has offered a number of unique collections of Yquem, Mouton Rothschild and Haut-Brion and earlier this month introduced the model 2 Coravin in the store’s distinctive shade of green.

The department store already boasts nine restaurants and cafés and the new venue would have a licence to stay open until midnight six days a week – all the others close at 9pm.

Correction: The original headline of this article suggested that Harrods was closing its fine wine department in its entirety, which was incorrect.