A Grade II-listed five-storey Georgian townhouse that’s been converted into a pub in Marylebone doesn’t jump to mind as a place where you’d find great Scandinavian food, but that’s exactly what you get at The Harcourt. And it makes more sense once you find out that the area actually has strong Scandi roots – the Swedish embassy is just around the corner. They’ve definitely made the most of the space with a traditional oak panelled bar, a garden room with rattan furniture and lots of greenery, and a lavish white room with gold and crushed velvet accents amongst their separate dining areas.
The Harcourt team have also managed to balance the lush interiors with a relaxed atmosphere – you could come here for a special occasion (and nab yourself one of the private dining areas) or drop in for a weekday dinner in the bar, which is exactly what we did. The Scandinavian influence runs throughout the menu but with a modern touch meaning traditional dishes like gravadlax and Swedish meatballs are joined by not-so-traditional sea bream poke. It may be from an entirely different part of the world but we couldn’t fault the flavour. The kitchen defo knows how to do fish as we also enjoyed the Skrei cod, which still tasted fresh and light even with the cauliflower and curry accompaniments, and the duck breast with potato cake, cabbage, a sweet fig jam and rich sauce went down a treat too.
[URIS id=86795]The cocktail list is much more varied than the food menu but don’t miss out on the chance to try a Scandi spirit, like akvavit or Swedish whisky. They’ve also got a great lunch offering and if you fancy a twist on afternoon tea, The Harcourt serves fika complete with cinnamon buns and reindeer scotch eggs.
32 Harcourt Street, London W1H 4HX
theharcourt.com