11 Best Department Store Food Halls (Slideshow)
Harrods, London
Arguably the most famous food hall in the world is in Harrods department store in London. Beyond having rows and rows of food stalls with gourmet food items, it also boasts several high-end restaurants including Ladurée, The Tea Room, Bentley's Sea Grill, and the Georgian Restaurant. Ideally, you can begin with bringing a friend to high tea, then purchase a bottle of champagne for a dinner party later in the evening, and grab a macaron to go for dessert while shopping the rest of the seriously massive department store.
Galeries Lafayette Food Hall, Paris
Located on the first floor of Lafayette Men's Store, the Galeries Lafayette Food Hall is only a short walk from Opéra Garnier. This food hall competes directly with the Left Bank's Le Grande Épicerie at Bon Marché. It offers fresh bread, pastries, high-end chocolates, and much more. What's great about this food hall is that it also serves Angelina's famous hot chocolate that can be bought to enjoy inside the hall or taken to go.
La Grande Épicerie at Bon Marché, Paris
This massive food hall begins with glorious baked goods, followed by rows of jams, teas, biscuits, olive oil, and more. If you travel a bit further into the food hall, there is a plethora of fresh produce as well as a full-fledged butcher that can cater to every meat-related need. It also contains a section of cookware products, cookbooks, and other knickknacks for the home.
Matsuzakaya Department Store, Tokyo
This gourmet food hall can be found in the Ginza district of Tokyo and is home to countless vendor stalls that sell everything from chocolates to rice crackers to bento box lunches. It also boasts a liquor section that sells sake and wine and a counter that produces European-style deli meats and sandwiches. One area not to miss is the food hall's selection of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Takashimaya, Tokyo
Food halls are everywhere you look in Japan's department stores. They are known as a "Depachika," which roughly translates to "department store basement." Inside one of the oldest department stores in Japan is a culinary world waiting below. Takashimaya offers the freshest fish, such as whole salmon from Hokkaido, shining mackerels from Kyushu, and big-eyed Kinki. Meat purveyors also offer their best with items like Kobe beef, pork, and chicken.
KaDeWe Department Store, Berlin
This food hall in Berlin is where tourists and locals alike ascend to grab lunch, buy gourmet food-related gifts, and also marvel at the sheer scale of food vendors and stalls. The department store was opened in 1907 and continues to serve shoppers and diners with discerning tastes and palates. Don't miss the praline truffles in the chocolate department.
Magasin Department Store, Copenhagen
In the basement of this store lies the Magasin food hall that has a range of Danish delicacies to sample or purchase, particularly when one is strolling through during lunchtime. It boasts a fresh produce section, fish and meat departments, as well as wine and pastries.
Harvey Nichols, London
This department store, founded in the 1880s, gives Harrods a run for its money when it comes to serving up gourmet food. The fifth floor of the building is dedicated to drinking and dining options like Season, which has an all-day dining menu and a high tea service. For those browsing for stellar food items to take home, the food market carries a variety of meats and cheeses. Not to be missed is the bubble tea stall!
El Corte Ingles, Marbella, Spain
This department store chain began back in 1890 as a tailor shop for men. Over the years it has morphed into a fully functioning department store, complete with a gourmet food hall in its Marbella location. It revamped its dining section to include four signature restaurants called Foodhall Bars & Restaurants that include well-known restaurant chains like Tse Yang Dimsum Club, serving 30 varieties of dimsum; tapas restaurant La Maquina; Italian eatery O Mamma Mía; and Cafetería El Corte Inglés, a coffee shop also serving full breakfast and lunch.
Gourmet 494, Apgujeong Galleria Department Store, Seoul, Korea
The Galleria Department Store showcases a gourmet cafeteria that offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Freshly baked options include breads and pastries, éclairs, and macarons. It also boasts a "Brooklyn Burger" stand complete with burgers and fries topped with kimchi. Diners can also find steamed dumplings from Cheonjin Poja.
Eataly, COIN Department Store, Milan
Global Italian food market Eataly has been making waves since its inception in Turin. Today, there are many outposts throughout Italy, Japan, and a location in New York City (and soon Chicago). The Milan Eataly is located inside the city's COIN department store. It boasts high-quality produce, meat, cheese, butchers, and seafood mongers, as well as sit-down restaurants within the market that showcase small plates, pizza and pasta, vegetables, and crudo dishes.