Reviews by Irish Critic

Les Senteurs (Perfume Shop)
09 May 2007

Profoundly disagree with previous critic. As usual for me, impeccable service from the people in the shop. Purchased Mona di Orio and more Frederic Malle. Even with only one member of staff present and a very chic lady customer before me, I could not have had better service from the young guy serving me. He sure knows his stuff and nothing was too much trouble. Cannot recommend this shop enough.

Tea Palace (Cafe)
20 July 2005

Great stop for the ultimate cuppa, cakes good too, sandwiches not bad either, nice gossipy customers who seemed to know one another like club members added to the fun. The closeness of the tables makes for good gossip too among the boho chic clientele.... altogether an enjoyable experience especially if someone else is paying.

Harvey Nichols (Department Store)
30 June 2005

It is a given fact that buildings like this incur enormous costs and the overheads must be staggering. A few points worth considering, the store needs massive investment, the management seem more intent on opening provincial stores plus more abroad. It feels run down, witness the 4th floor, the day I visited I could have been in TK Maxx, some shoddy concessions and tatty carpets, I used to love Harvey Nichols but it has lost it... Ditto after visiting Les Senteurs and getting professional advice on the more individual scents on the market, Harvey Nicks stocks the Bond range from New York... considering the prices and the market these are aimed at , there was no one to advise on base notes etc., so no sale here.

The ladies fashion floors are good but menswear and the ground floor are not up to much. They should take a leaf out of Bergdorf's book, move Perfumery and Cosmetics to the basement, have an improved chic accessory section with more choice and more space. Move menswear out to a separate building and get more exciting ranges in...

If Harvey Nick's claims to be competing with New York and Hong Kong's best retailers then it had better get its skates on... even Harrods is gearing up, along with Selfridges and Liberty so something more needs to be done to return to past form... check out the Quartier 206 store in Berlin, which now that has some very chic labels, albeit on a smaller scale but no dull mid-market junk to fill out floor space, leave that to the discounters.

There is no excuse for a smart store to look in part shabby and run down.