You can get your nine meatballs, mash and Daim cheesecake fix when Ikea’s London Oxford Street finally opens its doors on 1 May after an 18-month delay. The company has announced that the three-storey store, previously occupied by Topshop’s former flagship store, will offer 6,000 product lines and home accessories in its market hall, a 130-seater Swedish deli and a showroom packed with inspirational home sets. More than 3,500 of those products will be available to take home on the spot, while the rest can be delivered to homes or collected from nearby pick-up points.
While the Swedish furniture retailer is known for its affordable flat-pack homewares and trustworthy designs, the brand’s in-store restaurant is easily the highlight of any Ikea trip. At the deli, visitors can taste Ikea’s beloved culinary classics, including the signature meatballs served with mashed potatoes, lingonberry jam and cream sauce for £4.95, or a hot dog for 75 pence.
The store will be set across the ground and two lower ground floors of the seven-storey building, with a retail space of 5,800 square metres. The opening will follow a three-year renovation of the building, which faced significant delays due to “unexpected conditions” , a leaky basement and the “hugely complex” nature of the Grade II-listed building’s renovation. To appease eager punters, the retailer opened a small pop-up store called Hus of Frakta in November, which offers a limited selection of homewares to take hom.