As the UK’s culinary capital, London must constantly reinvent itself. Sicilian Avenue is the latest installment in that edible Odyssey.
Food, glorious food. Sure, we need it to live, but for thousands of years, eating has been transcending its status as a necessity for survival to become a cultural and social phenomenon.
And yet Britain has historically had a bad rap for its cuisine – and social media has heightened that criticism. Right now, not a minute seems to go by without a new TikTok or Instagram reel featuring a horrified visitor reacting to their first jellied eel or deep fried chip butty.
Regardless, people in the UK have never been more passionate about food, and the capital remains the epicentre of all things epicurean. Research increasingly shows that people are keener than ever to splash out on eating and drinking, over and above life’s other necessities and luxuries – and younger people are leading the trend.
A survey of workers and bosses reveals that, today, well over half – 58% – are more likely to look for higher quality dining experiences when they’re in London than they were in 2019, and that figure rises to 60% among Millennials and Gen Z. Moreover, the data also suggest hungry workers find the restaurant experience to be as significant as the food, with 70% of people from all generations saying they thought quality of service was the most important element when choosing an eatery (quality of ingredients came second, at 64%).
Crucially, diners in London for business are particularly keen on establishments in pedestrianised areas, as these are considered to be a more pleasant environment in which to enjoy food, drink and company. When you think about it, these findings should hardly be surprising: the world is smaller than it used to be, and people in the UK are more discerning than ever before. Today, people of all ages are more likely to have travelled abroad, and seen and heard about new, more exciting food experiences on their screens. London is simply changing in line with people’s more sophisticated expectations – and nowhere is this more evident than in Bloomsbury's iconic Sicilian Avenue.
This pedestrianised haven has been reimagined to appeal to the 21st century gastronome, and the results speak for themselves: an overwhelming 95% of London's business community and 88% of tourists say they would visit Sicilian Avenue for high-quality dining and socialising experiences. With a tempting spread of cutting-edge eateries across 17,500 square feet of Edwardian splendour, this quirky corner of the capital is already welcoming a new generation of discerning diners, hungry for an elevated experience.