London’s Sicilian Avenue continues to come alive with its anticipated launch of the Japanese café MATCHADO. Visitors can now enjoy the tranquil spirit of Japan at the iconic, 115 year old pedestrianised street in the heart of historic Bloomsbury, just moments away from Holborn Station.
MATCHADO is among the first new lets to open on the heritage-rich street after a multi-year refurbishment which has painstakingly preserved the century-old character of the Sicilian-inspired Grade II listed street.
Celebrating the Japanese Spirit on Sicilian Avenue
To celebrate the launch, MATCHADO Founder Hiromi Matsunobu created the Matcha Florentine, a new matcha inspired by Sicilian Avenue’s Italian marble and iconic classical details (such as the famous pillared Sicilian Avenue sign).
Built in 1910 by R.J. Worley, a visionary architect behind other listed London landmarks, Sicilian Avenue’s striking and unique pillared architecture was built to conjure up visions of Sicily and classical Rome.
The Matcha Florentine pays homage to this heritage with crunchy almonds and rich caramel combined with premium matcha, and will be available at all MATCHADO locations including the new Bloomsbury café.
Matcha Florentine: crunchy almonds, rich caramel and premium matcha - a taste of Japan inspired by Sicilian Avenue
MATCHADO is currently celebrating spring with a limited-edition Sakura menu including Sakura Matcha Latte with Premium Japanese sakura cherry blossom syrup and Gluten-Free Sakura Blondie, a white chocolate blondie topped with real pickled sakura blossoms from Japan.
Sakura Matcha Latte and Sakura Blondies now available at MATCHADO Sicilian Avenue to celebrate spring
Founder Hiromi Matsunobu says:“We are delighted to be opening our fourth café in the architecturally striking setting of Sicilian Avenue. I am passionate about sharing why tea-making in Japanese culture is such a thoughtful and purposeful practice, and this calm environment, free from bustle and surrounded by green spaces, feels like the perfect home for that experience.
“With every sip, I hope our customers discover the tranquil spirit of Japan and enjoy an authentic taste of truly exceptional Japanese teas.”
Visitors to the Sicilian Avenue location can enjoy a rotating seasonal menu of premium teas and handcrafted matcha and hojicha baked goods, which combines British ingredients and Japanese flavours.
The relaunch of Sicilian Avenue comes at the perfect time, offering vibrant, high-quality experiences at a time when there has never been higher demand.
Research has found that more than half (52%) of London diners are either more likely or much more likely to seek out premium experiences than they were in 2019 - rising to 59% among young Gen Z consumers. With 88% of UK residents saying they’d visit Sicilian Avenue for high-quality dining experiences, heritage-rich pedestrianised streets like Sicilian Avenue are vital to restoring the community spirit and reinvigorating experience-led commerce that feel effortless and match the intentions of locals, office workers, students and visitors.
Sicilian Avenue Research Graph - How much more or less likely are you to seek out premium food and drink experiences while visiting London now than in 2019?
The refurbished Sicilian Avenue offers 70,000 square feet of offices above 17,500 feet of retail, food, and beverage and lifestyle space. For more information about commercial lettings, please visit: https://sicilianavenue.com/commercial-opportunities
What are MATCHADO's opening times and address?
Sicilian Avenue, London WC1A 2QH
Mon–Fri: 08:00 – 18:00
Sat: 09:00 – 18:00
Sun: 09:00 – 17:00