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There’s finally been an opening date set for the grand re-opening of Sicilian Avenue.
The street might sound rather Mediterranean, but its true location is less White Lotus, and more Slow Horses, because it’s right next to Holborn station.
The Grade II-listed pedestrianised street, which runs diagonally between Southampton Row and Bloomsbury Way, has been getting a lot of work done. And we mean a lot – the marble thoroughfare has been closed for the past five years as developers Tristan Capital Partners have performed a ‘complete restoration’ of the area.
The avenue is named after its luxurious architectural style, which feels almost European. Built in 1906, it’s home to several turrets, golden building names, and Grade II-listed buildings, and is also a pretty convenient shortcut. It opened back up last year for pedestrians, but its buildings have remained uninhabited.
But the passage is going to be repopulated any day now, and Sicilian Avenue has just revealed its first line-up of businesses that are going to occupy the street. Trendy coffee joint Flying Horse Coffee has opened its doors at 1 Sicilian Avenue (opposite the red telephone box) this December. This is Flying Horse’s fourth London outpost and first location in the city centre.
The roastery will be joined by Backworks in the spring. The drop-in massage studio will offer fully-clothed seated back, head, neck and shoulder massages, with sessions starting from 15 to 45 minutes.
Finally, Matchado will open a café offering Japanese tea experiences, sweet baked treats and quality matcha and hojicha hand-sourced from Japan. Matchado’s opening date is yet to be revealed.
Philip Way, founder of Flying Horse Coffee, said: ‘It’s our most beautiful setting yet to open in. We’ve really taken our time to respect its heritage down to details like matching the colour of our coffee machine with the Grade II-listed oriel window frames. These details matter to the experience and lifestyle we’re creating for our customers – we want them to feel that they’re in a special place, because they are.’
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