Real estate investment firm Tristan Capital Partners announces the availability of 12 commercial units on Sicilian Avenue, an iconic, Grade II listed pedestrianised street found in the heart of Bloomsbury, 90 seconds from Holborn station – London’s 11th busiest tube station out of 272. The units vary in size, from 485 sq ft to 2,357 sq ft, for a mix of food and beverage and retail occupiers. The first six venues are scheduled to open in summer 2025, providing a much needed high quality dining experience for Holborn’s 70,000 daily visitors.

Located between Tottenham Court Road Station and the UK’s no.1 attraction, The British Museum, Sicilian Avenue is the most prominent of a number of historical Grade II listed buildings within the 2.5 acre Holborn Links Estate (renamed as Bloomsbury Quarter) acquired by CCP 5 Long Life – the core-plus perpetual fund advised by Tristan Capital Partners.

In a survey conducted by Tristan Capital Partners and Censuswide in February this year, 95% of London’s business community and 88% of London tourists say they would visit Bloomsbury’s iconic pedestrianised Sicilian Avenue for high quality dining and socialising experiences.

Sicilian Avenue has undergone a complete restoration to become the social heart of the Bloomsbury Quarter reforming the historical, pedestrian avenue into Bloomsbury’s most sought-after shopping and dining destination. The development is part of a larger mixed-use scheme which also includes 70,000 sq ft of modern office space above the commercial units, which is being delivered by development manager Alchemy Asset Management and main contractor StructureTone.

Food and beverage occupiers can expect to cement their position as a vital lifeline for Holborn’s hungry diners as it converts a transiting footfall of tourists, office workers, university students and residents into a dedicated fanbase. Thanks to its central London location and seamless connection to both the Elizabeth and Central lines, and major bus routes, Sicilian Avenue is not only an iconic location but it is also perfectly situated for visitors en route to a theatre show or the museum.

Alex Melligan, Director, Portfolio & Asset Management, Tristan Capital, adds: “We know from our own research that London’s residents, visitors and workers overwhelmingly prefer pedestrianised settings for dining and socialising. Sicilian Avenue is not only of historical and cultural significance as one of London’s first pedestrianised streets, it can immediately satiate Holborn’s demand for high quality food and beverage experiences within its serene environment.”

Occupiers leasing the units will also possess a ‘peaceful yet joyful’ environment in their repertoire given that the avenue is set in beautiful Edwardian architecture with stunning original features, including curved oriel windows, to attract passersby searching for a serene and captivating environment away from the bustle.

Further enriching the visitor experience, Sicilian Avenue is book-ended by tall roman-esque columns which lead directly to the elegant Bloomsbury Gardens. It is also fully immersed in fascinating pop culture with links to Mahatma Gandhi, Bob Marley and as far back as Virginia Woolf – all of whom shaped post modern literature, arts, philosophy and British culture as we know it today. Most recently, Sicilian Avenue was used as filming locations for movie blockbuster Wonder Woman, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and Emmy award-winning TV show, Slow Horses.

Sicilian Avenue’s 70,000 sq ft of contemporary workspace located above the retail units will provide restaurant operators in the Avenue with immediate access to an untapped market of potential diners, searching for quality dining experiences in a calm yet vibrant environment linked to a rich heritage, and dripping in quintessentially post-modern British arts and literary culture. The space will be curated to provide an enticing offer of dining, socialising and shopping within a beautifully-renovated, pedestrianised precinct.

David Hughes, Director at Alchemy Asset Management, adds: ”As the development manager on this Grade II listed heritage site, we have dealt with many challenges. However, due to its rich history and architectural elegance, the structural adaptation has been hugely worthwhile in terms of the fantastic product we have been able to create for the first phase of the units this summer.”

Alexander Jan, chair of the Central District Alliance business improvement district, concludes: “The return to business of Sicilian Avenue is a hugely welcome development for Bloomsbury and Holborn’s workers, visitors and of course residents. Its reopening will add further momentum to the post-Covid recovery we are seeing, driven by public realm and private development investment alongside the two new Elizabeth line stations that lie within the CDA business improvement district area. Sicilian Avenue’s return will help drive vacancy rates in the district down yet further and is a major vote of confidence for this part of central London.”

To promote the restoration and relaunch of Sicilian Avenue, Tristan Capital Partners has appointed boutique B2B2C marcomms consultancy Duet London to deliver an integrated marcomms, PR and social programme designed to attract high quality occupiers as well as a mix of consumers, including tourists, local workers and residents. The campaign is now live across all channels to establish Sicilian Avenue as one of central London’s primary destinations for food, beverage and socialising.