London’s West End is home to a rich dining culture, with new restaurants opening up on a frequent basis – some excellent, some good and some that don’t quite make the cut. Just a stone’s throw from Soho is a recent addition to the concept culinary scene; The Avocado Show, which opened its doors a few steps away from Oxford Circus on Princes Street, back in late 2021. We all know how popular avocados are – especially with millennials of course – but how lucrative could a solely avocado-based restaurant actually be? It turns out, very. 

The Avocado Show operates at 11 sites and six cities across Europe, including Amsterdam, Paris, Madrid, and now London. The concept boasts a massive 173k followers on Instagram, and has gained a loyal fanbase since the opening of its first restaurant in Amsterdam back in 2018. ‘In the beginning’, say owners Ron Simpson and Julien Zaal. ‘The Avocado Show was just a simple idea between two friends. We saw it as a cosy, “gezellig” spot to enjoy beautifully crafted dishes made from our favourite superfruit.’

‘Of course we wanted to create a popular concept, but we couldn’t have predicted how far we’ve come so fast. We expected The Avocado Show to be a place where we could serve our friends and family in the neighbourhood. It turns out a lot of other people also thought we had a great idea.’

The interior of The Avocado Show is everything you would expect it to be – filled with tropical-esque foliage, neon lights and baby pink seating. Where the concept differs from other Instagrammable restaurants in the area however, is the food. 

The menu boasts an impressive variety of dishes, all centred around the main ingredient: avocados. Punters can choose from a range of starters and sides including nachos topped with a mountain of fresh guacamole, or avo fries. For breakfast, there’s egg based dishes and pancakes, and for lunch or dinner, tacos, hot bowls, burgers and more. Everything is cooked fresh and though all menu items are centred around the superfood, the dishes are surprisingly flavourful, too. 

The idea for a London location originated in 2019 when The Avocado Show collaborated on a pop up with a popular West London restaurant. ‘We worked with Bluebird Chelsea in 2019 on a brief pop-up that was a huge success for us. We were blown away by the enthusiasm from our English fans. From that moment on, we knew a permanent London restaurant had to be in our future’, say the founders. 

‘We’ve definitely had London on our radar for some time. We see it as a city where our concept can really thrive. If you look at avocado consumption in the UK, or even how often you see it on menus, you see the potential. As for Soho, there was never any doubt that the restaurant had to be located in the West End.

‘Accessibility was a key motivator, which meant this area was always at the top of our list. We felt that being situated in [in the West End] would allow us to reach the largest crowd of avo lovers, from locals to commuters and tourists. We were then lucky enough to find a great location on Princes Street, just off Regents Street. And even luckier to be working with The Crown Estate!’

Having already earned themselves a loyal following throughout Europe, the founders have no plans to slow down anytime soon. ‘We like to say The Future is Green, and we mean it. We will do our part to grow sustainably, but at the same time reach out to more avo lovers in more cities all over the world. We plan to strengthen our presence in Europe and the Nordics in the coming years as we look to new markets like the Middle East, USA and Canada. Our goal is to be within reach of fans all over the world.’

Love or hate avocados, The Avocado Show restaurant is definitely worthy of your attention. With sustainability at its core, the restaurant ensures that every single avocado used within each of their restaurants is grown at socially responsible farms. When you pair that with picture perfect interiors and a menu to rival its neighbours, it’s clear to see why the restaurant has a global fanbase, and is a very welcome addition to the West End area. 

Written by Layla Turner | @laylaliveslondon

This article was originally published in the Autumn issue of My Soho Times magazine. CLICK HERE to read it online, or CLICK HERE to buy your print copy!

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