On a mundane lunch break or a wide-eyed wander into Central London at the weekend, there’s a spot that will take you away from the greyness and all the way up to the streets of Palermo. That’s achieved through the taste (if only for a second) of the produce on offer at Arancino Of Sicily, which deals solely in – you guessed it – serving up tonnes of the gooiest arancini in the city.
Run by owner Alessia (who has been a fiend for arancini since the age of seven), the place is dedicated entirely to making what she calls “the sandwich of the Sicilians”, and when done right, there truly isn’t anything quite like chomping down on of the breadcrumb-coated rice balls. It’s a good thing for lovers of all things Sicilian cuisine that the Shaftesbury Avenue supply ticks that very box.
Arancino Of Sicily
Standing out among the shops on London’s famous street, the outside seating and green exteriors give way to minimally decorated red wallpapers and beautiful hanging lamps with a couple of plant pots scattered around for good measure. Stroll up to the counter, clap eyes with the selection of arancini on offer (both meat and vegetarian options), and take your pick.
Alessia champions her volcano-resembling creation above all, which is filled with beef and erupts with gooey lava that melts in the mouth after simmering for 10 hours. However, it’s the savoury pistachio option that may even steal the show for you too, which is soft and is just made for those cheese pulls we’ve come to be acquainted with on our timelines.
Elsewhere on the menu you’ll find a tasty aubergine number as well as another veggie delight in their cheesy spinach arancino. Essentially, there is something for all at this delightful establishment, and it’s perfect for some lunchtime fuel or evening fill-up between bars.
On their Instagram page, The Shaftesbury Avenue shop say that they serve up the ‘best arancini this side of Sicily’. And after our visit, we might confess that they have a claim to that throne.