Criterion, Luxury on Piccadilly

Last day of class we brought a visit to the restaurtant Criterion on Piccadilly Circus.
Having one of the highest footfalls in London, it is still hidden away from the tourist. No advertisement, no screamy billboards, nothing to attract attention.

The picture on the left shows the entrance of the restaurant. Situated on Piccadilly Circus, literally thousands of people walk by the restaurant without even realizing that there is a restaurant.






But once you enter the restaurant, you WILL be amazed by the interior. The sober the exterior, the more beautiful and richness the interior is.
The set of following pictures illustrates this.

 The dining hall.  

 The bar

Dining hall again

The ceiling, which exists out of pure gold and precious and semi-precious stones.













Like every brand and service provider, they also need to have an USP (Unique Selling Point) to differentiate themselves from the competition.
Criterion's first and main USP is this extraordinary interior. The ceiling, the room, the bar,... everything lives and breaths class and luxury. People come to lunch and dinner to see this interior.

However, to be a premium luxury restaurant and luxury brand in general, there is more to it than just looking good!
One of the aspects that makes luxury luxury, is the heritage and history. Criterion made good use of its heritage and history and you can see it in some 'subtle' placements in the  restaurant and the restaurant's environment.

Sherlock Holmes and John Watson memorial wall inscription. The have visited the bar 1881.

A book with signatures and notes, all throughout history

Reference on their menu

First Page on their website













Another aspect why luxury brands can charge a price premium, and that is linked with the heritage, is telling a story. This makes people relate to the brand and giving them an 'excuse' to pay more.
The owners of Criterion also thought about this and they indeed are telling a story.
First of all with the heritage and history, also with the former and famous visitors.
But what was remarkable as well, was that even the promotional menu had a story around it. Every course was related to history and the period of Queen Victoria, like the apple and pear Sausage for example.

When talking about services, it is of biggest importance that the staff has the expected level as well. I haven't been to the restaurant for lunch nor dinner, but the way the staff was handling phone calls, handling us pleasantly surprised me.
The kitchen staff was really nice as well. We met headchef Matthew Foxon, who gave us a tour around the kitchen and interesting talk about the way the kitchen works.

Matthew is being promoted as a chef by Criterion. This is another aspect for luxury brands. A luxury brand focusses on handcraft. By promoting Matthew, they try to sell this craftsmanship to the customers.

Like mentioned above, Criterion is applying a lot of different aspects of luxury. Heritage, storytelling, craftsmanship, environment,... all these elements are contributing to the status of Criterion as a luxury restaurant.

The only thing that is missing in this post, is the analysis of the food. I haven't got the opportunity yet, but that will come. (one day)


Later

Vic