Buns & Buns Covent Garden

From Miami to London, Buns & Buns has opened up a branch at the very very heart of Covent Garden. They have replaced Jamie Oliver’s Union Jack’s spot at the North Hall of Covent Garden and opened up this snazzy-looking but relatively affordable restaurant. At first, I must admit I was a bit sceptical about the place as it’s literally at the very centre of London’s most touristy spot. But after seeing a couple of reviews, I decided it was worth a try. Moreover, it got me curious when they say the restaurant concept is all about bread! So let’s see what Buns & Buns is all about as we share our honest review here on this article.

Buns & Buns: A Bread Pairing Specialist

Buns & Buns is housed in a glass box bang on in the middle of Covent Garden Piazza. It features an open kitchen and counters displaying all the fresh produce from lobsters, vegetables, and fresh bread loaves, as well as baskets of Taiwanese bao steaming away. Coming from Miami, the restaurant carries an upbeat atmosphere, and it’s very vibrant and buzzing with energy. Its interior is generally very bright and trendy, with a little splash of colour and has a cosy touch to it at the same time.

The concept behind Buns & Buns is to curate traditional and innovative dishes to pair with bread and buns from around the world. Each dish on the menu comes paired with some of the world’s best bread, featuring everything from Taiwanese bao to Roman palaromana and Brazilian pão de queijo, etc. Halal options are clearly marked on the menu.

The Food: What We Ordered

Date of dining: April 2019

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Truffle Mushrooms Bun (£7.50)

We saw all those fluffy bao by the entrance, of course, we had to order one! We went with the Truffle Mushroom Bao, which was super fragrant and filled the table with an alluring truffle aroma. Using a mix of mushrooms, including girolles, shiitake, shimeji, and chestnut mushrooms, the filling was incredibly moreish and oozed umami. Biting into that beautifully fresh and fluffy bun with all that luscious mushroom filling was simply a heavenly sensation.

Rotisserie Chicken (£19)

This is definitely pricier than your regular Nandos but its quality speaks volumes. It uses quality organic chicken, marinated with yoghurt and lime, to create that super tender texture. The chicken was generally succulent to taste and the flavours were light and delectable – it almost reminds me of Moroccan flavours. There’s no crazy mix of spices and sauces for explosive flavours, but just really good quality meat being the star.

The chicken was served with a side of vegetables and a slice of fresh sourdough bread. I normally don’t think much of bread but this sourdough here at Buns & Buns was really screaming for top-level quality. The bread was ridiculously fluffy inside, with a nice crunchy crust. A drizzle of olive oil on top definitely complemented its tangy flavours and paired well with the chicken. Everything tasted really light and clean, leaving you satisfied and contently full without any sluggish feeling that you normally get from a heavy meal.

Chilean Rib Eye Steak Sandwich (£18)

Another halal option in the rotisserie & grill section is the steak sandwich. It is a ciabatta sandwich filled with a nicely seared ribeye steak, topped with mixed salad leaves, crispy shallots, and a lip-smacking aji panca sauce. Personally, I really liked it. But the other half thought it wasn’t anything special. For me, the smoky peppery flavours from the aji panca were the highlight. Those flavours paired so impeccably well with the steak, which was of good quality and tender to bite.

Restaurant Review Summary