After debuting in Miami, Buns & Buns (which is all about different kinds of breads funnily enough) has opened in Covent Garden Market. It’s got a prime spot right inside the market but you are enclosed in glass walls so you do feel a bit separated from the crowds. There’s a huge open kitchen and marble counter at the front with steamer baskets bubbling away the front, and seating running down the right hand side before the space opens up towards the back.
The menu features breads from around the world, from bao buns to brioche lobster rolls to blackened rotisserie chicken with pão de queijo, a Brazilian cheese bread. We love a good carb fest but all that bread can get mighty filling, so it’s best to mix it up with one of the salads or small plates. The roasted and pickled beet salad with tomatoes and pomegranate added some freshness (although this does come with a piece of olive bread), and the sumac dusted corn fritters, which were battered clusters of corn rather than a corn cake, were crispy and moreish. The fillings on both baos we tried – glazed pork belly and wild mushroom – were great too. Our main bready choice was the lobster roll but we saw a few of the pizzas come out and reckon they’d be worth a go.
Whatever you do go for, we recommend ordering in stages as on our visit everything came out at the same time and it was a bit overwhelming, especially as the dishes are on the large side. The pricing definitely reflects the central-ness of the location but Buns & Buns is the kind of place to go if you’re in a group and no one can agree on what they want because you’re not short on variety.
5 North Hall, London, WC2E 8RA
bunsandbuns.com