Buns and Buns

Asian restaurant · Covent Garden

Buns and Buns

Asian restaurant · Covent Garden

Unit 5C Covent Garden, London WC2E 8RA, United Kingdom

Highlights

Nestled in the vibrant Covent Garden, this stylish spot serves up tasty steamed buns, lobster rolls, and creative cocktails in a lively atmosphere.

Unit 5C Covent Garden, London WC2E 8RA, United Kingdom Get directions

bunsandbuns.com

@bunsandbuns

$$ · Menu

Reserve

@infatuation

"We like buns—whether that’s hot cross or bao—and this spot inside Covent Garden Piazza has some pretty great ones. Foremost among them is the BFC Bun—think fried chicken, lettuce, and mayo in a soft bao—which tastes like a McDonald’s chicken sandwich in the best way possible. The rest of the menu—solid lobster rolls, green chicken curries, and calamari salads—is all pretty great and the seating feels alfresco without being exposed to the worst of the British weather. Book ahead at weekends when it can get pretty busy." - sinead cranna, jake missing, rianne shlebak, daisy meager

The 22 Best Restaurants In Covent Garden

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@infatuation

"We like buns—whether that’s hot cross or bao—and this spot inside Covent Garden Piazza has some pretty great buns. Foremost amongst them is the BFC Bun—think fried chicken, lettuce, and mayo in a soft bao bun—which basically tastes like a McDonald’s chicken sandwich in the best way possible. As well as bao, you can find some solid lobster rolls, rib-eye steak sandwiches, and even clay-oven pizzas on their menu. The food is all pretty great and the seating feels alfresco without being exposed to the worst of the British weather. Make sure to book ahead at weekends when it can get pretty busy. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch" - Rianne Shlebak

Buns And Buns Review - Covent Garden - London - The Infatuation

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Google

I think it’s crazy that you charge a 15% service charge. The service is okay, but nothing to rave about. I saw that the chef had called for service and 3 waiters/waitresses were just stood having a chat. I’ve been to a more high end restaurant in central London with much much better service at a much lower service charge. The prices here are to be expected but some of it is ridiculous! £23 for chili beef and rice is decent but £22 for just the chicken that doesn’t even have that much satay sauce is insane. Wouldn’t be a proper meal, but unfortunately all the sides are at an extortionate £15. £15 for some chips???? Could maybe understand if they were truffle salted hand cut chips. Ask for the service charge to be removed if you do eat here. It was also quite cold since they don’t close the door even with the heaters you still feel a cold breeze. Pork belly buns were so delicious!

Mohsin Hussain

Google

Halal food available; came for a birthday dinner. Funky location within Covent Garden. Food sadly underwhelming and grossly overpriced (as can be with some places in central London) Best item was Tomyum soup (4/5) and the chocolate brownie dessert (4/5). Steak was dry, as were the satay chicken bao buns. By the time we finished the soup, the other items were cold so make sure you ask for a gap between starters and mains. Polite staff, slightly cold interior and on the loud side due to the location and how close tables are to each other.

Shabnam Rezaei

Google

I don’t give 5 stars. This place is so great and especially fun for a crowd as it is located at the heart of Covent Garden. We were 8 and had a nice table by the window. We tried the duck buns and pulled pork. They were delicious. The other dishes and fries were also yummy. Service was kind and quick. We would recommend this place for sure.

Brett Boje

Google

We had a light late dinner here. Shared the pork belly bun and duck bun. Both were delicious. Interested and would return to try more of the menu.

Ayesha Manan

Google

Terrible experience. I couldn't understand how they could make such bad food. It was also too expensive, with a 15% service charge. Paid toilets were only available on the lower floor (1.5 pounds!!!) and it was so inconvenient. I don’t even wanna remember that I’ve been there…..bad memories

Farah Sader

Google

Bun & Bun provided an excellent breakfast experience when I visited. I tried their cheese omelette, avocado toast with fried eggs, and truffle omelette, paired with a refreshing glass of orange juice. The cheese omelette was perfectly cooked—soft and fluffy, with a generous amount of melted cheese that gave each bite a rich and creamy texture. It was simple but executed to perfection. The avocado toast was equally impressive. The toast was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, topped with creamy avocado and perfectly fried eggs. The combination of flavors was both fresh and satisfying, making it a healthy yet indulgent choice. The highlight for me was the truffle omelette. It had an earthy, aromatic truffle flavor that elevated the dish, giving it a gourmet touch without being overwhelming. It was decadent and flavorful, making it the star of the meal. The freshly squeezed orange juice was a perfect complement, adding a zesty, refreshing balance to the richness of the dishes. The service was friendly and efficient, and the overall atmosphere was cozy and relaxed. If you’re looking for a spot with high-quality breakfast options, Buns & Buns is a must-visit.

David Estrada

Google

The most delicious pork belly buns ever! Comfortable and cozy spot to eat in Covent Garden and our waitress Nusrat was excellent. Great service!

Anuj Goel

Google

Great location in a vibrant surrounding in Covent Garden. Very lively area to have lunch in. Food was ok…not bad, but not great. Drinks menu is awesome. Overall loved it just because of the energy in this area and the excellent location this restaurant is set in.

Marta M.

Yelp

The buns were absolutely delicious.. no question about it. But the STUFF? TERRIBLE!! Hands down the rudest and most impolite I've ever encountered, with zero reason for their behavior. The manager with a beard and shorter server/manager with glasses. To top it off, I accidentally left my purse in the restaurant, and they pretended they didn't find it until a female waiter finally admitted they had it. The manager and staff gave off extremely sketchy vibes!! I wouldn't recommend this place... there are plenty of better spots with equally good (if not better) buns and way better service.

Joe B.

Yelp

Cool concept, poor execution. Had a few hours around lunch time before a business meeting at the Waldorf hotel, so was wandering though Covent garden. As I walked by this place, all the dishes I saw on people's tables looked good, so I decided to go in. Cool concept of having various asian steamed bun dishes, plus burgers. Being from Seattle, steamed bun dishes are very common, so i decided to order something different. Ordered the crispy chicken, which came out quickly. Very mixed results. The chicken was breaded thigh meat, which I prefer, and cooked perfectly. Juicy and tender inside nice and crispy on the outside. It came plated on a bed of spicy peanut sauce, which was totally unedible because it was extremely salty. I tried to eat some of the sauce with the rice, to cut the saltiness, but the scoop of rice was all dried up and hard. They either don't know how to cook rice, or they pre-plated the rice and left it sitting out a long time. I can understand a whoops now and then and something gets oversalted but it's pretty inexcusable for any Asian place to serve rice like this, so over all, only 2 stars. So I quickly just ate the chicken, paid, and left.

Rich B.

Yelp

Very good spot .. sat in back near courtyard ..server was new so we could not get many recommendations but we share several dishes.. everything tasted great ! For busy area it was good place to stop and share some food

Adrain S.

Yelp

Horribly dry bao bun and inside fried chicken and duck to the point inedible. Don't waste your time coming here. I predict it won't last. The Iced Peach Tea and the Green Tea were good. Hence the 2 stars.

Bea W.

Yelp

Efficient hostess and service was good at taking my drink order quickly and getting food out to me after I ordered. Decor was fine and seating was efficient. Food was only ok. Duck in Peking duck bun was grisly, fatty and at times unchewable. I had no knife so I had to spit it out! (How embarrassing). Salad wasn't made with care. It had way too much dressing and several lettuce leafs that were wilted an inedible.

Ron P.

Yelp

Tried this cute place near my Hotel in Covent Garden and tried a few of their food. It was nothing special except for the powerful spices/flavor of their food. I am asian and loved anything asian cuisine but their flavors are a bit on the salty and stronger side. I would give another try when I get a chance to visit this place again because service and ambience was great.

SanDiegoGirl V.

Yelp

We went to Buns&buns two times while in London. Both times were very impressed with promt and friendly service, fantastic food and out of this world cocktails. We highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for excellent Asian food and outstanding drinks. They know how to do it right.

Tammy B.

Yelp

The Mac Bun 5.37/10- this was good but interesting, and not what I was expecting. I was recommended to get this bao bun. It was practically a mini burger but in a bao bun. The meat was juicy and tender, the pickles were actually a great touch, and the cheese really tied it in altogether. The bun itself@was very fluffy and light. However Burger as a bao bun wasn't really my thing. Still very good but I honestly wish I ordered their duck or truffle mushroom bao bun. Spring rolls 7.52/10- so delicious however I wish it had some sort of protein in it. What really stood out to me was how hot these came and how fresh! The spring roll was warm throughout which was great especially considering the fact it was cold. I wish they gave more sweet and sour sauce though. This is a really cute restaurant located in Covent Garden. Very vibey and I really like the ambiance. I do believe it's quite overpriced for the portion they give you. If you only order one portion of bao buns you'll still be left hungry. Their service is also not that great and the food takes forever.

Talesha C.

Yelp

My sister and I were walking through London, so we came to Covent Gardens to see what this location had to order. There were people watching the soccer game, eating, shopping, and we happened upon this cute restaurant. We didn't have a lot of time to sit for a while so we got a quick snack. I got the Duck bun and Chicken bun while my sister got the Truffle and Wild Mushroom bun. They were all delicious so if you enjoy buns, I highly recommend this place.

Stephanie N.

Yelp

I was taking a London Bao tour and found this place open after 10. Initially I was a bit miffed cuz they wouldn't let me mix and match buns only two per set. So I went with the mushroom truffle bun which was amazing. I was concerned it would be too salty but it wasn't. The flavors were just right and you get a variety of mushrooms. Would definitely come again and order something else. Ambiance wise it's in a strip mall food court thingy but this place has its own walls and it's a comfy vibe.

Courtney W.

Yelp

Located in covent garden right in the middle. Baos only come as single baos, each is £6.50. Duck plum bao was ok, reminiscent of classic Beijing duck baos. Shrimp bao had some kind of mayo sauce, I wish it had more filling. I also ordered a side of fries for £5. I think this is very pricey despite tasting ok. Ribeye sandwich is large, 2 halves plus fries for £23. The beef is hard to bite off because it's very tendon filled and not sliced. The flavor is a little strange, kind of tomato based sauce that doesn't make a ton of sense with the meat. Service was pretty good, but price is too high for food that doesn't have a taste to justify it.

Tim T.

Yelp

Wow. Wasabi margarita and pork belly steamed buns! Nice and relaxing in the middle of the hub bub after a long day of business travel. Attentive service. Great food and drink.

Jennifer M.

Yelp

The service is excellent and quick! The food was delicious and well prepared. My pork belly bun was amazing! It has an energetic atmosphere since it is smack dab in the middle of Covent Garden and all the hustle and bustle. The passion fruit cocktail is delicious and so fragrant.

Urba M.

Yelp

Just stopped by on a busy Friday afternoon for some bites and beers. The buns are good, but small - tried the Thai shrimp, truffle mushroom and the fried chicken buns. The shrimp and mushroom ones were my fave - nicely seasoned and the buns were hot, soft and delicious! The fried chicken one was a bit on the drier side. Enjoyed it with a cold beer that hit the spot and gave me a boost of energy to keep exploring! Ambience was nice and location was convenient, service was slow.

Dan N.

Yelp

Came here around 22:00 for a late dinner and were prompted seated. Service was quick and our host was very attentive and struck conversation with us, so really enjoyed the company alongside the meal. This restaurant is more Asian fusion so do not expect authentic. We enjoyed the curry chicken, pretty good curry flavor and a good portion of chicken. We also liked the chicken satay, however the peanut sauce was a bit on the saltier end. Overall, a lovely choice for late dinner with a nice view of a bustling area in London!

Romain L.

Yelp

An absolute must try. Staff is really nice and always here to serve and help. We ordered some drinks, one bun and one pizza. It tooks exactly 6minutes to be there! And it was amazing. The quality of my pizza was really high, chips were quite random like McDonald's but it was absolutely fine. My burrata was very tasty on my pizza and it was raw, which is perfect. There is a lot of ambiance around as it's on the heart of Covent Garden but it was not an issue at all, we could easily speak without shouting. Anyway, a very good place :).

Nicole R.

Yelp

Not my favorite... stopped in as I was intrigued by the name and decor but was disappointed. There aren't even that many buns to choose from, not to mention they are overpriced (in my opinion). Could have went to Chinatown instead right around the corner. But I did enjoy the chicken satay entree. Also it's very crowded on the inside and is not the most enjoyable experience, but the staff is lovely and very helpful.

Victor K.

Yelp

We just wanted to have a couple of drinks. They were very good. But they also treated us to some samples and free fries. The staff was very friendly and professional. The space is pretty cool and has lots of energy.

Efraim S.

Yelp

Incredible atmosphere. The buns themselves are ok but the bread is fantastic. Drinks are tad small and everything is pricy but hey this is a touristy place in the heart of the square. Very enjoyable

Ginny A.

Yelp

This was such a great restaurant! The food was absolutely wonderful but most importantly the staff were very attentive and kind.

Susan E.

Yelp

I'd been really looking forward to this visit but was left disappointed on several levels. We had a confirmed reservation, shared the confirmation email, they still said we didn't but sat us anyway. Restaurant was fairly empty and they still sat us in between two other full tables. They wouldn't provide a physical menu despite the fact the table next to us had one and my mom could have used it to see clearly. Our order came out wrong but was fixed quickly. Lobster roll was mediocre at best as a sandwich of mayonnaise with a few pieces of lobster, French fries were soggy and all chopped up. Mom's mushroom bun looked good, she said it tasted "fine." Edamame was just ok. I give a lot of grace for restaurants impacted by COVID but these seemed less like covid issues and more just bad food/service.

Daniel Eric M.

Yelp

This was my first time coming here and it won't! be my last. Easy to book, the perfect location, greeted by wonderful, welcoming, friendly and polite staff. Had the most Incredible food! Fantastic experience and I can't wait to go back again soon. Highly recommended!

Genevieve B.

Yelp

Pretty good buns. the chicken in the fried chicken bun was crispy and juicy and the mac bun tasted like an elevated big mac. Pretty good food for late night after a show, but nothing to write home about. I would recommend for a quick and casual bite that's a step up from a chain

Alison W.

Yelp

We were walking around the Covenant Garden area , when we saw the line out of this place. So we decided to eat here for dinner. Just looking at the menu while in line, we had decided what we liked and wanted to get. We skipped a few parties in line as we didn't mind sitting at the bar. Though it was near the door, they had some heaters above us and we were right in front of the kitchen and the pizza oven. Then once we sat down and saw the food being served to other people and cooked in the kitchen, all of us changed our minds on what we were getting. I ended up with the pork belly bun and the cheeseburger bun. I also got the passion fruit alcoholic drink. Drink was tasty. Both buns were good. I preferred the pork belly as it was flavorful and tender. The cheeseburger was pretty plain and typical. I also tried my friend's prosciutto pizza and the rotisserie chicken. Chicken was tender. Pizza was fresh - we did see it being baked in the pizza oven. It also had a lot of prosciutto and a giant dollop of the most cheesy burrata. Mmmm. A little pricey for what we got but I think this is a touristy area.

Adrian Permata S.

Yelp

Continued my return to eating out at Buns & Buns. We ordered the following: - Rib eye sandwich (medium rare) - Chilli prawn bun - BFC bun - Lobster roll - Four cheese & mushroom pizza All in all it was enjoyable but perhaps not worth the price considering the competition. The rib eye sandwich and chilli prawn bun had an unusual flavour, difficult to place a finger on. The BFC bun was passable if not spectacular and the pizza tasty for anyone keen on blue cheese. The lobster roll wins out for me surprisingly but again, I think you can find more economical value elsewhere. Glad I went though.

Vanessa H.

Yelp

The service was pretty quick and the restaurant itself was pretty bustling. The food was pretty good for the most part but the mushroom bun really had a lot of mayo. The pork belly bun was very tender and delicious, and the truffle fries were crispy and flavorful.

Hiral P.

Yelp

The size of the dishes are very small, even the pizza is about half the size of other restaurants of similar quality I've been to in London. The food tasted good, but isn't good enough for me to recommend to anyone or to go again. Service was great and servers were very friendly. Very average restaurant, not a bad choice if you're in the area but wouldn't go out of my way to come here.

Jane R.

Yelp

Wonderful food, atmosphere, happy cooks right in front of you putting love in the food. There are tons of restaurants in London, and I came here twice for this wonderful salad burrata!! It has pesto inside and warm bread that they make from scratch in the wood fired oven. Everyone is friendly in the wait staff as well. People complain about a surcharge but I thought it was well worth it. The tomatoes had a wonderful flavor and the olive oil made is more scrumptious

R H.

Yelp

I'm docking it two stars, even though the food and service were good, because of a service charge (tip) automatically added to my bill that was, in the fine print at the bottom, labeled "optional". I only saw this after I paid the bill, and even if I had noticed it before paying am I really forced to say, "uh, I'd like to remove or change that amount"? There's nothing optional about that. And this was for a party of only two. I love tipping for great service. I have multiple relatives who have worked for years in the food service industry so I'm aware and respectful of how hard they work. For this reason I usually tip generously. Let tips stay between server and customer, and let the restaurant pay it's people a living wage so they don't have do nonsense like what this restaurant did on my bill.

Amogh V.

Yelp

Located right in the middle of covent garden. Food is good. Ingredients are fresh. I got the mussels which was great. Service is not the greatest and hence the 4 stars.

C S.

Yelp

Love the atmosphere of this cute place! You can watch your food be prepared in an open kitchen. As soon as you walk in you notice the steam for the steam buns, which are delicious! I'd recommend getting two because they're pretty small. Our waitress was so helpful with menu recommendations and even showed us pictures of dishes we were interested in. I highly recommend for your next visit to Covent Garden!

Jenni R.

Yelp

In Covent Garden so I was concerned that it might be a tourist trap but it was delicious! I got the Thai shrimp bun, flavorful sauce, soft Chinese bun, so good. Service was fantastic. Prices a bit high but to be expected with the location.

Freddy Y.

Yelp

Absolutely delicious. Had a a ribeye sandwich..tender..delicious with mayonnaise. If you don't like mayo tell them cause it comes on there. Fries were great. My girlfriend has the chicken marinated in lime and yogurt. It was half a chicken served with broccolini and carrots. It's not cheap food but was a great value for what you get. Italians run it and they taught world to cook so you know it's great!

Anne-Marie J.

Yelp

Giving this 2 stars based on the terrible service, minus the host who actually greeted me when I walked in and seated me right away. Service went downhill immediately after that. I had a rotation of wait staff that I had to chase down when I needed anything. I had to ask 3 different people to bring my bill, really disappointing as the food was very good. Sadly with such horrible, pretty much nonexistent service I won't return which is sad because I always stay at Covent Garden when in London.

@infatuation

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@infatuation

Buns And Buns Review - Covent Garden - London - The Infatuation

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Google

Mohsin Hussain

Google

Shabnam Rezaei

Google

Brett Boje

Google

We had a light late dinner here. Shared the pork belly bun and duck bun. Both were delicious. Interested and would return to try more of the menu.

Ayesha Manan

Google

Farah Sader

Google

David Estrada

Google

The most delicious pork belly buns ever! Comfortable and cozy spot to eat in Covent Garden and our waitress Nusrat was excellent. Great service!

Anuj Goel

Google

Marta M.

Yelp

Joe B.

Yelp

Rich B.

Yelp

Adrain S.

Yelp

Bea W.

Yelp

Ron P.

Yelp

SanDiegoGirl V.

Yelp

Tammy B.

Yelp

Talesha C.

Yelp

Stephanie N.

Yelp

Courtney W.

Yelp

Tim T.

Yelp

Wow. Wasabi margarita and pork belly steamed buns! Nice and relaxing in the middle of the hub bub after a long day of business travel. Attentive service. Great food and drink.

Jennifer M.

Yelp

Urba M.

Yelp

Dan N.

Yelp

Romain L.

Yelp

Nicole R.

Yelp

Victor K.

Yelp

Efraim S.

Yelp

Incredible atmosphere. The buns themselves are ok but the bread is fantastic. Drinks are tad small and everything is pricy but hey this is a touristy place in the heart of the square. Very enjoyable

Ginny A.

Yelp

This was such a great restaurant! The food was absolutely wonderful but most importantly the staff were very attentive and kind.

Susan E.

Yelp

Daniel Eric M.

Yelp

Genevieve B.

Yelp

Alison W.

Yelp

Adrian Permata S.

Yelp

Vanessa H.

Yelp

Hiral P.

Yelp

Jane R.

Yelp

R H.

Yelp

Amogh V.

Yelp

Located right in the middle of covent garden. Food is good. Ingredients are fresh. I got the mussels which was great. Service is not the greatest and hence the 4 stars.

C S.

Yelp

Jenni R.

Yelp

Freddy Y.

Yelp

Anne-Marie J.

Yelp

Buns and Buns

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