The Covent Garden branch (sister restaurant to Bunga Bunga in Battersea), is even bigger and bolder than the original. Describing itself as a restaurant, bar and variety show seems like selling it slightly short. This is an all-encompassing interactive experience so if you’re out for a quiet meal, this isn’t the place for you!
The bar itself is accessed through a meat locker and gives you a taste of what’s to come. From here on in, you’re immersed in the world of Bunga Bunga! Entering the basement is like arriving in a different world, we couldn’t get over the size of the place let alone the effort they’ve put into the decoration and staging.
The restaurant itself offers an Italian sharing feast, for £38 you get a six-course meal and a cocktail all with a side of variety entertainment. During our time there we saw a singer, a hula hoop performer, a juggler, a DJ and the house band, The Bunga Boys, all held together by a very funny host. The entertainment runs throughout the evening with anything happening at any time – expect to be distracted from your food on many occasions!
Now onto the food, focaccia and olives got our appetite going before the first course was delivered – a selection of Italian cured meats and cheese, San Marzano tomato and mixed leaf salad, burrata and pappa al pomodoro, and friggitelli peppers. First things first, the burrata. Soft and creamy, we can never stop ourselves from having ‘just one more bite’. A good selection of meat and cheese was well complemented by the fresh, light salad and the frigitelli peppers (similar to the Spanish padron peppers) were salty and well cooked.
Next up was a mushroom and truffle risotto. The truffle was well balanced and not overpowering, something that is very easy to get wrong, and the mushrooms had a lovely, earthy flavour. A limoncello granita cleansed our palates to make way for the next course – pizza!
Long, rectangular pizzas with three toppings are presented to the table, a choice of salumi, vesuvio and quattro formaggi. The base was thin and crispy, just how we like it, the prosciutto cotto on the salumi melted in the mouth and the vesuvio had a good spicy kick. The quattro formaggio was like the best cheese on toast we’ve ever eaten!
To finish we were given a miniature tiramisu (and trust me miniature is all you’ll want at this point!) and an Illy caffé liqueur.
The cocktail menu here is extensive and the wine list, all Italian of course, is also good. The set menu is £38 per person, which may seem a little pricey but you get a lot of food and the entertainment, (which is the real draw) makes it worth the price.
Come ready to have fun and you’ll have a great evening!