Inception Group to relaunch Bunga Bunga as 90s-themed bar

Inception Group is set to reopen Bunga Bunga in London’s Covent Garden this September with a 90s theme.

 

It comes roughly three months after the Italian bar and restaurant closed for a complete overhaul of its design, narrative and space.

 

The Covent Garden Bunga Bunga opened in 2017 following the success of the original Bunga Bunga in London’s Battersea, which became known for its metre-long pizzas, karaoke brunches and live shows.

 

On 18 September, the Drury Lane venue will relaunch as Bunga 90. One half of the bar has been styled as a video rental store complete with VHS tapes, SEGA Megadrives and Super Nintendos, while the other is reminiscent of a 90s Anglo-American family home adorned with chintzy furniture, teen idol posters and old-school television.

 

Guests will have the option to sing karaoke favourites across two private rooms, two open systems and on stage in front of a 300-strong audience.

 

They can also create their own ‘Claw Cocktail’ from a repurposed arcade claw machine, or play a series of retro games, such as Jurassic Park pinball.

 

Meanwhile, the toilets will offer hourly ‘M25-style’ warehouse raves consisting of UV lighting, glow sticks, 90s dance anthems, Southern Comfort and Tequila Rose.

 

The broader drinks menu includes a mix of reinvented 90s classics, such as Cosmos and Appletinis, priced at £9, as well as cocktails served in the shapes of 90s icons ranging from Britney Spears to a Nokia 3310, priced at £13. Bar snacks and a pizza menu will be available all night.

 

Every Saturday, Bunga 90 will also host a bottomless 90s brunch costing £45 per person.

 

Charlie Gilkes, co-founder of Inception Group, said: “We are hugely excited to be launching Bunga 90. We opened the original Bunga Bunga back in 2011, and this is a complete reimagining of the brand — while still keeping the pizzas, karaoke, and sense of fun that people know and love. Bunga 90 is both a love letter to the 1990s and a bold new chapter.”

 

Inception Group was founded by Gilkes and Duncan Stirling in 2009 and has grown to 15 experiential venues in London, including the Victorian-themed Mr Foggs bars.

 

Its latest bar, Cahoots: Post Office, opened in London Bridge last year with singing toilets and robotic pigeons.

 

The group secured a £6.7m loan from OakNorth bank to fund its expansion in 2023.

 

Image: Johnny Stevens