Bunga Bunga to close for major revamp

Inception Group is to close its Bunga Bunga bar and restaurant in Covent Garden for several months for a major refurbishment.

The immersive Italian venue will shut its doors on 5 April before relaunching with a complete overhaul of its design, narrative and space.

Bunga Bunga opened in 2016 and is known for its metre-long pizzas, karaoke brunches and live shows.

It will reopen with more of the interactive elements that Inception Group, which is also behind immersive 1940s-inspired bar Cahoots, is known for.

Charlie Gilkes, co-founder of Inception Group, said: “We are hugely excited to announce the next iteration of Bunga Bunga.

“We have been open and trading in this location for nearly 10 years and so now is the right time to revitalise this fantastic Covent Garden site.

“This is not just a substantial refurbishment though, as for the first time we are taking one of our brands and giving all aspects of the product, design and narrative a complete overhaul. We cannot wait to open the doors again later this year and to show our guests what we have created.”

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.

It said that further details on the new iteration of Bunga Bunga would be shared in due course.