Bunga Bunga Review

Best for: Parties, pizza, prosciutto and picking up princes.

Great: Bellinis and bruschetta and the best collection of Berlsconi tat (including a painting of his face on the body of a shark).

Princes come to party, singers come to sing, Bromley boys and Battersea babes come to Bunga Bunga! So much happens at this pizzeria and bar that a visit would have you believe you’ve walked straight into a movie:

Cocktails With Berlusconi – the unusual delight
A fantastical tale (in no way autobiographical!) about Italy’s shame-faced prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi; and the girls, the cocktails that made him the man he is today. Desperate to escape scrutiny after his scandalous behaviour, but still up for a party, the prime minister heads to Battersea and spends the evening at the only place in London that promises full-on fun and food to match. As dusk sets, two working girls (oi, not that kind!) step off the 49 bus and straight in through the welcoming doors of the restaurant. They order drinks: the Tutto Sbagliato - a lavender-infused gin cocktail that’s as luscious as it is lickable - and a rather classic yet sparky Spritz made with Campari. Berlusconi, too coy to approach the ladies - who are just so lovely, to be quite frank - hides behind his copy of Gazetta del Bunga Bunga and orders a SuperMario Monti and Pinocchio’s Tea Party (Bombay Sapphire and Martini Bitters also star).

The Prince & The Popstar – the complicated fairy tale
Saturday songstress Mollie King meets HRH Prince Harry while he makes an impromptu visit to Bunga Bunga for high drinks rather than high tea. When invited to the Prince’s private party in the Eurovision room, Mollie is at first reluctant, insisting that they are just friends, preferring to nibble on the zucchini fritte (that’s fried courgette chips to you English speakers) with basil aioli. She’s then irritated when the Prince pays more attention to the Bunga Board, a platter full of cured meats including coppa and prosciutto di Parma, Milano salami, bresaola and wild boar. But the Prince’s flame haired beauty of a cousin, Beatrice, totters up in six-inch heels, takes an interest in making Mollie a lady-in-waiting, and extends Mollie’s coverage from Heat to Hello. But it’s not long before Miss Davy, one of Harry’s blonde blasts from the past, turns up. Harry has a big choice to make: should he order the wild mushroom and prosciutto with fig bruschetta dishes or stick with the home baked focaccia? (Warning: includes scenes of printed nudity, aka the waiters wearing aprons depicting Michelangelo’s David).

Pizzeria Paradiso – the inspiring Battersea based biopic
After the huge successes of Barts - a quirky American speakeasy bar in Chelsea – and Maggie’s - the boutique nightclub and phenomenal homage to Mrs Thatcher and the 1980s - Charlie Gilkes and Duncan Stirling pair up once again in branching out to Battersea to open an Italian pizzeria and bar. Together they risk the prospect of nobody crossing the river - not even to sample pizzas with tongue-in-cheek names like The Untouchable Nancy (goat’s cheese, pancetta, spinach and egg) and the Italian Stallion (prosciutto di Parma, rocket, tomatoes & parmesan) - but Charlie and Duncan have faith that no bridge is too vast to cross and that the Pizza Express directly opposite won’t pull in more punters with their weekly voucher deals. It’s not long before the Clapham and Chelsea crowds are regularly sampling the two Bellini cocktails - the blueberry Bunga Bellini and the mandarin Berlusconi Bellini (equally fun and equally boozy) – and one balmy spring evening two girls travel from north of the river for the Tutti Tippi pizza (chicken, spinach, mozzarella and chilli). But is the journey worth it? (Spoiler alert: it certainly is!).

La Scuola (nella toilette) – the laughable lament to lessons, life and loos
Who says education is going down the toilet? Down the Sistine stairway there lies a hub of learning. While relieving their bladders, two students are given lessons in Italian and very valuable lessons in life too such as remembering to “lavarsi le mani prima di partire, grazie” (wash your hands before you leave, thank you).

For the ultimate Bunga Bunga experience, head down there on a Friday night after work with a big group of chums because, just like at the movies, nobody likes to go alone. And remember, two’s company, three’s a crowd and any more is a valid excuse to Bunga Bunga. Just ask Berlusconi!

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Nina Koo-Seen-Lin 15 May 2012

Bunga Bunga Description

Deriving its name from Italy’s most risqué parties, Bunga Bunga is a fun and lively bar and pizzeria inspired by the country’s finest icons. With an entire floor dedicated to the Eurovision Song Contest, a staircase illuminated by a 15-foot crystal chandelier and every inch of the walls covered in a reproduction of the Sistine Chapel by Michaelangelo, and an authentic pizzeria serving a selection of antipasti, salads and metro pizzas, Bunga Bunga is a celebration of everything that is brash, bold and dramatic about Italy.

Customer Reviews for Bunga Bunga

Average (based on 1 votes): 1 Atmosphere: Value: Quality:

The following customer reviews are not endorsed by Fluid London and are simply those of users who wish to publish their independent experiences of Bunga Bunga.

“Love this venue. I meet up with my girlfriends during the week after work. It's a great place to catch up on the gossip. We're becoming regulars of sorts (even the Berlusconi lookalike crooner knows us and sings the songs we like!) Best bellinis I've ever had.”
Atmosphere: Value: Quality:
Emma, London (1 years 28 days ago)

Additional Information

• Cuisine Type: Pizza
• Group: (Independent/Freehouse)