There’s a clear trend that’s been weaving its way through London’s hottest new openings: nostalgia. When Omar Shah – of Guanabana, Mamasons and Bintang fame – was cooking up the follow-up act to his 2025 launch (the modern Kentish Town bistro, Belly), he couldn’t help but return to the ingredients that punctuate his memories.
With the newly-opened Bunso (which means “youngest child” in Filipino), Shah brings back the punchy, unique flavours of the Philippine islands with a menu that centres around his team’s doughmaking skills – laminated pastries like mango sticky rice danishes and pandan cream cruffins by day, with pizzas and pastas in the evenings, all soundtracked by a bespoke hi-fi sound system.
London’s pizza scene is the gift that keeps on giving, and for Shah, it was the New York-style version, popularised by the American city’s large Italian American population, that he chose to sling out at Bunso. “We've spent a huge amount of time refining our dough recipe, and it's something we're incredibly proud of,” he says.
While there’s a margherita for the purists, it’s the unique pies that you’ll want to order: rich umami flavours from in-season girolles join soy and vinegar in the mushroom adobo pizza; sweet longganisa (a garlicky Filipino sausage) is layered with tangy atchara (Filipino pickles) and lashings of calamansi hot honey; while the humble laing (a dish made from taro leaves cooked down in coconut milk and chillis) sits centre stage on a creme fraiche-based pie with slivers of onions and lemon zest. From the pasta menu, kare-kare pappardelle, pairs oxtail peanut stew from the Philippines’s central region with a chilli peanut crisp.
“Bunso has definitely been one of our more challenging projects,” Shah tells Broadsheet, explaining how he was inspired by Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks painting and wanted to recreate that nostalgic New York diner feel to this corner of north London. Gaining the planning permissions and funding (Shah is proud that “everything has been organically grown and bootstrapped”) to transform the former beauty academy into a restaurant were difficult enough, but just a week before their planned opening, a burst water pipe meant his team also had six inches of water to deal with.
Despite the setbacks, Shah is happy that Bunso’s doors have finally opened and that the restaurant’s look and feel reflect his original vision: a long stainless steel counter glimmers from the large window fronting the art deco-style building; artwork by Shah and London-based Kelly Anna hang on the walnut-cladded walls; pared back concrete floors are reminiscent of Shah’s childhood home; and a high-spec DJ booth and listening wall make up one of Shah’s “favourite corners of the restaurant”, where OPM (Original Pilipino Music) mingles with his beloved hip-hop, reggae, and soul.
“For me, Bunso brings together so many things I love: memories of growing up in the Philippines, my mum's love of music and her music system, the New York diners I've always been fascinated by and the beautiful way Edward Hopper captured those spaces in his paintings. But I wanted to bring my own energy to that setting – something full of life, music, conversation and people enjoying themselves; somewhere that feels warm, welcoming and alive throughout the day and into the evening. Ultimately, that's what I hope people feel when they walk into Bunso.”
Bunso
1A Hawley Road, NW1 8RP.
Hours:
Prior to October 20:
Tue to Sat 5pm–10pm
Sun 4pm–9.30pm
October 20 onwards:
Tue–Fri 8.30am–4pm, 5pm–10pm
Sat 9.30am–4pm, 5pm–10pm
Sun 9.30am–9.30pm
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