Review: Beer & Buns, London

I love Japanese Hirata buns and beer, so when I heard about Beer & Buns, it was an easy sell.

Beer & Buns, according to the owners, is their take on a Japanese Izakaya that offers the UK's largest range of Japanese craft beer and soft, pillow-like steamed 'Hirata' buns filled with a choice of delicious fillings. Chicken lovers will be pleased to hear that they also make crispy Korean style jumbo chicken wings.

Beer & Buns is proud to have the UK's largest selection of Japanese craft beer available and are one of only a few bars in Europe to offer Asahi 'Super Cold' draught lager.

The vibe
The décor is done to look ‘urban cool’ with black walls sprayed with graffiti.  On the Tuesday night we visited, the crowd seemed to be primarily comprised of local business people who’d come straight from work to enjoy the 90s music blaring through the speakers, along with some fast and dirty food – the perfect elixir after a hard day’s work.  I loved the Guns & Roses pinball machine and the endless playlist of 90s classics, which any of my friends can verify is hands down my favourite decade! On second thought, maybe they should’ve named the restaurant ‘Buns & Roses’…

​The food
It’s hard to go wrong with the combination of buns on offer, from chicken to pork belly to aubergine, to Bulgogi beef. Whatever you pick, you can’t go wrong! In true gluttonous fashion, we sampled every bun on offer, with the beef being my favourite.  

Our experience overall

Food and drink ***
Ambience ****
Staff attentiveness/friendliness ****

The beer
You can’t wash down buns without an ice cold beer, so we got stuck in sampling a few of the fabulous beers on offer. I loved them all, as they were each so unique, but my favourite was the Coedo 'Beniaka'(333ml / £6.50), a multi-award winning Japanese super premium lager made from sweet potatoes. Reddish-brown in hue, it features an aromatic sweet fragrance and malty, toffee, smoky houjicha characters. 

Other beers we tried included: 

Hitachino Nest Dai Dai (330ml / £5.75)
This IPA brewed with Japanese wild breed mandarin "Fukure Mikan" boasts refreshing flavours of mandarin with a citrusy hop, making it the perfect balance of hop bitterness with Umami taste.

Hitachino Nest White Ale (Draft 2/3 Pint £5.60)
Brewed in the tradition of a Belgian style white beer, this refreshing ale is mildly hopped with complex flavours of coriander, nutmeg, orange peel and orange juice.

The verdict
Overall, it's a great place to go if you're looking for great beer, a fun environment and quick and easy food. 

Beer & Buns
3 Appold Street
London EC2A 2AF2AF

A.A. Miln