Casual Japanese Flesh & Buns Is the Latest Restaurant to Move on Fitzrovia

Flesh & Buns, the fast casual Japanese (meat and bao) restaurant brand created by Ross Shonhan — who worked previously at Nobu and Zuma, and who created the ramen restaurant chain Bone Daddies — appears to have acquired a second central London site, on Berners Street in Fitzrovia.

A notice of application for premises license seen by Eater London affixed to the Copyright Building development on Berners Street, says: “Notice is given that Bone Daddies Ltd [the parent company] has applied to Westminster City Council on 19th November 2017 for the grant of premises license to use the premises at Flesh & Buns, Unit 1, Copywright Building, 25–33 Berners Street W1...”

It is thought the restaurant which will be a seven day a week operation and is due to open in the new year, is moving into a site that approximately 5000 sq ft.

The original and only Flesh & Buns restaurant is on Earlham Street in Seven Dials; there are currently six Bone Daddies ramen branches in London (though the Victoria site in the Nova development is yet to open), together with a “Western-style” izakaya restaurant called Shackfuyu on Old Compton Street in Soho.

Eater London

It is becoming increasingly apparent that as site premiums and rents in Soho — on the other side of Oxford Street — become unsustainable for the majority of operators, Fitzrovia is a more appealing destination. Next year Quique Dacosta will launch a paella restaurant, alongside a sixth location for Ottolenghi and Thai-import Greyhound Cafe, who has announced it will launch its first London outpost in the neighbourhood.

Other notable openings this year have included Serge et le Phoque at the Mandrake Hotel, Santa Maria Pizzeria, Mortimer House and Tagliata Wine Bar & Italian Kitchen.