Bonsai is cute and warm, with an enjoyable Asian-style decorated interior. My friend and I were craving Asian food, and for my first Japanese food experience in Edinburgh I quite liked this. We had the unagi (eel) cone, soft shell crab roll, and spicy tuna roll, all of which were good, but the soft shell crab roll especially so. Would recommend the banana tempura dessert as well. It's not exactly cheap, but not too pricey either, and there's a stamp card for repeat customers. Altogether a good find! read more

Bonsai Bar Bistro - Unagi (eel) cone - Japanese Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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I visited Bonsai several times before I moved to Edinburgh, when visiting friends. It's always been one of my favourite places to eat out for lunch in Edinburgh. Located by the pleasance, near Arthur's Seat and somewhere between Southbridge and the Royal Mile, it's a great restaurant to visit "on the way" to way to elsewhere. Bonsai is a hip and happening Japanese restaurant, possibly aimed at students, but welcoming to all. Bonsai has a great menu and it will take you several trips to experience all the best. To make things more difficult there is usually a board with appealing daily specials! I particularly enjoy their range of Teriyaki and simple but tasty Miso soups. It also caters well for vegetarians, not always something I find in Japanese restaurants. The staffs are nice, chatty and seem eager to please. The decor inside is expectedly Japanese. It feels clean, fresh but far from sterile, it's cool and lively. A great Japanese restaurant, ideal for lunch or light meals. Highly recommended! read more

Bonsai Bar Bistro - Japanese Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

I mainly go to Bonsai for lunch as it's round the corner from my office, cheap and generally is quick. The portions on the lunch menu aren't that huge but they are good for having lunch that doesn't leave you spending the afternoon feeling sleepy. The lunch menu is served from 12 until 5pm and isn't listed on their website but it's extremely good value at £4.90 for the following options, - Curry Katsu with rice and miso soup - Teriyaki Salmon with rice and miso soup - Sushi set with miso soup - Okonomiyaki with miso soup - Yakisoba with miso soup - Pork Nimono with rice and salad - Onigiri with salad and miso soup They've managed to have six or more of us in and out within an hour on three occasions without feeling rushed. Of all the options that I've tried I like the Katsu curry the best but everyone has enjoyed what they've had and I think we've now tried the entire menu between us. It's quite a small restaurant but certainly for lunch you don't need to book outside of August. read more

Bonsai Bar Bistro - Sweet potato steamed pudding with custard. Super tasty and I hope it's added to the permanent menu. - Japanese Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Bonsai always seems to be on people's favourites lists because in Edinburgh we're limited in places to go eat Sushi which is central, this still doesn't mean I've not had better in the capital. Being only a short walk from popular Nicholson Street it looks a bit like a stairwell from the outside and inside is as drafty as one. Obviously, the vast majority of food you'll be ordering is served chilled but I don't want to be while I'm eating it. There was no music or atmosphere. I can't blame Bonsai in particular for high prices for raw fish because it's a trend in Edinburgh's Japanese restaurants. However, everything was very dry, the fish felt like it had been prepared the day before so even if £4.50 is the average price for the smallest portion, it didn't live up to any expectations. read more

Bonsai Bar Bistro - picture from official website - Japanese Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Really thought I'd reviewed this before although it has been probably twelve months since my last visit. This was the first Japanese restaurant I visited in Edinburgh a number of years ago (at the time it may well have been the only one in town) and it's great to know it's still here and very popular on a weekend evening. I'd a bit of a change when ordering this time and managed scallops with orange & ginger, tempur'd eel and a side order of kim chi along with my staple of tuna sashimi. Well stuffed for £15. read more

I'm done. I'm really 100% done with this place. Came here again last week for lunch and it was ridiculous. First of all, the wait staff is always pretty abysmal, but this was reaching new lows. The waitress hardly paid us any attention even though the place was empty, and when her friend showed up with her baby she merrily joined her at the table and sat down to chat and text, ignoring her tables. The sushi? Disgusting. The salmon I ordered had those grey stripes of meat on it? The ones you can't bite through? It also smelled and tasted less than fresh. The tuna I had was chewy and dried out. It tasted like a particularly unappetizing version of jerky, made of tuna, when you felt like sushi. Just, no. Don't go here. I know, I know, it seems like good money for not bad sushi, but I think I've figured out what they're doing: when the joint is relatively booked full, they have someone in the kitchen who sort of knows what they're doing. But for lunch on a Tuesday? No such luck, I don't know who was in the kitchen, but they should be fired tout de suite. These people have no idea what sushi is or how it's made. After about a dozen visits over the past two years I can honestly advice you: steer clear. Get the Hell out of Dodge. Go to Tang instead. Just no. read more

Who loves tasty sushi!? Louise loves tasty sushi! Is it true?! Mmmmmhhhmmmm I do I do I do I doooooo-oooohh! Excuse the awful nineties reference, but Bonsai Bar Bistro serves tasty sushi, and I was loving it! The walls are covered in loads of hello kitty.... and pandas!?!?! The service is maybe a little slap dash, but I can forgive that. The menu is good, and the specials board was brilliant!! Deep fried eel tempura sushi yumminess. Don't mind if I do...... pinch a piece of someone else's plate! All the sushi was delicious, the tempura vegetables I ordered were the best I have had yet, a real good selection of vegetables in there and quite alot of it too! Salmon maki - can't go wrong, scrummy. The only issue is indeed the space. It is a little cramped, pick who you choose to sit next to wisely! There is also quite a strong general 'frying' smell when you walk in the door which could put some people off. The groupon deal we had also made it very much worth while and I plan on returning in the not to distant too distant future. read more

A long standing Japanese Bistro, reasonably priced and good enough food in a relaxed space. Old favourite of the student crowd. read more

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Most of us who have lived in Edinburgh for a few years will have realised that there are very few places here to get good sushi. Fear not though, because Bonsai is here. Offering a wide choice of dishes for really pretty good prices I wouldn't recommend anywhere else for sushi. Offering maki, sahimi, gaijin, temaki and nigiri, there is a huge choice of fish to be had here. Although all are great, value for money wise the temakis (kind of like a sushi ice cream cone stuffed with rice and fish) are the worst, as you only get one, but they are big. The makis are all great, especially the smoked salmon skin one and the spicy tuna. My favourite are the dragon rolls though, with tempura prawns and avocado. At £9 they are expensive but you get about 10 slices. One of the downsides to this restaurant is that the hot dishes are not brilliant. There is a limited choice and they are pretty average to be honest. I am a huge noodle fan but their yakisoba is not great, however the rice is really good, as are the pork dumplings. They also have a good selection of Japanese beers and more impressively a choice of Sake, which was a nice addition. We had the sweet plum one which went well with the fish. If you're about in the afternoon, they have a good lunch menu which gets you some miso soup and a few bits of sushi for just over a fiver. Definitely the best place around for sushi, it's just a shame their hot dishes aren't up to the same standard read more

I must confess - I love Bonsai! Over the last three years, my partner and I have been going regularly. Most recently last Saturday. I love that it's a tiny restaurant and can get very busy and cluttered. I love that the menu hasn't changed all that much over the years and the specials seem to be the same too. Bonsai serve sushi and hot food and we usually go for a combination of both - the crispy salmon skin maki and deep fried spicy tuna being our favourites. But we've never had a bad dish and the quality is always the same - excellent. I don't go there to be overwhelmed with choice and quality. I go there for yummy food, the company of my friends, a relaxed environment and friendly staff. What's also great, is during Fringe time when many restaurants are raising the prices and refusing to take bookings - Bonsai hold fast with the same prices and a quite strict booking policy - it means that when I catch up with my friends we can go somewhere without worrying about getting a table. (Note: when we went last Saturday, we had booked, and the restaurant was full - so it might be worth booking whichever time of year you go!) read more

Had the most lovely evening here last night! Friendly staff, cosy atmosphere, I want to be here ALL THE TIME! is that weird?! But the food is yummy, and I tried some calpis (it's an odd drink, but worth a shot! Like sweet, cloudy lemonade, crossed with milk, made from soya beans?!) teriyaki ANYTHING is good, and California rolls, if a little safe on my part, were delicious. You get loads as well, and well priced. Will have to go again to try the rest of the menu :-) thanks guys read more

Bonsai Bar Bistro - California rolls and Katsu chicken and teriyaki tofu - amazing combo! - Japanese Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Over the past 4 years I have been continuously returning to this lovely restaurant. I have tried nearly every dish and I have never been disappointed. The sushi is great, even though it is not too sophisticated, it bursts with flavor and it's simplicity lets the tastes come through. I religiously order the Dragon roll, the Vegetable California roll, Yakisoba noodles and one of the lovely teriyaki hot plates. These I personally like the most. They have a loyalty card that is stamped every £10 you spend. When 5 stamps are collected, you receive 20% off the next bill which makes it even better value! The restaurant is slightly on the small side and at times feels a bit crowded, but it adds atmosphere and character, and the Japanese posters and figurines on the walls give a nice touch. In other words a group of 2-4 is ideal, more than that will struggle with space, I would say a group of 6 is the max. Staff have changed over the years, always being nice and attentive. They are often students and have great spirit. Additional recommendation - Warm Sake will enhance the meal tremendously. Enjoy! read more

You know, the best thing about Groupon is that it encourages you to try new places. This particular voucher got each of us us £10 worth of sushi for £5, not a huge discount, but enough to get us through the door. Being Yelpers, we were well up for sharing, which is excellent because there was far too much amazing sounding sushi on the menu and sharing was the only way to get a chance to taste everything I wanted. And oh yes, it was incredibly nice. I miss sushi SO MUCH. I love sushi and unfortunately The Man doesn't, so my sushi eating days are far fewer these days than I would like. I had a brilliant time but had a couple of gripes - the green tea tasted like dirty water and the service was a bit patchy. One of the servers was great and gave us some excellent suggestions (tempura eel roll anyone? yes please) but the other had the tendency to disappear in the middle of an order to greet friends, and while nice, was a bit scattered. read more

I am rarely in Bonsai Newington these days, mainly due the vouchers being for the other shop. Voucher in hand we wandered along to one of my previous lunch go to spots. We have a default order on the Bonsai menus and add in a special here and there. Looking around the decor had been adjusted over the years but nothing drastic other than an over hall in the gents. The place was as I remember - quirky and pokey in a good way. We grabbed our standard dishes: agenasu - aubergine with chilli miso sauce avocado & red pepper maki okonomiyaki - traditional Japanese vegetable pancake agedashi tofu - in soy broth with spring onion & ginger And opted for some specials of Inarizushi & Chicken Karaage, Sake fried chicken. The food was amazing! The okonomiyak was a different league to the Broughton street shop as was the agenasu. The specials were hit and miss. The Inari wasn't to my taste this time, but it wasnt bad. The Chicken Karaage was fantastic, think of the best southern fried chicken wings you can get and add asian flavours. I have been craving these since. Overall the service was great, attentive but not overly so. The decor and ambiance was just right and the food blew me away. This isn't the best sushi/Japanese food, but balancing price versus, location, etc etc this wins hands down for me. read more

This is going to sound a little odd, I really like Bonsai but I am not a fan of sushi, luckily there are plenty of alternatives... Miso soup, agedashi tofu, chicken yakitori, beef tataki, edamame (soy beans), great teriyaki along with noodles, various pickles and other delights... In short I like the food here, I also like the fact that unlike Chinese the fried food isn't greasy... Then there is plum wine, I am not a wine drinker but I really enjoy this stuff. The service is normally good, though the restaurant is very small, somewhat compensated by outside seating on nicer days. Bonsai is a great little place and ideal for having something a bit different at weekend you will need to book in advance, though through the week it is normally fine just to turn up. Good food, good drink and good service, Bonsai is a lovely little bistro! read more

It's funny, whenever I go for sushi I never think I'll fill up on just a few rice rolls, but y' know they are pretty filling! My friend and I went there last night for dinner. Thankfully we booked a table for 6.30pm because come 7pm the place was packed - even for a Tuesday night! Ok, the place isn't a big and there's maybe only 15/20 seated places but when a restaurant is busy I think that's only a good sign, right? The menu is clear and easy to understand. We ordered 4 dishes: Spicey Tekka Maki-Zushi, Gyoza, Dragon Gajiin-Zushi and Sake Nigiri-Zuchi. All were delicious, especially the Dragon Gajiin-Zushi - avodaco and prawn yumminess! Only criticism I'd have is they don't give you enough pickled ginger next to each dish. I love pickled ginger! The interior is obviously Japanese influenced, shutters, Japanese text on the walls, and simplistic red, white and black colours. Fairly basic but clean. The food was presented on rustic odd shaped glazed dishes, all feels very authentic. There is also a Specials board available. Staff were very attentive and quick even on a busy night such as this. read more

Now my 2nd favourite sushi joint in Edinburgh! :) Went tonight with some yelpers for a meal and was impressed. It's a tiny place, very cramped, you feel very close to the other diners and the staff aren't totally switched on but it's nice enough! The food, I had the scallop sashimi - nice but needed something to lift it. Katsu chicken - did what it said! Thought the presentation lack some finese. Across the board we also shared dragon, rainbow rolls and a soft shell crab roll. The crab would be star for taste, the dragon for appearance! I also tried Emily's eel which was delicious! All in all a good feed at a great price! I'll be back! Happy Jd read more

I'd wanted to visit Bonsai for years as had heard great reviews from friends. Service was very quick and the staff were friendly and helpful. I was recommended a small bottle of plum wine and it was lovely and sweet. We ordered a bunch of vegan-friendly vegetarian marked options to share and stuck in. The agedashi tofu was nice, but like pretty much every other restaurant where I order it, the portion was teeny. Sometimes I don't bother ordering french fries if there are plenty of other options to order but it takes a lot of Japanese food to make me feel full so this time we did. They were pretty standard, not that interesting. They did come with a small pot of Japanese sauce that was very flavoursome. We had to remind our waiter that we'd ordered/were waiting on yakisoba noodles and when we shared the bowl of thin noodles I finally felt full. We didn't ask about a dessert menu as we were so full. It's really small inside and the tables being so close together that you can't help but hear the conversations coming from the next tables is probably the thing that would make me hesitate going back. read more

Finally made it round to visiting Bonsai, armed with a Groupon voucher. For a Sunday night, the restaurant was heaving, definitely a popular place to visit! It's literally a front door (as seen from the pictures) and the place is small and pretty hot last night. So, you are probably wondering what we thought of the food and service. Given the busy state of the place, service was hit or miss. My sake was forgotton and left heating away and kinda dropped in front of me as the waiter burned his fingers. Great - so how do I drink it then? Food seemed to turn up a little randomly - edamame tunred into a starter, and was nicely cooked to retain a good crunch, with a good dose of salt for a bit of flavour enhancement. I thought the sushi we ordered was great - the salmon sashimi was fatty and fresh; soft shell crab rolls much milder in flavour than expected but with a satisfying crunch; spicy tuna maki (small rolls) had a good kick. The inari nigiri that passed me looked as delicious as I thought it might be, but didn't get the chance to try. The sunomono salad had some crazy ribbons of cucumber, a bit heavy on vinegar, but enjoyable overall. Deep fried spicy tuna turned up unbattered (nice surprise) and very tasty - agreed this was the hit of the night. The boys each ordered chicken yakitori (spelling might be suspect on that one) which appeared as two small skewers - you could smell the disappointment when they realised this was not a portion that would be attributed to main course sizes. Yakisoba noodles went down well, but overall, the non sushi consumers were not happy with their choices. Myself and my sister enjoyed the sushi, and would return again for more, but the boys say nay. Upon reflection, the portions are indeed small, and really the sushi is better than the cooked food, so be aware. read more

I had high hopes and the food is good but the price is much too high. Don't these guys know they've got stiff competition? There are a couple of other Japanese places making excellent food for a fraction of the price. Bonsai bistro does have a relatively interesting sushi menu that does set it apart. If you are looking for different varieties of sushi (veggie, vegan) then, this is the place for you! I just can't get over the veggie tempura dish with literally 5 pieces of tempura on it! They were perfectly cooked though. I have to give them that. No fault with the food. read more

Bonsai was a lovely find- a great wee restaurant in an unassuming side street of Edinburgh, we were greeted by friendliness and a lovely smell of fresh sushi and other Japanese deliciousness! Slightly cheaper than other Sushi bars in town it was packed so I recommend booking in advance if you plan to go out on a weekend night. Although not a fan of sake I have to admit theirs was tastier than others and I did enjoy their sharing platters. From other reviews it seems to go up and down the scale but overall I was pleased and plan to come back ! read more

If I could rate this place with no star I would. Unfortunately you cannot. As I have mentioned in my other reviews I love Japanese food. First thing I did moving to Edinburgh was to check out all the different choices of restaurants, a lot more exciting from Dundee. Lolz. It was trip adviser I think, had such high rating for Bonsai, I didn't even hesitate and just went for it. The restaurant is quite small not the smallest now that Ive been to Sushiya.., the decor was...very trying to be Japanese style? Tokyo Style?.. Anyway the key point here is the food. In simple words I hated it. I ordered Takoyaki..its octopus balls (I know...dont laugh...its not like it's really octopus balls)..it was frozen in the middle. Told the waiter, then after a minute or so I heard micowave beeping...great...I told them not to bother bringing it back. Ordered King prawn tempura. When it arrived. Both me and my friend went quiet and stared at the prawns. Whoever thats ever had tempura would know...the prawns are supposed to come out STRAIGHT!!!!!! Yep, it was all curled up like the ones you get from chinese restaurants in salt and chilli dishes? All I wanted was some STRAIGHT prawn tempura...how the xxxx do they get such high rating??? I had one bite. Batter was alright. Tastes bland. Then finally the maki rolls. They seemed ok, I took a piece without even putting a whole piece in my mouth, the rice was freezing cold like it was just taken out from the fridge. By that time I was raging with the service (we were the only table there, I could hear staff in kitchen having a loud laugh and the service was quite terrible other than saying sorry they never asked was everything ok.) And the FOOD. Could actually remember I felt my face and ears getting hotter.... So in 31yrs of my life. I've never once walked out of a restaurant with an extremely loud rumbling tummy empty stomach. Not that I think I will ever either. But I asked for the bill as calmly as I could...my friend sitting opposite me was whispering in Chinese..."calm down its ok...calm down we go to blah blah blah and eat..." yep. Hardly touched any of the food even returned the frozen balls. They charged us in full. I had no interest in arguing or discussing anything or intention to stay in that restaurant any longer. So I paid and left. The full meal was still on the table. Never again Not in ten or hundred million years. Their owner is from Japan too. .well the female one...how could she let this be called Japanese food. Its ridiculous!!!!! read more

Recently tried this place after hearing some good reviews and I spotted a groupon deal. Much smaller place than I'd imagined and easy to miss if you weren't looking for it. It was my first proper try of sushi so a bit clueless with what to expect and what to order. Staff were great helping us choose and explaining dishes. Ordered a bit of everything, fish, beef, chicken and even a couple of 'specials'; eel and octopus! All were great, some more to my taste than others, but prepared and presented perfectly. Washed down with a bottle of nice wine. The cost was cheaper than usual given we had a groupon deal (which was no hassle whatsoever), however prices were good regardless of this and I'd definitely go back again. read more

Hands down one of the best places in Edinburgh to get Japanese food, especially for the price. Kitchy and all things cutesy, can be a little over the top, but just right here. A perfect place for students to go. Honestly this is the place where I have found the best deals for food. I strongly suggest going for the bento box, as its quite cheap, and actually fills you up. Order some sushi and edamame. Salmon Teriyaki is also quite nice. read more

I was really excited about going to bonsai, so many of my friends really rate this place and I do really rather like japanese food. With that in mind Bonsai was a total let down. A disappointment that grew with everything moment. First a *big* caveat. I don't eat fish, which does exlude a significant portion of the menu. You may with to bare that in mind when reading this review. My first big issue with bonsai is their confusing as hell menu. No idea what was what, no real indication of how big the portions were, what was starters what was mains (do bonsai even do things like that?) I think this is partly what lead to the problem of Fiona and I paying £20 for four starters which left us both hungry. so hungry we went for a second dinner else where after! The sauces were a colossal let down. Far too thin in texture and taste. We ordered the vegetable tempura which came with a completely bland red sauce which didn't bind to anything, not even the sushi! The Gyoza were tasty although the filling to pancake ratio wasn't ideal. Maybe we chose the wrong things from the menu, maybe the fish is amazing. The lunch menu looked apetising but i couldn't see an equivalent in their dinner menu. I doubt i'll go back to Bonsai, even with a groupon voucher like this time. read more

Delicious food every time. The gyoza is cooked and fried properly, their noodles are uniquely delicious and it's not too expensive. Service is always friendly. Love it here. read more

Bonsai Bar Bistro - Cool decor at bonsai :) - Japanese Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

This place is awful. I am not an expert in Japanese cuisine but it is my favorite, I have been to many Japanese restaurants in Japan and the US, this place is far from authentic, which is fine but the food is just bad. read more

My hubby took us there last night for a quick dinner as I didn't feel like cooking but we went out quite disappointed and.....hungry, hah! Food was pretty nice (not authentic Japanese but ok), staff was really friendly but Gosh, portions were really tiny, tiny, more like a starter than like a main dish! So I would recommend it more for a quick bite but definitely not for a proper dinner place! read more

AFTER BUYING A DEAL for Bonsai Bar Bistro, WE'LL NEVER RETURN!! The food was disgusting with very small portions, and we waited a long time. The staff were lazy and when asked for something it was not ordered. One of the waitress' was extremely rude and tried to over charge us. I ate nothing after buying this voucher and only had one bottle of lager which was not included. They did not have a child's menu. We ended up having to go to another restaurant after leaving due to myself, Grandson and family starving as it was so bad and run so badly also. The worst place I've ever been too and will never be back !! read more

My favourite Japanese restaurant in Scotland. A wee, independent venue, with fantastic dishes, always beautifully presented. Everything is special from the Teriyaki to the Tamagoyaki. Best of all is their pork dumpling soups, Gyoza, which taste even better than my favourite Miso soups. Another thing I love about this place is the specials board, which always has something new and exciting to try, from sushi to dessert. read more

I understand from friends who have lived in Japan that the food in Bonsai is as authentic as it gets. My wife and I started with a bowl each of miso soup, and then shared four dishes, including cheese dumplings, and the tastiest beef teriyaki! The noodles and rice were gorgeous too. The service was wonderful, and the restaurant has a delightful fun ambience, with lots of modern Japanese toy figures, mixed with a bright, cosy feel. This was our second visit. and it's definitely in our top 5 places to eat in Edinburgh. I noticed that they're doing very good lunchtime deals too. We'll definitely be back! read more

It seems a bit difficult to find a good Japanese restaurant here in Edinburgh. I've been to Bonsai twice, to be honest, considering the amount and the quality of their food, it's a bit overpriced. For me it seems so weird that a Japanese restaurant does not serve sashimi. Also, the teriyaki there was a bit too sweet. Check out on Groupon before you go there though. They had some good deal on it. read more

Conveniently placed for students and the lunch menu is cheap and offered until 5. However, the general ambience and quality of food in terms of presentation and taste is not as good as alternative sushi restaurants, e.g. Zang's and Kampoi. Overall, an ok place for a casual lunch. read more

My first sushi experience in Edinburgh began at Bonsai. One California roll and my heart belonged there. The food was delicious and I liked the venue. Since that visit I have been a sushi cheater and tried elsewhere with varying success. But I will be forever grateful to Bonsai for my first sushi experience and for not judging me for ordering the 'wrong' thing. Or holding my chopsticks weirdly. read more

I had heard good things about Bonsai from friends but had never been. Eventually, armed with a Itison voucher, I decided to make the call. The female member of staff was friendly on the phone, even when I mentioned I had a voucher (I was glad not to be greeted by 'oh one of those' like it's happened to me before). Table was booked for 8pm on Saturday night. My companion and I arrived on time, and the lovely waitress indicated our table which I have to say, was in a great location. It was a corner table so we had plenty of seating space and no squeezing between tables required. Some of their tables are indeed somewhat a bit close to each other. Anyway, I am huge fan of fresh raw fish and miso soup, but I was also eager to try some hot dishes. We thus went for miso soup, maguro (tuna sashimi), salmon maki, takoyaki and okonomiyaki, ready to order some more after that should we still be hungry. We also ordered a couple of Japanese beers to wash all that down. The service was fast and both waitresses were very friendly. The food was delicious and to our surprise, we were so full we struggled to finish the Japanese pancake! I couldn't believe it! An excellent experience. I will certainly go back. Reasonably priced too. Do not forget to book, particularly at weekends, it's a busy spot! read more

Sat out in the sun waiting for my fish! All in all, Bonsai was ok. Nothing mind blowing but pretty good sushi. The dragon rolls were nice and the fish sashimi was fresh and tasty. Some of the dishes were a bit greasy but stiil reasoably good. Sushi is one of my ultimate favourite foods but this place didnt inspire me as much as I had hoped though still a good option if your in the area read more

Bonsai Bar Bistro is a great place to get relatively cheap and tasty Japanese food. Although it's no Izzi, it's a better place to go if you're just going for a casual meal as it's a lot more relaxed and not at all pretentious. The food was lovely and fresh and I was very excited by the Japanese liquers and rice wine. read more

Always busy, so hard to get in without a reservation, but offering very tasty food, this is a nice place to visit. A bit expensive, but worth it, considering the quality of food. Staff are great, too. Overall, interesting experience :D read more

If you're someone who adores their sushi, but isn't overly keen on paying the occasionally exorbitant prices charged by some Japanese places, check out Bonsai the next time you're hungry. The combination of its extensive menu at incredibly reasonable prices for the quantities, and the cosiness of the interior, makes it irresistible to students from the nearby art college, who are often to be found discussing the latest Hirst at its tables while tucking into course after course of well-cooked Japanese food encompassing everything from teriyaki to yakitori to sushi, washed down with either traditional sake or plum wine. And at £4 to £9 per course, they can easily afford to do it every night of the week so if you want to get a table here, be sure to book ahead as it's permanently packed! read more

Went here for a birthday night out. There were about 25 of us and they coped admirably. Lots of different platters, lots of different taste treats. Often left wanting more when sushi's on the menu but there was so much choice and the plates kept coming I was completely satisfied. Will definitely go again. read more