Bonsai Bar Bistro

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.

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!

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.

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 décor 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 décor 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.

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!

I love Japanese food and «Bonsai» in Broughton St is very good. So, I decided to give «Bonsai» in West Richmond St a go instead.
BIG mistake!
Upon arrival I was shown to a table in a corner and a waitress took my order. Nice and simple, Gyoza Soup, followed by Assorted Sashimi.
A couple came in and were seated next to me, but had both their soup and main course served before me. Not good.
I was served my soup which was good and crammed full of flavors, the pork parcels were delicious, too bad there was only two of them. I had to ask for a spoon so I could eat the soup (the waitress neglected to bring one to the table).
The «Sashimi» consisted of 2 scallops, 2 pieces of a fish I didn’t recognise, 2 prawns, 2 pieces of Tuna and 2 pieces of Salmon with a small dollop of Wasabi. I was astounded that there was no slices of pickled Ginger (used to refresh and clear the palate between different fish). As is customary for me, I tasted the Wasabi and much to my disappointment it was far from fresh/​strong to the point where I was able to put the remainder in my mouth without the slightest sweat breaking out, no pain endured and the local ambulance boys could sleep easy.
Sashimi has to be of the very highest quality, and sadly this serving was not. The presentation was awful and the fish tasted and looked like it was far from fresh. Also, the size of the portions were evidently not as big/​generous as Bonsai in Broughton Street.
I asked myself, was it mere coincidence that the couple who got served before me are their soup and left their main dish and just left?!
The waitressing staff were far more concerned about bookings and the layouts of the tables and seemed to lack any enthusiasm.
Bonsai at Broughton Street has bigger portions, better presented dishes, a bigger interior, wonderful, helpful and courteous staff and a lovely, unforgettable experience. I’ll never visit Bonsai on West Richmond St. again, only Bonsai in Broughton Street.

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.

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 décor 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!!!

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

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

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 Unilocalers, 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.

Now my 2^nd favourite sushi joint in Edinburgh! :)
Went tonight with some Unilocalers 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

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!)

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.

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.

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.