We ordered various dishes including pork gyoza, okonomiyaki, various sushi inc. sea bass, unagi, salmon & tuna, mixed tempura and karaage chicken.
All dishes were very tasty although some of the sushi and the karaage was a bit on the wee side.
We finished the meal with ice cream and matcha rice pudding which was good.
It's a nice little Japanese restaurant which is a wee bit off the beaten path but well worth seeking out
Excellent restaurant. The food was delicious. The teriyaki chicken in particular was outstanding. Service was nothing special, standard, but certainly not anything horrific. Will go again.
For the price you pay the food really is very tasty and all staffs make you feel relaxed and welcomed! What I love about the most which is different from other Japanese restaurant in Edinburgh is that there do a special menu every week. Also the sushi is made smaller and is how it should be so can fit in my mouth all at once. Haha. I will definitely be back!!! So impressed that I had to share!! It was the 1st time I had panacotta in a Japanese restaurant which Is good for change as I always go for the ice cream. An all in all a very lovely dining experience.
This was my first experience at Bonsai Bar and I have to say I will definitely be going back. The man working there was extremely knowledgeable and explained all the dishes to me. This was also my first time trying sushi. It tasted delicious and fresh. The menu was very reasonably priced and the food was absolutely delicious.
I just love this place! Reasonable price and very tasty fresh sushi! The guys who run the place are friendly at some level, but do not expect much.. go, eat, and leave. Some questions were answered as a plain “I don’t care”. I took few friends there for the first time and they were shocked with those answers! 😂
TIPS:
- try to get a table outside, there is a weird mix of scents/human odor inside that could put your appetite down!
- try not to use the toilet.. specially for times like these, soap bars and touchy tap should be avoided!
- soft shell crab sushi are amazing, same with dragon rolls, but a bit pricey, though.
Ps.: I miss their Bento box at £9.99.. now ordering everything separate will be about 15 pounds. Not sure it’s worthy!
Fantastic service - knowledgeable and attentive. Food was very tasty! Especially the okonomiyaki pancake which was the highlight of the meal.
Our first visit to a Japanese restaurant. Could not fault this place! The service was amazing! Friendly, knowledgeable, patient and accommodating. Took us through the options and explained the differences. The food was out of this world! We’re not local, but will make the effort to go again. Highly recommended.
Claire “Claireffa” Thackray
+5
I adore this little restaurant! I’ve been going here regularly for at least 6 years now.
It’s a cosy little place, just off the Main Street but it’s definitely lively inside when it gets busy!
The food is always impeccable and the specials are always intriguing!
They have also added little Scottish twists to the menu, like the ‘haggis and neeps’ gyoza.
A firm favourite of mine is the soft shelled crab. This restaurant is the only one I’ve found in the uk that is able to make buttery, melt in the mouth soft shelled crab karaage. This includes it by itself or in the sushi roll.
The price is pretty decent and you are able to get several dishes, enough to fill you!
They also have a loyalty card which enables you to get a nice chunk off your bill at the end of the meal!
Not to mention the £5 lunch menu that they have, perfect for students and visitors alike!
I really recommend the Panacotta with pineapple, chilli and basil dressing, it’s AMAZING!
As a student/local, I frequent this quirky bistro often (sometimes once a week!) Their lunch special menu is perfectly portioned (and £4.90 w/o a drink, at this point in time) to keep me going throughout the day, and I know that no matter what I pick, I'll enjoy it. I have not had anything bad here. Growing up eating Japanese food, this is just like Mama's! Golden curry chicken katsu, okonomiyaki, yakisoba with veggies : all the classics. I was blown away by the flavours of the sushi rolls as well. (My favourite is the Unagi temaki) They must have a skillful chef on board. I usually go in the early afternoon on a weekday, and it's never been full. The staff are friendly but also allow you to have plenty of peace while you're enjoying your meal. I would heartily recommend this place for authentic, well priced, flavourful food.
Amazing food and great service. Okonomikaki and agedashi tofu especially good. Would definitely recommend
One of the best sushi restaurants in Edinburgh. A must-to-try if you want to enjoy top quality dishes (like a remarkable real prawn sashimi, and dark eel rolls) and a friendly and impeccable service. Prices are good compared to quality, but it also has an interesting and economic lunch menu.
Best sushi place :) and amazing atmosphere
Was dying for something quick, came up on Bonsai Bar Bistro and went to get a takeaway. When we got in there was nobody seated and we immediately thought they were closed, it was a bit off putting but we went along with it since we were about to eat our right legs we were so hungry. After having our food, my partner and I both agreed that we were surprised they weren’t packed as the food was amazing! Their bento boxes are a great deal and everything was super flavourful. Highly recommend as it was better than the sushi restaurants we have at home.
Fabulous spot, a little haven away from the hustle and bustle of Edinburgh. Great sushi really enjoyed the crispy salmon skin and advocado rolls and the aubergine katsu curry. Good value and great service 👏
I walk past this place most days as it’s right by where I live, I’ve never been the biggest sushi fan so it never crossed my mind to have a look or try it out but I’m very glad that my boyfriend and friends persuaded me! The food was probably the nicest food that I’ve had in a very long time. It’s quite reasonably priced and the staff are very friendly and welcoming. I loved the soft shell crab sushi and would recommend it highly. I would highly recommend visiting this restaurant even if you hate sushi, as the menu has a large variety of items, all of which are delicious. We ordered a big range of different things and it’s difficult to say which is my favourite as they were all amazing.
Amazing food, well presented and tasted great. Quite small but not crampt, could take a wheel chair I reckon, although it might be a squeeze as you enter the door. Well worth a try, the dark dragon roll is my tip!
Super quality and great value. Still a consistently superior experience even after a good few years. Really helpful and friendly staff, especially good for trying Japanese food for the first time. Menu has changed a little since the pandemic but is still excellent with plenty of new dishes to try.
wonderful atmosphere as the staff were extremely friendly and attentive. The food was delicious and everyone in our group loved it. I would definitely recommend the vegetable pancakes and wasabi prawns. We had a fantastic time and will definitely be coming back to eat here.
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