Bonzai, NW1

Another one that had popped up as previously closed t reopened and hence an unvisited venue for me. This place could now not be any different from the descriptions below. I had White Mustache on my radar then the pandemic happened and it never re-opened. It is now what seems like a high end Asian fusion restaurant but hardly in an area where you will get high end passing trade. Suspect most here during my short visit were here because this is a destination for them. As an announced drinker on my arrival I was shown to the bar area, which is one of the two rectangles described below. A glitzy room indeed with ceiling projectors illuminating the floor with evolving shapes in a variety of blues and purples. The bar is along one of the long sides with stools at the bar and tables along the other wall with a continuous red leather banquette providing the seating for one side of the tables and chairs facing that wall. That area seemed to be occupied by people eating but presumably not full diners! I can but guess what the restaurant rectangle looks like, but I suspect much like this rectangle. Beer wise just lagers, all pretty standard fayre, nothing Asian about the beer range. A glass of red wine for me on this short stay. The venue probably warrants some investigation on my part as an eating option as there is obviously something bringing punters here. As a drinking venue, well below average on this site. I need to find Banzai rather than Bonzai - no sign of Mr Shake Hands Man here!

Official site of Bonzai - bonzailondon.co.uk

Official site of Bonzai - bonzailondon.co.uk

Definitely an odd location for what this place seems to be aiming for, set in a small parade of shops in the midst of the Regent's Park council housing estates. Formed from two rectangular rooms set at a right angle; the bar extending back from the entrance and a dining room along the rest of the frontage. Mix of furniture, with some industrial-style high tables in both parts and more traditional banquettes and small tables further back. Rather sparsely decorated, which gives a somewhat uninviting feel. Gastro-pub menu on clipboards. Only one of three handpumps in operation, and with the 'house' (Greene King) beer temporarily off the seasonal Truman's Blindside (£3.50) turned out to be a bit of a bonus. Also has up to 12 craft keg beers.

Having got rather lost wandering through the estate behind this pub, I was intrigued to see a sign for a craft beer bar tacked onto the back of this building and walked round to investigate. This place was previously a typical estate pub called The Sovereign, but has now gone for a multi-purpose use as a cafe and craft beer bar, neither of which seems particularly representative of the estate it serves. The cafe is in the left hand side of this large building and has a good deal of seating focused around a servery offering tasty looking cakes and other such treats. The pub is in the right hand portion of the building, formed by a single rectangular room with the servery down the left hand wall. Some very comfy wide U-shaped banquettes run along the opposite wall, with limited additional seating options to the front and rear. There were a few TV screens showing test match cricket and I noticed a small collection of board games on the back of one of the banquettes. The decor included a few interesting prints and local photos and looked rather clean and perhaps a bit too clinical overall, feeling like a very recent refurbishment had just taken place. A door to the rear leads out to an unexpectedly attractive patio garden with a nice sheltered space for smokers and a good amount of garden furniture. The craft beer offerings were a bit hit and miss, with genuine microbrewery keg offerings from the likes of Orbit, Brew By Numbers and Little Creatures alongside household names like Budvar and Aspalls Cider. There was one cask ale on handpull - a house beer called something like White Mustache Ale - which I decided to risk. It was a pretty uninspiring drink that turned out to be a rebadged Greene King brew. The barmaid was very friendly and welcoming but there were only two or three other customers in on a Saturday afternoon, which makes you wonder who exactly is going to drink all that beer. I thought this place was trying to do the right thing in the wrong location, as they have created a promising venture that is so far off the beaten track as to be totally reliant on local trade. It is a nice compromise between a proper pub and a craft beer bar, but lacks the character and characters needed to encourage repeat visits.