Zensai London Review
‘I think I’m in Thailand or is that the absinthe talking?’
‘I think I’m in Thai-la-la or is that the absinthe talking?’
‘I think I’m in Thailand or is that the absinthe drinking?’
I grab my friend’s hand. ‘Sssssh,’ I whisper, and then hiccup. Oh dear. This is what our interesting highbrow conversation about the Labour leadership and er, hen dos, had degenerated into on a Thursday evening?
Despite the silliness prompted by the green fairy, I can now luckily remember most of the evening we spent tucked up in a little Asian oasis in north London. Let’s start at the beginning. On first glance you could indeed be forgiven for thinking Zen Sai in Camden is a bar in south-east Asia, with Buddhas and exotic flowers making up much of the décor. Yet, there is the undeniable NW1 twist too: black grubby walls and stripped floors and some good indie music.
A short menu of Malaysian and Thai curries was on offer, some slightly more unusual like beef rending and some old classics like chicken satay and banana fritters. Although the roti was a high point – buttery and soft – and the desserts were pretty good for Asian restaurant fare, the rest of the food was sadly disappointing. The satay was lumpy, the chicken hadn’t been marinated for long enough, the beef rending was grisly, and the chicken curry was so spicy that I could almost see the other tasty ingredients fainting and losing all flavour as the chillies breathed fire all over them.
But, forget about the food because there’s only one reason to come to Zen Sai. And that’s to feast on the award-winning cocktails. And you can literally feast on a few of them: one contains digestive biscuits and another, cherry jam.
First up, Floridita, home of gin, lillet rouge, lavender syrup and cranberry juice. Our row over Diane or Ed as the best Labour leader now gave way to a game of cocktail scoring. My friend gave it eight out of 10. I supped Tattoo You, which was rum mixed with amaretto, red grape and lemon juice. Nine, I declared.
Round two involved the silly names: Muffin the Mule (that’s where the digestive biscuit was hiding) and Pink Panties (rose vodka, yum). I was slightly troubled by the biscuits in the Mule concoction and with blueberries, lime and ginger beer all battling to get in on the vodka action, every sip left me more confused. But marks for innovation, so that one gets a seven. The pink knickers got an eight.
We decided to be more daring with our last drinks. Jam in a cocktail? I shook my head, this can’t be right. My rather adventurous (she’s from the north – she has chips with gravy) friend egged me on though. ‘OK, as long as you order Urban Voodoo,’ I replied. She gasped. ‘I have to work tomorrow. For the government!’ We locked eyes. We could do this. Our bellies were full of curry and pudding, and we were about to consume (deep breath) vodka, butterscotch, cherry jam, pineapple juice, absinthe, Jack Daniels, sorrel squash (whatever that is), mint leaves, champagne and ginger ale on top of that.
The cherry jam Drink Me cocktail arrived. The cute glass cup and saucer made me forget my aching stomach in an instant and I drank virtually all of it before my friend’s crazy drink appeared; a resounding success. I held up my imaginary scorecard of 9.5 as if I were a judge at a serious sporting competition.
My friend started to look worried. ‘Why’s it taking so long? I need to go home,’ she whined. It arrived. With so many ingredients, even the glass looked worried and I’m at a loss as to how to describe the colour, the smell, or even the taste. She stuck out her tongue. Ugh, what colour was her tongue? She didn’t like it. She looked a bit ill. Time to reminisce about the good drinks of the night. And admire the décor again and think of hot beaches in Thailand.
‘I think I’m in Thailand…’ she started purring.
Ruth Emery (04 08 2010)
Zensai London Description
Zensai is one of the more recent additions to Camden's restaurant scene but it has already taken off with locals and visitors alike. The impressive interior sprawls over four levels and includes two water features, an open-air roof terrace, cool cocktail bar and elegant dining area. The food is eclectic far eastern cuisine - try a Laksa, a thick, spicy noodle soup with sea food or some Roti Canai, a delicate bread and a Malaysian favourite.
Customer Reviews for Zensai
The following customer reviews are not endorsed by Fluid London and are simply those of users who wish to publish their independent experiences of Zensai.
“Popped in to Zensai on Saturday whilst we were waiting for a mate in Camden. We ended up staying till last orders! The cocktails there are like no other! Really unique and delicious, not like any other cocktails you can get in Camden! Definitely worth trying!”
Atmosphere: 
Value:
Quality:
Stu, London (15 days ago)
“I had a great night out at Zensai. Brilliant food, the staff were lovely and the atmosphere was lively, yet cosy. We had great cocktails and delicious Malaysian food.”
Atmosphere:
Value:
Quality:
[ Unknown ], London (23 days ago)
“The best cocktails i have ever tasted! The 'Urban Voodoo' cocktail is so good! Really worth trying!”
Atmosphere:
Value:
Quality:
Jane, London (1 months 19 days ago)
“Went in there on saturday afternoon for a drink...they had a fantastic rockabilly night on! Quality music, cocktails and people!”
Atmosphere:
Value:
Quality:
McTaggart, London (4 months 5 days ago)
Show all user reviews for Zensai
“Go there and try the Malaysian Curry. Its the nicest curry on offer in London!”
Atmosphere:
Value:
Quality:
Alex, London (4 months 16 days ago)
“Cant complain about anything in this resturant! Friendly staff, brilliant food and great value for money!”
Atmosphere:
Value:
Quality:
Gareth, London (4 months 23 days ago)
“I have been a big fan of Zensai since it first opened! Being a Camdener myself, I was very pleased to find a place in Camden that isnt a grotty pub full of kids! Zensai offers creative cocktails and perfect malaysian cuisine. Truly excellent!”
Atmosphere:
Value:
Quality:
Sarah, London (5 months 10 days ago)
“A wonderful restaurant! stunning food and original cocktails!”
Atmosphere:
Value:
Quality:
Barrat, London (6 months ago)
“Best Malaysian food I have had since i went to Borneo!”
Atmosphere:
Value:
Quality:
Kate, London (6 months 25 days ago)
“I was so happy to see that Zen Sai has reopened!! And it keeps getting better and better! The cocktails and the food seem to be even more amazing than they were before, the staff are as nice as ever and this is still my favourite place to go!”
Atmosphere:
Value:
Quality:
Harry, London (10 months 10 days ago)
“I could happily live in Zensai if they would let me! Extraordinary food! Absolutely superb!”
Atmosphere:
Value:
Quality:
Jester, London (1 years 14 days ago)
“Beautiful cuisine and cocktails to match!”
Atmosphere:
Value:
Quality:
Hayles, London (1 years 23 days ago)
“Zensai makes such nice food!! Its the sort of food you would expect from a fancy expensive west end restaurant!”
Atmosphere:
Value:
Quality:
Damon, london (1 years 29 days ago)
“Zensai is one of a kind! They offer original cocktails, as well as fresh spins on old favorites, beautifully cooked asian cuisine, and brilliant DJ's playing 'different' music for Camden!! A great change!!”
Atmosphere:
Value:
Quality:
Turner, camden (1 years 1 months ago)
“Best restaurant in Camden!”
Atmosphere:
Value:
Quality:
Tobias, London (1 years 1 months 12 days ago)
“Zensai has the nicest cocktails ever!! The 'Zentini' is amazing...a must try! A friendly, beautiful bar/restaurant.”
Atmosphere:
Value:
Quality:
Emma Platz, London (1 years 1 months 20 days ago)
“I rarely get the chance to go to Camden anymore, but when I do, I always make sure I go to Zensai. They always have great music playing, a friendly atmosphere and brilliant cocktails being made. Definitely go there when you can!”
Atmosphere:
Value:
Quality:
Caz, Old Street (1 years 1 months 24 days ago)
“Next time you're in Camden, definitely take a trip to Zen Sai!
Gorgeous food, amazing cocktails...and a lovely, cosy atmosphere. Inverness st is definitely for me!”
Atmosphere:
Value:
Quality:
lex, london (1 years 2 months 1 days ago)
“I have lived in camden for about 3 years now and I have to say that Inverness Street is the best place to go! Zensai has to be one of the nicest venues around. Its got everything you need, great cocktails, a great restaurant and a great DJ section at the back. If you havent already been there, I highly recommend that you do!”
Atmosphere:
Value:
Quality:
Theo, London (1 years 2 months 9 days ago)
“Great atmosphere and even better cocktails!”
Atmosphere:
Value:
Quality:
Julie Martins, London (1 years 2 months 10 days ago)
“Highly recommended bar & restaurant, great service, great food and great cocktails.”
Atmosphere:
Value:
Quality:
babaoreilly, london (1 years 2 months 19 days ago)
“Great cocktail bar with some very inventive drinks, funky interior and great service. A cut above the rest in camden town.”
Atmosphere:
Value:
Quality:
cyril111, camden (1 years 2 months 20 days ago)
“best bar in camden. i love it”
Atmosphere:
Value:
Quality:
londoner, camden (1 years 3 months ago)
“Really cool little place, we had some excellent pan asian food upstairs in the restaurant, then spent the rest of the night sampling the cocktail list. Its nice to get away from bars that just do the classics badly and try some new stuff. I recommend the floridita or the zentini. Really good value and great service too.”
Atmosphere:
Value:
Quality:
sebastion, camden (1 years 7 months 14 days ago)
“Camdens best bar, amazingly original asian influenced cocktails, traditional malaysian cuisine, really cool retro style decor and the d.j always keeps it funky. Camden is getting its groove back thanks to zensai's retro asian chic.”
Atmosphere:
Value: 
Quality:
drella, london (3 years 1 months 10 days ago)
Complete!
Your review has been submitted. Once a Fluid administrator has approved it and you have verified your e-mail address, it will be displayed on the site.
+ Add your review
Additional Information
Map & Nearby Venues