Buddha Break

Keep wandering past Asakusa's moribund Hanayashiki amusement park and you might stumble across this most curious of bars. An austere, warehouse-style exterior leads into a room littered with ethnic instruments, hookah pipes and paraphernalia adorned with sanskrit text (known as 'bonji' in Japanese, hence the place's name). The generously tattooed owner has some unusual tipples to go with the shisha, including cannabis vodka, ginseng brandy and a few dubious concoctions that he's prepared himself; we sample some peyotl-enhanced tequila and shochu infused with panther cap mushrooms, only one of which is mildly revolting. Bonji Bar's exotic collection of water pipes are probably best enjoyed with company, and the pair of low tables on tatami flooring at one side of the bar are ideally suited to lengthy smoking sessions.