B Zar

The best experience I ve had in London, decent service, desired hair style, and she made the exact hair cut I expected, very nice place, high quality service. Strongly recommended and easy to find.

Love it!
I made a reservation on Wednesday and it was not as busy. Upon arriving, I was seated for shampoo (which smells great) and directed for a hair cut with Michi. She was gentle, friendly, and very attentive. (I asked her how long she’s been cutting hair and said that she had 24 years of hair cutting experience — wowza!) I showed her a picture of the haircut I want and she made sure that since my hair is straight and flat, I won’t have the same effect as the woman in the picture. We had good chats in between and the mini shiatsu massage near the end was really relaxing as well! I would highly recommend anyone to come here, it was very professional.

Money well spent. I have had some awful experience with hairdressers in the past and dreaded the thought of having my hair cut and then going back home crying, not wanting ti look in the mirror.
Luckily, none of that happened here. I went in only for a cut and dry and got a scalp and shoulder massage, too. The hairdresser took the time to ask me what I wanted and how I wanted it. It was a lovely time I spent there feeling like I got the attention everyone deserves. I also got some valuable advice regarding maintenance and products as I seem to never be able to get the right one. I was happy with the result and I would surely go back again.

Ladies cut and dry is £45, which seems to be the average price these days if you want to go to a decent place and not get your hair hacked apart.
I popped in for a cut and dry, which included a scalp and shoulder massage, which was a nice touch. My hairdresser spent quite a bit of time on my hair given that it was a simple cut — which was perfectly fine. I’ve had other people breeze through in 15 minutes and I was left wondering WTH did I just pay for! Anyhow, the cut was good, but please note its CASH ONLY!
It is in the Soho area, so I thought everyone would at least be using card machines. But there’s a cash machine over at M&S back entrance (if the main one up the stairs is full, there’s a cash machine if you run down to the food hall.). They asked for my credit card to be held at the shop while I went off to get money, which was fine, but both them and I forgot to get it back after I paid. When I went back, my hairdresser stopped cutting his hair to personally give me the card, and was really apologetic — even though a receptionist could have given it to me! But yes, the people were friendly, I’d probably come back — in the meantime, I’m trying to hunt for a decent place that can cut my hair for less than that price.

Had a nice one here. Thanks!

After deciding not to go for cheaper places even though I only need a simple trim for my long hair, a friend suggested B-​Zar.
They started promptly and was very friendly and I loved the massage treatment also received — although a little hard for me, but then again I am quite fragile!
Don’t be fooled by the small space when you look in, there is a room downstairs! So if you haven’t made an appointment, I think they will fit you in!
Quite amused by my hairdresser disappearing every 20 mins or so for 5 mins, only to find out that she was running upstairs to help style/​cut/​dye someone elses hair! I only knew this because my friend was also getting her hair cut and said that her hairdresser was also attending to the person next to her every so often! I found this very amusing and liked their spontaneous, multi-​taking way of working — and I didn’t feel a lot of my time was wasted either.
Communication was fine, but I do suggest taking a photo of what you’d like done.
Great place would definitely go back.

Firstly my hair was not washed twice, secondly my hair initially was barely cut at all, then my hair stylist went to another client, passed me on to a guy who blow dried my hair. He gave a very poor thump on my arms — I guess this was the massage. Then after he stood there like my hair was done — he just blow dried, like I do at home, they did not even ask me if I wanted curly or straight. I refused this and said it needed to be cut.
After a brief smirk by him, the girl returned and then finally actually did some hair cutting. I was not impressed, considering my bf (who was also getting his hair cut at the same time), had taken longer than me! (I have long hair he has short), also his treatment was very different from mine, had his hair washed twice and a massage that was not thumping on the shoulders.
I did not feel welcomed or taken care of at all (though my hair stylist was fine she not attentive). I felt I was a number not a person and I did not like the fact my hair was poorly cut (or shall I say not cut at all) until I pushed it.
I saw my hair stylist had given more attention to cutting the other female hair who came after me, even though I had made an appointment and my hair was still waiting to be cut.
Maybe they were understaffed and yes the language barrier was an issue, but what was the real issue for me is that I have never had a hair dresser cut my hair so little and that I had to prompt to get my hair cut further.
I will not return. FYI if your a guy it appears they do a good job or may be his hair stylist had more time, either way it was unacceptable.

This review is way overdue, I used to get my hair done here when I was a wee A level student in London. The stylist (whose name I sadly can’t recall anymore) gave me THE best haircut I’ve ever had in my life. Nothing has measured up since. My hair is long and straight and the most adventurous thing that’s ever done to it is layers and occasionally side bangs. He gave me this bob that was super chic and literally everyone. even random strangers complimented my hair for weeks on end. I never knew a haircut could have such an impact until then.
He also gave me the one and only good perm of my life. He did a very subtle half-​perm where just the bottom of your hair falls into natural waves. I tried to recreate the look a year later at a different salon and ended up with frizzy poodle hair and have been scared of perms ever since.
They are also great with color. I went light brown once and bright red once. I loved the red especially it was the exact state of bright red I wanted. I hate salons where you show them one color and end up with another random color. Here both times I’ve had color done I was very pleased with the results.
If only I still lived in London!

Yup, these guys are bazaar. It’s a salon run by very friendly Asian people who have an interesting way of cutting hair. It’s not bad, it’s just different. You have you hair washed in teeny tiny chairs, you get it washed twice, once before your hair cut and once after. You also get thumped. Yup, so lady will thump your shoulders and head for about 5 minutes and then ask if you’re relaxed. Suprised… yes. Relaxed… hummm.
Still, for a last minute chop it was perfect. I’d go back, but I have had better.

I was backpacking in Marrakech and got drunk with a barber from Australia — we decided the best thing to do while inebriated was to give me a hair cut. It turned out less than satisfactory, and I decided to give B Zar a go when I landed in London.
I didn’t have an appointment, but Kuni fit me in last minute. He didn’t speak much English at all so there wasn’t any conversation while getting my hair cut. I didn’t mind that because at least the important parts were conveyed («here, short?» «yes» «longer fringe?») Because of the language barrier, I think it would help if you bring in a picture of exactly what you want or look through their binders beforehand. He took over an hour on my pixie cut and I LOVE it. He was so careful and kept making minor adjustments to the length and the layers until it was perfect. The complimentary head and shoulder massage was a new experience, but wonderful. The salon is small and very very busy.
For a backpacker, my jaw dropped at the price (£39 flat for girl hair), but if you had seen the change from Inebriated Decision to my current cut, you’d think it was a bargain.

Being new to London, I kept putting off finding someone to cut my hair. I was prepared for a series of not-​so-​great experiences in search of someone that I was comfortable with and didn’t cost a fortune.
After reading the previous reviews of B;Zar, I was prepared for staff who didn’t speak English and cut my hair however they wanted. Since I think Japanese people generally have great hair & excellent sense of style, I figured this place was worth a shot.
I made an appointment with a day’s notice. My stylist was extremely attentive and communicated well in English. She was very thorough and extremely concerned that I was happy with the results. She kept making very tiny cuts and adjustments long after I thought the cut looked great. The result? I can honestly say this was one of the best haircuts I’ve ever had.
Oh yeah, the scalp, head and shoulders massage is very nice. I’m happy to have my salon sorted… I will not be trying anywhere else.

one of the best cuts i’ve ever had and at a really reasonable price as far as London goes!

2010 has been the year of the bad haircut for me.
After being given a horrifying crop in early Spring, I let my barnet grow out for months and months. I finally thought it was long enough to get it chopped into a more conventional and flattering shape, so I visited B: Zar, armed with a photo that encapsulated my style aesthetic.
I arrived on time for my appointment (the first appointment of the day) but was still made to wait over five minutes while my stylist went outside to smoke a cigarette. Okay, fine, I’d rather a happy stylist than a cranky stylist, right?
Then it all began.
I showed my photo and explained I was trying to grow my hair out of a terrible haircut several months old, that I wanted to keep as much length as was possible but not at the expense of the new haircut looking good. He nodded, repeated some key words I said, talked confusingly about my fringe.
The shampoo was a pleasurable experience.
And then he got to work. Snip snip snip, chop, chop. He DID listen to me and left as much length as possible; the front looked pretty good — modern and funky. But then he showed me the back. It looked ridiculous. And it didn’t at all even match up with the front. It looked like two different haircuts haphazardly stitched together. I was a little bit horrified. I tried to ask him to blend the two styles together a bit. He didn’t understand. After some frantic hand movements and repetition of simple words, I got him to make a few more snips, but to no avail.
My hair was hopeless.
I left £38 lighter of pocket and of self-​confidence.
Oh, and, bafflingly, neither part of my haircut (front, back) looked at all like the photo I showed.
Seriously, wtf. How does this happen to me?

Came here for my first haircut since moving to the UK. I’m a little less bullish on the place than the other reviewers. I actually used the reviews on Unilocal to find B: ZAR in the first place.
I’d say that the saloon looks a little old. That was my first impression walking in. I didn’t mind though.
My main issue was the language barrier between me and my stylist. I had a newer stylist who’d only worked in the salon for 6 months. She spoke only a little English which made it a little difficult to communicate. I kinda feel that you should develop a relationship with the stylist if you’re gonna to be at a salon for the long run, and the language barrier is going to make that difficult.
I came out with a nice haircut and I believe the price is reasonable by London standards.

I don’t trust any regular salons to cut my Asian hair. I followed recommendations on Unilocal and went to B: zar for my first hair-​cut after I moved to London. I was impressed by the service and quality of the haircut at B: Zar. The staff is friendly and making an appointment was easy. I recommend this place and I will go there again!

The Soho Shark Fin has become something of a legend. If you too want to get your hair cut in an environment that is effortlessly Japanese cool, then please slide on through to B: Zar on Berwick Street in Soho.
The problem with coming to B: Zar is that you don’t want to leave. I get the shark fin crafter by Kaito, who despite my lack of Japanese and his minimal English, knows exactly what he is doing.
There are two really awesome things about B: Zar. The massage after your haircut is awesome, but makes you really sleepy. and Yes I have been known to fall asleep. Secondly, because sitting there can be rather dull sometimes, watching the dangerously cool hair stylists in the mirror go to town on women’s hair is fascinating. These guys truly are masters of their craft.
I would say though that because I have only recently taken to getting my hair cut properly rather than just letting fiends take chunks out of it, Vivian L’s review is probably more pertinent for those who need a solid opinion.
I go there because apparently Kaito is the only person on the planet that has the necessary skill to craft the fin, but if you are in need of a super cool do, I would highly recommend this place.
For a men’s full service it’s about £30.00, which is pretty good value (I’m told)
They have a membership scheme and if your a student rock up with your NUS and the’ll «CHOP» the price down by 15%. Result!

For my 2 years in London, I let Bzar take care of my hair.
All the stylists there are japanese and they are very professional. Appointments are required and you need to be on time (or else they will start calling you once you’re more than 10mins late). The good thing about this system is that once you get there, you waste no time waiting at all.
I have the habit of taking a magazine photo to salons, so there is no room for misunderstanding between me and the stylist. Most hairdressers are not skilled to make my hair look exactly like what is shown, and they give lame excuses like «your hair texture is different» or «the shape of your head is different» to cover their inadequacy. Staff at Bzar are the only ones who pass this test (I tried two stylists, Yukimi and Ryoji). This tells something about their experience and skills.
People at this place are friendly and chatty. They have good aesthetic senses, as they’re up to date about the latest trends and styles.
Bring your student ID if you’re a student, they give 15% discount. A small downside: they take cash only.

Good hairdressers for men and women. Japanese run so expect to come out with a funky cut. Wash and cut from £30 and you also get a massage afterwards!
Can get quite busy over the weekend so book in advance. They also have a loyalty scheme so pickup a card when you go there next.

In amongst the greys and browns of Soho sits this little gem of a hairdressers — B: ZAR.
The bright green shop front was enough to attract me to make an appointment but once I discovered this was a Japanese hair salon, I was really excited.
I was a regular here for a while and was always happy with the service I received. My hairdresser at the time couldn’t understand me completely well (speaking in a fast Glaswegian accent doesn’t help) but she was always friendly and bright. It’s probably best to bring pictures with you but B: ZAR also have a selection of great Japanese and Western fashion magazines to look through for your next hair inspiration.
I am definitely going to go back at some point. The price is really reasonable and you even get a Shiatsu head and shoulder massage which is a really nice bonus.
If you’re looking for something a little different, B: ZAR is worth a visit.