Banu Restaurant

Fantastic meal, excellent cocktails. Service was on point

Everything was great ! We enjoyed our foods as much as we enjoyed the cocktails, everything was delicious.

We went for winterlicious, and everything was delicious ! Loved all our kabob's, everything was prepared to perfectly We also loved our nan o paneer so much so that we bought the cherry jam it comes with. We were all so glad to have discovered this place. See you soon !

Terrible food for winterlicious. Meat tasted spoiled. Dessert was tiny and was not really authentic baklava. Appetizers were ok but didn't make up for the terrible main.

Everything was absolutely splendid, thank you very much.

Last night my partner and I dined at Banu to sample their Winterlicious 2014 offerings and we were not disappointed. We shared their grilled marinated chicken kabobs and koobideh (skewers of flavourful ground siloin) as mains. Both were grilled to perfection, delicious and moist without being under or over cooked. We also enjoyed their tasty beet soup and roasted eggplant dish. Portions were generous compared to the prix fixe Winterlicious offerings of other restaurants we've tried this year. Our meal was topped off with a plate of outrageously decadent Soma chocolate ... yummy!! Service at this restaurant was attentive and helpful. We will certainly return to sample Banu's regular menu offerings. BTW .. their mixed drinks are addictive..

2 friends and I had a fun experience at Banu for Winterlicious. It's a quiet and small spot but worth trying at least once! Food was great.

Food quality was very low, I had Dough for drink which was very far from what I had else where. The service was very bad, waiters were no caring.

I really like the food but the service can sometimes be a hit or miss depending on which server you get. I frequent this restaurant and I do have to say that there is this one server with short hair who is amazing but some of the other servers aren't...we asked for water and it took 15 minutes for her to come back to the table because she was talking to her friends and she didn't even bring any water. We then were forced to pay an 18% tip which I found to really turn me off of this place. I really enjoy the food and the servers can be great but the automatic 18% without the ability to change is ridiculous. I usually tip between 15%-20% but this depends on the level of service I get and I believe that should be my choice to make.

Really quality food with excellent flavours. I was lucky enough to be there with an Iranian friend who showed me how to enjoy the meal to the fullest. You must eat the herbs!

I was disappointed - given the very good reviews by leading media sources. Food was mediocre at best. Appetizers were great but the main courses were lacking in flavour - under spiced. Wondering if they lowered their standards for Winterlicious. If so too bad because I won't be back. Sigh

Four of us went for Winterlicious 2014. We ordered the eggplant dip for the appetizer, it was delicious. We ordered the Koobideh for the main course - the meat was cooked to perfection and the flavouring was spot on. If you come to this restaurant, ensure to try the Koobideh! For dessert we ordered all 3 - the backlava almond cake, pistachio rose ice cream and soma chocolates. Portions were very tiny. Highly recommend the almond cake. Overall experience was great, we were seated as soon as we got to the restaurant, the service was fast and friendly, ambiance was also very nice - arabic themed colours and music playing in the background. The only issue we had was the cold air coming into the restaurant from outside.

Servers came by every 2 minutes. It didn't feel like good service, it felt like too many servers with not enough to do so they incessantly walked by (4 of them) checked water, cleared small items, etc. It was distracting to our conversation and evening. Also, the light in the entranceway is quite bright if you get it in your eye at one of the front tables.

Went for Winterlicious and here is a review of what I ate:
1st dish: Kashk o Bademjan - delicious but could have used more of the dipping bread
2nd dish: Koobideh - greasy and I don't think the meat was very fresh. The grilled tomatoes on the side were bland and poor quality
3rd dish: Saffron, Rose Pistachio Ice Cream - actually inedible. It tasted like eating incense and I'm someone who normally loves Rose water
- I ordered the pomegranate wine - delicious and good value
- Service: was ok, nothing special.
I wouldn't go back considering how many other amazing options there are near by.

I enjoyed my appetizer and desert, but the main was a flop. Probably me - I chose a vegetarian main - quite clear that is not their strong suit. However, they didn't really try. I also didn't appreciate the automatic 18% gratuity charged on check out. The service was lovely, and I am generally a good tipper for good service - but I like to choose what I tip and when. (Too bad for them, I usually tip 20% for good service and would have done that - but was totally turned off by the charge and couldn't change it either way!) The positives didn't outweigh the negatives, I don't expect to go back.

This was my first introduction to Persian food. Yummy stuff and very good downtown location on Queen Street West. The interiors are very nice and servers are nice as well.

Went for winterlicious
Soup was good
Chai was good
Everything else was below average and almost a ripoff
Seating was not comfortable
Parking was difficult

The menu and food were very good for the Winterlicious price. My only complaint is I ordered the rose ice cream for desert and it tasted like I put potpourri in my mouth. It was a terrible way to end such a good meal. I order the eggplant for apps and kofta for the main. Overall, the service was good and I would recommend this restaurant. Just stay away from the ice cream.

We went to Banu for Koobedeh and are never dissappointed. Soft, melt in your mouth meat. The winterlicious menu was fantastic and the correct portions for lunch. I would highly recomment the restaurant.

Great food and good service, though shisha overpriced.

Food was home made, and very authentic. I enjoyed the selections on the menu, and everything was prepared with the intention to offer texture and flavour.

Could have offered more vegetables with a middle eastern twist, and my desert was TINY! but great.

Alcohol was available but expensive.

I would like to try another meal, probably a dinner next time.

We all enjoyed our dining experience at Banu. Lovely flavours, nice Summerlicious menu, good service, great evening.

The restaurant itself is really pretty, with a lot of artwork on the walls and glass vases and interesting table tops for dining. However, we went during the summerlicious menu and, although the restaurant was busy, there was only one waitress who, surprisingly, managed to get our food out to us at a reasonable time, but didn't look all that happy doing it. In addition, the portions were tiny for the amount paid. We bought the same food up north at the Iranian supermarket Khorak and paid 1/3rd the price for 4 times the portion. Granted, this is a restaurant and that is a supermarket, but if you want to really eat, go to Finch and Yonge. In addition, drinks were $10 - $12 each for standard fare. That's ridiculous!

Went for summerlicious. Have to say that we've had better persian food elsewhere (i.e., Pomegranate) and better summerlicious food too. Wasn't impressed with the vegetarian food and the options. As others have said, portions were on the smaller side but it was the taste of the food that wasn't the best. Also drinks were quite pricey.
The only things we did like are the ambience (nice decor) and the good service. However, it was way too cold inside the restaurant! We don't regret going here but just we would not return again.

We visited Banu last week and thoroughly enjoyed it. The yoghurt starter was lovely just to look at - with tiny flecks of rose petals decorating it - and delicious. The egg plant starter is well-worth trying. For mains we had the chicken (very tender) and the steak kabob (didn't try it myself, but my son gave it a thumbs up). We all enjoyed the Persian ice cream (with saffron, rose water and pistachios). Not huge portions - but I prefer quality to quantity and, in fact, I was pleasantly full at the end.

Service was very good. The server can explain what's the ingredients in specific menu and gave her recommendation. Very happy with the food (we had mast o-kheyaar & mirza ghasemi for appetizer, zereshk polo va morgh & nan o paneer for meal, and bastani & paloud-e for dessert). All taste good! Bastani is like any other pistachio ice cream and we thought they can give us more chicken in zereshk polo va morgh.

We were three ladies who found the restaurant friendly, family friendly, interesting food and not too large servings. We would return there anytime.

The kebab are awesome. Non alcohol drinks are too expensive.

$15 Summerlicious Lunch, and the fact that it's hard to find a nice Iranian restaurant in Toronto are the reasons we decided to check out Banu. Good amount of food for the price, saffron, rose, and pistachio ice cream was the highlight of the meal for me. Good list of international vodkas, and selection of European beers. I'd read some complaints about service on other review websites, but the ladies were very nice to us. I would go back.

I went to this restaurant with my friends for a lunch, during Summerlicious. My friends picked this place since it serves Iranian cuisine, they thought it would be a good experience to try something new.
Although the food was good, the portions were really small. We still felt hungry.

I would say that if you are looking for light meal, this is the place to go!

Food was fresh, interesting, sharable with friends. The server explained everything, and had lots of time to talk about how the breads were made, and about Persian customs with food. Excellent fresh and interesting food. Desserts could have been a bit more interesting, but we were full from the appetizers and main course.

If you want authentic Persian food at its best, this is the place!

I've been to Banu a few times before, and always enjoyed it: the food is really good (the largest grilled prawns that I have ever seen, and delicious), the vodka and fresh juice drinks are unusual and delicious, and the atmosphere has always seemed wonderfully quirky and exotic. This is an Iranian vodka bar, after all, so you expect something a bit quirky. This past visit, the atmosphere seemed to have degraded somewhat. The open window at the front with smokers on the patio meant that we could clearly smell the smoke during our dinner. The only other table inside was huddled in the back, with people coming and going, and seemed more like a club or hangout than a restaurant for everyone to enjoy.

The potatoe salad and burger were great. Also try their beet dish.

Everything was excellent. Cocktails, food and service. On a recent 5 day trip to Toronto we ate here 3 out of the 5 days. I can't talk highly enough about Banu! Banu is a must do!!

We were quite surprised by the quality of food. The chicken grill and the sour beef kebob were just amazing. The vodka was excellent too. We loved the environment and the music.

Went for winterlicious. Food was great and unlike anything I've ever had before. In Toronto there's Thai, Italian, Indian, etc. Iranian/Persian was such an absolute treat. Vegetarian options were delicious.

Fantastic and interesting food.

Original flavours ! Excellent food ! BUT, portions are far too small for the price paid. The same dish given to different clients did not have the same amount of food on the plate.

We went to Banu to try Winterlicious menu. Smoked eggplant was fantastic, beets had too much of vinegar and no watercress (sub for mint wasn't that great). Chicken and sirloin skewers were juicy and tasty. The portion size was impressive too. We liked the arrangement of plates and dishes as well. Bakhlava was moist and flavorful. Rose water/saffron/pistachio is a great combination for an ice-cream, which I enjoyed a lot. Service was fantastic as well. Overall, fantastic place and we will be back again to try your regular menu.