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Banu
Categories: Restaurants Persian/Iranian Nightlife Bars Hookah Bars Persian/Iranian, Hookah Bars [Edit]
777 Queen St WToronto, ON M6J 1G1
Neighbourhoods: Niagara, West Queen West, Trinity Bellwoods
(416) 777-2268
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
18 reviews for Banu
18 reviews in English
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Review from Thu N.
North York, ON
10/27/2011
I'm loving the diversity in the Queen/Bathurst area where I started working!! There's never an end to exciting lunches :)
Awesome place with nice decor, friendly service - $10 lunch is worth it for the yummy freshly grilled Koobideh, bread and fresh herbs all wrapped up. Also really love the olive dip they have - Zeitun Parvadeh - never tasted anything like this before!
Would love to stop by for dinner one day! -
Review from Melissa L.
North York, ON
2/4/2012
I've been here twice now and the last time was for Winterlicious just yesterday. I have to say that this place can turn a vegetarian into a meat eater. Im not a huge fan of Persian food or meat for that matter but the beef tenderloin was the tastiest I've ever had. Very homely food - the vegetarian dishes are as well executed as the meat based ones. Beautiful and comfy decor . Go buy some shoes at heel boy when you're done ;)
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Review from Angela D.
Toronto, ON
2/10/2012
Amazing space, food, drinks and staff. Here i discovered Persian food. I always feel relax and a sense of well being when i leave after i ate here. Not cheap, but you get what you pay for. Definitely worth it.
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Review from anjali d.
Toronto, ON
1/3/2012
Nice flavors, but very very very overpriced for regular dinner menu.
I have no problem paying high prices, but I just felt like the prices were too high for what I got.
I will say, the food tasted great . Wouldn't mind going back for lunch or a dinner special.Comment from samira m. of Banu 1/12/2012
Dear Anjali, The meat at Banu is organic, and therefore,… More » -
Review from Natasha V.
11/29/2011
Fantastic Persian food! Having lived in the middle east most of my life I have never come across a restaurant in Toronto where the meat melts in your mouth. The chicken is especially succulent and tender as are the lamb chops. The olive walnut appetizer served with warm sesame break is delightful as is the yoghurt dip and salad. Also the beets are great. Desserts are nice and refreshing and overall the food was just yum! Server was very friendly and they accommodated us without a booking on a Sat nite but luckily we were early. Cosy atmosphere and delicious food and filled with Persians so it has to be good. Definitely a place to revisit!
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Review from Rob G.
6/18/2011
I love Iranian food so even before I entered this place it started with 5 stars and could have only headed downhill from there. It came strongly recommended by both our hotel and Yelp. Honestly the food was pretty good (four star quality), but I dock a star because of the attitude. I dislike restaurateurs with attitude - fact of the matter is even if you're the owner you're not an avant-garde artiste redefining the meaning of existence.. You are someone working within the SERVICE industry and are (or should be) beholden to your customer. It's flabbergasting to me that a waitress could have such a degree of cockiness and disregard for her clients, especially if she's quite a mediocre waitress to begin with. Next time, check your pride at the door and focus on making your customer's experience a good one. It's your job.
Oh, and the portions were so small and miserable it was a joke. I'm from San Francisco so don't go around saying I expected Kansas City-size meals, but these portions were almost an insult especially when paired with those prices and a very average unassuming atmosphere. I don't know if Toronto has any better, but if not, just move to SF.
One last point: scroll down to the bottom of the page and you can see 7 "filtered" reviews... Most of which speak to the same shortcomings that I highlighted in this review. Somewhat shady, no?
EDIT: I think the restaurant's response to me speaks for itself. I'd like to add that they've also sent me multiple messages through Yelp with the same anti-consumer drivel as below. Shrug, dock a star, and move on.Comment from samira m. of Banu 1/11/2012
Dear disgruntled patron, I can assure you that we are all… More » -
Review from geraldine g.
Toronto, ON
4/6/2011 3 photos
One of the things about randomly choosing a place is, you just never know. You can read all the reviews but ultimately - until you try the food it's the unknown. LOL
This time around, I had a craving for middle eastern food. I chose Banu based on its location to my next destination. I am extremely glad to have gone there. It was incredible!
I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised with not only how full I felt but what I discovered from this food experience. I ordered the Koobideh. Two skewers of soft tender beef over naan served with fresh herbs (tarragon and basil), eggplant garlic, roasted tomatoes and sumac (a sweet herb you place over the beef to your liking).
I was advised by our server to combine all the elements to get the flavour of the food out. She was not kidding! It made my mouth sing with happiness!
I also had it with a side of basmati rice. Though a simple side dish, it had a distinct flavour difference from say, a side of basmati at an Indian restaurant.
The food gave me a new appreciation of middle eastern food I had not experienced before. I would even venture to say, my best food experience in Toronto so far.
The only thing I would wish for, more choices on their menu.
This place is a strange mix. It's modern and beautiful on the other hand it has graffiti in the foyer and graffiti all over the bathroom. Took me completely by surprise. I haven't figured out to resolve that one in my brain yet.
You'll find Sook Yin Lee`s autograph on the foyer wall for those of you who are her fan's. -
Review from Cindy C.
Toronto, ON
1/30/2011
A for Iranian Food!! The Winterlicious Menu for $15 + 3 courses = perfect sunday afternoon.
Went with a friend, for the appetizer, I got the LENTIL SALAD - with yummy bits of parsley and green onion, topped off with fresh zesty lemon tasted so fresh. My friend had the IRANIAN LEGUME, MIXED HERB, AND BUCKWHEAT NOODLE POTAGE - was like a delicious stew with bread.
Main course, we shared the platter - GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST with saffron and citrus and the GROUND ANGUS SIRLON KABOB, they kindly put it on the plate together with wraps where we could wrap it ourselves. Toppings included fresh rosemary and mint leaves, yogurt dip, grilled tomato and Iranian saffron - which was deelicious... The wrap tasted fragrant and flavourful, was a little wet and hard to manage because the bread was very thin. But I just got messy and dug my hands right in and it was worth it!
For dessert, I had the ALMOND BAKLAVA and the CHOCOLATE PLATE. Amazing, I really enjoyed the chocolate plate, it was melted down dark chocolate with nuts and dried cranberries. It was a great way to top off a meal. I wasn't a huge fan of the Almond baklava, but that's only because I'm not a huge sweets fan, I did try some and the almond tasted fresh and fragrant. It was more like a cake than like the traditional greek baklava that I'm used to eating.
All in all, the flavor was well-infused, fragrant and well put together. I am extremely impressed with the ambiance and it was clean and cozy. The service was amazing, the servers were attentive and informative. I also had the fresh mint tea that hey made fresh for me, which was delicious.
All in all, a great experience, must go, right now. -
Review from Lauren M.
We went today for Summerlicious lunch ($15)
The decor of this place is great, I'd probably go back for a drink one evening just to experience it in the evening hours, I bet it looks incredible.
As mentioned in other posts, the service here was 100%, VERY good. Our server topped up our waters, brought extra bread when we asked, was super friendly and was knowledgeable about the menu.
The food was really unique and very flavorful, but we were disappointed with the portions.
I realize this is lunch, but the appetizers were tiny and the mains came with a small meat portion with no veg or anything on the side. My friend's lamb chops, for example, were two tiny little 1oz pieces of meat and nothing served with them besides small "flat bread" which is a small paper thin square like an egg-roll wrapper.
I think I had too high expectations for Banu after reading other yelper reviews. But overall, this place has great food, ambience, service; the works. Would be great for a date! -
Review from Meghan N.
Mississauga, ON
7/9/2010
We just got home from enjoying a $25 Summerlicious dinner at Banu and I can't stress enough how much I think you should get on the phone and make a reservation there. It was truly AMAZING.
First off, sometimes during Summerlicious the food at restos is just 'meh', and the service even worse. Tonight, the food was great, and the service was really incredible.
For starters, hubby had the Salad Olivieh - an Iranian style potato salad that was so flavourful and really unique with the pickles added. I had the Adasi lentils, which had such a bright flavour full of lemon and parsley - yum.
For our mains, we ordered the Murgh chicken breast and the Chenjeh chunks of beef tenderloin. Maybe because I'd never tried Iranian food before, I didn't know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was 2 skewers of perfectly moist, tender grilled meat, served with abundant flatbread, yogurt/garlic sauce, a dish of ground spices, and some mint and basil leaves. You take a little of each, make yourself a small packet with the flatbread, and pop it in your mouth - OMG - so so good. It was great to see the chefs cooking your skewer in the open kitchen as well.
For dessert, hubby ordered the SOMA Chocolate Plate and I ordered the Almond Baklava Cake. Some other diners suggested the chocolate (plus ordered more to take home!) and I'm so glad we took their recommendation - it really was an amazing blend of flavours. Plus the cake was much more than I expected - a perfect blend of honey, cake and pistacios.
Add that to the mint tea we requested, and I was in what I think might be Iranian food heaven. The mint tea was served in our own pot with traditional small glasses along with a few little dessert treats on a silver tray. Just awesome.
They have a great vibe, there's a small private area upstairs, the staff are friendly, knowledgeable and really helpful - I can't wait to go back. Starting to think about whether my birthday party might be at Banu this year! -
Review from Viviana M.
Toronto, ON
11/28/2010
A restaurant with an attitude problem and a health concern!
I visited Banu for the first time this past November 22, 2010. Upon recommendation from a Persian friend; I decided to go see what the fuss was all about. Little did I know I was going to be the one fussing my way to a major health concern.
The service at Banu is extremely cocky, disregarded and slow. I have dealt with a handful of bad service restaurants, but this by far has exceeded all others and takes the Gold Medal for abruptness!
In addition to it, the restaurant poses a major health concern to Torontonians. I am not sure how they allow cooks in the kitchen (which is semi open concept) with no hats. As a result, your food will not only be dazzled and drizzled with spices, but also HAIRS! OH yes, those lovely pieces of human hairs that we just love finding in our food.
When I let the waitress know there was hair in my food, she told me the cook was bald and there was no way hair could be in my food. She grabbed the hair with her hand, gave me a look and shouted - fine your food is free today! As if I had planted the hair on the food!
I decided I would not make a big deal about it, i mean I was hungry and the hair was to the side of the dish, not really touching the food. The minute after I went to pick up a piece of the chicken to place it in the bread wrap...i found yet another hair right were the chicken ball was, mixed in with the sauce. Now this was just too much to handle. I called on the waitress again and showed her the hair mixed in with the food. Still in disbelief, the woman said she had already given me the food for free and what else did I want? what else? really?
Well, I guess nothing else, because thanks to the 21st century I can now tell the world about my experience and not have to put up with this attitude.
Be aware fellow Foodies.Listed in: The Worst of TO
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Review from Andreas D.
Toronto, ON
1/24/2010 4 photos
Run, don't walk, to Banu. Food, drinks and service are about as good as it gets.
Banu bills itself as a Persian vodka bar. The second you're walking into the room you feel like you're in 1960's Tehran, sitting on low white leather couches and listening to Iranian pop music.
Despite the vodka bar tag, Banu is one of the few restaurants I frequent where I rarely order alcohol. That's mainly because I am addicted to their Pomegranate drinks and the never ending mint tea that complements the food perfectly. With the curtains drawn and the hookah being smoked at the next table (don't worry, there is excellent ventilation and it never gets bothersome) you really feel that you're thousands of miles from Queen West.
The food is where Banu shines brightest. Meat is organic and well chosen. Kebabs in all their manifestations dominate the menu but vegetarians need not worry, there's plenty of non meat choices.
The food is incredibly fresh, juicy and flavourful. Mint, lemon and basil are dominant flavours, backed up by green olives and walnuts.Everything is served with a wonderful flatbread to mop up the juices.
Service is friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. For us, Banu is one of our favourite places in Toronto. -
Review from Joy S.
Woodbridge, ON
Updated - 4/14/2010 1 photo
Went again lastnight.
It wasnt busy for a Tuesday night but the service was excellent!
The food is great and is made to be shared!
Its good for groups!
Smoked Mint Chocolate Shisha MMmm...
The best part was that they dont have a "set time" that they close. They told us they close when people stop coming !!
I think i might throw my birthday party there next week! :)Listed in: HIDDEN HIDEAWAYS
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/28/2010
After reading all the great reviews I decided to give this place a shot! I've never been to a Hookah… Read more »
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Review from Ramanan S.
Toronto, ON
Banu is hands down the best place I've been for Persian kebabs. I'd say Zaffron comes close, but I think they serve much better meat at Banu, and the chef there cooked them just right. Everything we had was really juicy and tasty. Banu only servers kebabs; you won't be able to get any Persian stews here. The meal was about $42 dollars each when all was said and done. (We split 8 orders of kebabs and a starter between 6 people; 3 of us ordered hard drinks, the others soft drinks.) Compared to other places I've eaten at, this is a deal, but compared to other Persian places its a bit pricey. (My wife and I both ate at Darvish for less.) That said, Banu really is a superlative Persian restaurant; I think it's worth splurging on. Banu a nice looking restaurant with great service and excellent food -- what else do you really need?
They also have a great selection of vodka, a big plus. -
Review from Myrem D.
Mississauga, ON
3/11/2010 1 photo
Its casual but from the menu its more than just a fancy entre. The place is small so the atmosphere is very laid back.
The mint tea is by far my favorite,
The yogurt with spinach was absolutely amazing
I was really dissapointed with the chocolate nougat with cranberry. Its actually just 4 slices of chocolate, plain and a bit too rich for my liking.
all in all, its not a bad place for a casual dinner. -
Review from Zubin D.
Toronto, ON
11/18/2008
Food here was excellent. Really chill restaurant with a good vibe. Everything we ordered was great. I recommend the BBQ chicken. i was hesitant to order it at a persian place and miss out on something else, but it was totally worth it. Also, they had mixed drink with lime and mint which was bomb. I polished off three. The place wasn't exactly cheap but i walked away incredibly satisfied that they could have added an extra zero on my bill and i'd have been fine with it. if ure looking for a really pleasurable dinning experience go here.
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Review from leila b.
2/17/2011
I am from san franciso and I went to banu few months ago when I was visiting my friend in toronto , I liked the atmosphere very much , that was fun , but the rest was awful , very short staff , for a glass of of wine or water , u had to wait 15 to 20 minutes and it took about an hour and half to get the food on the table , portions are way too small , and the thing I never got was , while we were waiting , the owner brought us a little plate of shirazi salad ( persian salad ) and she said it's up to us to eat it or not eat it , when some one says that , means this is complementary , because we did not order it and if we dont eat it , what are u gonne do with it after 2 hours , are u gonne give it to someone else or are u gonne throw it away ?
Anyways we ate it , and at the end , it was on our bill , so we had to pay for complimentary salad !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not a good experience at all and I will tell everyone to not go , there lots of Fab restaurants in Toronto -
Review from Tina H.
3/12/2010
I love this place. The service was really warm the first time I went, and since then has "cooled" a bit down. They're still nice though. The vodka drinks are quite delicious. I find the phrase where they explicitly state that they don't serve rice to be a bit angry but funny at the same time. I don't eat rice so whatevs. I LOVE the appetizer with the sheep cheese, herbs and sour cherry jam thing. It's absolutely delicious. Since I first went they appear to give more cheese, which is good, because they would skimp on the cheese before. Their kebabs are absolutely delicious. I'm disappointed that they changed their provider from the Healthy Butcher to Cumbrae's. They're trying to tell me that it's still organic but every time I go to Cumbrae's they never sell organic meat, just naturally raised. I think they're mistaken. It's unfortunate because their prices don't reflect these changes, as Cumbrae's is cheaper and lower quality than the Healthy Butcher (but I love the HB so I'm partial to them I suppose). All of the flavours are just right at this place. They really know how to combine different ingredients to blow your taste buds away. They are very impressive. Nice place, just don't sit too close to the washroom... but if you need to go to the washroom, it'll warm your heart to know you can write all over the walls with sidewalk chalk.
Listed in: My Favourite Food & Drink…
