Banu بانو

Decent place, decent food! Certain dishes (eggplant one was insanely delicious) Love the familial vibe at this tiny Queen street west restaurant. While the staff members were really interactive, forthcoming and helpful, there is a scope of improvement when it comes to the pace of service.

We decided to brave the chaotic mess of Toronto traffic to check out this Persian joint. When we finally arrived, we snagged a charming outdoor spot, though the inside had its own inviting vibe. From the get-go, the service was spot on—friendly, attentive, but never overbearing. You could tell they actually cared. The food….phenomenal doesn’t even begin to describe it. The Koobideh? Absolutely killer. It’s tough to nail koobideh, but they pulled it off. The meat was moist, flavorful, and the sumac added that perfect touch. The herbs and grilled tomatoes was a perfect compliment to break through the meat. The eggplant and okra - cooked to perfection. And SO flavorful. The rice? Rock solid. Fluffy, delicious, and plenty of it. Exactly what you want. The food at this place sort of makes you feel like your home. Then there’s the cocktail menu. They’ve got some creative spins with classic Persian touches—saffron, mint, cucumber. I had a tequila with pomegranate and sumac, and it was fantastic. I’m not big on sweet drinks, but these had the right balance. I’ve been wanting to check this place out for a while, and it was worth every minute in traffic. Next time I’m in Toronto, this place is at the top of my list.

A fantastic restaurant in every aspect! It boasts a cozy and inviting atmosphere, coupled with exceptional service from the staff. I can't forget the taste of the dishes I tried there! I'll definitely be back and recommend everyone to experience this wonderful restaurant.

Simply one of the top 3 Iranian restaurants in town! Very delicious food with great customer service. A very good established family business with great quality allover. A must try for anyone who's looking for an amazing Persian dish in downtown Toronto.

Banu Restaurant has become my go-to spot! The Gheime and kebab koobide are delicious, and the Mast O Moseer (yogurt with elephant garlic) is fantastic. The doogh is refreshing, and the overall vibe is great. Highly recommend for authentic Persian cuisine!

I was looking forward to trying this place, so I ordered through uber eats but was very disappointed and disgusted to find hair under the rice meal I ordered. For the price they’re charging, they should be extra careful with the cleanliness of their food and how it’s served.

Banu really deserves a higher rating than the 3.8 it currently has. True it is a bit pricy... But it's in the hippest neighborhood of Toronto... The portions are a good size and it is by far the best middle Eastern food I've had in Toronto. All the food was fresh, high quality meat, and very flavorful. Cocktails are good too. The service could be more attentive, directly since they include 18% gratuity for groups of 5 o more. But they split our groups bill even though that's supposedly against the rules. If they were just a bit cheaper or maybe provided something like complementary bread and olives, I would give it 5 stars.

Service was awesome with professional and polite staff. Foods served immediately. Clean place. Personally I liked the barbecue tomato flavored with my kebab very much as it was different taste compared to other places. (We were 4 people)

I'm not a big connoisseur of Persian food so I don't have a lot to compare it to on that front. This was one of our first dining experiences in Toronto, and given all the good ratings for this spot, it did not disappoint but it also did not overwhelm. I really appreciated the service here. I believe it was the owner who seated and served us, he was very gracious and pleasing in his demeanor, really making us feel like guests in a home more than in a restaurant. And that totally worked in this space, because is especially small and I don't think more than 24-30 people fit in here. We had the winterlicious menu, starting with the potage of legumes and also had a plate with mint leaves, feta, walnuts and persian bread. Both of these were light and tasty. We followed with the braised lamb shank, which was served with a flavorful broth and plenty of beautifully cooked basmati rice, loose, dry and tender. I only wish I had asked for a dish with the crispy rice persians traditionally know how to make and do it right. Finally, we ended with the pistachio roulade and almond baklava-the baklava was not what you would traditionally expect with phyllo dough. It was more of an almond cake and both were light and delicate and delicious. Also, the server who came to remove dishes from the table knew service, which is nice. She was about to clear when she realized one of us had not finished eating, immediately stopped and apologized and let us carry on until everyone was done. It's so sad to see service fail in protocol in so many places these days-they know what they are doing here. We were also provided with a small cup of persian tea complimentary at the end of the meal. What a nice touch to make you feel at home. I enjoyed our dining experience overall here more than just the food. The food was excellent but not in a WOW sort of way, just good, graciously served, in a very nice spot. Kudos to Banu for a job well done.

I stopped here for a casual early lunch on a leisurely jaunt down Queen Street - maybe we're just so deprived of Persian food in NYC that any such outlet seems like a godsend. As expected, eggplant options were plentiful - I opted for a pairing with whey and caramelized onions.

Went for Winterlicious and had a great meal! Started it out with the Kashk e Bademjoon (roasted eggplant, whey, mint, and fried onion, served with Barbari bread) and it was a nice, light appetizer. Love the bread; it was crisp on the edges and really fresh. For a main, I tried the Cornish Hen (saffron and citrus grilled hen, served with saffron basmati rice)-- this was a generous portion, and I had enough to bring home for another meal altogether. My friends had Kabob e Chenjeh (grilled veal tenderloin, labneh, lime, saffron, served with fresh herbs and basmati rice) and they both loved it. For dessert, we tried the pistachio roulade, almond cake, and the saffron ice cream, and out of these, the roulade and ice cream were our favourites! Their Winterlicious dinner is $55, and it seems like good value for Queen West. Pro tip: if you like drinking ayran, order doogh! If you're not a fan of the rose petals on top, just say so. Also, if you want to book a private room, they actually have a second floor that fits 30!

I went to Banu about a month ago. I eat Persian food pretty often and I think this was the best I have had (even better than a Persian friend of mine's grandma's cooking, I must say...)! The shirazi salad was SO. INSANELY. DELICIOUS! We almost ordered a second one because it was that good. I then had the chicken kebab plate and my boyfriend had the burger, we both adored our dishes! We went for lunch, we were the only one's and service was fast. The food was made fresh and came out nice and hot. Definitely would recommend! I'm so surprised that the reviews here on yelp are this low because I really had no complaints about anything.

Sooooooo yummmmy!!! The pomegranate beef tenderloin was amazing. Seriously a flavor you go searching for and might never find until you come here! Perfectly cooked with a light char and just so so yummy. The chicken kabob was also delicious!

Summary -- good food and flavours but highly overpriced for the small portion sizes. Take out order. We are very familiar w Persian food and wanted to try Banu's offerings. We ordered the charred eggplant appetizer, tenderloin kebab plate, chicken kebab plate, and Cornish hen plate. Food was well spiced, marinated and overall flavours were good. Rice was buttery and the rice that came with the Cornish hen had a generous amount of barbaris added for flavour. However, for the pricing, portions were small and the value felt off. The kebabs each came with one skewer - roughly 5-6 small pieces of the respective meat. Eggplant appetizer had a hilariously small piece of accompanying lavash. However the rice portions were generous (cheapest ingredient).

My husband and I had a wonderful experience at Banu this evening. The service was outstanding - incredibly honest recommendations resulted in a fantastic meal. We shared the olives and short rib to start, then shared the koobideh as our main. The flavours were beautiful and the koobideh was perfection. I have read several reviews mentioning the prices - I find the price very reasonable given the neighbourhood and the quality.

Okay I think we might have ordered poorly which I will own up to but something was a little off for me this trip. Rice was okay and the lam shank seemed a little under done. Okra with Eggplant was delicious but the cheese plate left us underwhelmed. Maybe too many similar don't she's but we found the flavours were too similar and not enough variety

Came here for Summerlicious - worth a try to get a taste of Iranian food! The Cold Cucumber Soup was nice and refreshing. Vegetables Stew was quite hearty.

My friends & I just had it's Summerlicious 2018 dinner menu last night! Worth a try, great tasty Persian food! You have to call to make a reservation, there wasn't a direct link to open table. Atmosphere/Décor: Its been totally renovated, compared to the old pictures on here. Its more airy, bright colours, updated deco, and all around looks more aesthetically pleasing with sky blue/white/gold accent pieces. 4/5 Waitstaff: I get that it was the evening, and the hostess/waitress had probably been working a full shift, but not one smile cracked throughout our 2hr dinner with her. The manager/senior staff-- she was an older woman who helped to bring out food-- was so engaging, friendly and warm. She was the saving grace for tipping for me. If she didn't serve our table I honestly wouldn't have. 3/5 Food: They are very accommodating with preferences/allergies. I don't like mint and they took it out of the watermelon salad for me. The salad was cool and refreshing, the goat cheese worked well with the watermelon. I had the kebab dinner, my vegetarian friend had the only veg option potato stew with saffron rice, and other friend had the chicken. The food came out warm, well seasoned and very well portioned. I have an allergy to almonds so I had to opt out of the baklava and they were polite about it. The Death in Venice gelato was refreshing had a berry taste. My friend who had the baklava it was a smaller portion but she felt it was alright. 4/5 Final review: They have revamped and really changed from what I can read from past reviews. I really do recommend trying Banu. Its definitely worth a break from the traditional Italian/burger/salad joints that occupy most of Toronto's resto scene. My vegetarian friend thought it was okay so, it might be a diff experience if you are veg/vegan. 4/5

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.

Went there for Winterlicious lunch. The place looks old outside, you can even barely notice it when passing by, but the inside is delicate. Had the postage for start. The soup was thick but tasted like it has goat dairy in there, not my thing. The koofteh was really good, beef with herb and peas mixed the flavour, two pieces of naan are perfect for the gravy. The cake tasted special because of the saffron and rose water, plus sprinkled with pistachio, very yum.

Came here on the coldest night of July. It was one other person and myself at the table. We had the summerlicious dinner and here are the ratings: Food: 4/5 Service: 2.75/5 Atmosphere: 4/5 Overall: 3.5/5 Menu diversity: 5/5 Here's why: We got the pomegranate wine first. Which was $28/L. It was literally Pom and maybe an oz or 2 of vodka. Was not worth it for both of us. Then, we got appetizers. My partner got braised cow tongue which was very tasty. I got the vegan dish which was smoked eggplants with tomato and turmeric. It was overly smoked and not very tasty. Next, we got our dinner which was tasty fall of the bone chicken thighs with barberry saffron rice. My partner got the beef koobideh, saffron rice, tomato, and sumacs. Lastly, we had the dense backlava and rose water pistachio gelato. So this was with the service, firstly, it took forever to get the apps, the service didn't pay us any mind. Maybe because we were young. Every time she brought us something I said thank you when we brought extra water or anything and she would just walk away, not even a smile. She went to sit down with some guests at their table but even failed to acknowledge a thank you. When I got the dinner, I asked for some sumach on the side. She literally said no and then told me it would ruin the flavors. I told her I have had this dish before and she said she would give it to me. She looked like I had just pooped in front of her. She brought it and told me not to put too much on. Even my kind and well mannered partner was shocked. She didn't ask us how we were, how the food was or anything on that end. She was straight up rude. When I asked about dessert, she yelled at me that she would bring the menu when we already knew what we wanted. We waited 15 minutes for the bill, and I know I'm not exaggerating because we filled the parking meter twice while waiting. Lastly, the atmosphere, place was quite pleasant. Only thing is, it was so cold outside. And they left HUGE windows open while we were freezing. Since our server didn't even ask how we were doing, we just sat in the cold. However, most of the food was great so I would go back for JUST the dishes we liked.

We walked by the other day and decided to give it a try :) my boyfriend is Persian and his mother is a decent cook, so we are a little spoiled when it comes to Persian cuisine :) We took the Kubideh and the herb stew. The Kubideh was extraordinary delicious, the herb stew too sour unfortunately. Service was also really really great and fast in bringing the food, beverages and always checked on us if we needed anything. We definitely had a great stay here! 4 stars because it's a little pricy... See pictures for more details on the food :)

I've been meaning to write a review for this place because like the other reviews mention, it's overinflated prices for half decent food. It tastes fine but no wow factor - making it really not worth eating a meal here. Pictures can speak louder than words in regards to their ridiculously stingy portions. We paid for almost $60 for an appetizer and two half portions of skewers.

Classy, calm atmosphere with beautiful Persian songs and delicious kebabs, food is pretty filling, non-greasy, yummy!! if you are in town for kebabs recommended, enjoy :)

My first time here : October 5th 2018 I ordered Chenjeh. It was good. I ordered an extra Koobedeh. It good too. I had glass of Dough. I can't compare with the best I had in my life. However they have different versions of Persian cuisine and for me it was acceptable. It very pricy but they are the only one in this area. If I could change one thing that would be lowering all prices. I haven't had any stews here. Hence, to be continued...

Came here for a date for summerlicious. Given the location and area - we chose this place for the type of food and location. We arrived and the decor is nice. We were served promptly with the waitress offering water. We order off the summerlicious menu where the options was pleasing to the eye. We got our app fairly early where the question was what happened after that ? We had to wait for our main for over a 1/2 hour where I believe they may have mistaken the table after us with our main. The food was tasty as we had the kebobs, and stew for the mains. The flavours were on point. The only reference to the dishes is the dessert was not as appealing as they were described. The kebobs were my favourite as I enjoy a good piece of grilled meat. Overall the experience was satisfying.

Baby is my favourite place for Persian food. Their Kebobs and kashk are the best. I love the pomegranate vodka drinks. Their customer service is always amazing. Me and my partner love their food. They sell these pickles that are worth trying. Great job!

I'm a bit torn writing this review b/c the food does not deserve 2 stars...probably a solid 3.5 stars. This Iranian restaurant is tiny but lovely. Great place for smaller groups. We tried it out during Summerlicious and while busy I wouldn't say the restaurant was beyond crazy busy. I started off with the watermelon salad which in the last few years has become one of my fave things to eat b/c it's so fresh tasting with dome savoury flavours to it (feta cheese, mint, spice mix). My friend had the chilled cucumber soup and she really enjoyed it. The reason for the lower star rating is the service. We waited almost an hour for our main (chicken and rice). I'm pretty sure the server forgot to put the order in and realized it later. There is no way chicken and rice take almost an hour. It was ok but a bit underwhelming. Or maybe b/c we were so hungry that we almost ate our napkins we couldn't care less what it tasted like. Desert was ok - I had the baklava, which is more of a dense sponge like cake made with rosewater. A little heavy for me but ok. It would have been perfect with a nice cup of tea. Overall it took 2hrs from start to finish whereas it should have been only an hr meal. Service was definitely slow, albeit pleasant. I may decide to try this place again but I think there are definitely better Iranian restaurants out there.

Went out for a tea w/ a friend. Tea was ok but a little bit pricey $5.00. Cool and bright inside.

Banu was on my dine list for the longest time and all I can say that my experience has been just good. Nothing more and nothing else. Service was top notch especially when our server recommended the daily special which was Iranian pulao with chicken (highly recommend). It is only served on Saturdays. I also loved the Torsh and Kubbideh. The only downside of the place is that they compromise a lot on portion size. Every time I've dined at Iranian restaurants I always noticed the portion size of most dishes were never compromised, whether the place was expensive or a hole in the wall. However at Banu the food quantity served is comparatively less than what should be served for the price they charge. Again great place for quality and taste of food and the service but not the best when it comes to portion sizes.

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!

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! :)

Went here for Winterlicious with some friends, great experience! We all ordered something different, I loved the beet salad, and chicken kebab! Food was flavourful and portions were decent. Dessert however was a bit lacking (rice pudding was very dry). For Iranian food this place can be a bit overpriced, if you're looking for something more rustic my friend recommends going to Pomegranate.

Banu can be ranked as one of the worst Persian places in the town. The portion size of their dishes was surprisingly much smaller than a usual Iranian dish served in the town. This place was very expensive in spite of their small portion size. The food quality was also bad. I had never seen such low quality rice being served at any Iranian restaurant. We ordered Ghormeh Sabzi and Bareh Torsh. The stew was very salty and contained not enough meet in it. Bareh Torsh portion size was also very small and not delicious. I don't recommend anyone to dine there for food.

It was a terrible experience for me. Don't recommend this place at all! First, the quality of the food is very low( oily, salty and old). Second, quantity! Portions are unbelievably small! I paid 18$ for lamb shank, and what I got was just 2 small pieces with out anything on the side!! Third, it is way over priced! My husband and I paid around 100$ and we were still hungry! Because everything was just a bite!! Don't waste your time, money and appetite by going to this place!

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.

I would give this place a 2.5. The decor was nice. Lots of room at the tables. Waiter was really nice and attentive but the place wasn't busy at all due to the weather. Our first meal which i thought was the Mast o Khiar but it may had been something different. It was great for sharing and quite tasty. The 2nd dish which we also shared was the Laboo (oven roasted beets, sheep's milk cheese, fresh herbs and watercress. I would return for this. The beets are amazing. The 3rd dish Koobideh Loghmeh had a hair in it. :( It was a long hair. The waiter had this dish remade for us and did not charge us for this. The Torsh was ok. All items are easy to share. The hair found is disappointing and comping the meal and replacing the dish is the bare minimal that any restaurant would do. But I think that finding that did set us off as we looked closely at the meal afterwards before eating.

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.

You know what, I'm usually a pretty nice guy when it comes to restaurants and lounges. Honestly, this place was below what I expected. Don't get me wrong, the ambiance was very lovely, but I must admit that the food, service, and shisha were less than desirable. A good place to sit and chat, but they could be so much better if they improved a few minor things. The biggest issue was the shisha. We were very disappointed. We're used to having a large shisha when we have four people. They gave us a tiny one... At beat a 6/10, and that's only because I like the design of the place.

Have you ever paid $60 and left a place hungry?!!! Well I have! Lets with the positive: it tasted...good. However, it was waaaaaaaay overpriced for the small portions. I was gonna ask where the rest was!! Ordered a full chenjeh and 'half' a bareh with no rice! (Which Persian restaurant do you know where you have to order rice separately?!! And for $6!) it came with half a grilled tomato, two leaves of basil and mint. The shallot yoghurt was one tablespoon! I was thinking of ordering yoghurt as an appetizer but it was $12! Seriously?! No thank you. I wouldn't categorize this as a restaurant but a snack bar. Way overpriced which is not even justified. The atmosphere is meh, the washrooms are third world. Even if it is organic there's no reason for it to be this expensive! Btw, this is the first time i'm writing any review for any place. It was that bad that I needed to go out of my way, download this app to write this essay.

I'm a little surprised at the rating this place has. We ate at Banu last night and really enjoyed it. And I grew up eating Persian food and tend to be rather fussy about it! First, yes, the portions aren't overwhelming like they tend to be at Persian restaurants - that's a hospitality thing in Persian culture but it does tend to lead to wasted food. That said, I'm a big guy, and was not hungry at the end of my meal. My partner, who eats meat, got the qeymeh (a stew) and really enjoyed it. I got the spinach yogurt and Adasi (lentil) salad, and both were fantastic. They were served with triangles of toasted barbari bread. We also shared the kashk-e-bademjan ("sour cream and eggplant") and salad olivieh (Persian-style Russian potato salad) and they, too, were absolutely awesome. Between my partner and me, the plates were clean. Our preschooler daughter enjoyed her koobideh loghmeh (basically a ground-meat kabob in lavash bread), and she can be a fussy eater. For dessert we shared Persian ice cream (pistachio, rosewater, saffron) and a flourless chocolate cake with sour cherry preserves. Again, everything was spectacular. We had the pomegranate wine which was more like a sangria (served with ice); it was a great accompaniment to the meal. My only gripes were the lack of any vegetarian stews like ghormeh sabzi (although they did have rivas/rhubarb stew which I'm kicking myself for not ordering) or faloodeh, but frankly the 3-star rating here is so undeserved that I'm not dinging them for that. The service was fantastic, and the pre-Revolutionary Iranian pop music was an awesome added touch!

Absolutely a 5 star food, is it expensive for the portion size? YES, does it worth it?! The answer is ABSOLUTELY, Liked the cocktail menu and tried the saffron infused vodka with cherry, the unique taste that you won't get anywhere else, we had Kashke bademjan as an appetizer...tasted exactly as it supposed to, which you don't necessarily get that in every Persian restaurant, as a main we tried the koobideh and kabab torsh, both amazing with the thin bread that they provide to make small sandwiches. For the ones that you don't know Persian cuisine you can ask your waitress for informations on the taste to.order the right food for your taste... Friendly staff and nice atmosphere. I'm sold and will go back sowto truth rest of the cocktails and other foods

Let me start by saying that we were really looking forward to trying Banu since we just moved to this neighbourhood. We love Persian food and were delighted to find a local restaurant serving this cuisine. We ordered take out from here on a Friday night for 3 people. We all wanted to try the Koobideh full dinner but when we called the waitress said there are too many customers and we can only have one Koobideh in our order. Now I am not sure how it would make any difference to make one or make three. So we ended up ordering a full Koobideh, Torsh and Bareh dinner and medium rice. So the total came to about $90+tax and tip. We made our way to pick up the order when they said it would be ready but had to wait about 15 mins. After we got home we were really surprised to see the portions and were really wondering how the medium rice would be enough for 3-4 people. It's rice, you don't need to be stingy on that. The food tasted pretty good so it was just a shame that we were still unsatisfied at the end of the meal with all three of us looking for something more to eat. I do have to mention that I never manage to finish my meals at any restaurant and always end up getting left overs to go. If it were for the food alone this restaurant would have received 4 stars but the abysmal service and portion sizes left a lot to be desired.

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.

Banu is so great. I love the food and how consistently excellent it tastes. The service may seem gruff at first but after a small introduction the staff is as classy and polite as anywhere I've been. I've been to banu about 25 times and loved each visit. I simply can not understand the occasional poor review this restaurant has received. Definitely a gem in the Toronto restaurant scene.

Food was pretty good. Kabob was very juicy (maybe cause it's not Halal.. not sure though). Cool political theme within the restaurant. However... Pomegranate wine is wine with pomegranate juice. That's thievery. Service is horrible. I swear my waiters were drunk. The worst thing about this place is how expensive it is for no absolute reason. It's part of Persian culture to give meat with rice. They charge you for rice. Rice costs about 2 cents. They charge you like 5 bucks. I get they're trying to be this higher-end Persian place, but don't it's insulting to my intelligence when you charge me for rice with my koobideh. For two people, the bill came up to $120. I left hungry.

Horrible quality, small plates and overpriced. I live on the west coast where you can try different Persian restaurants. Shockingly, this place is worse than the worst that I've ever seen. So disappointing on my first visit to Toronto...

I'm really glad I came to Banu this evening. The food was delicious, elegant and unique. I loved the pomegranate wine (it reminded me of a summer sangria). For appetizers my party of two tried the Kashk e bademjoon (eggplant dish) and Laboo (beet salad). Lovely fresh flavours with delicious aromatic herbs to compliment. For a main I had the Torsh kebab. The marinate was divine. The meat melted in my mouth. The service was superb and friendly, always checking on our table to see if there was anything we would like. Definitely one of the best Iranian restaurants in Toronto and the GTA.

The food is way too overpriced for the portion you get. The rice was salty and my friend found a piece of hair in his koobideh dish.

Absolutely abysmal service! Inflated prices seem to match the inflated egos of the owner/wait staff. They have a very heavy-handed condescension about them which made everyone at our table very uncomfortable. Additionally, charging extra for coal on a shisha is absolutely ridiculous, especially when they only have 2-3 flavours available from their long list of 'advertised' flavours. Food is not bad, but the portions were so small for the price. It is as if they confuse small portions for an avante-garde experience, but forgot that people also want to eat. Would recommend many other restaurants for shisha and Irani food. Avoid.

Service was friendly but became rather inattentive by the time I asked for the bill. There weren't that many people dining when I was there and it still took 10 minutes for the server to notice me and get my bill. Decor was beautiful and made me feel like I was in some trendy, timeless but contemporary restaurant in Iran. The stew that I had was filling and the lamb was tender. Prices were a bit on the higher side but aren't too bad, considering that the food was good. I look forward to coming back again. Hopefully the service would be better by the time I do come back.

I love banu. The kabab's are always the best options.the cocktails are good too. Tonight we booked a table for 7,but although we changed it to 6:30,they were so accommodating and the service was great too. I ordered the vegetarian dish,pomegranate wine, and shole zard, my big ordered beets salad, koobideh(lovely) and ice cream. All great as always. I am Persian and know good quality kabab, and banu never disappoints. Both owners are always friendly and nice and I think the service has improved significantly during the past 3 years. The portion since is also better now, specially since it's served with basmati rice. They brought us Persian tea at the end, on house and it was a great ending to a delightful dining experience.

I would like to update my review by letting fellow Yelpers know the owner of this restaurant (Samira M), instead of fixing the bad quality food and service offered at Banu is diligently responding to Yelper comments in a very disrespectful way here. Goes to show the kind of restauranteur she is. Feel free to read the post she did on mine and fellow Yelpers. Once again proving my point - Buyer be aware!

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.

I really want to give this place 5 stars. The food is fantastic - like, really good - the location is great, the ambiance is nice, and the servers (at least the female server I had) are pleasant and efficient. But I came during Winterlicious and they added a compulsory %15 tip (AFTER tax) to my bill. Excuse me? Since when does a restaurant dictate to me what I tip? Let alone forcing me to tip OVER the standard, which is 15% on the PRE-TAX amount. I asked the male server about it and he said it's something they do during Winterlicious because "We have problems." This does not satisfy me as an excuse for what is basically a dictatorial, money-grubbing practice. If I want to tip, I'll tip. If not, you have no right to force me. When I asked why they had calculated the tip on the post, not pre-tax amount, he looked uncomfortable and couldn't provide any answer. Sadly, this left such a terrible taste in my mouth after what was otherwise a pleasant experience that I probably won't go back. Too bad. UPDATE in response to Samira M's comments below-- 1) Yes, it's true that the compulsory gratuity was noted on the menu. Doesn't make it right though! 2) I will most likely be back because, as I noted, the food and service were very good. Especially the food. Yum. 3) Please note, Samira, that there is no such thing as a "minimum gratuity" when dining unless the restaurant chooses to impose one. Tipping is, and always has been, OPTIONAL. There is no law that says a customer has to tip. 4) Similarly, the suggestion that 15% "was the standard 25 years ago" simply makes no sense. Yes, it was the standard 25 years ago, and it still is today. Are you suggesting that the rate of tipping should increase with the rate of inflation, increasing by 2% every year? By that logic, the average tip in 2012 should be 55% of the bill. In another 25 years, the "standard tip" would be 100% of the bill. Huh? The standard tip is the standard tip and this does not change, which everyone except Toronto's restaurant owners seems to understand.

Absolutely terrible service. By far one of the worst restaurants I have been to. The food took 1.5 hr to hit the table and I don't even want to comment on the servers. argh! Did I mention that they completely messed up the order. This restaurant is a perfect example of awful service and poor food. Save your money. To top it all they added a 17 pct service fee for such a shit show. Oh by the way, my sincerest advice to the manager would be to enroll herself in math 101 to learn how to split a bill. The server thought he was too cool to work in restaurant; constantly playing the blame game with the chef for screwing up the order. Definitely a no go. I would not recommend it to my worst enemy. If for some reason you still decide to venture out that way, refrain from ordering koofteh, murgh, kobedeh wrap, and some cashew porridge. Enough said!

All in all a great meal, would come back again to try more of the menu! I'd been wanting to check this place out for a while, and winterlicious was the perfect opportunity. Started with the roasted eggplant/tomato dish which was delicious, and the grilled romaine which had a nice vinaigrette to top it. The saffron chicken dish was wonderfully flavourful and the rice with cranberries balanced in out nicely. The vegan stew was underwhelming and lacking flavour. Dessert was the baklava - a yummy & dense almond cake, along with the saffron/rose water rolled cake - on the lighter side.