Bob Boynton Sep 05,2009

Those olives -- starters -- were just great. Most
distinctive part of the meal for us. But it was all
great.

Shahrzad May 01,2009

We had my birthday party at Banu and I can honestly say it was the best birthday I have ever had. We were a group of 22, and reserved the upstairs area. The way they had designed the space was so cute. It was cozy, but not stuffy. It was Iranian in design, it wasn't trying to be, it just was/is. Do you know what I mean? Sometimes you walk into an Iranian place, and they bombard you with all this stuff and end up making the place look goddy or tacky. I'm going on about the decor because I loved it! The food was amazing, and the staff made my birthday really special. I can't wait to go and experience the best kabob's, in an atmosphere that I like to actually hang out it. Great job Banu...can't wait to see you again.

j Apr 27,2009

My wife and I live in the neighbourhood and frequent the restaurants on this stretch of Queen very often - Noce, Terronis, Oysterboy and Swan are in our top favs. On a whim last Friday, we went into Banu. Right from the get go we had a great time. The service was friendly, the atmosphere is excellent, the contemporary iranian pop music playing on the stereo was fabulous. The place is filled with a mix of stylish iranian families and queen street foodsters. We shared a couple of salads and then moved on to the Kebabs. Cumbrea's organic meat, tasty spices, hot charcoal - it doesn't get much better than this. Everything was very well prepared and gorgeously presented. While not inexpensive, I would give this place a 9 out of 10 based on the food and the lively fun ambiance. We will definitely be going back.

CanadianAbroad Apr 04,2009

I was out for my last day of holidays in Canada and decided on Banu as I expected a unique take on Iranian culture and food there. Boy was I in for a surprise. From the moment I entered the restaurant I was bombarded with what can only be described as orders on where to sit, how to pay etc..
It took forever to get our food and after what can only be described as a mediocre meal and extremely poor service we received our bills. At this stage we noticed several hidden costs for items including bread or pistachios. I mention this not b/c I'm averse to paying 3$ for a handful of nuts but b/c we were not made aware that they were served at a cost.
The final straw was the error in billing: I requested a 50-50 split but was billed 100-50 on two cards. When I went to the hostess to alert her to the mistake I also implied that the least the establishment could do was to offer complimentary tea. I don't even like tea-the point is I was expecting something to remedy the disappointment we experienced up to that point.
Instead, I heard was a loud and sarcastic laugh from the lady at the grill. As we were leaving I asked her whether she was the manager to which she replied 'I am the owner'. When I asked how I could provide feedback on Banu she basically barked at me to tell her directly. Now how I provide feedback is up to me isn't it?
This woman created a hostile atmosphere in her approach towards a customer not satisfied by the service. When confronted she yelled at me with a KNIFE (!) in her hand, calling me 'tacky' and telling me to 'get out' and tell everyone I know never to come there! (B/c that's the classy thing to do!?!)
This behavior is unacceptable and does not belong in North American culture!
I strongly suggest that 'the owner' of Banu is kept away from customers until she is educated on the art of customer care.
PS: Apparently the two owners have become famous for their discriminatory behavior against Iranians (where they’re from). Unbelievable!

Nazanin Mar 17,2009

I loved it, everything about Banu I loved, and love. It was so fab to be in such an place. It's very cool, without trying to be, it just is.

farhad Aug 16,2008

We were a group of 4. Started with kashke bademjan, salad laboo, and the zaban. With our food we also ordered 4 shots of vodka, and 4 sides of pomegranate juice. It was all great ! Then we ordered chenjeh, torsh, and murg to share. Oh my god...the kabob's were delicious, I mean delicious. We then ordered 2 pomegranate martini's, and two sekanjebeen with cucumber martini's. I could not believe how good the sekanjebeen martini was. It was so refreshing. This boite is Iran in Tehranto. We were suprised, we did not expect anything like we experienced. I highly recommend Banu to everyone, whether they be Iranian or not. This place is extremely special. Make sure you try the Safka.

Cath Jul 15,2006

They have great appetizers - eggplant, yogurt based dips presented beautifully with pita that's cut into long strips then folded and wrapped together by another piece of pita. Very pretty.

The entrees consist of lamb kebobs, beef tenderloin, prawns... all organic meat from the neighbourhood butcher.

As well they also serve some unusual items like tongue, hearts, and lamb testicles.

I tried the testicles with a male friend and he definitely had a harder time swallowing them. They are sliced into manageable morsels. And they taste kind of like scallops with a hint of bacon.

Banu Iranian Kebob and Vodka Bar is a very hip looking bar. It's all white with teal accents but it's the kind of place you can linger, chatting with the friendly owners and playing backgammon.

The appetizers are around the $10 mark, the entrees, $20 to $25 and there are 15 different kinds of vodka from $7 to $11.

Mona Jun 08,2006

wow i have been to a lot of iranian kabob places in montreal and toronto i now reside in detroit but i was at banu over the weekend and i must say congratulations for finally opening a place where they serve quality meats and quality herbs. If anyone has ever eaten kabob anywhere else you will notice u dont get parsley and cut up onion as your herbs to consume with your kabob great job for the mint, basil, and tarragon i have told everyone about u guys. Amazing job keep it up. Love the cute little drinks at the bar very homey like feeling, wish i had someone to curl up too on one of those banquettes

Sean May 31,2006

The atmosphere of Banu is...delightful. I have eaten at many restaurants and nothing can compare to Banu. Ususally, when you order from the menu at a Persian restaurant, they provide rice with their meat (or at the ones I have eaten at), however for Banu having the lawash flatbread with my lamb was absolutley delicious.

The drinks that they serve are fabulous, the serving staff is absolutley amazing and friendly, which most restaurants (ahem terroni's) tend to forget in the service industry. Overall, I have decided to give Banu 4 stars overall.

*Please note: I have eaten at some of the restaurants that have been listed on this website and only felt that Banu was worth a review.