| Banff |
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Nourish Vegetarian Bistro and Tea House 
 based on 12 member reviews
215 Banff Ave, Banff Alberta
403-760-3933
Type: Vegan, Organic, Western, International, Beer/Wine, Catering, Take-out
Info: Serving paninis, quinoa and tofu dishes, veggie burgers, burritos, soups, salads, pastas, stir fry, blended tea, fresh juice, smoothies, shakes as well as some raw, wheat-free and gluten-free food. Prices moderate to expensive. Open lunch and dinner, call for seasonally changing hours, closed November. Accepts credit cards. Price: Moderate.
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| "Varied menu, many vegan options"
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My Rating |
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2 |
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Posted on: Tuesday, October 13, 2009 |
Review: It sounds like more than one person does the waiting/cooking at this location. Our waiter, who seemed to be at least part-owner/manager, was conscientious and helpful. I'm a vegan, treating a non-vegan friend while we were both at a conference at the Banff Center. Everything was prompt and tasty. Not very spicy, but not bland. We shared the salad (with nuts & fruit and a tofu dressing), shepherd's pie (quinia with veggies) and nutty noodles (angel hair or similar with a light and slightly spicy sauce, a few veggies and nuts). Everything was super, and there was plenty. This is on the 2nd floor of a small downtown mall. It has a nice ambiance. The waiter was fully able to confirm which items were vegan. We did not ask to customize any dishes.
Pros: Vegan options * Fresh tasting * Variety
Cons: In a mall * Parking not so easy * Not spicy enough |
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| "Amazing food, but not in support of veganism."
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My Rating |
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19 |
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Posted on: Friday, September 25, 2009 |
Review: I am torn on this restaurant. My husband and I ate there on two occasions. On one hand the food is phenomenal. Over the course of our two meals there we had the burrito, sweet potato fries, shepherd's pie, and something else that I can't remember right now. The burrito was phenomenal. Very unique and up there with one of the best tasting things I have eaten. The sweet potato fries were outstanding. I did not love the shepherd's pie but it was very good, just not my taste. The ambiance is great, it is cozy, and romantic in the restaurant. The one thing that bothered us was our conversation with the waiter. We ordered our food, and inquired if the items we ordered were vegan. The waiter told us they were. We were talking to him about how we had heard about the place. He shared that Nourish was rated number one on trip advisor and that is how many people hear of the place. We shared that we learned about Nourish on happy cow. He said that they prefer the trip advisor website rather than happy cow because happy cow brings the hard core vegans. We were surprised by this comment, perhaps it does not reflect the views of the restaurant owner but nonetheless it put a bad taste in our mouth.
Pros: Cozy ambiance * creative & delicious food *
Cons: prefers non vegan diners? * * |
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| "Great cosy little restaurant"
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My Rating |
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2 |
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Posted on: Tuesday, July 07, 2009 |
Review: I went here with my boyfriend the other night, and we were both very pleased with the place. We are both vegan and the menu was clearly labelled with what was vegan, there was a lot of choice. It all sounded delicious. We had some yam fries as a side, and shared the nutty noodles. They were yum, and the portion was massive, so not being too hungry, there was plenty for us to share and even take a little home as well! We also had a kundalini (sp?) juice which was really tasty, great combo of fruits and veggies. For dessert we had the special, vegan chocolate mousse. It was quite nice, more like pudding than mousse though. I think it is nearly impossible to make a true vegan mousse. All in all we were very pleased with the food, and the service was excellent. The server was very friendly and welcoming. For Banff, the price wasn't too bad and we would happily go there again =)
Pros: vegan choices * service * tasty
Cons: can get booked up * a little expensive * |
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| "Great place!"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Monday, March 09, 2009 |
Review: As two vegans who snowboard, my wife and I went to this restaurant in January 2009 after finding out about it on HappyCow. Many thanks to those who wrote positive reviews, as they were correct. The food was good, and the owners were very friendly. Heather and Mark both knew what was vegan and what was not vegan. They were very helpful. The prices were a bit steep, but considering there is no place in "beef country" like it, we did not mind paying a bit more. Heather snowboards and skis and she was very helpful in that regard as well. Norquay was good when there was fresh snow. Lake Louise and Sunshine Village were great as they had some challenging runs and decent snow. Anyone who does not like the place? Where else would you suggest vegans and vegetarians go in Banff? We tried an Indian restaurant and a Thai restaurant, but the smell of animal flesh near us was gross. We also overheard some "farmers" or "feed specialists" when we ate at the Thai restaurant. It was disgusting as they were talking about how to fatten pigs with special feed. When at Nourish we did not hear anything like that or smell anything like that. It was peaceful and we went there five times during a two-week 'boarding trip.
Pros: staff members * food * atmosphere
Cons: prices a bit * * |
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| "Not For Vegans"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 |
Review: Just before winter, I went here with a a bunch of friends. It was honestly the most poorly accommodating restaurant I have ever eaten at as a vegan. The lady who was working there as the cook and server refused to serve us Nachos without the cheese, it was the strangest experience! The food was okay, considering the cost, it was not worth it!
I am usually over the moon when I find new Vegetarian/Vegan restaurants, but I was completely disappointed this time around.
Pros: Healthy Food * Quiet *
Cons: Taste of Food * Value * Service |
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• The whole menu was vegan? And they only sell nacho's March through August?? nice slander to the only vegan organic place we have.. response by Lucienda
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| "Pleasent experience + GREAT food!"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Thursday, August 07, 2008 |
Review: While visiting Banff, my wife & I wandered into this small but inviting eatery. We we greated by Heather who was very friendly and answered any questions we had regarding the menu. My wife had the Sheppard's Pie and I had the stuffed pepper. Both were very good & inspired us to try at home! Two nights later we decided to eat here again. This time we shared the nutty noodles & burrito. Debroah was hostess/cook this time. She also was friendly and the meal....another winner. We recommend this small gem to all who want great tasting, healthy vegatarian food. Chow!
Pros: great food * healthy * variety
Cons: seating limited * * |
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| "tasty food but rather pricy"
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My Rating |
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2 |
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Posted on: Friday, May 09, 2008 |
Review: We ate at Nourish twice on a recent visit to Banff. As vegans we prefer to eat in completely vegetarian establishments. The food was ok, in fact quite tasty, my kids liked it but little seemed to be freshly prepared. The exact same dessert ( fruit crumble) was served on both occasions and when asked it had been heated from frozen. Likewise the burgers and some other dishes were bought in. When another customer asked about 'veganising' a meal the server did not have much of a clue and said there was nothing she could do about ingredients already in a dish. Afterwards we heard the server muttering about 'well its not like being gluten free which could kill you - vegans are just making a choice so it does not really matter' So we were disappointed with the whole ethos of the place and certainly it did not match the standard of food and service when it was the Sunfood Cafe. So to the owners - please prepare fresh food and treat veganism seriously. We dont mind paying the high prices charged but expect something better for it.We appreciate the challenges of running a vegetarian restaurant and pleased that you exist.
Pros: Completely veg * quiet location *
Cons: not vegan friendly * most things not freshly prepared * rather expensive |
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| "Yum!"
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My Rating |
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2 |
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Posted on: Tuesday, September 18, 2007 |
Review: Went alone to grab a bite to eat was not in a rush. When I walked in I was asked to come back in 15 Minutes as there was only one person working and all tables full. When I returned I was offered a table and a bottle of water served in a wine bottle *nice touch* I was offered some ideas on easy snacks but passed as I wasn't in a hurry and was willing to wait. I sat near the entrance and as each dish passed by I was able to catch sneak peak. I went with the Mountain Burger with a nongluten bread replacing the bun. after a flip through the local paper my food arrived and it was amazing. The sauce was a homemade and amazing. They do take reservations so if you can call ahead so you know you won't miss out. Very Friendly and worth the $20.
Pros: Fresh * Quiet * Friendly
Cons: understaffed * * |
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| "GOOD FOODS"
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My Rating |
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20 |
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Posted on: Sunday, September 02, 2007 |
Review: The staff and the owner were very hospitable people, :)! We added spices, from the table dispenser- maybe they do not add spices, so that we could suit each dish to our own taste? We ordered this "cous cous / quinoa, tofu thai style". They let us have it half cous2 and half quinoa. Our next order was this "3 toppers(we chose pear,vegan turkey, and prolly red pepper) 1 sauce (we chose guacamole), and one type of cheese" (we chose the vegan one) sandwich kind of meal. For that order, we got free soups. So, we were full, :)! All in all 33 CND (excluding the gratitude). Free plain water.
Pros: hospitable * good foods *
Cons: not 100% vegan * lots of non-vegan items to choose from * |
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| "Fantastic!! – 10 thumbs up!!"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Friday, August 17, 2007 |
Review: This was one of the most unique veggie places I've been too!! I read the below review and thought we would try it anyway. GLAD we did!! We found the opposite, the menu was very user friendly perhaps "Matthew" has difficulty reading, but every item on the menu was marked with (v) for vegan (w) for wheat or gluten free (s) for soy free ... etcetera. They were very short staffed as everywhere in Banff seemed to be, but they stayed open and tried very hard to make our experience pleasant. In my family of 6, 3 of my children are very picky, never like anything – ever. They loved this place so much they couldn't get enough, ate every morsel on their plate, which they don't even do that at home!
We have been Vegan our entire lives. We had so many things on the menu, the nachos were my favourite, they had pears & blueberries and a bunch of amazing toppings, nothing like I've tasted!! There is no hummus appetizer like the below poster comments? There was pita bites which were baked with roasted garlic and came with hummus, guacamole and salsa. The Life Burger & Falafel were amazing they came with a choice of sides, salads topped with a tasteful array of fruit and veggies, wild soups, baked sweet potato fries – yum!!
Thanks to all the staff at Nourish without them who knows what we would have done or eaten. Fantastic!! – 10 thumbs up!!
Pros: Staff tried hard * very tasty, unique * organic hand selected food
Cons: * * |
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| "Big Disappointment"
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My Rating |
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2 |
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Posted on: Sunday, August 05, 2007 |
Review: Just ate here on vacation and it was quite bad. The prices were very high for rather bland food ($17 for a veggie burger, $11 for a hummus appetizer, $15 for a falafel wrap). Our server was surprisingly uninformed about what on the menu was vegan or could be made vegan or even what veganism was. After we told her we were vegan, she said, "So you don't do gluten?" After taking our order, she returned to ask us whether we wanted yogurt with our falafel wrap, despite the fact we had mentioned 3 or 4 times that we're vegan. We left hungry. Not recommended for vegans or those on a budget.
Pros: * *
Cons: expensive * inept servers * boring food |
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| "An oasis!"
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My Rating |
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Posted on: Saturday, July 14, 2007 |
Review: I'm at the Banff Centre, and the vegetarian options there leave a lot to be desired. I found Nourish after coming to happycow, and went there one evening. It's a bit tucked away on the second floor of a mall. I was very pleased with the choices, the atmosphere and the service, however. The food was great, and a refreshing change after trying so hard to find good vegetarian food in Canada's "beef country".
Pros: service * food * selection
Cons: * * |
2 of 2 visitors found the above review beneficial
 Respond | Was this review useful?  
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| "To the below review"
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My Rating |
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1 |
GUEST |
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Posted on: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 |
Review: Whoever you are you are very rude!!! Perhaps it is you that has the "odd taste"! And stating that "...besides, vegetarians like bad food" what is that about?? Why did you even eat there then??
I have traveled the world and have been vegetarian/vegan my whole life and have recently been to Banff and eaten at this restaurant, not once but 8 times during my visit. Each and every time it was busy and wonderful, in fact on the weekend you couldn't get in without a reservation. I was treated very wonderfully and the food was in my top three best vegetarian restaurants. I tried almost everything on the menu; my favourites were the Life Burger w/ Sweet Potato Fries, the Mega Raw, the Samosa and the Spanakopita!!!!
Since the above rude "Guest" likes to hurt people and places he knows nothing about... for one ... it is important to know that November thru February it is very slow in the whole town, go into any restaurant and there is no one there.
This place is ran by a young girl living her dream, who saved and planed for many years to open this place, she works very hard and is a very beautiful, positive young lady who will bend over backwards to make sure her customers are happy. Perhaps if you would have opened your mouth while there she would have made it work for you... hiding behind a computer being an ignorant, inexperienced "GUEST" is ridiculous and damaging to this wonderful young lady and her efforts. And making churlish comments towards vegetarians and the food we eat on a vegetarian based website is absurd!!
Pros: Great Service * Cozy and Friendly * my top 3 places veggie
Cons: * * |
2 of 2 visitors found the above review beneficial
Responses(1) | Was this review useful?
• Great review - please write many more - these great businesses need encouragement & support John. response by JohnnySensible
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| "Excellent Food!"
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My Rating |
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2 |
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Posted on: Monday, November 20, 2006 |
Review: Visited here a few months ago for both lunch and dinner. The food was really really good, with a good range of veggie and vegan options. The food is also different and varied from a standard vegetarain restaurant. The owner is a vegan and was keen to extend her business further. If this place is still open you must give it a go and try the sweet potato fries, they are absolutly lovely!!!
Pros: Location * Great Food * Varied Selection
Cons: None * * |
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