Vegetarian cuisine restaurant, re-opened Aug 2013 after move. Small space, one might share a table with others. Creative bar menu. Live music some nights. Open Mon-Sun 11:30am-10:00pm.
Category: Vegan-friendly, Lacto, Ovo, American, Organic, Western, Juice bar, Beer/Wine, Take-out, Catering
Reviews (67)
First Review by Loudan1979
Contributions +16
Vegan Heaven - Edit
My husband and I were quite surprised to find a fully vegetarian restaurant with TONS of vegan options. Really cool atmosphere and great staff. The staff was very knowledgeable and catered to the vegan options; they really get you excited about the menu as they seem to have a lot of passion for the food. My husband and I had the Mac and Squeeze with potato Gnocchi, the King Kong noodles with tofu, Poutine, and 3 hangover smoothies (best smoothie I've ever had.) The food was amazing and we will definitely go back! Highly recommend.
Contributions +53
Meh indeed - Edit
Since this place has good reviews overall I was hoping the review just before this one was a one-time experience. Unfortunately, "meh" is exactly what this place was for us.
I really wanted to like it because I want to support full veggie restaurants, especially in towns like this. However... Both the food and drinks are very overpriced for what you get. I ordered a $7.50 ginger soda and got some watered down stuff that perhaps remotely tasted like ginger. As for the "porto fajitas", it was pretty hard work to find roughly 1.5 regular mushroom in it - no portobello to be found anywhere. The vegan "cheeze sauce" tasted more like curry. The staff seem to be very pro-active though, as they will ask you what you think of the food before you have even had a chance to take a bite and also take away your plate before you are fully finished if you are not careful.
The only reason for me to go back would be to support the fact that they are a vegetarian restaurant.
Pros: Full veggie
Cons: Overpriced, Food not very tasty
Contributions +1010
Meh - Edit
Just had dinner here last night. We ordered the kale salad, the brussels sprouts, and the curry hot pot. The first two were passable; the curry was really subpar. It tasted watered down and very weak. The so called "naan" was three tiny pieces of white bread. All food seems to lack vegan protein by design, so you feel like you have to fork over another $6 to add tofu to your order, which in our case was three small slices of soft tofu that were unseasoned and pretty much tasteless. What a rip-off!
You're being price-gouged by eating here because they know they're the only game in town. The food was average at best and overpriced for the quality, even for Banff. Charging $24 for that wishy-washy yellow sauce they call curry with some filler veggies and tofu thrown in is egregious.
This place is somewhere between 2 and 3, I rated down because I can't really think of one thing that I'd come back for.
Cons: mediocre food, pricey
Contributions +21
An amazing restaurant! - Edit
Nourish Bistro is in fact an amazing restaurant. Food is delicious although it is a little bit pricy, but well you're in Banff, AB so it's something you would expect.
The times I've been there, the customer service has been great as well. And most of all the place is so cozy and well decorated that it just makes you feel amazing eating that great food.
Pros: Excellent taste, Great menu, Great customer service
Cons: Expensive
Contributions +38
great place - Edit
Great food with so much choice, great service? Cool music and atmosphere.
The only place I will be eating during my time in Banff
(Also as there is a lack of Vegan options elsewhere)
Pros: fab food and interesting menu. cruelty free eating
Cons: sharing dishes in the evenings won't suit, all parties and nationalities
Contributions +36
THE place to go in Banff (or anywhere in Alberta really) - Edit
Been there couple of times now and the food was incredible and prepared with love and care every time! Amazing spirit in this restaurant and I love the concept of big dishes to share with friends :)
Pros: Plenty of choices for vegans , cool atmosphere, big dishes to share
Contributions +27
fricken awesome! - Edit
Broccoli coconut soup is delicious as well as the nourishment bowl. Mmmm
Contributions +35
veg Gem! - Edit
Noorish is a vegan's dream in Banff. The entire menu is vegetarian & almost everything is available as a vegan dish. The vegan Mac & cheez is done with gnocchi when you get it vegan. So good!!!!!
Contributions +47
Quirky veg restaurant bar - Edit
I came here with another backpacker (meat eater) to try out the vegan menu options and we both shared the lentil shepherd's pie along with some nachos. All was delicious & so filling and surprised even my meat eating travelling friend! Would definitely visit again for dinner if I go back to Banff. The only drawback is the staff could be more friendly and welcoming
Updated from previous review on 2017-02-06
Pros: plenty of vegan options , Live band
Cons: Host not that welcoming
Contributions +46
Delicious Vegan/Vegetarian/Gluten-Free Food, Cozy and Laid-Back Atmosphere and Friendly Service! - Edit
I ate lunch at Nourish Bistro in August 2016. This was the first restaurant that I stopped at upon arriving in Banff after a long road trip from Manitoba and it was an amazing choice! Nourish was a charming and casual local restaurant that specializes in gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan foods, serving a variety of fresh, healthy and nutritious meals.
I ordered one of their salads, which was large and filled with lots of yummy ingredients and it tasted so fresh, flavourful and delicious. It was also beautifully presented. Their mild but fruity flavoured kombucha tea was also very refreshing and tasty. There was both indoor and outdoor seating and I sat on the sidewalk patio in front of the building, which was a great place to watch the bustling street activity and admire the beautiful surroundings with tall mountains as the backdrop. There were umbrellas over the tables to protect from the sun and it was a beautiful warm and sunny day when I visited.
My server was super friendly, warm, cheerful, personable and knowledgeable about the menu. The restaurant had a funky and laid-back vibe and great welcoming atmosphere with relaxing music playing softly in the background and unique decor. It was a very comfortable and cozy place to enjoy a delicious lunch.
This restaurant is the perfect place to eat for vegetarians, vegans and gluten-free eaters and anyone else who loves good, real food. I was very pleased with the quality of food and excellent level of service at Nourish and I will definitely eat here again when I return to Banff! Highly recommended.
Pros: Charming, Delicious Salads, Warm and Friendly Service
Cons: Expensive
Contributions +28
Finally. Made it to Nourish. - Edit
An intimate restaurant. Warm and friendly. Great staff. Welcoming, interested and knowledgeable. Spoiled for choice by the extensive menu. Everything had vegan options. Amazing.
Pros: Charming, Reasonable
Cons: None
Contributions +14
Seemed promising but was underwhelming - Edit
I ordered the nachos, which are labeled as vegan on the menu. I asked the server if they were automatically vegan or if I had to specify, and she told me they were vegan. When they came out, the cheese looked suspiciously legit, and it turned out the server had not requested vegan cheese. I would think that an item labeled as vegan on a menu would be vegan by default, or that the server would at least ask, especially at a vegetarian restaurant. The non-vegan appetizer made me reluctant to eat the mac and "cheese," which was very stretchy. Unfortunate, because it seemed like a cute place with interesting food options.
Pros: Nice atmosphere
Cons: Vegan items not always vegan, A bit pricey
Contributions +13
Scrumptious food - Edit
What a wonderful little restaurant! We are only in Banff for one day, but lunch was so delicious that we simply had to go back for dinner, even though it meant waiting for a table. Everything we had was fantastically tasty and beautifully presented. We can recommend the burritos, the burger, the poutrine and ESPECIALLY the nachos.
For dessert the vegan cheesecake is gorgeous, and I could forgive the blood orange sorbet for being a little too sweet for my taste because of its beautiful presentation and array of little extras like dried strawberry slices!
We are visiting Canmore and Banff this Christmas as a family, and as two of my daughters are vegan we will most definitely frequent this restaurant, as, unusually, all of the dishes can be made vegan.
Pros: Exceptional food and friendly service
Cons: May have to wait for a table, and you will eat too
Contributions +26
Different - Edit
We visited while staying in Banff having done our research before hand on Happy Cow.
For us, a group of four vegetarians with differing tastes , the concept that each dish was a sharing dish was novel and ultimately disappointing.
We each chose a dish that we liked the sound of and it was explained that each dish would be served separately for each of the party to share. We chose two smaller dishes and one main (King Kong noodles). While the two smaller dishes were tasty the noodle dish lacked vegetables and nuts and certainly did not look like the picture on the website.
Perhaps this was just not too our taste but we left feeling very disappointed and still hungry
Pros: nice to find restaurant catering for vegetarians a, location
Cons: Could opt for sharing dishes in the evening, small 1/2 size portions (only just enough for one), main course nothing like image and lacking in veg
Contributions +36
amazing beautiful food - Edit
best vegan food possibly ever. we were there at lunchtime and first thing the waitress said to us was that anything on the menu could be made vegan- and not just by removing items. absolutely stunning food, highly recommend. would go to banff again just to eat here again. seriously.
Pros: everything can be done vegan.
Cons: nothing.
Contributions +14
Sooooooo good! - Edit
We had a great time. I'm vegan and my boyfriend is gluten free, and yet we had a wonderful time. Very casual atmosphere, great service, and the best mac'n'cheese we've ever had. Highly recommended.
Pros: Modifications for vegan and gluten free easily. , Delicious food, Good service
Contributions +14
love this place - Edit
yummiest food on the planet
Contributions +305
Fun place and good food. - Edit
I had 2 appetizers, 1 entree and a smoothie. All were very good, but the order-taker and/or the cook didn't follow my order very well. I got it their way instead of my way.
Contributions +9
A new favourite for us. - Edit
Love, love, LOVED this restaurant. We all really savoured the 2 dishes we ordered; the Curry Corn Chowder soup (AHmazing!) and the King Kong Noodles? (a curry dish)Numnumnumnum!!. Even my 15 year old son, really loved these dishes and he's not a fully committed veggie. We enjoyed the atmosphere, the server and the food was DE-licious. Wish I could have the recipes!! What a find!
Pros: Great Food, Atmosphere, Option of eating outside
Contributions +501
I wanted to love this place - Edit
I have heard such good things about this place. One of my friends raves about their nachos. I finally had the chance to go while visiting a friend who was in Banff from Australia. I dragged him there and we wound up shoved in an awkward side corner table. There were plenty of other free tables but they gave us the weird one. next our server wasn't the best. Wasn't sure what was for sure vegan and had to go and check if the things we were interested in ordering had honey or dairy in them. Strike 2. We both wound up ordering the same thing, the TJ burger. When it arrived we realized it didn't come with anything on the side. Literally nothing. With a price tag of $15 we expected something. Even some little greens or a sliver of carrot. The burger also was super small and was not very tasty. The only thing I appreciated about it was that the presentation was pretty with a gooseberry on top. I should mention that I don't like gooseberries so my friend ate mine.
I tried to see the positive in this place but I just couldn't. I won't be back.
Pros: Could be cute, Nice atmosphere
Cons: Small portions, Insane prices, Bad service
Contributions +23
Funky atmosphere, great food! - Edit
Enjoyed a lovely Thai inspired curried sweet potato and veg coconut soup with fresh focaccia, Thai peanut sauce with naan and the chef's curry with coconut rice. Nourish Bistro has "sharing suppers". Food is delicious and portions are huge!
Pros: Funky atmosphere, Quality ingredients, Friendly service
Contributions +24
honey isn't vegan - Edit
Vegans beware. This place thinks honey is vegan. It's in many menu items, even if you order vegan and tell them you're vegan they will serve it to you and be annoyed if you send it back.
Otherwise the food is good, if a bit overpriced.
Contributions +24
mixed - Edit
I have gone here a few times. The food was good but the last time i went they fed me dairy (I'm vegan). The waiter noticed something on the table had some cream sauce on it and offered me a drink (I declined). I wasn't very impressed and the waiter really didn't seem to care. I really don't have respect for a vegetarian restaurant who can't figure out how to feed a vegan. I won't go back.
Pros: creative food
Cons: rude staff
Contributions +143
Good veg option in Banff - Edit
Being the only veg restaurant in Banff, my wife & I went here 3 times during our recent stay in Banff. The food was really interesting, with a lot of fruits used in various dishes (particularly strawberries). About half the menu is vegan, but pretty much everything can be made vegan. The flavours were very rich/strong with a lot of cheese being used. Most were tasty while the vegan mac & squeeze was the only dish that was really disappointing. Lunch is a better option than dinner, with the music at dinner being uncomfortably loud. Overall decent food in a fairly un-vegan friendly town, and worth a visit.
Updated from previous review on Saturday October 18, 2014
Pros: Good vegan options, Interesting food, lots of fruit used, Big portions
Cons: Not vegan, A bit pricey, Loud music at dinner
Contributions +20
Unique and Delicious - Edit
We were turned on to this restaurant by a waitress in Revelstoke when chatting about our destination the next night (Banff).
Menu features many vegan entrees. We had their 'famous' nachos with over 20 ingredients (sounded crazy, but surprisingly quite amazing and delicious); slaw salad (again with a multitude of ingredients and very tasty); vegetable lasagna (no pasta, just yummy layers of vegetables).
We have only good things to say about the service and friendly attitude of the hostess and waitress - which was first-class. They each checked on us frequently and were helpful in studying the menu. Also, when we arrived (around 6) we were one of only a handful of customers, and the Chef delivered each of our dishes personally along with an explanation about them, which was quite impressive. By the time we left, the place was packed and the waitresses were doing the delivery.
The seating area is small and unless you snag a corner table, you'll be rubbing elbows with strangers on a full night.
Pros: Friendly staff, Unique menu items, Great tasting food
Cons: No online menu, No reservations in summer, No credit cards
Contributions +44
Could of been so much better - Edit
No mock meat options, not even tofu. Limited menu. Did not give off the type of atmosphere you would be welcome to just linger in, even though it wasn't that busy. Waiter was pretty steadfast on the fact I would only want a half portion size, without any consideration I might want to take food home for later. Washroom is shared with other restaurant in back hall with lock, but was singular and clean. Vegan nachos were good, but dryer then I liked and not great. I've only tried the one thing of their menu, but I feel like you would get just as good options for vegetarians/vegans at a thai or idea restaurant. Price was on the higher side. I don't think I'd bother frequenting the place.
Pros: things labeled if gf or vegan
Cons: atmosphere , price and options , lack of selling/ commited staff
Contributions +47
Delicioso - Edit
Breakfast burrito was amazing! Slightly limited in gluten free options. Wish we had this place closer to home (Calgary) so I could try more of their dishes. Will definitely be going back.
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