Lacto
Ovo
International
Beer/Wine
Gluten-free
Scottish
Modern, stylish restaurant serving meals with influence from around the world. Vegan options may include Moroccan black-eyed bean stew, smoked tofu noodles, and haggis, neeps & tatties mille feuille. Vegan cocktails available. Open Mon-Sun 12:00-21:30.
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56-58 St. Mary Street (at Royal Mile & Cowgate), Edinburgh, Scotland, EH1 1SX
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Last update on 26 Jan 2024 by geometric-noise
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216 Reviews
First Review by Stevie
bendufeu
Points +235
Best Meal at any restaurant in my life. - Edit
I think I can say this was the best meal I had eaten at any restaurant. The restaurant was also very nice. Every part of the meal tasted outstanding. Particularly the Main course which had lentils, mashed potatoes aubergine and tofu.
Read morePros: Food, Taste, Portions
Cons: ., ., .
Guest
alreader
Points +41
Wow!!! - Edit
My mother and I visited this restaurant tonight and it was amazing! I am uploading photos to show the food. We each had a glass of Organic Vegan wine, then we shared the Thai fritter of spiced broccoli and smoked tofu for the starter- fantastic flavors fit together so well. For our main courses I had the Udon Organic Udon noodles with ginger red pepper sauce and home smoked tofu- this was so amazing I stuffed myself even though I was full after the first half. The chef is genius. My mother loved her Chilli crepe with griddled potato and chocolate sauce- although she said she didn't know what to put the chocolate on. On the menu the food choices were clearly marked V for vegan and (V) if the item could be made vegan. The wait staff were friendly and helpful. I felt the price was very reasonable for the quality of the food and the environment. The price was no more than what we had paid the night before for Thai food. I did not find the cost excessive. I hope anyone with a 4 Star taste and a 3 Star budget will support David Bann in his restaurant. Congrats to the chefs! Oh- and did I mention the fresh crunchy rolls they brought out as an appetizer?
Read morePros: Excellent Food, Good service , Value for the QUALITY
Guest
daveharruk
Points +71
Consistently excellent - Edit
We have visited David Bann many times and have always been pleased with the choice of vegan food on offer, the professionalism of the staff, and the imagination of the food presented to customers. For example, we had a christmas meal here in 2009 - not only was there a good vegan dessert (chocolate cake), but there were dishes which had ingredients combined together which seemed to work surprisingly and unexpectedly well together.
Read morePros: Imaginative food, Good vegan choice, Great customer service
Cons: Can be quite pricey
Guest
Alyson
Points +805
Sophisticated and tasty - Edit
My second evening meal in Edinburgh and the best! Loved the low lighting and sophisticated ambiance. Staff all very attentive and friendly. Food was great - really good choice for vegans with interesting and unusual dishes or twists on usual ones. The flavours were all lovely and the portion sizes good. Would definitely recommend if you feel like treating yourself. More expensive than other places, but worth it.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on Saturday May 28, 2011
Pros: Vegan choice, Taste, Atmosphere
Cons: More expensive than others
Guest
lovintheveg
Points +81
Delight in Edinburgh - Edit
While on vacation in Edinburgh, my aunt and I tried David Bann. I had the Grilled courgette, puy lentil with mash and gravy. She had Chilli with sweet potato and chocolate sauce.
Read moreThe presentation was quite elegant and my aunt said her dish was the best she had the whole trip. The combination of food on my plate was very good and I was thoroughly impressed.
I also recommend ordering the homemade hummus. I am a hummus fiend and this stuff is amazing. So if you're in Edinburgh hunting for a veg restaurant, this is the place to go. It's near the Royal Mile so when you're tired from shopping stop in here for a nice meal!
Pros: tasty food, nice presentation
Guest
lewisjc
Points +304
David Bann - Edit
Food:- good quality
Read moreAtmosphere and surroundings:- plush
Service:- 'professional' - but maybe a tad too slow due to the number of diners
Overall:- I like this place - it almost makes me feel guilty eating here as it feels somehow like it should be a meat eaters restaurant.
Rating:- 9/10
Pros: quality dining
Cons: hard to find parking
Guest
TRaeCH
Points +384
Fantastic Food in a Dignified Atmosphere - Edit
I made a point of stopping at David Bann's while traveling through Scotland because of the reviews on Happy Cow. It was my one night in the phenomenal city of Edinburgh and with so many must-check-out restaurants in town I had to pace myself. With that in mind:
Read moreThe service here is exceptional. Waitresses were all very friendly (seemingly a trend when I dine alone) and the decor was modern and tasteful with pretty star-like lighting panels above and candles upon every table. Certainly among the fancier-looking veggie places I've been to but things are kept relatively casual.
I explained that I could only order a couple of starters which was no problem. Given gr8vegan's review below I ordered the chips (made vegan) with the truly outstanding apple-tomato ketchup and another underestimated dip which I cannot recall. I also ordered the smoked and fried tofu appetizer (ordered non-fried, as gr8vegan suggested) and it was completely out of this world!!! Never have has tofu tasted so good!!!
The meal was light but, being two appetizers, surprisingly filling. Food was ready quite soon after I ordered which, considering my hurry was nice. Even the couple across from me who each had entrees got their food in short time.
I will have to update my review upon my eventual return to Edinburgh when I can try more of the menu. As it is, I hold it in very high regard.
Pros: Smoked tofu starter!!!, Decor, Service and speed of chef
Guest
veggiegoth
Points +217
lovely! - Edit
came here for dinner. nice atmosphere and menu. again. don't remember what i had but it was excellent.
Read moreGuest
animalgazuk
Points +32
Poor vegan choice - Edit
Soup marked as vegan option but not available two of three times this month. Almost no vegan deserts. Disappointing choice compared to similar and cheaper restaurants. No longer on our regular Edinburgh list
Read morePros: good main course
Cons: Poor vegan choice, Pricy for lack of choice
animalgazuk
However it is deceitful to mark soup as VEGAN UPON REQUEST when 2 out of 3 occassions this last week, it has not been requestable. I would not describe a good vegan choice being accurate either as you only have to compare with even cafe type vegetarian establishments like Jack Spratts in Newcastle to see 7 to 8 vegan desserts out of 10, always a vegan soup and many other vegan starters and more than 5 main courses. At your prices, the choice for vegans should be like this or Terre a Terre in Brighton - it feels like you are falling behind as many ex veggies like me turn vegan (2 years now) and realise which of the veggie restaurants make an effort and which do not. After this week, I would put David Bann in the latter as it does look like a token occasional effort, not a genuine welcome for vegans. Vegans in Edinburgh are better served by the 2 excellent veggie Indian restaurants alas and, after 10 years as a 6-10 times a year customer of David Bann, I am sorry to say without a noticable improvement of vegan options and proper marking of the menu, I will not be returning
Read moreGuest
hack_man
Points +27298
Flagship Dining - Edit
A great place, slightly pretentious perhaps but nevertheless they take things seriously and vegetarian food is king here. Typical gourmet food prices, plush interior and efficient staff. Wine prices are steep but the selection is excellent and they are all organic. Food is served professionally with attention to detail as you would expect in a gourmet establishment. A must in Edinburgh if you want a special evening or want to impress friends
Read morePros: professional, food
Cons: prices
Guest
nbuchana
Points +63
The Best Vegan Restaurant in the Country - Edit
[Note: Contrary to the HappyCow description, this restaurant does NOT serve vegetarian haggis. The staff says that they never have served anything along those lines.]
Read moreThis is a top-flight vegan experience. Every course on the menu included multiple vegan options. The theme was, for lack of a better term, "fusion." The staff was very friendly, and the atmosphere was comfortable. Food was served quickly (but not too quickly). I would eat here seven days a week, if I lived in Edinburgh. Absolutely fantastic restaurant. Make a reservation in advance.
Guest
Aloo
Points +7703
Exceptional ambience and the food ain't bad either - Edit
I was overjoyed to find this place, opposite the Travelodge where I was staying. It is the kind of place you might have a celebration at, I wish I lived in Edinburgh just to go here! In terms of the attention to decor and customer service in a vegie restaurant, this is a step above the rest. The menu was varied and interesting and the meal was just delightful. I come Melbourne, which is one of the most Vegan friendly cities in the world I am told, we could certainly do with one of these in our town.
Read morePros: ambience, food, service
Guest
mrukz
Points +58
Great food - Edit
I am just visiting Edinburgh, and I have been looking for vegetarian places to eat. What a great choice of vegetarian places Edinburgh has to offer! I began at David Bann's, and I was not disappointed. The dishes were exciting, and the ones that I and my friends got were delicious.
Read morePros: Exciting dishes, OK price
Guest
gr8vegan
Points +2357
How a top Veg restaurant should be! - Edit
I'm usually very apprehensive at going to a top chef vegetarian restaurant as a healthy vegan, usually I get sent on my way since there is nothing that isn't deep fried they want to alter for me, but David Bann was totally different! From the waiter to the chef everyone was amazingly accommodating, polite, helpful and just all around wonderful! The dishes were extremely creative in so many ways! For a starter we had the baby potatoes and instead of the honey dressed we asked for the Apple Tomato Ketchup they made for the chips, it was so GOOD! Who would have ever though of apples and tomatoes? Seriously, you are seriously missing out if you miss the Apple Ketchup. They did the potatoes perfectly as well! They were amazing, we even ordered another batch. For our main we had the Udon, but asked that nothing be fried, ie the smoked tofu just put on plain and they put it together and heated it up w/o using the oil and it was AMAZING! The smoked tofu had so much flavor, I wanted to order a side of bread just to soak up the last bites of the tangy sauce that accompanied it as well. Great selections of wines and beers in a large modern setting. Again, our waiter was awesome!
Read morePros: will accommodate healthy vegans, apple ketchup, top notch service!
Guest
Brainy
Points +40
Away from the World's End - Edit
Stranded in Edinburgh and surfing the net in a nearby hostel when I came across David Bann. It was 5 minutes around the corner where I was staying and I was staying next to the World's End pub. I dragged a friend there for brunch and the guy is the biggest carnivore I know and even he found the place amazing. It's classy, it has delious food and a great selection of wine. You didn't wait too long or too soon and they served up the best desert. The staff were exceptionally lovely and very considerate to the vegan needs. David Bann was certainly a great find and I'm craving that ice cream they served up.
Read morePros: Great food, friendly staff, Good value
Guest
Bettina
Points +197
Possibly the best veg restaurant in the world! - Edit
I swear to God, this is probably the best vegetarian restaurant in the whole world. 5 stars! The food there is proper haute-cuisine, inventive and just dead tasty. Food does not get any better than this..! A+++++++++++++++++
Read morePros: excellent dishes, interior, healthy
Cons: none
Guest
jamber79
Points +376
beautiful restaurant - Edit
Very nice ambience, very upscale and trendy looking. Pretty big in size. Went in without reservations and the hostess seemed quite annoyed with us, though there were plenty of tables, and it never filled up once while we were there. Wished she had been more friendly which would have made our experience better. Food was excellent. Had the olives appetizer (best olives I've had), and a beet souffle dish which was excellent. Good vegan drinks too.
Read moreGuest
jmw5577
Points +103
Delicious and affordable - Edit
Beautiful and upscale but very affordable. I had the mushroom risotto, which was delicious. Very good selection and very vegan-friendly. It's a wonderful place to stop in after a day of sightseeing, but it gets quite busy on the weekends. We managed to squeeze in early (around 6pm) without reservations, but if you're going to be much later than that I would recommend calling ahead.
Read morePros: Excellent service, Great ambience, Delicious food
Guest
natz
Points +133
Fantastic - highly recommended - Edit
Booked a table for Thursday evening then we phoned up to change the time, unfortunately they hadn't got our original booking so we had to eat there later than we wanted. However, the restaurant manager phoned me up to apologise before we'd arrived and they also deducted 10% off the final bill for the inconvenience! This is top quality dining service and what you'd expect at fine dining restaurants in London so it's fab that a veggie restaurant sets such a high standard. The place was full, gorgeous modern surroundings, fantastic wine and a massive choice of veggie and vegan options. They even brought out vegan "butter" as well as usual butter to go with the bread rolls! I took three meat eaters with me and they were highly impressed and took ages to choose as the menu was more varied than they're used to! We had three courses and all were fantastic, can't recommend it highly enough!! Check out the menus on their website but i'd recommend the vegan choc ice cream as a must! Lots of vegan options in May 08.
Read morePros: Gorgeous food, varied choice, high quality service
Guest
Deano
Points +123
Bann-tastic - Edit
I've been to a few up-market vegetarian restaurants. Sometimes I find they are too much style and not enough food on the plate. But David Bann has got it just right on all counts.
Read moreIt's in a great location, the decor is modern and stylish with seductive lighting, the food is excellent, the staff are friendly and there's a decent choice for vegans (apart from the desserts).
It's not cheap, but it's not overly expensive - I think the quality of the food easily justifies the prices.
Book early because it can get very busy.
Pros: Just about everything
Guest
brzlian
Points +30
EXCELLENT!!! - Edit
I visited this restaurant twice in January 2008 and loved it each time. The food was excellent and the staff very friendly. A little overpriced but aside from that I have absolutely nothing bad to say about it. I will certainly go back there when I visit Edinburgh again.
Read morePros: excellent food, friendly staff
Cons: a little overpriced
Guest
am22ssj
Points +80
AMAZING - Edit
I had the Thai fritters and spiced udon noodles and home smoked tofu. So delicious. I was the only vegan and everyone loved it. Great location, posh atmosphere. Great for a nice, upscale experience.
Read morePros: Excellent Food, Nice atmosphere, Friendly-staff
Guest
gasman
Points +37
Fantastic High quality Restaurant! - Edit
Hi, we visited this place end Sept 07. We'd visited without booking and were suprised that it was so full at 7pm on a Weds - luckily there was one table free! Food and service absolutely impeccable and at a very reasonable price. They had local bottled beers to savour and an excellent pudding for two(approx £8) which had a selection of puddings on it, to try - highly recommended and I would have no hesitation eating here again
Read morePros: Food gorgeous, efficient, very reasonably priced
Cons: Background music would have been great
Guest
MissAnthropik
Points +315
truly scrumptious - Edit
I have only been here once, but if ever i find myself back in edinburgh i will definitely be going back. This is far and away the best vegetarian restaurant I have been to - swanky decor (much better than it looks from outside), "posh" food, lots of choice, friendly service and all at a reasonable cost. It took me forever to decide what to eat. A relative had been before and given me some recommendations, but they were no longer on the menu so i can only assume the menu the menu is changed fairly frequently. I enjoyed every last mouthful!
Read morePros: choice, excellent food, nice decor
Guest
Mimi
Points +165
Good Food - Edit
I usually eat at Banns if I am in Edinburgh, through lack of other options. Banns has little variety for vegans, and the menu has hardly changed (and not improved) in years. The portions are city size (that is on the small size). But the food always tastes good.
Read morePros: Tasty Vegan Food, Dessert, Soya Milk
Cons: Small Portions, Poor Choice for Vegans
Guest
onejamie
Points +49
4 Stars - Edit
We had an excellent meal on Saturday 22nd Jan 2007. The restaurant was full, but even so we had fast and attentive service. The shimmering moon display is stylin' and I would have liked more artwork like this. The food was supurb - the Beetroot salad was my favourite - and the portions were a good size. The price-tag was a bit on the heavy side, but you get what you pay for.
Read morePros: Delicious Food, Good Service, Style
Cons: Expensive
Guest
Stevie
Points +11765
David Bann, Edinburgh - Edit
Contemporary food in a pretty stylish sort of restaurant. No probs for me as a vegan at all. Centrally located in Edinburgh's old town.
Read morePros: Vegan options, Central location, Nice surrounds
Guest
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