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    David Bann

    4.2 (156 reviews)
    ModerateVegetarian, Vegan
    Closed 12:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    David Bann Photos

    DAVID BANN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

    Recommended Reviews - David Bann

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    David Bann: Smoked and marinated tofu with miso sesame sauce
    Chiemi N.

    First day in Edinburgh Scotland, my very considerate friend made a reservation at this vegetarian restaurant that had lots of vegan options! She's an omnivore. When we entered the restaurant, we were greeted warmly. The restaurant had a beautiful ambiance, very welcoming atmosphere. The menu was easy to figure out. Everything was vegetarian with a V to denote vegan and a [V] to let you know the dish could be made vegan. Everything on the menu looked delicious and hard to narrow down choices. We were offered consomme, and it was so flavorful! I narrowed my choice down to Haggis Fritters served with hummus and banana chutney. Reminded me of falafel. I also got smoked and marinated tofu with sweet miso sesame sauce and pickled cucumbers. This was delicious! My friend got the soup of the day, which was a tomato with lentil soup that came with bread. She really liked it!

    Sue Ann F.

    Nice surprise to stumble upon a vegetarian restaurant in Edinburgh. Service was a bit slow but food was excellent. The risotto was perfectly cooked with great flavor and the mushroom bake was hearty and tasty. Would return again.

    Sticky Toffee Pudding

    What an amazing place for vegan food lovers! Went with my family and the food was great. We had David's tofu and Braised Celeriac for starters. Koftas and Risotto as main. Both were amazing and highly recommended. The deserts were excellent. Try the soufflé with ginger ice cream. We also had the sticky toffee pudding. If you are in Edinburgh, do try out this place. Excellent choice for vegan or vegetarians.

    Smoked Tofu, Extra thick Chips, Red Peppercorn Salad as appetizers, and a shared Risotto for the main course.
    Tony S.

    Found on Yelp while looking for Vegetarian options, and WOW, so good we will be back to work our way through the menu. Cozy seating, friendly staff and great vibe.

    My goat cheese and mushroom strudel.
    Ben J.

    "David Bann Vegetarian Restaurant" reads the outside window. For some reason I feel like vegetarian restaurants get a bad rap or are second class citizens to full spectrum places but David Bann would be a hard place to compete with, even if you did serve meat. To start with, it's a very elegant place. The decor is tasteful, refined, with tablecloths. The waiters are well dressed and the lights are dimmed. Actually, since I came for a dinner with friends, I was slightly concerned it was too nice for a fairly casual dinner. However, the waiters were very kind, and the prices were reasonable for a nicer place. The food, though, is what deserves the real praise, since it was fantastic! I had the strudel which was mushroom and goat cheese baked in filo with fried polenta on the side. It was one of the heavier options available but still didn't make me feel too heavy afterwards. One of my friends enjoyed the risotto which was very tasty as well, can definitely recommend!

    Grahame G.

    It's been a long time since I've been to Bann's, but as I had a couple of hours to spare and happened to be at this end of town, I decided to treat myself. It was early, so the place was pretty empty so I was soon ensconced in a seat by the window. Having so many yummy veggie & vegan things on the menu, it's hard to choose what to eat - it's such a luxury knowing that you can eat practically anything on the menu for once! I eventually settled for the Thai fritter of broccoli and marinated tofu starter, followed by stir-fried veg with Udon noodles and smoked tofu for the main, washed down with a large glass of Chilean Carmenere - a red wine that until recently was mistaken for a Merlot, according to the wine list. I'm not sure that it was the correct choice for my meal as I found it rather too rich for my taste, but it was an excellent wine nonetheless. Everything too delicious for words, especially the main course which came topped with the biggest slab of tofu I've ever seen on a dish. However, I think I will still reserve my accolade of "best tofu in the known Universe" for the Hanoi Bike Shop in Glasgow. So hat's off to Banns - still as good as I remembered. I'll try not to leave it as long before my return.

    Mary D.

    We loved everything about this vegetarian restaurant that any foodie would enjoy. The food was delicious and beautifully presented. We shared two desserts. The chocolate cake with pear compote and whisky ice cream was a delight! The decor was sleek and yet warm. It's best to make a reservation although we were seated mid week.

    Tofu appetizer. Bland. Not good texture.
    Melissa Z.

    This was the meal I was most looking forward to in my vacation to Scotland. Although it was not the best vegetarian meal in the UK it was above average. If youre looking for a unique meal, i would recommend DB. Here's what we ordered: - sweet potato & orange soup of the day: quite a remarkable balance of sweet potato and wee hint of orange. It actually sounded unpleasant bc of the citrus but my fiance ordered it and when i tried it I found it to be quite good. - tofu appetizer: a total miss due to lack of texture. The exterior had no crispness, it was rather rubbery on the outside and mushy inside. The tofu had a hint of smoke but no other taste stood out. The mango curry sauce to smear on the tofu helped the dish be palatable. The issue was the size of the tofu. There are 2 large triangles about 3 inches thick. That is too large to get proper texture. Also the mango chutney needed to be more of a sauce for spreadability. - chickpea curry: right amount of heat. - quinoa entree wrapped in grilled zuchinni: creative but too dry. This needed a sauce. And protein. The lack of protein in the dishes was disappointing. The environment does nothing to enhance the dining experience. I can appreciate mminimalism if it is done well and this attempt missed the mark. 2 dark colored walls and meager lighting fixture were blah but the candle lighting on the tables are enough to keep the place at a good date spot.

    Dining area
    Steve M.

    This restaurant feels like you are having a great meal and you forget you are In a vegetarian restaurant. We had the Thai fritters that were absolutely amazing. I also had the mushroom goat cheese and heather ale stelrudel which was equally good. The lentil Shepard's pie was a Good also. The only thing that was a bummer was when we ready to have dessert they told us that they needed the table in a half hour and we should essentially rush. The problem was that they took their time serving each dish we figured they were ok with it. We would have ordered earlier but we didn't know. So we can't comment on dessert. We even commented that we felt we were on European time. So be to told we had to rush was a downer and a mood kill.

    Roasted cauliflower, potato and chickpea curry
    Sumeet D.

    I highly recommend the restaurant. Delicious food, hospitable staff and upscale ambience

    Hummus, tomato chutney and homemade breads
    Ciara S.

    I've been wanting to try David Bann for a few years and eventually got a chance to make a reservation whilst holidaying in Edinburgh during November 2016. I visited with a party of four and we pre-booked our table, which I would recommend as this is a very busy restaurant. It's decorated in dark, rich wood and shades of aubergine, however bright lighting and a large open plan dining room ensure the overall atmosphere is relaxed and informal. On arrival we were seated and offered complimentary bread rolls. There's so much selection on the menus, David Bann really is Vegetarian Heaven so it took us ages to decide what to order. Our starters consisted of one hummus with chutney and bread, one goats cheese, caramelised onion and sun blush tomato tartlet and two Thai fritters of smoked tofu, broccoli, ginger, chilli, lemongrass, sesame and coriander served with fresh banana chutney and plum sauce. Everything was sublime, unique, delicious and flavourful. For my main I choose a parsnip, apple and blue cheese pudding served with roast vegetables and puy lentil stew. It was fantastic. My three dinning companions, even the carnivores, loved their mains as well. They all opted for the aubergine, chick pea and cashew koftas served with roasted sweet potato in a spicy coconut sauce plus green beans and sweet papaya side salad. Service from our waiter was impeccable and although we initially planned to have three courses we were so full after two we just couldn't manage dessert. Nonetheless we've resolved to return and try the dessert menu when next in Edinburgh. David Bann is now one of my favourite restaurants and I would literally travel to Edinburgh just to dine here. I would highly recommended this restaurant, even those who aren't Vegetarian will enjoy the gorgeous food.

    Tasty Thai fritters

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    9 years ago

    Beautiful restaurant! The service was amazing and good food as well! Highly recommend for vegetarians and vegans!

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    8 years ago

    Outstanding! Nevet thought that vegetarian food coulis be so delicious! Only advice: GO THERE and TRY IT!!

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    Makars Gourmet Mash Bar - Crown Of Slow Cooked Beef Shoulder With A Rich Horseradish Infused Gravy

    Makars Gourmet Mash Bar

    4.8(542 reviews)
    0.4 miOld Town, Royal Mile
    ££

    When you think Scottish food, you don't think "gourmet."…read more In fact, if you're the average person you probably don't have have even a conceptual idea of what the food is like other than similar to English food. You wouldn't be wrong, but also not the greatest of reputations. Then a place like Makars stands up and says "We can be Scottish and delicious" and the result is a humble restaurant in old town dishing out quality comfort food. I wish I had come here hungover. It's one of those places where everything on the menu seems to be aimed at reviving a wounded tourist. For most people the people will consist of a meat of your choice on top of a mash potatoes of your choice. All of the options looked awesome. I was just coming from an 11 hour flight, so I didn't get too crazy. I pulled trigger on a pork over bacon mash and it did not miss. The meat was exceptionally fall off the bone tender and the mash potatoes were flavorful and complimented the meat perfectly. One bit of advice - the portions are big so either come hungry or consider splitting an entree. I'd feel confident recommending this place to anyone who thinks that the Scots can't cook. It'll prove them wrong.

    Having tried unsuccessfully to make a reservation before arriving in Edinburgh, we instead used the…read morewalk-in line, where they take your phone number, give you a wait time and text when your table is ready. Very convenient. The decor is somewhat industrial, probably because of the AC ductwork. Much appreciated during a warm spell in July! Staff were all welcoming and friendly. Service was great! Food came out of the kitchen quickly. It's all about the mash, but the meats stole the show! The lamb shank was large, meaty and complimented by the cheddar potatoes. We thoroughly enjoyed the juicy pork shank with applewood smoked cheddar mash. In addition we sampled the savory beef shoulder with horseradish mash as well as the Lions Mane mushrooms topped with rocket (arugula.) Each was satisfying and full of delicious flavors. Definitely worth the wait!

    Photos
    Makars Gourmet Mash Bar - Downstairs inside the restaurant

    Downstairs inside the restaurant

    Makars Gourmet Mash Bar - Homemade Free Range Gourmet Scotch Egg

    Homemade Free Range Gourmet Scotch Egg

    Makars Gourmet Mash Bar - Makars Wild Boar Sausage With Beef Dripping Gravy

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    Makars Wild Boar Sausage With Beef Dripping Gravy

    David Bann - vegetarian - Updated August 2026

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