Benares Restaurant & Bar

Everything was unique. Exotic and fabulous. Presentations was very nice as well.
The also have a nice lounge/​bar area.
Specialty cocktails: Pomegranate Raspberry Caipiroska…

Always good Indian food. Despite I am not a big fans of Indian food. But Benares really is the best I’ve ever tried. Serving Indian food in a western way.

Awesome Indian food near Piccadily, if I lived in London I would come here all the time. It’s pricey but super good. The service is good and their bar/​lounge area is nice, but they don’t serve food at the lounge. Try their chicken tikka and garlic naan!

My husband and I came here for NYE recently and were really looking forward to it and were really bummed to leave it less than thrilled. The food was tasty, but not worth the cost and was not actually very exciting nor creative. While the cocktails were pretty, there was no alcohol in them… I am usually a lightweight when it comes to booze, yet, I could not tell that I’d had any alcohol after 2 cocktails.
Another thing, for being such a highly regarded luxury restaurant, I’d expect them to know what time our reservation was for and to know whether or not there is time for us to sit at the bar before our meal (on our way to the table, the staff member asked if we wanted to sit at the bar for a drink first, but then when we asked if there was time for that, he asked us what time our reservation was for and realizing it was too late to sit at the bar, he then said nevermind, we better get you seated). Not that I especially wanted to go to the bar, but it’s just a small detail… you know, offering your clients something but then not being able to let them partake in it.
Also, I only recently figured out I have a parsnip allergy that makes it hard to breathe and it didn’t occur to me that an Indian restaurant would have parsnips on the menu, so I didn’t mention anything when my husband made our reservation. However, when I saw the menu included parsnips in the tasting menu, I mentioned this to the waiter and he quickly said, «are you really allergic to them or you just don’t like them?» He clearly didn’t believe me, which made it awkward.
Overall, I think I was turned off b/​c the service wasn’t incredible and the food was way overpriced.

Beatiful and tasty cocktails, great service. The waiters were very nice and helpfull. We had the the three course dinner, and were amazed. Beatifull dishes. Just the right amount of spice. Very delicious indeed. We were there celebrating my boyfriends graduation, and because of that, they where so kind to treat us with a special little dessert treatment, next to what we originally ordered. Wow. Price-​wise, it was fine dining with an affordable price. We also can’t wait to try out the delicious recipies in the cookbook we got.

I booked this place 2 months in advance for my better halfs birthday, and cause he’s allergic to a few things, I went overboard with the emails and phonecalls to confirm everything. On the day of arrival we were greeted by the lovely staff team who kindly took our coats and wet brollys. Sat at the bar and enjoyed a few drinks before being seated in the dining room.
Started off with a glass of Laurent Perrier champagne which is my absolute fave, finished that like it was water. The waitress then came for our second order and ordered the Passionfruit Chutney Martini (benares signature created by the chef himself) and the Bollywood. Passionfruit chutney martini was beautiful, strong but appetising, However the Bollywood, if you like your drink strong, then i’d highly recommend this. I could not finish it as it was just a tad too much for me!
For starters we ordered Murg Tiranga — Trio of Free Range Chicken: Tikka, Chutney Grilled, Crispy Wing, Paneer Tiranga — Cottage Cheese Three Ways and corn fritters. Before our starters was served we received our Amuse Bouche — Seasonal Vegetable Shami, Mulligatawny Soup. Loved the amuse bouche, what a nice way to start the meal off, light, gets you in the mood for all the food to arrive. I loved all our starters, especially the paneer which came with little pipettes with chutney in them. The chicken was cooked to perfection, loved the tikka, and the wing, however, not so much the grilled — tasted slightly weird and off. The amritsari corn fritters are a nice way to end the meal with a little bit of spice, the black salt really helps ooze all those flavours and blend into one.
The service throughout was very attentive, the waiters had remembered my other half allergies, water was always topped up, not too intrusive, we got to enjoy a beautiful meal properly, just the way it should be.
For mains we ordered Aloo Benares — Tempered Baby Potatoes, Asafoetida, Cumin and Ginger and Dal — Dal Makhni or Tempered Yellow Lentils with buttered naans. Good portions, not overloaded in a big bowl, definitely enough for two. The best dal makni I have had by far, the aromas took me back to India. The aloo benares didn’t quite hit the spot, but it was a good accompaniment to have on the table.
Table was cleared up quickly and ordered dessert, my favourite part of the meal :) and chose the Dark Chocolate Mousse, Passion Fruit and Hot Chocolate Sauce, which is basically a chocolate sphere, inside that sits Vanilla Gelato and Chocolate Mousse. Smeared on the plate a passionfruit purée, with passionfruit pâté de fruit and a few berries sitting nicely. The waiter poured the hot chocolate sauce on top of the sphere and slowly but surely it melted gracefully, opening the mousse and gelato for our viewing. Definitely the best dessert on their menu, if you want a perfect ending, this is it!!! And yes it tasted amazingly delicious, hats off to the pastry chef, everything was paired perfectly!!!
If you like Indian food, this is definitely the place, its not mums cooking, but its a modernised, refined version. I loved it, and so did my other half. Definitely will be returning one day soon.

One of the best meals ever and the service to match.
Had a cocktail before sitting for dinner and the atmosphere was very nice from the start, with friendly and attentive staff.
Dinner consisted of appetizers and shared dishes for the table. The request for gluten free was taken care of nicely and there were several dishes. The nan was for the rest of us and was delicious. All memorable dishes, in particular the lamb.

Have been twice and service was terrible on both occasions. Today’s visit lasted 20 minutes. This was the amount of time I patiently sat waiting for someone to acknowledge I was seated. Nothing. I don’t think they cared much that I left either. I walked right past the two people that seated me — neither cared to inquire as to why I was leaving so soon. Amazed this place has a Michelin star. There are many other restaurants in the area so no chance I will return a third time.

Atul Kochkar is one of the most innovative chefs in London at the moment. The food at Benares is always exciting, the service amazing, and the cocktails delicious. The only downside is that you might have to mortgage your flat if you want to eat here more than once a year, but it is well worth it.

Managed to get a Saturday night table for 2 at 10:30. Had cocktails in the bar before going through to the restaurant. Staff very friendly and although clientele was all reasonably smart, the place did not have a stiff feel to it. One starter and a couple of mains were ordered. Soft shell crab starter was very nice as were the guinea fowl and sea bream mains. I have to say the dishes could have been a little bit spicier (hot) for us. I think even someone who didn’t like spicy dishes could have eaten what we ordered without a problem. Nice place, nice food, nice staff.

One of my favourite Indian restaurants in London. You get the feeling of exclusivity and elegance once you enter the restaurant. The starters were amazing, I would absolutely recommend the samosas and the lamb! The service was ok, would have expect a bit more considering the price you pay.

What’s there to say? Chef’s table. Tasting menu. You need this in your life.
I’m not going to describe the food. Go try this yourself. One day you’ll be dead and your soul will meet St. Peter. If he finds out you haven’t been to Benares he’ll be sending your ass to hell.
Do it.

Oh dear. It seemed like the Benares emperor wasn’t wearing any clothes on Saturday eve. I was excited to go and try the private dining experience at Atul Kochhar’s place for one of my best mate’s birthdays, and indeed the room itself, like the rest of the restaurant, looks beautiful. Classy black lacquer with red and gold trimmings, and some dark pretty fretwork separating us from everyone else. We were in the largest room with about 24 people but I believe it can seat up to 36ish and there are other smaller rooms available too.
The service is unobtrusive in a good way (i.e. not just absent!) and feels nicely personalised, as they knew the seating plan in advance and thus people’s choices between the veg or non-​veg set menu. Starters were individually plated; the plaintain kebab was delish and left me wanting more, whilst the salmon was just average in terms of flavour. Main course was more generous portion-​wise as it was served family-​style to share, but nothing actually stood out taste-​wise for me. And that’s even after looking past the ‘my mum could make this at home for a fraction of the price’ type snobbery that I’m sure a lot of asian people get when eating at high-​end asian places. My mum could have made it at home for a fraction of the price *and* many multiples more flavourful!
If I was choosing the best of the average bunch it would be the kadhai paneer dish, but overall I was disappointed that none of the food excited me. Well the ‘chocolate rasmalai’ dessert did in name, but turned out to be standard plain rasmalai with choc ice cream on the side. The cherry on top of the disappointment was when the bill was split equally, which I’m usually fully in favour of for simplicity, plus few things make me as painfully uncomfortable as people who squabble down to the last few quid, but not when it turned out others were ordering £60 bottles of wine. In hindsight I should totally have got involved with that. 3-​course set menu of at-​best-​average food (£52pp) plus a glass of wine plus a mint tea and I paid £80. Ouch.
I wouldn’t blame the restaurant for the bill-​splitting carnage but even at the standard set menu price I think this place needs a serious reality check. I’m being generous with a third star for the place being so lush and the service being on point, but I have experienced far, far better.

Ever get the sensation that you’re the last sane person in a world that’s gone slightly cuckoo? That’s what I felt after browsing the online reviews after dining at Benares.
A couple of friends and I, desperate to escape the annual treadmill of office Christmas lunches in perfectly satisfactory but uninspiring chain restaurants, booked a table at Benares and ordered the tasting menu.
Not unreasonably, we were expecting quite some meal for our £86 per person (excluding drinks). Indeed, as I sit here typing, I’m catching up with an episode of Masterchef, Sean Pertwee’s sandy tones emphasising that for this kind of money, diners expect perfection.
What we got was an expensive reality check.
Listed as a 7 course menu, it’s actually only five courses — the Spinach and Apricot tikki was barely large enough to count as an amuse bouche, and personally, I’ve never eaten anywhere that lists the palate cleansing sorbet as a separate course (and nor would I want to). Pleasant enough but hardly revolutionary, it set the tone for the rest of the evening. The softshell crab in the second course, was probably one of the best dishes of the meal, but nothing I haven’t had elsewhere, and the fripperies on the plate (apple jelly prime among them) appeared to be the product of fancying up the plate, not an integral part of the dish. The subsequent chicken dish was again fine, albeit underseasoned in places, and desperately crying out for an accompanying carb — and I wasn’t happy to find myself chewing through some cartilage. The salmon dish, as tiny and bland as its predecessors, was saved by a rich curry sauce and (finally) a (dessert) spoonful of gratefully received rice.
It wasn’t until the penultimate course (lamb rump, chickpea masala sauce and a samosa, with a side of black dahl) that we were finally served a reasonable portion of food. The small but well cooked hunk of lamb and parathas were most welcome, but accompanied by a masala sauce that was not just under– but badly seasoned, and hadn’t been cooked out long enough.
By the time the dessert showed up (a rose and raspberry confection with yoghurt and crunchy freeze dried raspberries, albeit accompanied by something parading as, but oh so far from pistachio burfi) miserly portion, but easily the best dish of the day).
Even setting aside the paucity of the portions and the chronic underseasoning, the rest of the experience was grinding enough to leach us of our Christmas spirit — the disinterested waiters (verging on the rude — at times they were pretty much throwing cutlery and plates down on the table), the endless wait between courses, the watermarks and thumb prints on the plates and the food and so, endlessly, on. These might sound like persnickety things to pick up on, but at £125 a head I am, frankly, baffled by the whole experience.
Even having become irked enough to tell the waiter point blank that the burfi served with the dessert course was inedible (stale chewing gum is the closest we came to describing it), we were met with aloof indifference.
I have tasted some magnificent Indian cooking in my time, professional and homemade, and I wouldn’t rank this experience anywhere near them. Not only am I unable to comprehend how that was a Michelin starred experience, I am downright flummoxed as to how Benares has clung on to even one star — I’ve had infinitely superior service and tastier meals at my local eateries.
I’m certainly done with Mr. Kocchar’s establishments, and frankly the Michelin system if they’re content to dole out stars for such mediocre fare.

We stumbled on this place through Unilocal.Very modern, upscale restaurant. We asked the waiter to recommend all the dishes because everything looked amazing. We had a ravioli appetizer which was a great suggestion as well as a 3 chicken dish with many great flavored. For the main we had a lamb curry, chicken tikka masala and two vegetable dishes. All were very very good! This was one of our more enjoyable meals in our 2 week trip to London. We will definitely go back.

Was there for dinner — quite pricey restaurant but I was fully satisfied. The setting is quite pretty but people welcome everyone saying namaste which I found it weird. I had a set meal for £35 and rest of the table had a la carte. The starters were all average. Think it is not really their strength and they are not the greatest of value., would skip unless there’s something you really like to try. Main dishes are really tasty. I had quail with rice on the express menu and others had chicken two ways and duck vindaloo. They were all very well seasoned with lovely spices. We thoroughly enjoyed it. They were all good portions as well. Even without starters, I would have been full. Be warned though — dishes are quite heavy so you will be full for many hours following the meal. Overall, good food and moderately pricey., would go back.

Pretty solid restaurant, though I expect much more of a Michelin star bearing one. I’m always nervous about eating at an upscale desi (south Asian) restaurant, as a desi American who finds the most satisfyingly authentic food at restaurants with failing health inspection grades; but I was generally happy with the experience at Benares.
I came here with a large group. Full disclosure, I was not paying, and I don’t think I would come back on my own dime (just too pricey for what you get food wise).
We had our own private dining area which was very pretty, and intimate. The service was quite attentive and helpful with recommendations and questions about the menu. What I especially liked was that though not catering primarily to a desi audience, the restaurant wasn’t sort of «sanitized» of its desiness. I spoke to the staff in Urdu, and they were all well-​informed of the cuisine and made separate suggestions for palates more experienced with the cuisine.
The food was good.
— Seekh kabaab appetizer– yummy, big portion, good texture, but not anything special
— soft shell crab appetizer — delicious, nice texture and flavors, unusual dish but highly recommend
— chicken tikkah — shared a whole chicken tikkah with one other person; the chicken was juicy and well cooked, but I think the seasoning was a bit lacking, and I wasn’t blown away
— bread– paratha was all right, but I thought it was the weakest item we tried. they brought us whole wheat and regular, as well as some naan. The paratha wasn’t super buttery and flakey as it should be, but decent. The awesome thing was that they had a gluten free bread option for our gluten intolerant diner.
— side dishes: we also had some daals and veggies which were good but not memorable (I actually can’t remember what we got)
— dessert — had the kulfi three ways; it was okay.
Overall, though I had a good experience and the food was fine, I found the restaurant to be underwhelming.

I came here on a recommendation from a local chef, whom I got to know a little bit. We discussed how Indian food had been so assimilated into British life that chicken tikka masala is now considered a national dish of the UK. Naturally, after so much talk, I was craving Indian food, and so he recommended this place that is one of his favorites, which has a really unique twist on Indian food.
Details:
1) Came for a pre-​show dinner, reservation seating @5.30p.
2) Ordered the 2-​course prix fixe meal (29 GBP) — a little pricey.
3) Sipped on a refreshing glass of Gewürztraminer while I absorbed the ambiance of the restaurant.
YAY — It’s all about the food:
1) Amuse bouche — spinach cake stuffed with apricot with mild green chutney. Who doesn’t love a delicious freebie?
2) Papadum with chutneys (gooseberry, spicy tomato, and mango). I had to consciously stop eating these or I would ruin my dinner.
3) 1^st course — cauliflower assortment. I never thought I would get so excited over cauliflower, but every bite of this amazing assortment was packed with flavor: white cauliflower roasted with parmesan, purple vinegar cauliflower, cauliflower purée, and pickled cauliflower. YUM.
4) 2^nd course — roasted sea bream with masala chips, basmati rice, lentil soup, and whole wheat naan.
UGH –Not so great on the service:
Service here is off, uncoordinated, inefficient, etc. When I was seated, the waiter made multiple interruptions, like 4 – 5 trips, just bring menus and water. 2 separate waiters waited on me at first and didn’t communicate with each other beforehand. Then by the end of the dinner, I didn’t have any specified waiter at all, and I had to wave someone down to get the check.
All in all, there just needs to be some level of consistency with the service to have a really fabulous experience. So why 4 stars? Because the food was just that good. Really. I would go back for the food, and more of it!

So first time here having seen Atul Kochhar on the tv on many occasions I was very excited to actually go to this resturant.
The actual setting was very easy on the eye and very well polished from the time we went through the front door to the time we left. The lady on the door was very polite and well turned out. The décor has its light and dark areas and unlike some restaurants is not so dark you cannot see the person across the table without leaning over and I always find that to be a plus. The background sounds were not intrusive so definitely no shouting to be done to have a conversation.
We had a very nice champagne cocktail to start with along side the mini popadoms and a selection of dips to go with them. As to be expected in an establishment of this nature there was a waiter to take your wine order and a different one to take your food order. It was quiet when we arrived as we were their for lunch so perhaps that is why by the time we left we had been looked after by at least four different waiting staff, but it was not a problem as none were intrusive and it never affected our order.
Whilst the portions are not large they most certainly hit the spot for both taste and quantity. For some people out their the first two courses would have constituted a meal (we had a four course meal) surprisingly for an Indian resturant the deserts were very good.
All in all I would definitely go back and try something else on the menu as what I had was all very tasty. The only downside I guess is that the main man was no where to be seen. I guess everyone gets a day off at some stage.

We had to try this place because we were so intrigued by the combination of Michelin stars with ‘ethnic’ food. Overall it’s a mixed bag.
I usually love tasting menus — unfortunately here, I cannot recommend it. Just order a couple of dishes off the menu. I can however recommend getting the wine guy to help choose wines for the dishes you choose, because the wine pairings with the tasting menu were genius.
Within the tasting menu, the tandoori scallops were fantastic. The duck dish was bland, and the lamb dish was a huge amount of food, which doesn’t work for a tasting menu. the naan was simply sublime (although by the time it came out I was too full to eat it really).
Service also had a couple of amateurish missteps you don’t expect at a Michelin-​starred restaurant. One example: the first course of our tasting menu was introduced as the ‘amuse’ — which it was not, it was the first course.
Overall, especially considering the astronomical bill — you might be better off choosing someplace else…