Benares Indian Restaurant and Bar, London

The best part of being foodie in central London, in particular, we never run out of places to go to indulge ourselves. Envy?? Well... Don't be.. We didn't always have a great experience in every visit, so let us do the sorting out and safe you from unpleasant part of it. 

Our most recent visit was Benares - Indian Restaurant and Bar in Mayfair, London. Swanky restaurant by twice Michelin starred Chef Atul Kochhar, offers a new concept of fine Indian Cuisine. Set in bustling Berkeley Square slightly over shadowed by corporate offices and luxurious car showrooms, Benares entrance can easily be missed. Practical tip from us, look for Rolls Royce showroom, move few steps to the right and there it is. 

Namaste! Greeted the receptionist staff with a friendly smile made us immediately feeling so welcomed. She then took us upstairs to the bar and restaurant and handed over us to a charming hostess in beautiful golden saree who then accompanied us to our table. From there there rest of service handled by a team of waiting staff. The attentions given were rather overwhelming to be honest, in a positive way, of course. We certainly impressed by it.. 

As you can see from the images below, the lay out of Benares is neat, simple, tasteful and definitely comfortable. We could easily spend hours indulging ourselves going through mouthwatering dishes carefully chosen by the Chef Atul Kochhar. We couldn't wait to get the taste of it.

As the menu arrived, the mini papadums and three different chutneys served to the table. Sweet, sour with a little heat from the spice. Gentle kick to get our taste buds going. 

Just like the lay out of the restaurant itself, the choices on the menu are simple, to the point, yet fulfilling. Even let's say, we happened to be picky eaters, we would not have any problem finding what we fancy. There are seafood dishes, chicken, lamb, you name it and even vegetarian options. What not to like?

Well... we are definitely not picky eaters (we think you have figured that out), we simply love good and honest food prepared with fresh ingredients. And we sincerely appreciate the effort that have been put into the every dish served. Our reviews definitely described that. 

Starters, we have chosen, Tandoori Ratan - Fennel lamb chop, chicken seekh kebab and basil marinated king prawn and Karara Kekda Aur Salad - Crispy soft shell crab, handpicked crab salad, apple chutney and coconut mayonnaise. The word delicious would be an understatement. The lamb chop was succulent, chicken kebab was flavoursome and the king prawn was tasteful although slightly over cooked to our palate. But the main star was the soft shell crab. It was so beautiful we would have another one had we forgot that we still have main courses to go through. The crab salad, apple chutney and the coconut mayonnaise on the side were really compliment one to another. 

Main courses, our first choice went for the Batak Falliyan - Seared Gressingham duck breast, three beans stew, crispy duck skin. We requested to be cooked medium and it was cooked to perfection, melt in the mouth. Not forgetting the Pulao rice and Indian fried bread that we could not remember the name of it. We will get back to you for that. The bread is perfect to soak up the sauce, though it was good even to have it on its own.. 

Our second main course was Tawa Gosht Aur Sunhari Kahsta - Locally farmed cannon of lamb, umbles samosa, purple crushed potatoes and pickled baby artichoke served with Rogan Josh sauce. Another dish that blown us away. Tender and juice lamb, seasoned thoroughly without overpowering the natural flavour of the meat itself, accompanied with luscious crushed potatoes and artichoke. The samosa was simply an additional treat. A dish to die for! Such celebration of beautiful food really deserves a good bottle of Ruinart Rose Champagne. 

Suggested by the waiting staff, we agreed to have the Trio of Kulfi to share to end our Indian fine dining exploration. Creamy yet refreshing Lychee, Pistachio and Mango flavoured ice cream served with chunks of pickled peaches and coulis. Delightful!

To sum it all up, Benares is a fantastic Indian Restaurant and Bar that will change most people perception of Indian cuisine. Not necessarily head blowing spicy too, so it will suit to anybody's palate.  From the receptionist to the wine sommelier and waiting staff, they are very attentive and accommodating to ensure you have the best dining experience from the start to the end.. 
Highly recommended!


Benares by Atul Kochhar
12, Berkeley Square House, Berkeley Square
London W1J 6BS

Phone: +44 20 7629 8886
Website: www.benaresrestaurant.com