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Benares London
3
3
Reviews
Indian in London
- Mayfair
12 Berkeley Square
, Mayfair, London, W1J 6AN
+44 (0) 20 7629 8886
http://www.benaresrestaurant.com/
Benares, in London, is a local Indian restaurant. They offer Indian dishes . Benares Indian restaurant’s post code is W1J 6AN.
Tags:
air conditioning, cocktails, Curry, indian, vegetarian dishes
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Benares
London
Reviews
Maybe it was an off night - Having eaten a few days ago at what I described as my top british curry experience (see Lahore Kebab House review) I was looking forward to comparing it with the Michelin starred curry at Benares. Interestingly it is Benares' Chef Atul Kochhar who wrote an article where he rated Lahore Kebab House as one of the top 5 curry houses in the UK.
Anyway back to Benares. When you walk through the door the scents are enticing. I was impressed at the buzz in the restaurant for a Tuesday night, though it was mostly men in buttoned down shirts and ties (so much for the credit crunch)!
Our starters were lovely. My soft shell crab and squid salad was slightly spiced and the crab nice and crunchy. My husband had quail which was 'tandoori' style. Tasty indeed though hard work for the little meat of those tiny quail bones.
My husband ordered a lamb byriani for his main. There was a lot of it, too much to finish. It tasted great, but the texture was a little 'mushy', the rice grains a over-cooked. I ordered lobster tails in a coconut curry sauce - the most expensive main course on the menu and the biggest disappointment. The meat was overdone - which is a tradegy when it comes to lobster. It was tough and chewy. Disaster. I should have sent it back...but I haven't mastered that skill yet and instead I filled up on side dishes of rice and aubergine.
For dessert my husband won again with a very nice white chocolate mousse which was infused with rose water, ginger and pistachio. It was really light and fluffy and tasted delicious. I went for a chocolate pudding which was the perfect texture on arrival and tasted great on its own but was soon made soggy by the sauce it was floating in. Though I tried to get it down quick, the dessert was soon mushy. Boo.
We skipped coffees but the petit fours were nice. Wines were reasonably prices and well matched to the spicy food. Service was pleasant and efficient. But overall I was disappointed on too many food fronts, especially for the Michelin star prices. Maybe it was an off night for Benares.
24-09-08
Tags:
Michelin Stars; indian; mayfair
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Not your average Indian.... - When my husband said he was taking me out for a curry for our wedding anniversary, boy was I in for a surprise. Benares is a high end Indian extravaganza located in Berkeley Square.
We started off with drinks in the dark and glamorous lounge bar – a peach and lemon thyme martini for me, and a bubblegum martini for my husband. What a revelation that was! Homemade bubblegum syrup, vodka and just a splash of lime created a drink that was both sweet and sour. The lounge bar has an extensive range of reasonably priced sharing platters, so a great option for an evening out with a group of friends. Another round of experimental cocktails (Ginger and Curry leaf martini and a superb margarita) and we were ready for dinner.
The dining room was packed and had a great buzzing atmosphere. Whilst perusing the menu we had some wonderfully light mini poppadums and homemade chutneys to nibble on. For starters we had both had spice crusted scallops which arrived as three scallops served as individual bites, each with a slightly different combination of spices – starting from mild through to hot. For mains I had grilled tiger prawns served with a curried sauce whilst my husband’s tandoor grilled monkfish tails won best dish of the night – juicy meat with a hint of char-grill, topped with a wonderful coriander sauce. A side of aubergines and some rice and we were absolutely stuffed. Drinks-wise we indulged in some house champagne, a glass of crisp Indian sauvignon with the starters, and a bottle of wonderfully fragrant 1993 Mosel Riesling with the mains. Service was swift and charming. I will definitely be back for more of those cocktails!
01-06-08
Tags:
cocktails, glamour, Indian
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Hear it from an Indian! - So many times I get asked where to go for a good Indian...why oh why do people still think Brick Lane is the place?
Mumbai is truly a happening city and there are many new hip restaurants...it has moved on from streetcarts and food stalls, y'know?! Benares has excellent food, a great atmosphere and gives the Londoner a real taste of the glamour of Mumbai!
24-10-07
Tags:
Bollywood, curry, Indian, upmarket
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