Benares Restaurant & Bar in City of London, Westminster

CONFUSED Came for a birthday celebration, good food but not we wanted, heard much about the restaurant being innovative class food and drink which we could see on our neighbouring table but we were suggested tailor made dishes butter chicken and lamb curry, delecious but not for special occasion. We might come for innovative taste menu. Dull room with ethnic presence. We couldn’t understand most of suggestions. Food 5 Service 3 Atmosphere 1 Value 4

I am writing to share my experience of dinning with you on Tuesday 20th February. To call it a disappointment is a bit of an understatement. I’d bought this as a present my best friend for Christmas. We both love eating out, and do so regularly, including numerous Michelin starred restaurants – however, neither of us had ever done one offering Indian cuisine before. My friend is celiac, so can’t eat gluten. I had messaged even before booking to ensure you knew this and to check that your taster menu would be suitable. I was reassured by the lady I was corresponding with that it was, and we were both very excited. Unfortunately, that excitement drained shortly after starting on our “eight” course journey. The main issues was your way of overcoming the gluten issue. Rather than making any attempt to adapt the menu/dishes, the kitchen simply left off any elements that contained gluten, thus leaving him with incomplete dishes. This feels beyond lazy, and I’m slightly taken aback by this approach from a kitchen of your alleged standard. We stated with the street snacks, three mouthfuls for me – one mouthful for friend, due to all the missing elements. The Malabar scallop dish actually made us laugh. The waiter specifically described the scallop as “big” but I think it’s fair to say it was the smallest scallop I’d ever eaten. You couldn’t even see it when the dish was presented, and we had to try to find it. Obviously, my friend’s dish had no crumb. The halibut dish was fine, but my friends had no tuile. That’s now three out three with missing (unreplaced) elements. The sparking tea was nice, but to list it as a course is a bit of a joke. The chicken momo was actually very pleasant – credit where credit is due. This was only dish you actually substituted for an alternative for my friend. His alternative was a lone piece of chicken tika, slightly overcooked, allegedly with a pea puree. I say allegedly because you could hardly see it. I have included photos by the way, so that you can see for yourself how pathetic it looked. By now we are over halfway, and my friend has had nothing more than a few mouthfuls of anything substantive. By removing the gluten element and not replacing with any carb alternatives the dishes were not balanced, and simply not filling. We went into our final savoury course both still hungry, my friend very. We were presented with a lamb chop, although I couldn’t actually see it as it was covered with a load of rice. Hardly the finesse you’d expect from restaurant of this price point. There was simply no attempt to plate with any skill and Steven had to ask for some extra rice in an attempt to eat something of any substance. Desert was dull. It looked pretty but did not deliver in my opinion. And finally, to the petit fours. One macaroon and some sort of corncake crisp that looked (and tasked) like the sort of thing children make in primary school. It is without doubt one of the worst experiences I have ever had for the price paid. I did feedback our experience, but the restaurant couldn’t even be bother to acknowledge, let alone respond.

This was one of my favorite restaurants in the world. I went here for Christmas Eve dinner and it was nothing short of perfect. I’m a food snob and don’t like most things so this was just the most wonderful surprise and I can definitely understand why they are Michelin Star rated! Thank you!

Excellent service by Mr Shiv! We were here for our anniversary dinner, enjoyed the food and service both. The quality of the food was outstanding and tasted great! We ordered dal makhni, pulav, paneer tikka, tandoori Ratan, chaapon pulav, butter roti, rasmalai, malai kulfi. The portion size was apt as well. Thank you very much for the complimentary dessert, team Benares!

This is still an 8 out of 10, but used to be a 10/10. My scallop starter was excellent and my wife's samosa was also a thumbs up. We both had Chettinad chicken for our main. Not really fine dining standard, poorly presented and not amazing taste wise. My wife had to send hers back as it was still bloody near the bone. Very disappointing for a Michelin starred restaurant. So we could eat together they replaced this with a butter chicken dish (which was not on the menu) and reduce the charge to reflect the cheaper dish. Desert was ok and as it was my wife's birthday, we were presented with a piece of cake with a candle, hardly fine dining! When we have celebrated a birthday here before we have been presented with a beautifully decorated plate of goodies. Surprised there was no amuse-bouche which we always get if we dine at an a competitor like Kanishka, Indian Essence etc. On a positive, the cocktails were amazing and the service was good without being excellent. Last, I was surprised that all they did was replace our under-cooked dish, no complimentary drink or anything else was offered as a way of an apology. This is fine dining and when you spend over £300 on a meal for two, you would expect more of a gesture for such a basic error of serving un-cooked chicken. Despite this, it is Benares and we would return and recommend, but will go to one of Atul's restaurants next time we are treating ourselves.

£220 for set meal for two and food was ok as was service but neither anything special. Presented well but lacked some taste. It’s like a budget ticket. Base price ok but add ons more than double the price. £49 for a glass of Chardonnay? We’ve been to fabulous Indian restaurants in the UK and around the world and this rates as just ok. I guess being in Berkeley Square means they have to charge a lot more.

Benares Restaurant is an exceptional fine dining Indian meal! The service was impecable (particularly our server, SHIV, who was delightful, knowledgable, and charming) and the food was fabulous. Don't miss the samosa tartlets! They were delicate and delicious. My husband and I enthusiastically recommend this wonderful restaurant!

It was our wedding anniversary and we decided to venture food at Benares. Although the food was delicious, the portion sizes were minimal.The samosa chaat was terrible, lamb biryani was alright, only the daal makhani and naan was delicious, the 3 piece meat starter was excellent. The dining area was very low lit and pretty dull. Limited menu with exhorbitant rates. The only reason I gave it 5 stars for service as the staff, Silisi and Shubham were polite, attentive, brilliant and surprised us with a dessert on the house.

Always enjoy visiting this central London eatery, great food with friendly staff. Very informative, Indian cuisine delivered to perfection. Lovely touch having the head chef visiting each table .Will be back again Inshallah.

Location: in the heart of Mayfair in Berkeley Square Atmosphere: it is a question of taste. I find it a little bit dark, but the decoration has a nice touch. Service: very attentive Food: Indian food at its best. Benares had a long journey with ups and downs, but now it is back at the high food experiences in London. Drinks: very good wines list Verdict: 5 stars

You cannot argue with the food - it was all top notch both tastewise and presentation. The trio of tandoori (chicken, lamb and prawn) are top tier and the rack of lamb was perfectly cooked. The service was a little hit and miss depending on who it was and I think the drinks are pretty over priced. Food prices reflect the experience and quality.

The staff was friendly and ambiance was very good. However, the dishes were mediocre and way overpriced. To be fair, i liked it, but I had better dishes for better prices. One of the most expensive restaurants in London.

Too many misses - a Amazing food for the most part but some noticeable misses - at these prices and with a star you expect across the board great food and service - closer to a 3.5 than a 4.0

Food was below average and bland. The fish was uncooked and raw in the middle. They gave us some daal and paratha to compensate but that was tasteless and the paratha was burnt. Not at all a fine dining experience. We have tried other Michelin restaurants before such as Jamavar and China Tang which were much better. Although the service and ambience at Benares was very good, those things are secondary to the food and bad food spoils the whole experience. Overall I’m very disappointed with Benares.

The food was very good and service excellent. I would make a special mention of Mohit who helped is with the menu.

Oh this is wow factor from when you step into the restaurant to when you leave. The staff are so attentive. The food is divine and nicely presented . Nothing is too much trouble . Worth every penny .

One of the best Indian restaurants in London . Was very hospitable and accommodating to our needs . Great service and food .

Superb early dinner with business colleagues. The service and food were excellent. The scallops to start, halibut main, Dahl side and rasmalai dessert.

Food was great. Presentation was lovely. Our waitress , Julia was exceptional. Friendly and attentive. Restaurant was quiet and food was quick. Good fine dining Indian cuisine

My wife and I had a lovely Saturday lunch at Benares, the staff were incredibly helpful, my wife has an allergy to star anies so the waitress explained what she could eat and what to avoid. Quality of the food was exceptional, full of flavor...

Very good indian food at a stiff price !!! we had a very nice evening with the tasting menu which was very nice; however we felt the wine pairing was overpriced. The restaurant had a nice atmosphere and service was good.

Das beste indische Restaurant dass ich je besucht habe Alles perfekt Ist sehr zu empfehlen wenn man in einem Top...

locale indiano veramente al top, gestito super bene con un personale di prima categoria, sono venuto in questo locale da...

Our 2nd visit here and just as good. Lovely friendly waiters who help you with your menu choice and how much to order. The food itself was fantastic, I had the vegetable samosa to start which looked like a little tartlet, it was sublime. And...

Delicious. From the chicken tikka pie starter to the Masala chai after dinner, the food was a melody that never hit a wrong note. The halibut will win over anyone who says they do not like fish and the saag paneer was the movie-star version...

We went for a weekend lunch to Benares. The restaurant felt very dark for lunch service, the lighting more appropriate for dinner time. My visit and review of this place is obviously based on my expectations that I would have from any Michelin starred fine...

Interesting menu: lots of variety. Good quality food. Service attentive. Quite a noisy ambience: acoustics not great, difficult to hold a conversation. But overall pretty good.

Visitamos este restaurante con unos amigos Pedimos muchos platillos al centro para probar ya que desconocíamos la comida Hindu Siendo...

Staff was awesome!! The food and the service was excellent. Server Shiv was great, gave me great recommendations on what to order and explained everything in detail. They gave me free desserts as it was my birthday! What an awesome experience.

On a recommendation, I walked in solo and asked for a table for one. They said they were fully booked for the night. Ten minutes later I was able to book a table for two at pretty much any time I wanted on opentable. Liars.

Not a patch on Michelin star ! We went for a family dinner for a special occasion but were disappointed with experience ! Seating arrangement to staff was all mediocre service ! It was no way close to a fine dining ! May be the...

Great experience - 8 of us all tasting menu and paired wines. Food brilliant with unexpected flavour twists and turns. excellent service and good wine and cocktails

Opulence and flavor combine in a magical experience. The cocktails were inventive. My Negroni was aged 30 days and came with a Campari gelee. We had a selection of papadam that surprised and delighted with their 3 sauces. The wine selection is vast. We enjoyed...

Fabulous and fun! We had dinner at this Mayfair restaurant and can't wait to return again. This was some of the best Indian food I've ever had, and the service was also excellent. Much more subtle and refined that most American Indian food, Benares presents...

I have been frequenting Benares for the past 20 years on every visit to London and seen it evolve from great to greater as well as constantly raising the Bar. The F&B quality, presentation, taste and choices are truly outstanding with some incredible innovations and...

We went for lunch and there were not many tables occupied. The place has a gloomy half light thing going on, which after a few drinks likely becomes atmospheric. The staff here are best described as efficient, though one couldn't speak much English which proved...

Wonderful experience and anniversary celebration. Benares is one of the best Indian restaurants, with one Michelin star, talented chef Sameer Taneja, deserves two Michelin stars. Phenomenal 8 course tasting menu 128 pounds, which includes a pina colada. Some of the wonderful dishes for the seasonally...

Visited here with my daughter for a Birthday treat. It was lovely. The food was amazing. I’ve visited before with my Wife and it just as amazing on both occasions. On this visit the waiter Shiv was brilliant. Very attentive and took care of us....

We have been to Benares a couple of times in the past and have always loved it, so it was the obvious choice for a family weekend in London. I’m very sorry to say I’ve come away very disappointed. As always the food was great...

Wow! Amazing food, fabulous service. A real treat. Everything was five star from start to finish. Cocktails were gorgeous. Food was out of this world.

Amazing experience. We didn’t meet the dress code but were kindly allowed to dine in the private dining area. The staff were most helpful when we decided to have the wine pairing between two of us for a set lunch. When my teenagers decided to...

Our friend introduced us to this great restaurant for a birthday treat & what a wonderful experience it was ! There were three of us & we had the Lunch Tasting Menu & Wine Pairing 👌

Visited in June 10th 2023 to celebrate my 1 year anniversary and I was blown away by the amazing service. When ordering our food, our waiter was able to customise the dishes (for example making one of the starters we ordered tandoori style and easier...

I rated poor rather than average, as for a michelin star, it is considered poor. Sadly, extremely disappointed and a let down on the food we ordered on day my wife wanted to give a special treat on my birthday. Fine Dining cuisine is not...

A solo diner I had a wonderful time. The staff were friendly, gave good explanations and were solicitous. I had the tasting menu and a wine pairing with it. The first dish were three “street foods”. One of these was a small cup of soup...

Benares used to be one of our favourite restaurants. We went there again recently and the verdict was simple: disappointing. When we arrived, we were greeted by a young woman who couldn’t conceal her indifference. She simply pointed us to the stairs leading up to...

My first visit to this place and had little expectation. Absolutely amazing food; their starters were delicious and main course were stunning.

What a special place this is. From the moment we walked in we were having a treat. Everyone without exception gave excellent service and were friendly and not stuffy at all (like other posts have said). We had the tasting menus, me veggie and my...

Best cocktail ever passion fruit chutney martini by Santi Cazorla lookalike amazing mixologist Francesco from Sardinia Five stars 🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪

Amazing cocktails, great experience! I especially recommend to try the Benares lava, the smokehouse rock and rye used is a real explosion of flavours, to try ASAP :)

My wife and I has lunch at Benares to celebrate our wedding anniversary. As it was a special occasion, we chose the tasting menu with wine pairing. Every course was delicious; without doubt the finest Indian cuisine that we've enjoyed anywhere. The wines were well...

Impeccable service and tastes that stays for a long time, this is a restaurant with high ambitions.I can really recommend a visit to this restaurant.

Benares är en Michelinkrog som erbjuder prisvärda 3-rätters luncher utan att tumma på kvaliteten. Allt som serverades var vällagat och...

We had the non vegetarian thali. Which was very nice. Surprisingly filling. Our cocktails were nice but pricy. The staff all very professional and attentive.

We had not been to Benares since the days of Atul Kochar but the food under the direction of Sameer Taneja is probably even better now and fully deserves its Michelin Star. We had lunch on a Thursday and it was certainly quiet and there...

Dinner was awesome and the tasting menu was insanely delicious. The tenderloin, tikka masala, and lamb chops were the stars. Shiv was great as our waiter and gave us great wine recommendations. Would 100% return.

Visited Benares for the first time recently to try the lunch menu, which for 3 courses and a champagne cocktail for £42 I thought was good value. We also went for the optional wine flight which was very nice and served by a polite and...

The food was nice, but mayfair expensive. The whole restaurant has a very weird vibe like you should be grateful to be there. Asked for poppadum's, don't have them. waiting for guest who is running late at the table ask for some bar snacks, no...

Went for the thalli lunch with bottomless wine. The food was nice, but nothing exceptional. The house wine was good as was the service. Enjoyed the overall experience. Would go back but wouldn’t rush .

Everything was perfect: the food, the wine, the service and the ambience. The chicken momos starter was to die for. We will be back.

What a fabulous meal! Amazing flavors!! Singh was awesome! Great recommendations, super friendly & personable. Food & drinks were fantastic. We will definitely be back when we next visit London!

Utterly perfect. The good was rich, complex and tasty. The service was impeccable, the ambience was relaxed and warm. This must be the best restaurant serving Indian food in London. And it’s real value for money.

Delicious food full of flavour beautifully presented. Had tasting menu and wine pairing. Very good relaxed unassuming service , friendly staff thank you

Dinner for 2 on Saturday night. Online booking was fully booked but the lady on the phone kindly found us a table. Parking is a nightmare. We had to circle around 20mins before a place became available. The restaurant is situated on the first floor....

Opted for the bottomless thaali. Superb selection of dishes, everything was so full of flavour. Friendly, efficient staff. Highly recommended.

We visited Benaras to celebrate the marriage anniversary of my daughter and Son in law. We were so happy. It was a memorable evening with very delicious food, and wonderful treatment, especially by Shri George and Shri Mukesh Recommend strongly to everyone in London

The general manager, Sing, was the most attentive and kind ever ! The tasting menu was incredible . The kindly over substituted an item my wife did not prefer . They va be extra courses for her birthday . Lovely decor and a very fair...

I had a wonderful experience on my wedding anniversary at Benares. The tasting menu was fantastic for the special occasion. The wine pairing was splendid by sommelier Radhey who was very polite and courteous to us and gave an honest explanation of the wines. We...

My friend and I opted for the tasting menu and were quite impressed by the progression of delicious, innovative faire. The room was serene, and the presentation of the dishes was amazing. Flavors were subtle and creative. This is not your typical Indian food, and...

This was a brilliant dining experience from the team at Benares. We chose to have the tasting menu and from start to finish, each course really delivering great freshness and flavour. We took drinks from the cocktail menu and again, this did not disappoint -...

We had the tasting menu with wine pairings and it was completely delicious. The service was lovely, they even brought out a slice of cake with a birthday greeting and sang Happy Birthday! We will definitely be back. Thank you

I'm pretty unaccustomed to anything fancy, but occasionally it's nice to push the boat out. My partner and I dined at Benares as a treat during annual leave. The food it splendid and staff very attentive. Thanks to our waiter Shiv and the rest of...

Staff led by Shiv recommendations made from this visit a great experience. Let me share the tasting menu that is definitely worth ask once here. Looking for next visit. Thanks Benares.

An excellent choice for a special occasion. Delicious food, with outstanding service. We will definitely be coming back.

I had a Virgin Experience voucher for a three course meal with a duo of paired wines for two. I took my Mum today, and we just had the best time. The food was fabulous. Every single course that we both had was bursting with...

I had dinner you on Friday, the 30th of December. The starter Tandoori Ratan was good, but then I asked for a mains curry dish all on the menu. We’re Tandoori , I was told they could do me a lamb Rogan Josh when the...

The food was exquisite and perfectly cooked, they took our jackets for us and hung them up which was some of the best hospitality I’ve experienced in a restaurant before. The service was amazing with all the staff being extremely friendly, patient and kind. A...

Nous avons dîné sur place pour le réveillon avec un menu imposé. L’établissement est agréable et le personnel très gentils....

We came here on Christmas Day and had the vegetarian fixed menu. We were first greeting warmly by the staff downstairs and the by Mohit, our waiter for the day, and over 10 courses were left charmed by his and the team’s manner and service....

The food was overall good, the atmosphere and the service as well, what was really surprising to me was that to the fixed price menu 3 things were added: 20% taxes, 12.5% service fees and another 15% ... So in short price shown is really...

We were greeted and seated quickly. However drinks order took over 10 mins to be taken. Then drinks took ages to come. Considering there were ample staff. Food mediocre, no wow factor. Have had better at our local Indian to be honest. For example, the...

Our third visit was for a special occasion. Food was alright. This time, it simply lacked the wow effect. It was lacking in options, especially when it came to halal food. A boisterous, maybe inebriated woman who was sitting a few feet behind us destroyed...

I put Benares in the “posh Indian”camp. In my opinion and also as it happens, my Ny based dining guest when we visited last week, it is the best of its kind in London, possibly all of the UK. Why? Food is great, but so...

We had a birthday visit trying the tasting menu and it was an exquisite delectable experience. Definitely one of the best Indian restaurant experiences with its street snacks and very worthy of its Michelin ⭐️ there was so much care and attention to every course...

I cannot fault the restaurant at all. The staff were friendly & attentive, the surroundings were beautiful & the atmosphere for a Friday night was great. The food was amazing, we both had three courses each & thoroughly enjoyed each one. The highlight for us...

We had the three course menu with wine tasting. The food was excellent, without doubt, the best Indian cuisine we've ever eaten. The staff were without exception friendly and polite. The wine pairing was very good. Unfortunately we had to leave at 6.30 pm by...

Good food. Disgraceful management. Positively average service. Decor looking pretty tired and aging. Overall a pretty sub par expérience, O wouldnt seek to repeat. How on earth these guys got a Michelin star is frankly beyond belief.

Benares restaurant is a good restaurant in Mayfair. Service was very good as was the food and wine. Nice ambiance. Recommended.

we have just had the most incredible meal the food was some of the best I have ever tasted and the oyster was up there one of the greatest thing I have eaten. The service we received from George and his team made us feel...

We took the 2-course fixed menu. The food was always good, but this time after a 2-year pause we found it even more creative. The service was impeccable. The staff was so friendly, even though we had ordered no dessert they gave us two little...

My fifth time at Benares and by far the worse. This is a restaurant that Atul Kochhar made into a legend but it now needs a makeover. The night started badly as we had to wait for our table for 20mins (not even a complimentary...

An outstanding 5* Indian restaurant and bar in the heart of Mayfair. The best Indian cuisine in London, by far. The head chef Sameer is one of the best around, all of the dishes are incredible and the presentation is excellent. The service is fantastic,...

Went for son’s birthday. Had raved about the place but fell so far short of expectations. Service was abysmal- started with reception and continued throughout. Food was average for a high end Indian. Expensive and simply not a premium experience compared to the previous dozen...

I have been here twice. Once several years ago when they retained a Michelin star. And more recently in October. The experiences were very different as was the quality of the food. My first experience was wonderful and really compared to that of other Michelin...

A lovely eating experience. The food was top quality and presented very well. Staff were friendly and informative. There was a nice serene atmosphere in the restaurant. I highly recommend this establishment

My husband and I came to Benares from Norway to celebrate my birthday. We ordered the 8 course tasting menu with wine pairing. Each course was delicious and the wine paired perfectly. What started out as a wonderful night ended up in disappointment. When we...

Het eten was zonder meer zeer lekker, de oester was zelfs fabuleus, maar al bij al bleven we toch op...

Dopo essere stato in passato in numerosi ristoranti indiani a Londra, anche di alto livello, incuriosito dalle recensioni entusiastiche ho...

The place looks like a nightclub from the 1980s, has nothing sophisticated about it and the décor is old and in urgent need of a refresh (especially the upholstery on the sofas). The sad atmosphere of the place (including the wilting flowers on the table)...

It was our anniversary and it was lovely. My partner is allergic to seafood and was offered an alternative tasting menu. It’s not cheap but it is lovely. They even brought us a lovely piece of cake at the end of the evening with a...