benares

benares is a stylish michelin star restaurant in mayfair which serves modern indian cuisine with a contemporary british twist. a short uber ride away from the office, a colleague and i decided to try the set lunch menu and see whether it lived up to our high expectation. we were politely greeted and shown to our table. a wooden box of mini poppadoms were accompanied with three chutneys; gooseberry which was amazing, a tomato chutney and pineapple. the dark restaurant interior was sophisticated and glamourous. the only other diners were male and in suits, so i can only presume it attracts a particular clientele.the cocktail menu was very impressive boasting classic martinis to alcoholic lassies. we opted for lassie mocktails, i chose a date lassi which came with a pretty flower on top and my dining partner went for a mango and ginger one.we both chose the mini tandoori platter to start which really was mini. a spiced lamb cutlet sat next to quail supreme, decorated with green leaves and a little jar of mint chutney. the lamb cutlet was insanely flavoursome, the meat was kept on the bone which meant it remained beautifully juicy. everything was great but i could have eaten double – in my opinion it was a tad on the stingy side.all main courses are served with lentils and tandoori bread and rice which is a nice touch. my dining partner chose the curry leaf and black mustard tempered plaice which i wish i’d also chosen. i tasted a little and thought it was delicious, served with sugar snap poriyal (poriyal being a tamil word for fried or sauteed) and malabar sauce, which is a coconut sauce that’s tinted with turmeric and lifted with lime juice.i went for the grill smoked kashmiri chilli chicken supreme “caesar salad” with quail eggs and naan croutons for my main course. all the elements of the dish complimented one another well, the chicken was so juicy and the addition of tiny berries, which tasted like sweet tomatoes, were nice.

on friday i received some good news (and lord knows i needed it after the few weeks i've had!) which called for a very last minute celebratory dinner with indy. it's so difficult to get last minute reservations at a good restaurant in this great city of ours, but angie recommended i use uncover dining, an app which lets users book last minute at some of the best restaurants in london. after browsing through the options for friday evening, i came across availability at the michelin starred indian restaurant, benares and quickly snapped up a table.

benares is the brain child of celebrity chef, atul kochhar, the first indian chef to be awarded a coveted michelin star, whilst head chef at tamarind, and is located in the heart of mayfair. he's renowned for combining his heritage with his love for traditional british ingredients in order to create a unique and interesting indian cuisine.

on arrival, we were greeted by the doormen who opened the doors into a dimly lit reception area which was more reminiscent of a spa than a restaurant. the maitre d' took my name and a hostess led us upstairs to the restaurant, passing a beautiful, calming still water pond filled with exotic flowers at the top of the stairs. whilst the low-lit bar area was vibrant and stylish, the square shaped dining room itself was rather minimalist and lacked personality. our table was located in a smaller dining area towards the back of the larger dining room and unfortunately lacked any sort of atmosphere.

we were asked if we'd like to have a drink at the bar first, but given we were both famished, opted to have drinks at our table instead. as it was a night of celebrating, we headed straight for the drinks' menus so we could get to toasting my good news. the cocktail menu at benares is truly tantalising, taking inspiration from chef kochhar's innovative cuisine. indy ordered a rendezvous, a delicious blend of coconut cream, fresh passion fruit and lychee juice (he's tee-total at the mo!), whilst i went for a glass of one of my favourite champagnes, laurent perrier brut. we were also presented with a box of crispy poppadoms and a trio of dips, followed by an amuse bouche of cauliflower fritters and spicy mint sauce; a nice touch but a bit bland for our tastes.

as mentioned, atul kochhar's take on indian cuisine is a combination of his indian heritage and british ingredients and at benares he has created a menu marrying indian tastes with traditional english fare. opting to dine from the a la carte menu, we headed straight to the starters and were impressed with the variety on offer, ranging from pan-roasted scallops (we don't cook these at home!) to aloo chaat.

we decided to keep starters simple and started with the aloo kachaloo chaat, a warm salad of potatoes, crispy sweet potatoes and yoghurt foam. aloo chaat is one our favourite savoury snacks and we were looking forward to seeing kochhar's take on this traditional dish but unfortunately, we were left underwhelmed due to a lack of flavour and spice.

starters devoured we moved onto ordering our main course dishes. again we were impressed with the variety on offer which ranged from innovative seafood dishes to traditional tandoori chicken. as soon as indy spotted the tandoori murg, nothing else got a look in. an old classic, the tandoori murg was cooked to perfection; the chicken was succulent and the portion size was good. the mint chutney and summer salad were the perfect accompaniments to counter the spice.

also wanting something tandoori based, i went down the seafood route and ordered the tandoori macchi aur kekda, a dish comprising of baked organic salmon, scottish crab croquette, spiced vermicelli topped with a coconut and curry leaf sauce. the salmon was so tender and literally melted in my mouth with every bite. the coconut and curry leaf sauce was flavourful but not overbearing and didn't detract from the salmon's taste. i wasn't a fan of the croquette and found the flavours to be quite overpowering, but overall i really enjoyed my food.

we also ordered a side dish of punjabi chole - chickpeas cooked a spicy, tomato based sauce which was rich - and a side of garlic naan. in hindsight, given how the cuisine is contemporary indian, we didn't really need the naan as an accompaniment to our dishes and it ultimately went to waste.

by the end of mains we were well and truly stuffed with absolutely no intention of ordering dessert...until we saw the dessert menu that is. my eyes were immediately drawn to the dark chocolate mousse with passion fruit and hot chocolate sauce and having eyed it up on our neighbour's table, i knew exactly what i was ordering. not wanting to share with indy, i coaxed him into ordering the guanaja truffle with eve strawberry ice cream, another chocolate based dessert which i was convinced he'd enjoy.

the desserts arrived and i was presented with a plate of chocolate truffles with a congratulations message and a congratulations from our waitress - a really nice touch from the restaurant. the presentation of the other desserts was immaculate. the dark chocolate mousse was essentially a chocolate bomb which melted away when our waitress poured the hot chocolate sauce over it to reveal vanilla ice cream inside. the chocolate was deliciously rich and the strawberries and passion fruit jelly cubes helped to counter the richness. indy and i were literally fighting over this dessert and it was most certainly the highlight of our evening! (you can see a video of this dessert over on my instagram). the guanaja truffle with eve strawberry ice cream was also delicious. a truffle cake, made using guanaja, a dark, aromatic chocolate with a subtle coffee taste. the strawberry ice cream was a great accompaniment and helped to balance the cake's richness.

it's easy to see why atul kochhar maintained his michelin star when he opened benares. the cuisine is a blend of traditional indian flavours, anglicized to create unique tastes. however, i'm inclined to say that in some instances, the strength of the indian flavours are unfortunately lost.

the a la carte menu itself is quite pricey, with starters ranging from £13 - £23 and mains from £24 - £36. however, the restaurant does have a variety of dining options, including a two course (£29) and a three course (£39) set menu, giving you the chance to experience michelin starred dining for a fraction of the price. various other dining options include the chef's table, which gives an intimate view of the chefs and kitchen during the service and the sommelier's table, where guests are surrounded by some of the world's finest wines and champagnes.

whilst we really enjoyed our food and felt the service from our waitress roxanne was impeccable, the atmosphere of the restaurant was really lacking for a mayfair restaurant on a friday evening. it was great that we managed to snag a last minute booking, but somewhere more upbeat may have been more suited to the occasion. that said, i'm happy we've ticked benares off our restaurant bucket list and recommend it to those who like contemporary and innovative indian cuisine.

exquisite, delicious and great ambience! indian food has never tasted so light on the tummy yet scrumptious on the palate concurrently. kudos atul kochar!

the £35 set menu

benares is one of a handful of michelin stated indian restaurants that serve halal chicken and lamb. 

i ate from the set menu, available from certain times only. the 2 courses is £29. 
i choices where limited, me and my friend went for starters - mini lamb spiced cutlet and samosa, mint chutney. main course we both opted for the same thing - chargrilled chicken supreme, tikka masala sauce, spinach pulao and for deserts, we had rasmalai and chocolate and classic faluda kulfi, rose and mango. 

the lamb cutlet was tender, soft and lean. it was fused with deep tandoori flavours and spice. it also had a nice texture to it, with some nice burnt edges. it could of been a bit juicier and fattier. 

the main course was the chicken, the tikka masala sauce was rich in flavours and had a strong tomato undercurrent with a sweet after taste.

for drinks we both had a mojtio at £8.50.

all together the bill came to just under £100. 

the service was efficient but not as attentive as it could have been. we had to wait for 20mims after our drinks came before our food order was taken. im lost with why everyone is giving this place such high reviews - i was expecting better from the food, it was too simple. also the service was below par, slow and waiters very inattentive.  

it was an expensive meal and didn't really fill me up. there was certainly space for more. i've definitely had better indian food and a lot cheaper price. but you pay for the experience of eating at a michelin stated restaurant. 
it's worth a visit for a special occasion. 

food - 4
value - 2
service - 3.5
atmosphere - 3.5

my wife and i ate here and loved it.  the service was impeccable, the ambiance was delightful and the food was excellent.  my wife had the palak paneer and the samosas were delightful as well.

if you are looking for a fine dining experience, benares definitely offers this with an excellent choice in indian food. it is expensive but you are paying for fine dining.

you can not possibly go wrong with benares. if you're looking for an amazing dining experience with fabulous ambience and great indian food, and you're not afraid to spend a little, benares is the place to be! every dish that i've had here--including, believe it or not, the khichdi--is excellent. worth a lot more than the 5 stars that zomato lets me give it!

we’re going to the punchbowl, i tell j, it’s that pub in mayfair, you know, the one that used to be owned by guy ritchie, when he was madonna’s husband. for all i know, it  might still be a ritchie venture but even if it is, we can be eternally grateful that we won’t be seeing madonna in tweed plus-fours ever again. posh indian, she says, what about that? spoilt for indian choice in my manor, i am thinking  trishna or gymkhana (can’t get in) tamarind (don’t want to be in a basement, expensive) roti chai (not sufficiently upmarket for madam this lunchtime), chor bizarre (mixed reports) and the often available benares, brainchild of celebrity chef atul kochhar. we get in at short notice. mr kochhar, started at said tamarind, just down the road, where he helped them to get a michelin star and then left to open benares, where oops, he did it again. i bet his old mates at tamarind were delighted. and the website calls him a twice-michelin-starred chef, which i find a little misleading. he has been in two restaurants, each of which have one star. the website says that he was the first indian chef to receive a star. and i thought that it was the restaurant. silly me. he has restaurants in dublin, on p&o cruise ships, and two hotel restaurants, in mauritius and dubai. spreading the stars around the world. oh, and petts wood. benares has been around for just over a decade  and i have been on a number of occasions, the last when i ate a dish with a tamarind sauce so intense that i found it inedible. i thought they had made a mistake in kitchen and they asked me whether i knew what tamarind tasted like...

the only thing to rival the out of this world food, is the service. the waiter was attentive without being imposing, a fine line indeed.

it is an extremely formal spot with high prices to match, but you know that before you get here. i had the mongsho ghugni, a lamb dish served with broccoli and spanish pepper and i have to say, it was the best lamb i've ever tasted. it just fell apart in my mouth as the flavours just danced around my mouth.

if i could afford it, i would come here all the time to try absolutely everything on the menu. top marks!

simply outstanding! everything was 10/10 -from location to presentation of food to decor.

all of the food was really lovely, beautifully served, subtly spiced and cooked to perfection.

i would recommend you try the tasting menu. it’s a fabulous way of tasting a wide range of indian dishes.

the restaurant decor is stunning and the service exceptional.

food is expensive you will be looking at approx 70 pounds per head but in my opinion worth every penny.

overall- a fantastic experience . 5* food and ambiance. yes, it is expensive, but it has a michelin star! can’t wait to go back.

this place is fantastic..... purely on the rating of the food.it's a bit stark and dark inside, with no natural light but the place is immaculate.of course it's quite expensive, and the food portions are a little petite, but it's run by a michelin star chef, so it wouldn't be correct if the food was not perfectly cooked, balanced and decorated.just lovely!

fine dining in mayfair – curry for change at benares: my guilty secret – when i was first asked to get involved with curry for change, the restaurant that i really wanted to visit was benares.  i have been before, several years ago and loved it then.  now, with a slightly better understanding of indian fine dining, i really wanted to return and try some of the dishes.  and, since atul kochar is one of the longest standing supporters of curry for change, it seemed like the perfect opportunity.  if you chose to go during june you’ll be invited to leave a donation to curry for change.  and, if you want arriving in the lounge bar, everything seemed very familiar.  although benares is a michelin star restaurant it manages to seamlessly blend excellent service with a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.  i probably shouldn’t have tried one of their cocktails, but i have absolutely no regrets   in the main dining room we started to look through the menu.  as my companion, simon from by-invitation

i think that perhaps my biggest gripe with the food at benares is that none of it has any discernible heat. this was a real shame because we both like a bit of chilli. this makes me think that benares is aimed at stuffy businessmen, rather than people who actually like indian food....

firstly, i'm a huge fan of atul kutchar! this is the most inspiring indian food i have ever experienced - better than some of the special places i have experienced in mumbai and udaipur. the service we experienced was exceptional, while you never quite know who "your waiter" is, it really doesn't matter as the servers on hand anticipate your every need. their knowledge of the menu is world-class, telling you every ingredient, method used and the inspiration for each dish. my choice for starter was the soft-shell crab - the combination of flavours and textures were quite simply amazing. for main, the king prawn was beautifully spiced and left you with a lingering smokey flavour - my only wish would be for king prawns to be plated up. dessert was phenomenal ... in future, all my travel to london will be geared on ensuring there's time to visit benares again.