BENARES RESTAURANT | MAYFAIR Reviews Summary

Ambiance

Pros:

• "The ambiance was fun and inviting."
• "Made our 1st anniversary extra special and a night to remember."
• "Prices were reasonable and the ambience was a fusion between modern and Indian."
• "I loved the interior really had a sense of mystic."
• "Really lovely ambience in the restaurant with dark mood lighting and Asian inspired decorations."
• "The dining area is large with good lighting and a sophisticated ambience."
• "The restaurant is absolutely beautiful. The atmosphere is perfect."

Cons:

• "Overall atmosphere felt stuffy and not at all worthy of a special occasion."
• "Very honestly didn’t get the fine dining feeling."
• "Ambience is just ordinary."
• "The space probably lacked a little atmosphere for a Wednesday lunchtime but it was quiet and a big space which would be why."
• "Decor overall felt dated and old fashioned."
• "REALLY old decor; makes the entire vibe and atmosphere feel off."
• "Ambience: Too too Dark in the sake of ambience lighting."

Service

Pros:

• "Brilliant service. Staff were friendly and accommodating."
• "The service is impeccable, with a knowledgeable staff that guides you through the gastronomic journey with enthusiasm and grace."
• "Friendly Service from every staff member."
• "Service is really great and food is delicious."
• "Service is also very good with all the staff very helpful."
• "Service was very friendly."
• "Customer service was A1. Very attentive staff."

Cons:

• "Difficult to find a smiling waiters here... somehow all of the waiters (except 2) were stressed and were not smiling."
• "Just the service, was not up to the mark."
• "The staff weren’t attentive and properly trained to be serving in a Michelin star restaurant."
• "Funny part, the waiter forgot to give us wet towels after our dinner."
• "All of the staff looked annoyed and bothered."
• "Robotic, hurried service."
• "The service was sub-standard with no finesse."

Food

Pros:

• "Food was excellent with great wine pairings."
• "The food was delicious and the lunch set menu was well thought out and good value."
• "The food was melting in our mouth."
• "Benares and its culinary genius Chef Sameer Taneja deserve all the praise for breaking the ‘curry house’ image of Indian restaurant in London."
• "The tandoori lamb chop was scrumptious and wish if I had a whole rack of it."
• "Food was fantastic, incredibly tasty and beautifully presented."
• "Everything was fantastic but the standouts were his tandoori guinea fowl with smoked aubergine purée starter (meat as tender as butter) and my sea bream with a coconut sauce."

Cons:

• "Limited choices on the lunch menu."
• "Food was average."
• "They gave us some daal and paratha to compensate but that was tasteless and the paratha was burnt."
• "The mains courses of halibut, chicken and lamb chops were very disappointing."
• "The fish was uncooked and raw in the middle."
• "Below average food, frankly I feel the Indian food I make at home is way superior than this in terms of flavor and authenticity."
• "The worst part is serving undercooked food."

Value

Pros:

• "Prices were reasonable and the ambience was a fusion between modern and Indian."
• "The wine list, the cocktails and experience at Benares are any connoisseurs delight."
• "Good Vegetarian menu, tasty Thali with good portions and right Indian taste of the food."
• "The lobster biryani is a must."
• "Prices are reasonable for a star-restaurant."
• "Definitely worth a visit. 4 went were fed well and bill worked out £70/head."
• "Great food, great service, value for money was actually really okay."

Cons:

• "Extremely overpriced having reached at the end of the meal and both agreeing that it had been delicious, some stand out dishes, but not as impressive as other Michelin stars in London."
• "Wasn’t all that for the price you pay."
• "At £600 for two, I will not be back."
• "Price did not justify vs other tasting menus."
• "Very, very overpriced, contrived food in tiny portion sizes."
• "Very very very expensive, food average."
• "The final bill of £360 for two people was too high even for a great experience."