Benares

I have written previously about Benares and its head chef Sameer Taneja. In addition to the a la carte, a three-course set menu at lunch and pre-theatre was available at £49. The tasting menu was £135.

At this latest meal, we started with a series of canapes. The most visually elaborate was a small tree, on whose branches hung fried spicy potato balls. Accompanying the tree were more conventionally plated canapes of a potato tartlet with apple jelly, and a cocktail stick with a little kebab of guinea fowl, duck and chicken. The latter for me was the best canape, as it had excellent deep flavour (15/20 canapes).

Chicken and winter truffle shorba (soup) had deep flavour of chicken, which was nicely complemented by the delicate aroma of the winter truffle. I often think that soups are an underrated element on menus these days, though the best ones, such as those made by Marc Veyrat, can be dazzling. This was certainly a genuinely lovely dish, packed full of spicy flavour and ideal for a cold winter night (16/20).

Malabar scallop was a Scottish hand-dived scallop baked on its shell, served with coconut curry and a paratha. This was a lovely dish, the scallop having good natural sweetness, the coconut curry having vibrant spices but did not dominate the scallop, and the paratha had gorgeous soft texture. This dish was even better than I remember it (17/20).

A tikka course comprised a tandoor lamb chop and chicken tikka. The lamb chop was cooked pink, and both the lamb and the chicken had absorbed their spicy marinade very well (16/20). Hiran boti (venison boat) tikka was fallow deer prepared with green chilli and pine, served with a garlic flavoured creme fraiche and smoked chutney. The venison had excellent flavour and was very tender, the gentle bite of chilli lifting it and the garlic a good complementary flavour (16/20).

Griddled fillet of duck breast was the final savoury course, appearing with a dosa on the side and also with a dish of butter chicken and a makhani dhal. Garlic naan had an excellent texture, being soft and supple. The duck was from Silver Hill in County Monaghan and is a breed unique to that farm, having won several Irish food awards. It is particularly popular with Asian restaurants, and they export many of their 82,000 ducks to Singapore and China. The duck was cooked pink and indeed had a very good flavour. I really liked the butter chicken that was served alongside, the curry having lovely richness, while the crisp dosa gave a nice contrast of textures. Garlic naan on the side was also excellent (16/20).

There was a pre-dessert of chikoo (aka sapodilla) ice cream with frozen yoghurt. This fruit is native to Mexico and has a sweet yet malty taste (14/20). Dessert was a vanilla and cardamon rasmalai reimagined in the form of a cheesecake. The vanilla from Madagascar had plenty of flavour that came through well, with the peppery note of cardamom adding an interesting extra taste (15/20).

I was with some friends and didn’t see a bill, but if you ordered a la carte and drank carefully then a typical cost per person might be around £110 or so. Obviously, this would be less if you went for the set lunch menu and more if you opted for the tasting menu. Benares offers a high standard of cooking in a smartly decorated space, using a standard of ingredients that is higher than in many Indian restaurants.

Further reviews: 24th Aug 2023 | 12th Aug 2021 | 31st Oct 2020 | 28th Sep 2019 | 06th Apr 2016 | 01st Jan 2008 | 01st May 2003