Benares
Mayfair, London
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Ascend a flight of stairs to a spacious, plush, low-ceilinged bar and sumptuously furnished, low-lit dining room – a fittingly luxe setting for Benares' Berkeley Square location, where commercial rents are among the highest in the world. Here, Sameer Taneja and his kitchen brigade deliver cooking that goes way beyond your standard Indian. There are several menus, each offering different dishes, so making a decision can be somewhat tricky. We settled on a tasting option and enjoyed flashes of inspiration throughout the meal, from a puffy potato fritter served alongside a cone filled with chickpea masala (a tribute to Indian street vendors) which arrived in a pot with a small tree to a hand-dived Scottish scallop, served in its shell, complemented by a superb Malabar sauce infused with coconut and gentle spices. Elsewhere, tender muntjac, given a spicy marinade before being cooked in the tandoor, had its gamey flavour offset by garlicky yoghurt and a chilli chutney. Top-grade produce was again on show in the shape of baby poussin tikka masala – a twist on the popular dish, which was taken to another level of refinement by precise spicing. Staples such as black dhal and laccha paratha are faultless, too. Finish on a high note with a milky rasmalai made more interesting thanks to a raspberry and ginger jelly topping. Overall, our experience left us in no doubt that Benares is currently serving up some fine Indian food. Service is provided by a crack team, sociable and gracious in equal measure. Nudging over 400 bottles, the wine list is varied and diverse, with prices starting at £38 and 30 by the glass (from £9).
