Benares
WLC Rank : 72
VALUE: 90
SIZE: 91
RANGE: 92
ORIGINALITY: 92
SERVICE: 94
Overall score: 91.8
BEST FOR
- Luxurious Venue
- Nuanced modern Indian plates by Atul Kochar
- Wines chosen for spice laden dishes
Another Michelin-starred haunt, Benares is located in flashy Mayfair, and named after the north Indian city sacred to Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains. Its former head chef, Atul Kochhar, who parted company with the restaurant earlier this year, was the first Indian chef to win a Michelin star in 2007, and his legacy still runs deep throughout its menu. Dishes may include an appetiser of tandoori tatan (chargrilled sea bass, chicken tikka, Ajwaini king prawn and lamb Seekh kebab), followed by Hiran Ke Pasande (New Forest venison, kale and chestnut mushrooms, biryani, butternut squash purée chocolate curry), finishing with cheesecake-like, rose bhapa do with spiced chocolate lava cake.
Group wine buyer, Jeepson Lopes, previously of Quilon, chooses wines based on how they compliment the kitchen’s ever evolving Indian cuisine. “The traditional spices of our dishes work well with fruity, off-dry, creamy, buttery, well-rounded whites such as Ktima Gerovassiliou Viognier from Epanomi, Greece,” said Lopes. “With reds, we’re looking for something light – think softer styles, such as Muddy Water, Waipara New Zealand Pinot Noir. And Syrah works extremely well with anything coming out of the Tandoor. Especially if it is older – wines with age tend to pair better with spices, which are at the core of Indian dishes.”
Here is what Wine List Confidential’s Blyde had to say about its wine list: “Highlights on the list include, via Coravin, biodynamic, Batàr (Querciabella), produced by industrial designer, Sebastiano Cossia Castiglioni, and bin ends such as Antinori’s Il Pino di Biserno, as well as, for those guests with an adventorous disposition and an extremely robust credit card, Yannick Alléno’s realisation of Le Secret des Grands Chefs (SGC), a blend endorsed by Gerard Basset MW and MS, amongst a good smattering of top-tier Bordeaux estates.”
Benares, 12a Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London, W1J 6BS; Tel: +44 (0)20 7629 8886
