Benares Indian Restaurant Reviews

The wait staff seemed a little overwhelmed, due to a large group having lunch. However, service was polite and the food, when it did arrive, was everything that wonderful Indian cuisine should be: savory, delicious, fresh. The lunch menu is wonderful; we couldn't believe how inexpensive our lunch was. (There were two of us; lunch was about $25.00 before the tip.)

The lunch menu allowed you to pick items from a couple categories to get the Prix Fix food. It was quite good with plenty of nan to use on the gravy from the main courses. Four of us were able to get good variety and eat family style.

The decor is very attractive and the service attentive. The food is very good. A little on the expensive side, but the value is there.

When you see mostly Indian diners in an Indian restaurant (or Chinese diners in a Chinese restaurant, etc.) you know the place is likely very good. Benares on Murray Street in downtown Manhattan is no exception. I got the most expensive Prix Fixe lunch - the Tandoori Platter for $19.95 on a Sunday in July 2022. Unlike many restaurants, the price does not increase on weekends. It came with four pieces of chicken, cooked two different ways, and a small lamb chop, plus rice, dal, four quarters of a fluffy naan, and a veggie samosa to start. The dishes were cooked to perfection. Tender, gently spiced. Authentic. The serving was generous, and I had to bring half the rice and naan home. My only issue - that the food was mild in terms of pepper heat - was promptly remedied by the waiter with some sliced onions and green chilli peppers. The manager, Mr. Prasad, assured me that on my next visit, they would customize the pepper heat to my taste. All this with cloth napkins, metal utensils, wifi that works, and table service in a setting I would call moderately elegant for New York, made my meal an astonishing value. I plan to go through the other Prix Fixe lunch options in the next few weeks.

Found this place for lunch on Easter Sunday, after visiting WTC memorial. Had a reasonably priced lunch deal and the food was excellent.

We travelled to New York for a family break to take in the Xmas atmosphere. For the most part, the food we had in American/ Italian restaurants was average - sometimes bland but mostly because everything tasted sweet (even the much of the beer seemed laced with sugar). We visited this Indian restaurant to hopefully get a good meal and we were very happy we did. The food really does taste good and they have a good variety of dishes. The service was excellent and very friendly. Also it's location is only a short walk from ground zero so if you are planning a visit to the 9/11 museum, try Benares afterwards - definitely recommend you try it and get away from the sugar...

Tucked away on Murray St, this modest Indian traditional cuisine is a good choice for the TriBeCa area and actually well-priced. The food is good - taste and spiciness is just right. The ambiance is a bit old and I'm not in favor of (slightly) upscale restaurants having booth-sitting areas. The service initially was so-so but definitely improved as the night progressed.

Yesterday we went for an excellent lunch. The food was fantastic, the service was excellent and the music was beautiful. The staff was very friendly. We came with a party of 6 and we will visit them soon again.

We wandered into Benares and found a wonderful, authentic Indian meal at a moderate price. The portions are large, so good value for the $. The wait staff is very friendly but not hovering. We enjoyed a nice conversation with the manager after dinner. We felt as if we were in a small neighborhood place although the atmosphere is upscale, NY modern. Be sure to try the pistachio kulfi (ice cream) for dessert. We enjoyed the extra step that they take to play Indian music. Full bar at the front of the house. We can't wait to go back! Give it a try!

We both ordered the vindaloo and were warned it was spicy. That was the understatement of the trip. I was able to get mine done, my wife wasn't so lucky. However, we were warned, so that's on us. I will say despite being hotter than a flame thrower, it was very flavorful. Also, we started the meal with garlic naan, which was superb. The restaurant is very trendy and nicely appointed.

They have one of the best Indian food in financial district place. Their lunch specials are very reasonably priced. They give good amount of food also. They do need to improve their service, cause lunch time gets very busy and they take a bit longer to attend tables.

Had a work lunch here with paneer tika and malai kofta. Food was quite good and I got a lot for the lunch special price. Service was attentive, though not very friendly. This place is a good choice for a quick lunch and I'd definitely go back.

Fabulous late business lunch on 6th March. Was very quiet given time of day but service very good and food beautiful and really tasty. Was persuaded to try lamb mince curry - loved it !!

I have loved Benares and came here a lot of time but today the service was really really bad. Waiters are rude and they are ok if you give bad review. Like they don’t care what you feel in their restaurant.

Good food, friendly staff! I had been ordering food delivery from this place since it opened. However, I walked in there one day and liked the place so much that I frequently go there for lunch now. The food is good and the staff including the young owner are very friendly!

I have dined here many times with my colleagues over the years. The taste and quality of the food has generally been very good, and I have always been more than satisfied. For some reason on my last visit, the food was still very good but not as good as before. Service is adequate, friendly and efficient. Prices are extremely reasonable. We always ask for the garlic naan which are excellent with the sauces. I also recommend the catfish curry. Hopefully the last visit was an exception and Benares can return to its high standards. Reservations are definitely recommended during lunchtime.

Quality Indian food with good selection of starters and main dishes. The place is cozy and beautifully designed. Perfect place for lunch, friends feet v together

The food was great, and the staff was very helpful. The restaurant looked very clean and modern. Location near the World Trade Center is excellent. Overall a good experience.

Went there because of the good reviews (seen on the TA-App) looking for lunch. We had the lunch-offer (3-course-menu), which was so much, we even take the rest at home for dinner. It tasted very well and really indian. Good choice and cheap (I think it was maybe around 12$ per menu).

Great food Turkish style, good choice of dishes and great service it’s highly recommended… Mezze starts were delicious

I had ordered the food from Benaras couple of times via seamless and found it very average. However I recently visited this place for the first time, and the food quality and service was really good.

Nice Indian food,good service , hot food, served quite fast . Except for the veggie Sabz Handi everything else was good

Most Indian restaurants do buffets for lunch, but this place offers a nice prix fix offer that's totally worth it. I had a seekh kebab, lamb vindaloo, dahl and naan, and all were terrific. Add in the tasty snacks at the table while waiting, and you've got a great spot for Indian. Highly recommended!

arrived at closing in the pouring rain, the guys flexed their closing time to accommodate us : thank you very much. This is my 3rd visit in 2 months I highly recommend the lamb vindaloo and daal makhana : just wonderful….. The staff are super friendly and nothing is too much trouble. I will be back the very next time I am in NY.

Great service, great chicken curry (medium). I also recommend their lunch specials which are very reasonably priced and you get a large amount of food.

After a walking around in the sun since morning we went to this place for lunch... There were alcarte and lunch specials, waiter insisted us taking lunch special. Its pretty moderate... Ambience was good food taste way below average.. I normally keep 10℅ tips wherever I go, waiter came and told me that it will be good if we can keep 15 - 20℅ what the hell... Try other places if u have a choice.

It was an average restaurant. Had good drinks but food wasn’t anything beyond average. I ordered vegetable vindaloo which was not good at all. Wouldn’t go again.

Their murgh khubani is just the perfect Indian entrée! There is a ton of tikka (white meat) in an amazing apricot sauce. Every time we come to NYC, I end up wanted a meal here, either take out or dining at Benares. Take out always comes just as we ordered and packaged up really well. I highly recommend this Indian restaurant.

Excellent Food far away from home!! Served hot and fresh!! Had twice in 3 days. The interiors of the place is also very well done. Staff, food, interiors all 5star. Must visit.

We went here as we were looking for a place within walking of the one world trade and I had read about some of the vegetarian fare and seasonings. The place a good size and ambiance is subdued but nothing fancy. Food: Kashmiri beet n lentil soup was pretty tasty though quite hot and a bit on the spicy side. Benares dum aloo was well made and dinner portions were decent. Paneer tikka spices used were quite tasty on the paneer pieces itself but the salad or whatever leafy things that was served next to it was dry and dead. Note to chef- skip it n serve chutney not yesterday's salad! Peshawar naan was good as was a generous portion of rice that comes with an order of entrees. Desert of 'rasmalai' seemed like it was frozen food defrosted ( packaged product) served up 2 minuscule pieces and almost no liquid in the center of a very large hummus type platter. They didn't even bother to garnish it w/ some fresh chopped pistachio! Service: was pretty sloppy and had to keep calling the wait staff to bring our meal out after the appetizer. Seemed to be a couple of manager type guys in suits at the bar n walking around who didn't bother to check on us and how we liked our meal. The wait staff seemed apathetic. Another issue was they started to take trash out right in the middle of dinner through the restaurant! YIKES! There were at least 4 tables occupied on our end and some folks seated behind us around 9.30pm and they are open till 10pm. Should have really rated it poor but average review is for the pathetic service and experiences. On the food by itself -taste wise I could perhaps give it another chance as I think some of the vegetables were well done not the typical curry hill fare. however I'm NOT going to hike out there to have dinner based on such poor service. A shame as I had been looking forward to dining here with a good experience for us as we were celebrating a milestone!

Restaurant is very conveniently located and has easy access to folks coming from NJ. Staff is good and well aware of the needs of customers. WE had a very relaxed dinner and the food was well prepared and tasted great. The menu has a lot of varied choices for vegetarians. We specially liked the Kholapuri Misal. Both Veg and non-veg options are pretty good

Absolutely amazing food. Benares has been my go-to Indian restaurant in the city for the last 4 years or so, especially because the quality and authenticity is uncompromised. Few of my favorites are lamb chops, papri chaat, chicken vindaloo, and kadhai goat!

Wow, the food was super delicious and the portion sizes were WELL worth the price we paid. I had the Baigan dish, and my friend had the lamb biryani. Both were excellent. Great find! Really nice decor and great service.

I wouldn't go back because of the service. I ordered a simple dish with a very common, easy modification. When the incorrect dish arrived, I politely pointed out the difference between what I ordered and what arrived. I received a rude response, and the server's colleagues came over to correct the situation. But it didn't get corrected. After a few minutes, a new dish arrived, but basically nothing had changed. Members of the staff did not care.

During our holiday in New York, we visited this restaurant twice. We are lovers of Indian cuisine. The service was excellent, they think along with you, for example you can ask if the curry could be spicier, if you like more spiciness. You will experience Indian cuisine in this restaurant. Both times the curries and the garlic nan/kulcha chicken & cheese breads were tasty!

My husband and I were trekking around the city on our last trip there. We wanted some Indian food and stumbled upon Benares in Tribeca. The atmosphere was elegant, the service was friendly and the food was delicious. I love Indian restaurants, because there is always a good selection of vegan options. We ordered curries, naan and puri bread. Everything was flavorful. The spices and hotness were perfect.

Was with Friends and Business meeting at this simple sleek decorated Indian Restaurant for Lunch ( serving special Menu from $ 11 on wards) . We had great kebabs and King Prawns for starters and Curry and Nan was authentically good Indian Flavor. Even the Chef came to our table to esquire and recommended his specialty.. very friendly and Delicious food. Walking distance from ground Zero.

Benares being a Michelin star chef's restaurant, people have lot of expectations. Food is priced fairly - lunch special meals are good on menu but not on taste. Dahi ke kabab felt good in first bite but then the extra taste of cornflour which is not good. Malai kofta was not also as expected. Finale with moong dal halwa as desert was really awesome which atleast kept the worth of visiting this restaurant. Staff is friendly and attentive, nicely located near WTC, you should give a try

The ambience of the restaurant is good, but the food needs some improvements. We ordered gobi, which was literally served without properly cutting the vegetable. The other vegetable was good. Dal makhani was stinking of desi ghee. Quantity was good.

Decor is good and service is excellent, no question about it.However, all good things get washed away with their ways of cheating.Although 4 to 7 is advertised as happy hour, no discounts are given.But what makes it worst, like a couple of other Indian restaurants is that they add 18% tips/gratuity automatically!And top of that they have guts to present the final check to you with again with the tips row kept blank!This is double cheating.Really, the "Benarsi Thugs".

Very conveniently located in Tribeca area of NY City. We went for an early dinner before the show and were able to find a table right away. The place is spacious and is not ostentatious. Our vegetarian food was hot and freshly prepared. Tikka Paneer was worth going back for! Dessert of Pistachio Kulfi was amazing as well.

Excellent food! Excellent service! They do a great job attending to each and every customer! Every person is treated like a family member. It's a delightful experience to dine here.

We stumbled across the place hoping for something different. When asking for recommendations from our waitress she kindly referred us onto her "more experienced" waiter, who simply read the entire menu to us then decided to order on our behalf. The food was bland and the service was poor, a sad start to an exciting night in New York. I wouldn't recommend it, sadly.

Excellent! A great discovery! The food is great and excellent service. We took vegetarian meals and both were good! Good deco!

It could be said that I am a good connoisseur of Indian food, more than 20 years of visits to India prove it. In general, I really like curries, even the mildest western curries adapted to the western palate. This restaurant is an excellent gastronomic corner and very close to the World Trade Center. the food is abundant and well spiced, spicy although not as in india, moderately spicy but the mixture of flavors definitely transports you to mother India We ordered two dishes one vegetarian and one with meat, my wife wanted to try the lamb curry. Absolutely all the dishes were delicious and cooked to perfection. For dessert, be sure to ask for the Ras malai. The waiters very attentive and serious

We went to a dinner party here and the food was par excellence. Surprisingly the idli and sambar were terrific which is rare in a North Indian restaurant and the samosa chaat was to dis for. Strongly recommend both. The service was impeccable... The staff very friendly and polite.

First of all I have to say since I only eat Halal, Im a bit limited to trying a ton of Desi / South Asian restaurants in NYC. But this restaurant has halal chicken, lamb, and goat. The food is so good. They do tame the spice down for tourists so if you are Pakistani like me, then ask for it to be spicy! The waiter Harish was soooo nice and professional. A+

Great service and great food. The waiter gave great recommendations for their best dishes and was very attentive to our neeeds

Frankly, one of the better Indian Restaurants in the City. Having tried a number of them, my experience lately has been that many Indian restaurants are moving away from traditional Indian food and more into 'Asian Fusion' - which I like, but when I want Indian Food, I expect it to be served in a restaurant described as 'Indian'. Benares is a nice, welcoming sort of place with friendly staff and roomy tables and booths. Our waiter was very helpful with good knowledge of the dishes being served. We followed his recommendations and were not dissapointed. The portion sizes are large, so bear that in mind when ordering. My Vindaloo was not served with potatoes which was a bit weird, I admit. But we ordered some vegetables to go along with our main courses, which were very tasty. My daughter ordered Shrimp Curry which was excellent. Our meals washed down by plenty of beer, the evening was most enjoyable.

good Indian food. buffet lunch, cheap, good portions of food, service can be a bit slow during lunch. dinner service is excellent

I can't remember the last time I got food with a group and everyone agreed on ALL vegetarian dishes. It happened here, I swear! And everything was amazingly spicy. I recommend the cauliflower. (I liked it so much I ordered takeout the next day for work) Bonus! The bartender is great, your drinks will stay full.

We were a party of 3 adults and 1 child, here on our NYC trip recently. We ordered a kachori, a paneer dish, roti, naan, and a yellow daal - basically, quintessential Indian fare - nothing out of the ordinary. Yet, service took forever. When the food came in, it tasted decent, nothing to complain about, but also nothing to rave about. I will say that the kachori shell was not crispy. But what took the cake is that the bill had an added 18% gratuity. For 4 people. I am a person that usually tips at least 20 %, and if you do something as simple as pay attention to refill my glass of water when it is almost empty, I'll gladly give you a 25% tip. I'm super easy to please, really. But this 'automatic' 18% 'gratuity' rubbed me the wrong way. I went ahead and questioned the wait staff why they would do this. The waiter actually said, "because there are some people who will just not tip". He even mentioned a race of folks that 'usually don't tip', but I don't think it's worth even talking about here. Another waiter said, "The system adds it randomly. If you don't want to pay, we will take it off". I call BS on it. I ended up keeping my standards and ended up paying the 'automatically added 18% gratuity' anyway. In one sentence: go here for passable Indian food, but be careful about randomly added gratuities and fight for your rights as a customer.

Very tasty authentic food. The raita was spicy which was a shame as it was not cooling which is what you need when eating spicy food. The roti was a bit tough but overall a very good meal.

It’s an average Indian restaurant which has similar name as London Benares but nothing in common very lousy food the staff very rude with very high attitude specially towards Indians will never go again here

Situated in New York's financial district is this authentic Indian restaurant. Portion sizes are quite generous and food is good. My lamb biryani was good, but my wife's lamb vindaloo was a bit bitter. Upon talking to the hostess / manager, the chef redid the dish. They explained that this is generally is a "bitter" dish as it is made with vinegar. Prices are average

During a going-away lunch with workmates, we experienced Benares' pre-foxe lunch menu. All of the items therein with their Indian names with no details, so it's in your best interest to invite some Indian friends to help interpret for you. I thoroughly enjoyed the Malai kebob (a perfectly broiled and lightly seasoned pair of chicken breast chunks) appetizer and the Chicken Tikka Masala (a somewhat spicy/ sweet sauce with perfectly broiled chicken breast chunks). Overall, the atmosphere is casual, the service is quick and steady, and the food is very good, if you like Indian food!

Great food and amazing service for the four of us very near our Smyth hotel in Tribeca, NYC. We will be back later this week for more ;-)

We visited the restaurant in evening of the weekend. We were craving for desi food after roaming the wonderful city sights of New York. We were given table immediately on arrival without booking. We ordered two different plates of vegetable and paneer. We got a perfect blend of curry and rice with all the complimentary chutney. We enjoyed our visit. The food rate are normal as compared to the city.

ek. no. food hai, waise bhi mere city k nam pe hai banaras :) bas aise he aage badta rahe ........ orr banaras orr india ka nam upper jata rahe....

We had watched the Yankees get shelled by the Red Sox and by the time we made it to our hotel, it was closing in on 8:00 and we were starved. We had no reservations anywhere and didn't want to wait. We popped into Benares and were impressed by the décor--it was bright and inviting. We were more impressed by the food. I had lamb vendaloo (sp?) while my wife had chicken. We both really enjoyed our entrees and we also had naan (sorry for the misspellings) and that was served hot and it was awesome. Our waiter was attentive and made sure our drinks and food were served timely. It was a very enjoyable experience!

Visited this restaurant for the first time and it was almost empty ( no surprise when you see how rude the waiter was). We were a bit apprehensive since we had read the poor reviews.So we wanted to order one meal and see if it was good and order the next one only of the food was of good quality. Waiter was very upset and insited we order 2 meals. We said we had a bad experience in an indian restuarnat and wanted to ensure the food quality was good. The waiter then came and removed the napkins and cutlery for others and said no one can share the dish/meal we ordered since its only allowed for one person to have the meal. We were shocked at this hostel/warden type behavior. They should be confident of their food quality and not be rude and insist on us ordering a certain amount of dishes. eventually the food came. The paneer tikka was flavorless. NOT recommended at all. The Adraki samosa was soft and not crisp. the filling was not tasty at all. Another flop. The benarasi daal was good. The Paneer bhurji was good. The malai kofta was poor with very hard kofta and very old curry. Overall 3/5 Would I go there again? If the service had been good, would have tried it again, on the off chance that the bad samosa and tika were an aberration. But te VERYT RUDE waiter deserves for the place to be given a miss. Avoid. Check out the 1 star reviews: they almost all talk about poor rude service. Our experience today. Not worth being treated poorly anywhere in the world.

Authentic Indian cuisine with a modern twist! A MUST for Indian food lovers. Chill atmosphere, excellent service and unique Indian food! Must try if you are in NYC! Saturday brunch options are available! My favorite so far.. French toast with rabri. Mmmm... can’t wait to go again! 😊

Went to Benares for dinner/drinks with a couple of friends and we enjoyed the ambiance, food and a fresh cold glass of Kingfisher beer. The service was impeccable no hiccups at all. Please go visit when your in downtown—located between church and Murray. Recommend dishes: lamb chops, achari chicken, benares daal, and goat biryani 😊

Average food- they do not make different spice levels and sauces are heavy on the tomato taste and not super creamy- chicken is dry- naan is good- service is not that great- once you order you never see your waiter again- so I would not come back

Such a nice spot to come on a date or with family and friends I really like the vibe and set up for lunch dinner or an event! I’m quick to get heartburn but the food here was so good, I didn’t experience any heartburn due to the freshness and quality. I’m beyond pleased! The cauliflower app with the sauces was the best I’ve ever had. You can tell the quality of a meal when the sauces are just as great as the food! Main entrees were delicious as well.. the kofta is a must have! Drinks were also on point! Would definitely recommend! Got to meet one of the owners such a pleasure & class act!

What an excellent place to have Indian food! The place is warm, well lit with comfortable seating and the food is amazing in terms of portion and taste. Wonderful service by the staff and lovely to talk to Mr. Ranbir who runs the place. Must visit if you are looking for Indian food around world trade center area.

Good Restorant by location n service. Been there while visiting WTC n one world observatory. Person was great and was testy .

This place is amazing!!! My partner and I were in New York for 2 weeks staying on church st nearby and were lucky enough to find this place on our first night. We couldn't fault Benares at all. Variety of food was great. I'm vegetarian and my partner eats meat and we both always left happy and full. Good prices, especially the lunch special. That is incredible value.

The food was mouth watering! From the tandoori chicken to the naan! I recommend everyone try it. It’s very close to World Trade Center.

We three couples visited this place last night. We had wine and beer and good vegetarian and non vegetarian food. Very good ambience and very good service and tasty food

We were there for late lunch and had the daily menu. Both the vegetarian and the non-vegetarian daily selections were exhaustive, the two together pretty much covered the entire menu, so it was worth having food from the daily menu. The restaurant is not expensive, the service is quick and polite and the food is good.

Food is great but service? What service? First off, best lamb curry I ever tasted for a long time. Not too spicy but just right. But I come in and no one greeted me or offer me a table. Then I got the seated at the worst table by the main path. Waiter rarely comes over except to bring out the food. Waited an eternity for the check. The ambiance is not great either. Really cheap decor and seats. Feels like eating at a hole in the wall place with really cheap decor to mask it. The food is definitely legit as most customers here are Indian. But I would not come back and order takeout on a rainy day.

Amazing food! Nice location right near World Trade Center. I would recommend everyone give it a shot. Staff is friendly too! :-)

The food is bad. The samosas taste nothing like actual ones. Horrible ambience and interior design added to our lovely experience !

It was very delicious. We followed the recommendations of our great waiter Tere Naam and that was the best decision. He gave us so many good informations about the dishes. We had the lamb chop and chicken and it was perfectly cooked.

This restaurant has such amazing food. I have never tried Indian food like this. The lam-chops are absolutely amazing. The staff is so sweet and attentive. I am very happy with the service that was given. The restaurant is under new ownership which is so much better than before. I highly recommend to come this restaurant. Definitely worth the trip.

A classy spot for lunch in busy lower Manhattan. While other restaurants had lines out the door, we had only to wait while the staff spiffed up a table for us. Delicious food, lots of choice (vegetarian and meat). Friendly and fast service.

Edible but nothing more. Semi authentic Indian food in a very strange cave like setting, with an almost empty restaurant on Monday at lunchtime. Nothing special to recommend this place, and the food was okay but nothing special. I would not go back.

Chanced upon this restaurant when we were looking for a lunch place near WTC. Atmosphere is good. Lunch combo portions were ample, food was very tasty and authentic, and is good value for money. Well stocked bar upfront too.

We had a early diner here starting at 6:30pm which for NYC is very early. The furniture and decor are dated and need upgrading. We started of with Taj Mahal beer the only Indian beer they had and a plate of Samosas and Pakoras. The somasas were crisp and the filling was tasty but not spicy enough for my taste. But 3 samosas for $8 is a great deal. The mixed pakoras were $8 too and included a assortment of veggies dipped in a gram flour batter. We had a large chilli, potato wedges, and mixed onion. The chutneys were very watery. We ran out of beer but no one stopped by to ask for a refill. For dinner we shared 3 dishes Lamb Vindaloo which was very good, a tandoori chicken, the chicken was not marinated enough and we also had a chicken tikka masala. The sauce here was bland and disappointing and the chicken pieces seems like they were too large and tough and dry. We had a dish of rice and a basket of bread. The Naans and Parathas were all very good but not piping hot when served

Contemporary chic decor. Fantastic food. Great happy hour. Go!!! Went twice. happy hour was fantastic and a great deal$$. Came back for dinner and the food was delicious. Tastes and feels upscale, but prices are reasonable.

Highly recommended. The food is healthy and fresh. Great music and atmosphere. Nice people. Clean. A place to come back to.

On a recent holiday to New York , decided to visit this place for drinks and food . Friendly staff provided efficient service and the food quality was excellent with just the right amount of spices . The bill came to a very reasonable price considering the amount of drinks and food that we had . Thank you to all the staff there for first class service.

Our malpua was not cooked well. We were disappointed with the aami-sheera.. Also had the jaipuri gobhi and it was not tasty.

Benaras Restaurant is located in Tribeca close to 9/11 memorial and wall street. We were here for lunch and we ordered from the pirx fix menu. The food was awesome all around. The service was a little slow, but decent. Each table had fritters and chutneys (sweet and spicy) for us to munch on while we waited for food. The Malai kabab was great Chicken Vindaloo was spicy and tasty. Each meal comes with Naan, basmati rice and dal which is great. Dessert did not have options to choose from. On this day, the dessert was rice pudding which was pretty good. Overall, our best lunch in NYC.

We had a really excellent dinner. We chose the tikka platter, which included the most tender chicken, lamb, and salmon. Our waiter helped us pair a black lentil Dahl with it, which was such a delicious contrast. We also tried fried lotus flowers, which were exotic and pretty. The service was excellent. The waiters were attentive and wanted us to be happy. The prices were very reasonable and the place was clean and subdued. I will definitely return. I will

We were lucky enough to stumble into Benares on our way to our evening activity and were pleasantly surprised by their beautiful decor, friendly staff and delicious food. I am not sure that I would go downtown simply to go to this restaurant, but I would certainly recommend it to people in the area. Their sauces were especially delicious.

I have been to Benares a few times now and it has easily become my new favorite restaurant in the city. I am amazed and how consistent the chef is and the staff that works there. This is a restaurant that really strives on customer satisfaction. I highly recommend Benares if you’re looking for amazing food, great service and tasty drinks!

Not run of the mill Indian food that is available at most places in NY. Good quality, Good Ambiance, full professional service. The weekend brunch deal price is so good it will give any Indian outlet a run for their money

I've always found it hard to find good Indian restaurants in New York City. This one was recommended to me and I found it to be fantastic. The Chilli Chicken dish I got was enough for two people and was really tasty. Wasn't expensive either.

Visited this restaurant with two Indian colleagues, the service was great and the food authentic and full of flavor. Thoroughly enjoyed my meal here. Recommend a visit.

Can't say enough about how much we enjoyed our dinner at Benares. Ranbir was a wonderful host and took great care of our group of seven. The menu gave us a lot to choose from. Sometimes, people will consider a menu with a lot of items a red flag, believing quality is sacrificed for quality. At Benares, everything we ordered was wonderful (our group shared a number of appetizers, entrees and desserts) and authentic. Spiciness was just right. Will definitely return next time I'm in New York

I have ordered from here several times. I think I will stop now. The spices are good but the prep just seems consistently lazy or just bad. The chicken is very dry and over cooked every time. It sucks to get a vindaloo dish with crappy overcooked chicken chunks. Last night I spent $57 on 2 entrees and naan and an appetizer. It just doesn't seem like they care. Oh well.

We were looking for something different and stumbled upon Benares. Our experiences with Indian restaurants have generally been hit-or-miss. Not this time. We were seated immediately. Service was very good. The food was excellent!!! I ordered the Tandoori Hen. The dish consisted of a whole cornish hen marinated in lime, ginger, garlic, cumin, garam masala & cooked in tandoor. It was magnificent. The cheese/garlic Naan, and lemon rice went perfectly with the dish. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Fantastic Indian food with great service. Have ordered deliver from here before but never eaten there in person. The entire staff was super friendly and the food is even better

Since it opened, I have visited Benares almost once per week. The food is fresh and tasty and spicy dishes are spicy but milder ones are delicious as well. I like the samosas and the Chicken Saag. The pakoras to start are great too. Service is consistent and attentive. Decor and cleanliness are certainly above average.

It is rare to get satisfying Indian food overseas. Benares was an exception. Not like home food but like good Indian restaurant food. The salan was delicious as was the Benares dal and my group liked the goat curry.

The food was Very good. The service was beyond anything I have ever received in US in the last 20 years. The wait staff was superb. Digambar Damian Surya Kiran Abhinandan Harish Ramita You all made my heart happy. Loved loved loved your hospitality. Will be back with my husband and kid next time I am in NYC.

ordered off the main menu although the lunch special did offer quite a few choices. Service was good, food was very good and the decor was good. I was surprised to get such quality Indian food in the USA as a lot of restaurants here tone down the spiciness for the local market. Our food had a tasty spice level and I would guess that is why there were a lot of Indian customers in there for lunch.

This is the by far the worst Indian restaurant I have been to across New York and New Jersey. I am Indian and have a fairly good sense of Indian food having eaten it pretty much my entire life. The chicken was hard to chew, the vegetarian dishes were far from freshly made and service was pathetic to say the least. To top it off our cheque included a 18% tip without a mention of it anywhere on their menu or otherwise. When we asked they removed the tip automatically added by them which clearly meant that they thought they could get away with the customer overlooking it. This just highlights the customer service this place offers where they try to squeeze money from honest customers. My server had a disinterested and displeased expression for everything that was asked or requested to him and he made our lunch an extremely unpleasurable experience. To top it off the server had the audacity of speaking loudly and telling us to include a tip which of course we did not after such disrespectful and outright rude behaviour. I would most definitely not recommend this place even as a one time visit besides there are many better Indian restaurants in the vicinity or in NYC in general.

I absolutely love this restaurant! The staff is so friendly and the food is amazing! There are so many options to choose from and there’s even a vegan section on there menu! I would highly recommend this restaurant. The lamb chops are to die for. I normally don’t eat lamb but this was so flavorful you couldn’t even tell! Check it out!

I have tried India food several times in Pittsburgh. It was not that great and it was heavy on my stomach. I went here for lunch with coworkers. It was pleasantly much better than the others I have tried. The food was delicious. I recommend if you're in the area try this place out. The service was excellent.

We really enjoyed the lovely food, service was excellent The Restaurant was clean and cool We really enjoyed the visit and would recommend

The food was fantastic, the staff were extremely friendly and attentive and the atmosphere was perfect, not too loud, not too quiet. Definitely recommend for a good Indian in NYC!

This place was full at lunch time, the lunch menu was good and good size portions and the food was quite delicious. We had vegetarian place but the paneer tikka melted in your mouth.

What a great experience, amazing food and service . Huge authentic portions too... Visitor from UK so really appreciated the food and surroundings

The food was ok. We had gone for lunch after visiting statue of liberty. They were very strict about the lunch menu. No sharing. We had 2 adults and 1 child. The place is nice and mainly catered for working people. The people are friendly but they had messed up our order but they fixed it. Its ok to eat once not sure if I would go back. Loved the restrooms, reminded me of the time i spent in kerala.

The food was good, especially lamb! The prices are also in acceptable range. All apetizers are also worth trying. Good service and atmosphere.

I went with a couple of my friends, and I was so so so happy with the experience I had. The food, ambience, etc service was all top notch. Hands down my best experience with Indian food in NYC. Can't wait to go back!!!

This place is delicious! After a mini concert at the church where George Washington was inaugurated; we were craving Indian and spicy food like crazy. We looked this place up and it was a random choice to go to out of the other ones In the area. We didn't put much thought to it and went right over. This place was very inviting since the get-go. It has nice interior decor and a bar which was perfect for their selection of wines. I was craving something super spicy. I usually order the chicken tikka masala extra spicy. The waiter was awesome because he knew exactly what I wanted so he suggested another spicy dish that they can make extra spicy. When they brought it over, omg it was delicious! They also brought these colorful crunchy round chips that were really good with three different sauces.for dessert they have a delicious rosewater ice cream. Great meal, great night, great ambiance. Highly recommend it!

I enjoy Indian food, but never really know what to order so as to branch out a bit. I was with a friend who had never eaten at an Indian restaurant before. Aldi was wonderful in his suggestions. The food was excellent. We both left satiated! We come to New York every summer for a conference and were talking about returning before we even left the restaurant!

Our waiter recommended the tandoori platter from among the lunch prix fixe selections. I am grateful. It was excellent. My colleague and I both agreed. By New York City standards, a great bargain. My wife had earlier tried Benares with some of her friends and they all liked the restaurant, too. May success come to this venture.

Our best meal by far was in the Tribeca area, at Benares. An Indian fine dining experience in the heart of the Financial district, with a menu fully exploring the Indian subcontinent. With a Michelin-starred sister restaurant in Mayfair, London, the dishes on offer at Benares, Tribeca, were beautifully presented and zinged with exotic spices and freshness. Our gluten-free friend was catered for on request, and had a range of dishes to choose from. I have to say it was one of the best Indian meals I've had (and I've had a lot of those!).

I joined a good friend after work at this lovely restaurant in downtown Manhattan. Our happy hour drinks at the bar included an amazing tamarind margarita from the very attentive and upbeat mixologist Sachin! The chicken jalfrieze and chili chicken were quite spicy, but delicious. Mixing in the saffron rice with peas toned down the heat without sacrificing flavor. The decor includes warm yellows, dark woods and a swoosh motif on the ceiling that reminds me of a gently flowing stream, quite calming and relaxing. The prices for this neighborhood are reasonable and they do serve a prix-fixe lunch, as well as half-price drinks in the early evening. This Benares location in Tribeca at 45 Murray St. (there's also one in midtown) caters to the City government and Wall Street workers, as well as tourists who don't have to go far off the beaten track to find it. (photos by Allison Younger)

Hidden on Murray Street, my wife and I (who had eaten here a few times but not recently) went with friends from the neighborhood who had never noticed it and did not know about it. The food is sot of an Indian fusion. Service was great; the waiter made wonderful recommendations - among the appetizers the matthura se and crab chettinadu stood out. All of the entrees were great and went great with the benares martinis I was drinking. All in all, a great night with great food enjoyed by all. The one knock: it closes a bit early; we closed the place at 10.

With the new owners this restaurant is becoming more hospitable and friendly. The chef recommended 3 main dishes including Gulati Kabab, Benarasi Daal and Lamb Chops. I tried the first one and that is quite different from the one I had eaten before. Rice with cinnamon and saffron did taste quite good. Too many other dishes I got yet to try. Parking on Sunday was free. This place is about ten minutes walk from the World Trade Center.

Went here with colleagues who recommended it. The food was fantastic, the environment lively and interesting, and the wait staff attentive and friendly. I definitely recommend this restaurant for a reasonably priced lunch with colleagues!

I went with two friends that know how and what to order. The have both vegetarian and protein items on the menu. Everything was delicious and I will be returning again with a date who is a vegetarian.

Loved this place. The food was seriously good. Highly recommended. No photos. Was too hungry to take any n was too late.. service was good too. 👍🏼would definitely visit again.

They had a good tasting food and good service. We went there for dinner and the service was quite good. The food was also very good. The service prompt. Very decent restaurant. Great ambience. Definitely worth it.

Great ambience, amazing food and staff. I ordered the lobster and it was probably one of the best lobsters I've had in NYC and for it's price you cannot go wrong. I really enjoyed the chicken curry as well. Would definitely recommend to everyone.

We had a really great meal at this restaurant! We were skeptical based on some Yelp reviews and the doorway to the restaurant - but inside - it's really modern and trendy and a great space. We had a phenomenal meal - plenty of fish/vegetarian/vegan options - it worked well for our group (everyone had a different dietary restriction!). We would absolutely return for another meal.

Really poor service. Waited for food like there was no end. Food came cold on to the table the waitress was single handed no staff to help her. Food was expensive to the core compared to the quality. Will never go to this place again. Over all very disappointed.

Nice Indian, just as you‘d expect and we like so much. Really enjoyed the food and the drinks. Certainly a good reason to return if you like Indian food.

I ordered food delivery from this restaurant. It was 0.3 miles from my hotel but decided to do delivery as I was too tired of Travel. I ordered Indian snack called Kolhapur Misal which I know can be very spicy. Hence I ordered medium spicy. Also I ordered saag-paneer and paratha. Both saagpaneer and misal came so spicy that I could barely eat it. Also laccha paratha which usually is softer this came hard. I put this food in my own plates so pictures are from the dishes in my hotel. Avoid this place as food was not prepared according to instructions and also misal don’t have chole/chickpeas. Sorry you did not prepare right food according to recipe. Spicy, poor preparation of food.

My second trip here. The first time in July 2018 my colleague suggest the entrees and the spicy was mild. This time and went with the waiter suggest eggplant dish. Very spicy. Still enjoyable. The lunch special is $11.95 or $13.95 and includes an appetizer. I had the lentil soup my friend had samosas. Not too crowded and very attentive staff. Worth a try if you are in the neighborhood.

amazing food , staff and environment with great music. Really good. Staff were helpful and all smiling. No complaints at all. Now everytime when my friends say’s let go for indian food first thing that gonna come in my mind is benares. Had really amazing experience. Where do i start from the atmosphere were so good so was the food. Staff were respectful funny and really helpful. The plus point of this place is definitely a great service.

Strolled the downtown area looking for a lunch spot for one. Came across the menu posted outside Benares and knew this was the place. Authentic Indian cuisine in a well-heeled atmosphere. Once inside, I was seated at a table of my choice and instantly tended to. The manager, or owner, took my order: Chicken Vindaloo 'very spicy' with naan. Yikes! Upon arrival at my table the aroma of my dish called all my senses to attention. Every bite reminded me of why I love Indian cuisine and how 'spicy' is interpreted by an experienced Indian Chef. This is a must-do Indian treat near the Seaport or when visiting the area east of the World Trade Center area. I will return with friends, family and colleagues.

I stopped here for lunch after visiting the World Trade Center monument. They had a great lunch menu. It was a ton of food for a great price. If you like Indian, and are in the area, I would check this place out.

If you work or just visiting Tribeca and in the mood for Indian food then look no further than Benares, The service, atmosphere and food is excellent. From the Samosas to the Curries to the veggie dishes, this place is simply the best.

What a terrible image for the New York hospitality! I live in the neighborhood and wanted to take my out-of-town guests for a nice Indian dinner. The food is indeed good but I have never been as embarrassed as I was at Benares last night. I was not sure whether the waiters didn't want us there or they didn't want to be there themselves. If you are visitng New York, please note that this kind of service is very unusual; we welcome our guests!

Went here for lunch. Good selection. Good prices. The have a pre-fix menu for lunch. Pretry good location

very nice restaurant with excellent flavours. the service was great and everything tasted great. it was a nice suggestion from other trip advisor travellers. we tried three different kinds of chicken and all had their own distinctive taste. interresting dessert! the only disadvantage is that it's a bit pricey!

Great for dinner and lunch. The lunch specials are a bargain and the food is always and dependably good.

The lunch prix fix is really great with the lowest salt content I have experienced. You can ask them to vary the hot spice. This is a new restaurant in the Tribeca area. Staff is friendly and willing to do whatever it takes to make you happy. Inside the sound is subdued and the lighting is slightly dimmed. It is the type of place you take a date to impress without the big price. Or you can eat lunch here and have an excellent meal. The food reminded me of what I ate when I visited Mumbai.

This is a very nice place for couples to eat. The service is great and the presentation of food is beautiful. Food was tasty Indian fusion food.

Had there pre-fix menu which had lot of options to choose.. food was flavorful and would go again...

Our meal was average. We had a lamb appetizer that was good and a lamb main dish that was was good. The chicken in tandoori dish was dry and the rice was too dry. Naan bread had a slightly burnt flavor and seemed more like pita bread than naan. Vegetables with tandoori dish were undercooked and served cold. Service was very good however and wait staff was very attentive.

Honestly could not find a fault with this restaurant. I went whilst on a family trip to New York, and happened upon this gem while browsing restaurants on Apple Maps. The facilities were clean, the restaurant was cool, and the staff continually ensured that we were catered for! The food was delicious, and was also reasonably priced (a nice rarity in this city). I had the chicken tikka masala and would certainly recommend. The rest of my family were certainly delighted that I managed to find such a restaurant!

Ordered food for delivery via the Slice app (yes! For some reason this Indian restaurant is on a Pizza-centric app). Did not eat at the restaurant. Ordered Saag, soup and appetizer. All were tasty but surprisingly bland, especially the Saag. The accompanying rice was white rice, similar to, but better than, the type usually from Chinese eateries. (The aforementioned blandness makes it easy to add select spices, veggies, protein and/or seafood to the Saag and soup on your own.) The varied selections on the menu are pretty good, more seafoods (for example) than neighboring Indian restaurants. Delivery was very timely and the food was well packaged in great condition.

The lunch special - vegetarian 3-course for 10.99; meat for 12.99; lamb for 16.99 (and there is also a fish one, forgot price) is excellent. You order from a selection of appetizers (very tasty, and just right spice wise). Then you pick a main dish. Rice and naan come with dahl in addition to the meal. There are three sauces and a pre-meal appetizer - also tasty. Desert was miniscule - custard and fruit - but I was too full for mine anyway. The place was full, I was impressed at how efficiently it was run without pressuring guests in any way. Will definitely return.

Good place for lunch. If you are in Tribeca and craving for Indian food then this is the place to go - how awesome is a quality 3 course meal for under $15

The tastes were great shrimp and lamb as starters and chicken biriani and rogan josh as main. Portions are generous and taste great. Pity that shrimp and chicken were too obviously frozen, ie dry and chewy. Service was friendly and attentive but slow. I appreciate this compared to the rushed service in most places.

Benares is a well designed, charming Indian close to the financial district. We enjoyed really good Indian dishes, mains a spicy chicken vindaloo and a great lamb saag. Both tasted very "Indian", just a bit lighter than the originals. Tastes and freshness, especially of the saag, were impeccable. Also the service equalled the dishes. Why only 4* then? First, the salad was limp and bitter. I'd expect and equally high quality of it. And some sides are way overpriced, eg a small portion of chutney for $4. Overall, one of the best Indian's in NYC with very good service at fair prices.

The place was really nice and the waiter was really helpful for the choice (it was our first time trying Indian food). He gave us good advice for the potato bread (a must) and as well for the other dishes. The food was super tasty and flavorful! The quantity was mor than enough. We highly recommend this restaurant!

An excellent restaurant with delicious food. Our waiter Aldi did a wonderful job helping us with the menu. See you again!

We went for lunch on a bsuy weekday. Very slow service The food was great. Resonable price for the amount of food

We absolutely love ordering from Benares! The food is consistently fast to come and always made to perfection. The Veggie or chicken jalfreezi is the best we have found in all of NYC. The samosas are served with the most delicious chickpeas and a variety of chutneys. Can not recommend this place enough for those who love the British style of Indian food!

This is a good restaurant with a nice ambiance and excellent food. Sadly, the rating I am forced to give stems from the pathetic service that seems to have been a recent phenomenon. The closing of a nearby Baluchi's has resulted in Benares being the sole sit down Indian restaurant for Lunch. Perhaps this has emboldened the wait staff to be appallingly bad. And the wine list has seen better days. It has stayed the same over the past 3 years. Oh well, time to block some extra time for Lunch and explore other restaurants in a larger radius. I do feel bad for the Kitchen staff - whose wonderful effort - is being laid to waste by the wait staff.

THE COUPLE • Not going to lie, we get excited for date nights like a 7 year old freaks out when their parents tell them that they're going to Disney Land🎉🙌🏼😁 • THE COOKBOOK • Main Dishes: Butter chicken Rohan gosh 🙌🏼 Malai kofta Saag paner😍 . Appetizers: 1. Khasta ghobi 😋 2. Makkah ka soweta 3. Kandhari Murgh 💥 4. Koli erachi 5. Chicken tikka smokey 6. Chicken tikka 🔥🔥🔥 7. Paneer tikka 8. Mathura se (aloo tikki) 9. Banarsi kachori ❤️ 10. Fish amritsari • Special Thanks To @Benares_NYC for a remarkable night out!!!

Worst hotel ever. Food was so pathetic and was so overpriced. And they have cheated customers by adding 12 dollar gratuity fund on a bill 45 dollars without informing the customers and plus taxes.Never visit this restaurant .Waste of money and time