There is something to be said for a menu that tells you exactly what you will eat and in what order. The tasting menu has its place, and at Benares Restaurant in London it is a considerable one. But there is also something to be said for choice; for the freedom to compose an evening according to personal preference, to linger over a starter that demands a second visit, or to build a meal around a single dish that has been on the mind since the last visit.
The à la carte menu at Benares Restaurant is built around that freedom. It is not a simplified alternative to the tasting menu. It is a different kind of experience entirely, one that places the guest at the centre of the decision-making and trusts them to find their own way through a kitchen that has been refining its craft for over two decades.
Where to Begin
The appetiser section alone offers a sense of the range available. The Tandoori Ratan brings together a smoked Kashmiri chili Welsh lamb chop, a Kasundi king prawn, and a bird seekh kebab on a single plate; a refined introduction to the kitchen’s ability to handle multiple proteins and techniques simultaneously. The Malabar Scallops arrive baked on the shell in a creamy coconut curry with a traditional Malabar paratha alongside. The Oyster and Sea Bream Chaat, a dish that appears across several menus at Benares Restaurant, pairs cured seabream with Carlingford oysters, roasted raw mango panna, and spiced masala boondi crisps.
Each dish is complete in itself. Each also points toward what follows.
The Main Event
The main dishes on the à la carte menu reflect the same philosophy that runs through everything at Benares Restaurant: take exceptional British produce and apply the depth of Indian technique to reveal its fullest potential. The Gosht Kalimirch pairs a Welsh lamb shank with Sarawak black pepper and sweet corn haleem; a combination that is both unexpected and entirely logical once tasted. The Mysore Batak Masala Dosa wraps Silver Hill duck fillet and spiced leg masala inside a crispy dosa, served with a fiery red chutney. The Chukundar Kofta Korma offers beetroot hash browns in a fennel and cashew nut korma sauce; a vegetarian dish that needs no apology and makes no concessions.
For those seeking something more interactive, the Tandoori Murg Experience for Two offers a carved cornfed chicken crown alongside coronation chicken thigh and drumstick tikka masala; a dish designed for sharing that brings the theatre of the kitchen to the table.
The Sides That Complete It
A meal at Benares Restaurant is not complete without consideration of what accompanies the main dishes. The side list is a serious one. Dal Makhani; slow-cooked black lentils in a creamy, buttery sauce, is the kind of dish that earns its place on a menu through decades of refinement rather than novelty. The Palak Paneer, soft cottage cheese with spiced fresh spinach, is a study in restraint. The breads- roti, paratha, naan, and kulcha- are made fresh and arrive warm, each one suited to a different kind of eating.
These are not afterthoughts. They are the foundation on which the rest of the meal rests.
A Menu That Rewards Returning
One of the qualities of a well-constructed à la carte menu is that it gives regular guests a reason to return without the obligation to repeat themselves. The seasonal approach at Benares Restaurant means that the menu shifts with what is best and freshest at any given time of year. A dish that was available in spring may not be there in autumn. A preparation built around a particular British ingredient will appear when that ingredient is at its peak and step aside when it is not. For guests who visit Benares Restaurant more than once, the à la carte menu is the version of the experience that changes most visibly with time. It is also, in that sense, the most honest expression of what the kitchen is thinking about right now.
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