Benares
“Sameer Taneja's £135 tasting holds its Michelin star through 2026. Book it to impress clients who think they know Indian food.”
About Benares
Berkeley Square hides its best kitchen up a flight of stairs at number 12a. Benares opened in 2003 and made its name as the polished end of British Indian cooking, but it found its present form when Sameer Taneja took charge of the stoves: the Michelin star he secured in the 2021 guide has been retained every year since, and the restaurant announced the retained 2026 star on its own site. Taneja's method pairs British ingredients with Indian technique, so Cornish scallops meet Malabar spicing and slow braised duck arrives in the nihari tradition.
The tasting menu is the full argument at £135, with paired wines at £129, and its centrepiece has become one of the most photographed dishes in Mayfair: the fish biryani, baked under a pastry dome and opened at the table in a rush of cardamom steam. Around it sit Malabar scallops with coconut and curry leaf, chaat that snaps and dissolves in the right order, and breads from the tandoor timed to the course they serve. The à la carte keeps the room honest at lunch, when Berkeley Square's offices arrive in numbers.
The room itself plays against expectation: you climb past a pool scattered with flowers into a dark, low lit lounge and bar, then a dining room of leather and dark wood that feels closer to a members' club than a curry house cliche. Service runs formal but warm, the bar mixes spice led cocktails worth arriving early for, and reservations run through OpenTable with the private Berkeley Room available for larger parties.
The Room
A first floor suite above Berkeley Square: flower strewn water at the entrance, a long cocktail bar, then a dining room of dark wood, leather and white linen. Light is low, tables are generously spaced, and the acoustics keep conversation private, which is why so much Mayfair business crosses this floor. Smart casual reads right; jackets are common. The chef's table looks into the kitchen for six.
Why book it, occasion by occasion
Rank says how good it is. Fit says when to book it. Benares earns its keep on these evenings.
For the client who thinks they know Indian food
Most guests have a fixed idea of what an Indian restaurant is. Benares dismantles it in three courses, which makes the dinner itself the demonstration of judgment. A Michelin star retained through 2026, a Berkeley Square address, and a fish biryani cracked open at the table give you spectacle with substance. Book the dining room rather than the bar, ask for a corner table, and let the sommelier run the £129 pairing for the full effect.
For the negotiation that needs a private register
The room was built for discreet conversation: low light, wide spacing, staff who read a table and withdraw. Lunch is the professional's slot here, quicker and quieter than dinner, with the à la carte keeping timing under your control. For the decisive evening, take the Berkeley Room privately or the chef's table for six, where the kitchen carries the theatre and the terms can be discussed between courses without a neighbour in earshot.
For the anniversary that wants spice and ceremony
An anniversary dinner needs a moment, and Benares has a built in one: the biryani dome arriving sealed, then opened in a column of fragrant steam. Tell the team the occasion and the pastry section marks the finale without a sparkler in sight. The £135 tasting paces the evening over three unhurried hours, and the bar downstairs is the right place for a final cocktail before the walk across Berkeley Square.
What to order
The tasting makes the decisions for you; the à la carte rewards nerve. Either way, these are the fixed points.
- The fish biryani
The signature: a spiced fillet baked under a pastry dome, carved open at the table. On the tasting and worth building an à la carte order around.
- Malabar scallops
Cornish scallops against coconut, curry leaf and controlled heat. The clearest single plate of Taneja's British produce, Indian technique argument.
- The duck nihari
Slow braised in the old nihari manner, rich and deeply spiced. Order it if the day is cold and the meeting is long.
- The wine pairing at £129
Spice defeats most wine lists; this one is built for it. Riesling and Rhone whites where you expect them, and reds that survive the chilli.
Practical
- Address
- 12a Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London W1J 6BS
- Reservations
- OpenTable · dining room and bar
- Tasting
- £135 · paired wines £129
- À la carte
- Lunch and dinner
- Chef's table
- Kitchen facing, seats 6, book ahead
- Private dining
- The Berkeley Room for events
- Dress
- Smart casual · jackets common
- Tube
- Green Park, 5 minutes
Questions diners ask
Is Benares worth it?
Yes, if you want the strongest case for modern Indian fine dining in Mayfair. The Michelin star has been retained every year under Sameer Taneja including 2026, the tasting is £135 against £150 plus at comparable starred rooms nearby, and dishes like the fish biryani are genuinely singular. Curry house expectations should be left at the door.
How hard is it to book Benares?
Manageable. Tables release on OpenTable and prime dinner slots go about one to two weeks out; lunch is usually available within days. The chef's table for six and the private Berkeley Room need longer lead times. The bar takes earlier walk ins for cocktails and small plates.
What is the dress code at Benares?
Smart casual, leaning smart. The dark, clubby first floor room and the Berkeley Square address pull most guests toward jackets without ties. Trainers and shorts will feel out of place, though the bar is more relaxed than the dining room.
What does dinner at Benares cost?
The tasting menu is £135 a head, with paired wines another £129. Ordering à la carte with a bottle lands most tables between £90 and £140 a head. Lunch is the value route, with the à la carte keeping a working meal under £80 before wine.