As you enter the restaurant we were greeted in Hindi by no less than 3 people! The restaurant was modern in theme yet retained a traditional Indian feel, with a pond feature in the bar area and good use of wood and stonework on the walls. Service started well with an offering of mini popadoms and a selection of sauces, all quite tasty. For starters we had Lamb cutlets and swordfish, both were well cooked and delicately seasoned unlike traditional Indian cooking. This for me was a positive as this modern take on Indian cuisine shows the versatility that food from this region offers. For mains we had pan fried cod accompanied by cabbage with a mango sauce and pan fried chicken with a kind of chick pea salad. Both again were very tasty and well executed. Presentation was excellent and again the flavours were there without being overpowering. To round the meal off we had Kulfi and a raspberry éclair served with a ginger basil sorbet. The kulfi was creamy and full of flavour, quite a simple and traditional desert, however was done really well. The éclair was fine but didn’t excite. The sorbet shot was clever but didn’t quite work as it was very sweet and was unnecessary. Overall, a fabulous experience from start to finish. Having sampled the best Indian/Pakistani cuisine has to offer around the country, I felt Benares did not fail to impress. Some would argue this is not Indian cooking but I would disagree giving Benares two thumbs up!