Nice upscale restaurant with nice decor. Average noise levels with accommodations for large group. 5 star for service. Staff waited patiently and were generous with their recommendations and with their time. Food was great. We ordered 4 appetizers: spinach chaat, choti matar ki Kachori and aloo chaat and farreh. Spinach chaat was outstanding as was aloo chaat. Farreh is an acquired taste so if you like dry doughy textured appetizers then this one is for you. On the main course front: the sapkahita stood out. The lithi choka was a bit with some of us but a bit of a miss for me. I found it too spicy for my taste (but received fair warning from our server in advance). Dessert: 4.5 stars for the Jalebi. Cooked in ghee and made fresh and served warm with Rabri. It was so good, I took another serving to go! Definitely a place to go to f you're in the Seattle area! read more

Banaras - Babaji ka Litthi Choka - Indian Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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We visited for lunch to try the Kashi Food Festival and had a wonderful experience. Since we had a reservation, we were seated right away. We ordered all the festival specials, and everything arrived surprisingly quickly. Each dish was beautifully prepared, full of flavor, and absolutely delicious. The quality was consistently excellent across the board, which is something Banaras continues to do exceptionally well. Dining here is always a great experience, and this festival was no exception. The Kashi specials were a true delight for the taste buds, and we're glad we had the opportunity to try them. Highly recommended! read more

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Swung by around 9PM for what folks say are the best jalebi in the Seattle area. The restaurant was still pretty bumping, but there were plenty of folks including us who were just there for dessert. I'd say overall, the menu was a little pricey, but they've got some pretty unique offerings. Parking is pretty easy as it's a shared lot with crossroads. Malaiyo is effectively just textbook light, whipped cream with a ton of saffron. They definitely don't skimp on the saffron, so if you enjoy that floral, slightly herbal flavor, this will be the dessert for you. Jalebi Rabri came out piping hot and it's got a crunch that once you bite through, the sugar syrup just gushes out. It's definitely tasty, but it was SO sweet. I'd probably put in an order and share this with a group as more than one in a sitting might be a bit tough. Banarasi Lassi was just a little tart, creamy, and had a little bit of saffron swirled through. It had just a touch of the floral saffron flavor and the sliced almonds on top were a nice touch. It's definitely on the thicker side, so more of a spoon situation than a drink. read more

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We loved everything we ordered, specifically the gol gappa and mattar paneer. The rice was fresh and the naan is genuinely some of the best I've had in the area! So fluffy and crispy at the same time. I would come back here regularly but the prices are very high for vegetarian food--entrees start at $25. I don't think the area or ambience justifies the price but I would recommend visiting at least once! read more

I swung by Banaras and tbh it was very mid. The ambiance is super average, nothing fancy just a basic setup. Service was alright, but the staff was friendly, so points for that. We ordered banarasi chutney paneer tikka and the smokey soya chaamp. Soya was def the star dish of the night.. super flavorful, smoky, and genuinely the only thing I'd come back for. As for mains,my friends and I shared gorakhpuri kofta which was tasty and shadi wala matar paneer which was average. I didn't like tamatar ki chaat. The food was decent and chaas was really good but nothing was so good that I'd be thinking about it the next day. If you go, get the smokey soya chaamp and keep expectations chill for everything else. read more

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We went to Banaras for a birthday celebration and it was great! We tried several items and liked majority of them. Thandai and Paneer Tikka was okay but all other items were great. The presentation was nice but the prices were a bit high considering the small portion size. It's also good to see 100% vegetarian menu. I will go again to try some other items that we couldn't try :) read more

Had a really good time at Banaras. The atmosphere was very lively, loud, and upbeat. Things started a bit rough though as we walked in for an early dinner right before 6pm for a party of 7. 4 adults, 3 kids. They asked us if we had a reservation, and we said we didn't. And they just shook their heads and said they couldn't seat us. We then went back and told them we are ok sitting separately... and they talked amongst themselves to see if it could work out. Luckily they were actually able to sit us together. Maybe the sight of a mixed family was a bit alarming for them. Maybe they don't think we would order enough? Maybe they thought we couldn't take the spice? But boy, did we order so much food. And we are to our hearts content. Even tho it was spicy, it was delicious. Tho a few items were a bit expensive imo for their portion, it was a good lesson learned for next visit. They ended up being really happy to serve us, probably due to the sheer amount of food we ordered, and tipping very generously. I hope next time we would have a pleasant experience from the get go. My favorites were their Dani Chutney golgappey and dum kaju paneer. Strong flavors, strong spices, very flavorful! Just like how Indian food should taste to the tongue. read more

Banaras - Woaw mama! - Indian Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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Loved the food!! Service was great too. We had aloo tikki chaat. It was the best I've had in US in 30 years. Litti chokha was tasty but a little too spicy for us. Lassi was good and flavorful!! read more

Over all the first experience was good.. yogurt was little sour than usually found but this has been the only restaurant I came across that serves Banaras dishes and reminded me of so much of being in Varanasi! Liked their chat variety more than any of their other dishes. read more

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Banaras brings the flavors of the holy city right to your table. If it's your first visit, I highly recommend starting with their chaats, Banaras lassi (rich and creamy with nuts and sugar), and parathas -- all full of authentic flavor and freshness. The ambience is pleasant, and the service is prompt and attentive. I'd probably skip the sweet paan, though -- it tasted fairly standard and similar to what you'd find elsewhere. Overall, a great spot for anyone craving true Banarasi-style food! read more

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Food is good specially the appetizers and service was fast. I took reservation through Resy App, a day in advance. Walk ins are tough to get slot. - Soya chap is my favorite - Aallo Tikki was crisp and well balanced, though I wish it had been served hotter. - Dum Briyani was served hot and had large chunks of Aallo ( wish it had smaller pieces ) Deducting one point due to weak mobile connection, I'm on T-Mobile and was hardly able to get internet. read more

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Just wow for sure! Being foodies...me & my husband went in quick lunch trip during our annual visit to Bellevue .... Litti chokha the best ever.., Malaiyoooo the yummiest ever Gujiya rabri the best one so far Chaat too good too Service was amazing ,& ambiance was lovely too! Highly recommended guys!! read more

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It was a good surprise to check out a Eastern Uttar Pradesh's Banaras cuisine. The place was big, spacious, packed for Saturday afternoon lunch. There were some authentic dishes and some needs a little acquired taste and open to trying out new cuisine. The Gajar Ka Halwa, missed the mark, however the Banarasi Guhiya Rabri was yummy with the Indian empanada and sweet syrup. The rice and paneer dish were decent and there was more focus on the presentation, they could use some flavor to hit the palette. I'm from the South India so, the dishes were mostly mild for me. read more

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Gotta get the jellebi, everyone was eating it and one guy I was talkin to says they're the best in town and always comes for em. I might not be the most knowledgeable about the subject but that guy def knows ball. Also this malaisomething is really good it's like a big cup of whipped cream super airy and sweet. read more

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Been here a second time now. The first time was a 4 star experience but the latest one with friends was definitely a 5 star experience. The food tastes so good. I am very confident that no other place serves better North Indian food than Banaras in whole of Greater Seattle area. The restaurant is expensive and ambience is above average. I will highly recommend Litti Chokha. My other favorite is Palak Chat. For dessert drink I recommend Banarasi Lassi. Service was really good this time around contrary to absolute shitty experience I had a year back. The only reason I came back was one of my friends wanted to try Litti and despise my not so good experience about this place in past - I knew no one makes better Littis than them. read more

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Great fully vegetarian restaurant - we didn't know about this place but our friends wanted to go as they'd heard it was one of the most authentic/similar to delhi food we have in the area. They were in charge of the ordering and I got to try a bunch of things I'd never tried before. My friend also got a masala soda which was so interesting to me. All the food was so good. We got like 6-7 things which was definitely overordering for 4 people but none of us could stop eating. There were a bunch of dishes I could've liked cleans. Specifically everything with the yogurt sauce. And the soya was so good!! I need more of that in my life. Left like a pant size bigger and we did what we could to walk it off at world market/crossroads after read more

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Ended up at Banaras one more time on a very cold night. We were in the mood for trying new items on the menu. Ordered Baigan ki Launji, Sattu ka Paratha and Kathal Biryani. Food was great as it always is. However their prices have gone up significantly. They also seem to have lighted up their decor from the dark environment they had earlier. read more

Banaras - Baigan Ki Launji - Indian Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

The flavors punch you in the face-hard at this restaurant and somehow you love every second of the beating. Friends recommended this place and I was super excited to try them based on the menu . The place looks inviting and seating is comfortable and plenty . We got a variety of dishes and not even one of them disappointed. from the flavors to the textures, everything felt as authentic as one can get in India . The Litti chokha was the star of the show for all of us , so much so that we ordered it twice. I was so lost in the flavors that I skipped taking pics of most things but we had - Palak Patta chaat , Kachori Aloo sabzi , Thandai , Lassi , soda , Rabri-Jalebi and Paan as well .My only complaint would have to be that I couldn't try more things because I was so full -but that's another reason to come back soon . Service was good and pricing seemed very fair. read more

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Came here on a Sunday night, it wasn't too busy when I arrived but picked up throughout the night. Servers were attentive and checked in frequently. Food was pretty was good and most food options are spicy but there are some that aren't. Our server messed up our food order twice but they were apologetic and offered the mistake item to us complimentary. Overall good vibes and good vegetarian food! It's a little pricey for what you get, especially since they have smaller portion sizes. read more

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This Indian vegetarian restaurant is excellent. The food is spiced and flavored so well that it's easy to forget you aren't eating meat. Every dish is delicious, perfectly prepared, and so memorable that I will definitely be coming back soon. read more

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**vegetarian** The service here is quick!! I barely ordered food and it was served. We got the soya chaap, palak chaat, kofta and naan and thandai. The starters - chaat and chaap are pretty good. Specially the chaat. The kofta was spicy and probably my least favourite. The naan was decent too. All in all good food, fast service, a little overpriced. read more

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Average dining experience in terms of food service and experience. Everything on the menu did not justify the cost either in taste or quantity. Thandai was the best amongst everything we tried. I would say their desserts are better than their entrees. The food here is spicy and has whole spices in the food. The decor and ambiance was a little average but nothing spectacular. I would recommend trying it once for experience and deciding if you like the food. read more

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Its the best veg restaurant I ever had with its so rich soulful food with authentic taste and beautiful ambience representing its heritage. I have taken litti chokha so delicious , nimona and thandai were my favorites and also the paan made my day. Service was great and very helpful . read more

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Went for a second time and had some more amazing food. Got Palak Patta ki chaat, Aloo chaap, Pratapgarh ke sakorey, stuffed bitter gourd, and a yummy paan kulfi for dessert. Can't say which one is my favorite because they are all equally YUMMY. Prataogarh ke sakorey had yummy mini spinach pakoras in a tangy spicy gravy. Mind blowing. The stuffing in the karela or bitter gourd had a strong flavor of fennel. It overpowered the other flavors but nevertheless it was yummy and not at all bitter. Their paneer curry is good; but nothing earth shattering like the other dishes I had. The jilebi rabri was pretty spectacular. read more

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Best Indian restaurant in Seattle Bellevue area for us personally. Really good food and great service! Bustling over the weekend do recommend taking a reservation. Lovely decor outside and inside. Food was the highlight! Took me back to India. The Banarasi lassi was a dessert in a beverage! So refreshing. Favourite was the aloo tikki chaat - so crispy and flavorful. Tried new cuisines which were a delightful surprise - fusion gorakhpuri kofta and matka lasooni kathal. Kofta is a must try! read more

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Excellent food from Varanasi! I liked that the food was spicy and there isn't a way to adjust the spice level. Our favorite dishes were the kofta and ki aloo tiki chaat. The flavours balanced each other well, too, as the kofta was very spicy, while the aloo tiki chaat was slightly sweet and tangy from the yogurt. We ended the meal with some mango kulfi. Service was very prompt and attentive. They have a 3% credit card fee which is waived when you pay with debit/cash. read more

first time trying an all veg indian restaurant and ??? it acc hit the spot!! the flavors were soo good :) i've never had a lot of these dishes before and damn it was good. there was a chili in the kofta which i thought was okra and it didn't end well... read more

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Banaras in Bellevue (Seattle metro area) is an Indian restaurant that specializes in authentic dishes from the region of Varanasi (Banaras). The ambiance is designed to transport diners to the streets of Varanasi, offering a diverse range of dishes that celebrate Indian street food and traditional favorites. So far the best indian restaurant in US . What an amazing place. We ordered their mahavir aloo tikki (mind-blowing) , pani puri, dahi ke kabab, dum kaju paneer, Gorakhpuri kofta, jalebi rabri, banarasi lassi (amazing) and garlic naam . Everything was mind blowing. They have the amazing service. I am definitely going this place again. Loved it. read more

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Great Indian restaurant. Love the chaat items there specially aloo tikki and soya chaap. If you are going in peak hours make sure you have a reservation. I just go for the appetizers and they are quite filling. read more

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We have been here a couple times now for dinner. It can get crowded for dinner during the weekend, we didn't have a reservation and had to wait a bit. During our last visit we got Pani Ke Batashey, Chacha Ki Poori Aloo Tamatar Ki Sabzi, Dum Kaju Paneer and Tandoori Roti. Pani Ke Batashey was okay, we liked both Chacha Ki Poori Aloo Tamatar Ki Sabzi, and Dum Kaju Paneer. read more

Food quality was good but everything was too spicy. Service is very fast. Ambience is great for both families and couples. Please know that jackfruit is very spicy by default. We asked for a 1/5 and when it arrived the server told is its by default 3/5. read more

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Banaras -- A Vegetarian Masterclass that'll surprise even the most Desi of tastebuds! Let's get one thing out of the way: the low average rating? Probably because some folks expected it to taste exactly like a roadside dhaba in Varanasi. That's like going to a Michelin-star sushi restaurant in the U.S. and complaining it doesn't taste like the one you had at a hidden alley spot in Tokyo. It's not just unfair, it misses the entire point. I always come here ready to skip meat for the evening (yep, it's 100% vegetarian) and invariably leave not just satisfied, but low-key obsessed. Banaras doesn't try to copy familiar Indian flavors. It reimagines them. This is that rare place where even Indians will take a bite, pause, and ask, "Wait, how is this so good and so distinct?" Let's talk highlights, because there were many: "Babaji Ka Litti Chokha" was the highlight for me. Litti, the rustic whole wheat dough ball stuffed with sattu (spiced roasted gram flour), is traditionally roasted over fire and served with smoky mashed veggies (chokha), ghee, and sharp onion-lime relish. Here, Banaras gives it a modern upgrade while staying true to its Bihari roots. The result? Earthy, smoky, spicy, buttery perfection. I'd return just for this. Another winner: "Gorakhpuri Kofta". Spicy, bold, silky, and intensely flavorful. This dish comes with a rich gravy and melt-in-mouth kofta balls that truly steal the spotlight. Easily one of the most distinctive Indian main courses I've had in the PNW. The dish "Dahi Kishmish Gulguley" was a visual masterpiece with its crisp crust, colorful chutneys, and perfectly spiced potato center. The "Dum Kaju Paneer" had richness written all over it -- paneer and cashews in a luscious tomato-based gravy, dotted with lotus seeds and microgreens. Great to pair with soft Pooris (which we ordered separately because we saw them on the neighboring table and they looked really good). For street food lovers, the "Tamatar Ki Chaat" is a sweet-sour-spicy bomb of crushed tomatoes, spices, and crunchy bits served in an earthen bowl. Personally, it wasn't my favorite, but I can absolutely see why it's a crowd-pleaser. The "Pandit Ji Ke Dahi Wadey" and "Mahabir Ki Aloo Tikki" are the kind of dishes that make you pause mid-bite and go, "Whoaaa!" The dahi wadey are pillowy soft, soaking up sweet-tangy yogurt and vibrant chutneys like sponges of flavor, while the gulguley (sweet fritters with kishmish, or raisins) bring in a rare touch of warmth and texture, elevated beautifully by creamy curd and crunchy toppings. Both are plated like edible art and explode with balanced flavor in every bite. And now, desserts. The "Malaiyo" is a cloud, which is cold, saffron-infused, and whisper-light. While it didn't quite win me over, I get the hype. The "Dussehri Aam Kulfi Falooda" was an explosion of textures and cooling flavors. But the real star for me was the "Jalebi Rabri". It's crisp, fresh, and indulgent -- and what sets it apart is that they make the jalebi after you order it. I don't know of any other Indian restaurant in the U.S. that does that, and it makes all the difference. Wash it all down with a "Banarasi Thandai", "Mango Lassi", or the beautifully thick "Banarasi Lassi". The latter was my personal favorite -- creamy, rich, and perfectly balanced with saffron and crushed nuts. Ambiance? Think modern Indian elegance. Polished terrazzo tables, clean lines, handcrafted plating, and warm lighting make it feel upscale yet approachable. It's the kind of place that works for both celebrations and comfort-food cravings. Service? It's average. Nothing too memorable, but nothing to complain about either. You're really here for the food and aesthetic, and those two alone will make you forget if your chutneys arrived a few minutes late. That said, a fair heads-up: weekend wait times can be long. We waited well over 45 minutes once, which can be annoying, especially when you're starving and watching other tables get their Litti Chokha. read more

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I went with a large group and we ordered almost everything on the menu. Basically every dish is fantastic. The staff was very friendly and informative. The ambiance was fine, it has large windows in a strip read more

Banaras - Kulfi falooda with a spoon - Indian Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Worst customer service. I called in about my order and the guy responded and then just hung up out of nowhere. I don't recommend this place. read more

Unfortunately, the Aloo Paratha I ordered was a significant disappointment. The potato filling was bland and utterly lacked the vibrant, aromatic spices I was anticipating. read more

Banaras - Aloo Paratha, a major let down - Indian Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Food is great - do try the paani puri if you can, love the presentation of this dish. The Gorakhpuri koftas are spicy and very tasty. Our sever was kind enough to warn us on the spice level of this dish prior to us ordering . The place was fully packed on a Saturday afternoon so we had to wait for around 20 mins which wasn't that bad. Note : we had not taken any reservations. Overall, we liked this place and plan to return again. read more

Banaras is a fine dine Indian restaurant in Bellevue which tries to capture the essence and flavor of food from Banaras. The ambience is good and they are completely vegetarian. Been here twice and my food experience has been okay. Some dishes were too good while some didn't hit the spot for me, especially for the price. The litti chokka and soya chaap were really good, while the falooda, kathal Biryani and the jackfruit subzi weren't that great. They were okay! read more

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For the first visit, it was 5*. This time the order wad - Dahi Chutney Wale Golgappe = too sweet. Not as balanced as the last time - Goraphpuri Kofta = it has a long green chilli inside surrounded by Kofta. It was ok. Not great. - Banatasii mutter pulao = too oily with less muttar and more chilli. Not impressed this time. read more

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Good ambience, bit on the louder side. Innovative menu. The garlic Naan was quite good. The jackfruit dish was innovative. Portions were quite generous. But, almost everyday dish we ordered was over spiced and made too complex that the true elegance of spices enhancing the food and the taste of ingredients were lost. Was looking forward to some good food here, but this misses the mark. read more

The food is amazing and super delicious. It is very authentic and tastes perfect. The service and ambiance are great. All the chaat items/starters were well cooked and tasty. The Malaiyyo was so good and a must try. Don't miss their litti choka. read more

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