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Benares Cucina Indian

4.3 (33 reviews)
Closed • 12:00 pm - 11:30 PM

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BENARES CUCINA INDIAN ATMOSPHERE

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Inside
Shaquille J.

Stopped here while strolling in the area looking for a good dinner spot. The food here is really good and the service is great too. I ordered the vindaloo and it was great for it being non-london indian food lol. The critique i have of this place lies with the ambiance. The dining room was downstairs and it just felt very dark and dreary. I don't recall seeing any natnatural light while we ate. If that wasn't the case I would've rated this place higher.

Mango Lassi
Cameron Q.

We were greeted outside by the receptionist. She led us into the restaurant by going downstairs. The restaurant is gorgeous. My boyfriend ordered vegetable samosas. The pastry was flaky, and they were served pretty fresh. I got a mango lassi. It was very yogurty. Next, we got lamb biryani and lamb methi. I ordered a side of regular rice. The lamb biryani's rice was so wet. They didn't mix the spices thoroughly in the rice. The lamb in both the biryani and lamb methi was cooked perfectly. They did not smell or taste gamey. The quality of the foods were good; but, the amount of spices and flavors were underwhelming for an Indian restaurant. I wanted the flavors to hit me in the face. What's good about Indian food is that when you've leftovers, you can heat it up at home and add some water to it and flavors still there. But, the foods at this place would not be flavorful the next day if I heat up at home and add water to it. Also, I never had an Indian restaurant make me buy rice separately for a dish. Again, I'm not from around here.

Danielle J.

This place is complete WOW. The setting is so intricate and lovely. The food was equally wow with great flavor. Hands down best Saag Paneer I've ever had! Service was friendly and spot on.

Sign above the entrance
Purpose T.

This review is solely based on experience and service; we decided against trying the food. To my surprise while perusing the area, I stumbled upon this eatery ironically wearing the exact name of my favorite indian restaurant in tribeca/nyc - Benares. I had no idea if they were connected or not, but I was instantly inclined to at least check out the menu and see if it's worth indulging. Well, there were several restrictions and stipulations that just did not make me feel welcomed to stay. The service was okay, but I presume due to the time of day (lunch) it was completely empty. That did not bother me, I don't mind at all, makes me feel special and catered to lol. But, sometimes an empty restaurant can also be a not so good sign. Either way, we opted to dine-in and take a chance. After browsing the menu for a few minutes, the server came to pour water (he was very pleasant) and when I began asking questions about the menu I was told after each question "that is not available" "we don't have that right now" etc... So, left with not much to choose from, I decided to pass and politely exited. Perhaps, they should consider presenting a menu with available options and maybe a separate (lunch) menu that explicitly shows what you can order, in real time. Toronto is not hard-pressed for delicious cuisine and endless places to plant your feet under the table. So, for that reason, I wouldn't hurry back to Benares, but maybe next time I'll have an opportunity experience everything.

Phyllis L.

Came here for dinner and was greeted by lovely service and good food. We got the Butter Chicken ($20) and Curry Chicken ($19) with sides of naan, and it was super delicious! The curries were flavourful and packed with plenty of chicken. While this was a lovely experience, I found it a bit pricey even with the quality... you can definitely find better for much cheaper.

colorful glass windows
Carlos P.

After seeing a bad reviews I was uncertain. The food had some quality and certainty flavorful but not very exciting considering the detail of the setting. I had chicken vindaloo and an aloo bread. Maybe throw in some peas or poppadom with chutney before the food.

Daal Makhani, Butter Chicke, Goat Curry, Garlic Naan, Regular Naan
Reh L.

Over the summer I would constantly walk by this place and drool at the smell of indian food wafting onto the street. When I actually went, I was quite disappointed. The food was fine - just average. Those sweet spices I smelled across the street didn't translate into the wonderfully tasty food I was expecting, and my taste buds got bored of all the dishes after a few bites. We ordered the butter chicken, goat curry, and daal makhani, and all were merely average. The naan and garlic naan are also pretty average. However, the prices were over the top given the small portions; $4 for a single naan is pretty much extortion compared to every other indian restaurant in Toronto! Overall this place had average food at too high prices, and I would give it a miss.

This is our reservation and it was made two week in advance 12/19/2022.
Rick K.

This is the worse new year Eve in whole life. I am front Washington DC and was visiting Toronto. I was staying in Vaughn area and made reservations (see photo) at Benares in Toronto. I called Uber at 9 pm and it cost us $80 for Uber to go to Benares. Once we got there on time the doors were locked and after knocking at doors lot a lady opened the door and said they are closed. She was rude to tell us she is sorry and here we were stranded in cold weather. Next one hour we went from door to to door and could not find any place as all were booked or closed. This is truly non humanitarian and what they did to us.

Decor feels like a palace. Glad it was not crowded. Staff were very attentive and friendly. Foods were excellent. The lentil soup had a lot of ginger which I loved.

The Samosas!

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14 days ago

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5 months ago

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1 month ago

Delicious Indian food and a great space with an intimate atmosphere. The staff are friendly and helpful with the menu.

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2 years ago

Very nice dining room, attentive service. Everything my party ordered, we enjoyed. Salmon in coconut curry was especially well cooked.

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3 years ago

Everything is world class. The service the food. And the ambiance. Please don't forget to try the pistachio ice cream for dessert.

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

Food tastes nice and does have an original and authentic flare upholding its reputation

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3 years ago

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3 years ago

Great food and tasty ! Good service and ambience. Eveu single item was very flavorful and tasty.

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3 years ago

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4 years ago

Delicious food, amazing service, reasonable prices. I'd come back here in a hot second.

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2 years ago

delicious authentic food, friendly staff, smiling faces, original Indian decor, quick service.

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Utsav - Sohari Paneer

Utsav

4.1(157 reviews)
2.9 km•Yorkville
•$$

As good as it gets! We had a day off in Toronto and I was craving Indian food. The restaurant was…read moreclose to our hotel so I took a meander in the rain to order dinner. I was greeted warmly by a gentleman at the front. To my surprise, the restaurant was not that full for a Saturday night at 6:30 PM. Maybe the rain kept people off of the streets. I ordered and was told that it would be 15 minutes. I went for a walk and returned about 13 minutes later. I had a nice discussion with the gentleman who took my order and received my piping hot food 3 minutes later. Pretty good guess at timing. Also, I knew that my food was prepared fresh as they actually took time to cook it. When I returned to my hotel, I was shocked at how much food I was given. I could tell it was a lot by how heavy my bag was. Once I opened it up, I was very happy. It was easily 3 meals worth of food. Everything was very fresh and delicious. I can't say enough great things about how tasty and fresh the food was. The service was impeccable as well. You won't be sad if you choose Utsav for a meal. Well, you shouldn't be.

This is a great Indian restaurant in the area. Every dish is delicious, but the only issue is that…read morethe food is too slow, even though I'm only at one table. However, everything else is fantastic. All service is great.

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Utsav
Utsav - Utsav Thali for two: 2 non-vegetarian entree and 1 vegetarian entree, with saffron basmati rice, garlic and butter naan

Utsav Thali for two: 2 non-vegetarian entree and 1 vegetarian entree, with saffron basmati rice, garlic and butter naan

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Aanch - Chicken chettinad

Aanch

4.2(225 reviews)
1.4 km•Entertainment District, Downtown Core
•$$

Absolutely delicious food here! Ordered pickup and we didn't even know it was a Michelin guide…read morerestaurant until we entered. No wonder everything was so lovely. They gave us a whole garlic naan as it is uncut in the foil and that was very impressive! Really cool that they did that cuz most restaurants just cut it up and give it to you if you want it to go. Naan itself was very fresh and flavorful. They didn't really put any butter on top which was quite nice. So just a classic lovely garlic naan. Dahi Kebab appetizer - so yum! It was really flavorful on its own, and with that mint chutney it was even better! Husband loved the Malai Kofta ! Curry was properly creamy and even the koftas themselves were good. I needed it a little spicy so added a bit of spice to it and it was perfect. They also had a promotion going on for free samosas with an order of $50 or more. So they gave us four samosas on the house! So nice of them. Husband definitely enjoyed these.

For a Michelin recommended place we expected more from the meal. Service was slow and we had to ask…read moretwo different staff members just to get some water. The food itself was good, but I had issues with each. The biryani was flavorful, but had a bit too much salt and meet at the yoghurt sauce to balance it out. The curry that came with the fish was delicious, however, the type of fish they used had so many bones and it was impossible to figure out under the thick orange sauce if what you were putting in your mouth was all bone or fish. It made for a very unpleasant eating experience for a person use to eating fresh fish. Worth a try but won't be back

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Aanch - Entrance and bar

Entrance and bar

Aanch - Dahi ke Kebab

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Kothur Indian Cuisine

Kothur Indian Cuisine

3.7(126 reviews)
2.4 km•Church-Wellesley Village, Downtown Core
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I first heard about Kothur in the most unexpected way--while trying to switch to a cheaper data…read moreplan at a Fido store. Midway through the painfully slow setup process, the entire store started filling with the scent of something glorious. Rich spices, buttery warmth... it was the kind of smell that stops conversations. Everyone working there was Indian, and they were all clearly just trying to wrap up my account so they could dig into whatever just got delivered. I had to ask--where's that food from? "Kothur," they said, almost in unison. That was the recommendation, and it stuck with me. I walked by the place once. The exterior didn't scream "hidden gem." Thought about ordering delivery a few times but never followed through. Life, you know? Today, I finally went. From the outside, still nothing to write home about. But walk in, and it's a different story. Clean, cozy, and exactly the kind of no-fuss Indian spot you'd expect to stumble upon in the heart of a big city. The food? Solid. Spices landed right. Everything was warm, comforting, and satisfying. It's not trying to reinvent Indian cuisine--it's just doing it well. If you ever find yourself sniffing the air near a phone shop and wondering what that divine smell is--it might just be Kothur. TL;DR Not flashy. Surprisingly good. Smelled it before I tasted it. Worth it.

Wow it's been 10 years since I worked in the area and this was one of our lunch spots and it's…read morestill here!! Glad they are still standing and survived Covid times. Food is still great. Place filled up quick on a Tuesday nite which was good too. Service is quick. Decent prices. Good spot to check out

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Kothur Indian Cuisine
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Bhoj Indian Cuisine - Butter Chicken

Bhoj Indian Cuisine

4.1(82 reviews)
2.9 km•University of Toronto, Downtown Core
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This place absolutely and unambiguously fucks. I WANT TO LAY…read moreYOU DOWN IN A BED OF PAPADUM. Fuck, everything is good and interesting. Dishes are unique to each other and everything else you've tried. Great use and balance of spices. Veg dishes are complex, colourful, light and satisfying. This place fucks. It's truly melancholounous that I live 20 meters from it. Great location, drop by mine after you attend Bhoj if the quarantine is over. The head chef looks like a fucking movie star. Look appetizing is a tasty treat, one cannot go wrong on this menu. Have fun.

From my numerous experiences eating at Bhoj (at Spadina and Bloor), I have come to the conclusion…read morethat Bhoj makes the best Indian food in town! Apart from the divine and delicate taste of the wonderful dishes it prepares, I've noticed that it is light on salt and light on oil. After finishing one of their delicious fragrantly spiced meals, you don't feel weighed down or dying of thirst as I often come away feeling after eating at other Indian restaurants. Whether you eat in or take it out, you can always look forward to a joyful feast for the palate and for the soul! And by the way, their chicken dishes are so tender and finger-lickin' good!!!! But then again, everything at Bhoj is to die for. The restaurant itself is very clean, simple and plain in direct contrast to the food which explodes with deliciousness!!! Suffice it to say that I simply love it!

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Bhoj Indian Cuisine - Dinning area

Dinning area

Bhoj Indian Cuisine - Plain Naan

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Dil Tak - Lamb Shank Rogan Josh ($24.99)

Dil Tak

4.7(25 reviews)
1.0 km•Harbourfront

I had my Christmas Eve dinner at Dil Tak, and was very pleased by my experience. It was very busy…read morebut the staff managed to help us find comfortable seating and guided us with our order. The service was fast, and asp the ambience is quite nice. We ordered a royal non veg platter which had a mix of apps, such as chicken tikka, haryali chicken, fish, seekh kebab and shrimps. This platter was served with three dips - mint, Kali mirch, and tamarind. This platter was a burst of flavours are paired well with the dips and also was very filling. We also ordered mains where we tried the Chicken Tikka paired with the special naan. The mains chicken was okay but I loved the grilled platter before. Overall it was a very nice experience and the food presentation and taste was top quality. I'll highly recommend it to anyone looking for Indian cusine in downtown Toronto!!

Lunch combos are offered starting Jun 2025, from 11:00-15:00. You can choose between vegetarian…read more($18.99) and non-veg ($20.99). From each category, you can choose 2 different curries (or double the same). Every combo comes with Salad, Basmati Rice, Papad, 2 pcs of any veg appetizer, dessert, and Butter Naan or Roti. They also have lunchtime cocktails ($17.99) and mocktails ($12.99). I ordered the following: 1. Lunch Combo non-veg ($20.99): Mango Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala, Salad, Basmati Rice, Papad, Veg Pakora, Gulab Jamun, and Butter Naan. 2. Rose and Lavender Spritz ($12.99). The lunch combo was delicious and worth the price. The mocktail was also refreshing and beautiful. The customer service was good as usual. Review 2025-239

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Dil Tak - Decorations

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Dil Tak - Tikka and Paneer Platter

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The Biryaniwalla - Downtown

The Biryaniwalla - Downtown

4.5(8 reviews)
3.7 km•Koreatown, Palmerston

Biryaniwalla Downtown is a busy Indian restaurant in Toronto's Koreatown. It serves a wide range of…read moreHyderabadi‑style biryanis, from chicken and mutton to egg, prawn, and vegetarian options. The place stays open very late, often until 1AM or even 5:30AM, making it a popular stop for late‑night meals. The space is casual and cozy, with quick service and a menu built around bold spices and rich flavours. S the name implies, the biryani is the star here, offering great taste, aroma, portion sizes, and variety, including spicy regional styles and special trays for groups. Alongside biryani, they offer starters like dynamite gobi, curries, and desserts such as gulab jamun. It's a simple, no‑frills spot where the focus is on flavour, value, and feeding serious biryani cravings.

Cooking a biryani is an art and there are extremely few places who get it right…read more A good Biryani speaks to your soul and transcends you to heaven. Unfortunately, lots of places in Toronto who make promises of serving biryani teleport you to hell. My friends and family are lifelong fans of biryani. Of all the places Biryaniwalla is highly recommended and I have usually had it at get-togethers. This time though I decided to visit the place and order a take out personally. Located a few meters away from Bathurst station , the restaurant stands amongst other Asian eataries. Upon entering, we were greeted warmly by Ankita at the reception. We asked her for recommendations and she patiently explained us the options and advised 2 biryanis based on our spice tolerance and preferences. Taking her advice, we ordered: - Chicken Kaju Ghee Roast Bucket with double Masala for $43 ($39.99 for Biryani and Double masala pay $2.99 extra). - Palnadu Chicken Biryani ( $18.99) Ambience wise, the place is pretty chill with neatly lined tables for family and the huge Biryaniwalla Logo adorning the big wall. There was also a spin the wheel game, which you can play if you place a google review. While we waited for our order, the shop was quite busy with mobile food delivery orders. After about 10 minutes, we got our order and took it home. Chicken Kaju Ghee Roast Bucket: This is possibly their bestselling biryani. And I have to confess, I have tried it before and I absolutely love it. It is a delicious biryani , with nice moist chicken pieces, cashews and which is not too overpowering with spices. We ordered double masala because my better half likes it that way. The quantity for bucket was huge and can easily satify 3-4 people. Chicken Palnadu Biryani: Compared to Kaju Ghee Roast, this one is more tangy and a bit on the spicier side. It is a slight Achari taste and it was surprisingly delicious. Also, you get Salan (spicy-tangy gravy) and Raita (yoghurt mixture) with the biryanis, and they go quite well with the biryani. However, i somehow still felt the biryanis lack that authentic taste of biryani that you get in India and Pakistan. Real authentic biryanis have the inherent smoky flavor which comes from coal which is used to cook biryani and to give Biryani the dum ( pots are sealed and cooked over slow heat with coal - at bottom and at top.) Also missed that Birista that usually accompany Biryani layers. That being said, these are quite good biryanis. To foodies: Possibly the best biryani restaurant is toronto, that gets it as close to the authentic taste. The biryanis are delicious and they have lot of other options including seafood biryani. The quantities are huge and you and your loved ones will truly enjoy To management: Great biryanis. Great service by Ankita. Would love if you guys can sprinkle some birista ( fried onions) at the top layer or provide it on the side. Also it would be great if you can provide some incentive for customers who order directly from store. I knew you once had 10%.off , which when I asked was told it's still on but you need the offer card. I was a bit let down by that because at the end, it's just a formality. Also spin the wheel if you place a google review is a cheap tactic to get reviews. Just do it as a fun activity guys. Creates goodwill. As a brand strategist , I always recommend customer experience over a few dollars Overall this is a great place for biryanis. I definitely recommend it. Rating: 8.6/10 Signing off, Rahul V.S aka CanIndian Foodie

Photos
The Biryaniwalla - Downtown - Chicken Palnadu biryani

Chicken Palnadu biryani

The Biryaniwalla - Downtown - Chicken Kaju Ghee Roast Biryani Bucket

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Benares Cucina Indian - indpak - Updated May 2026

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