I recently tried Benares Indian Restaurant in Tribeca. This spot serves up decades of experience with spice driven dishes and a plethora of menu options to choose from. The atmosphere is dimmed and romantic, but also makes for a great large group and family setting.

I started off with the Makkai Ka Soweta appetizer, which was quite spicy and delicious. This dish is ground lamb shoulder with yogurt, garlic, and chili, and is stewed with corn. It really gets your palate revved up and excited, and would pair nicely with the Riesling by the glass they offer here. I wanted to make sure to try both meat and vegetarian dishes, which I was in luck here since Benares has a wonderful array of options of both. Alongside my lamb appetizer, I enjoyed Adraki Samosa, which is always a must order and makes a great vegetarian share-able option for the table.

I find this type of cuisine is always one I like to share with family and friends, due to the number of delicious options and spice levels. For my main courses, I chose the Cheema Thenga, which are prawns that are grilled and simmered in coconut and curry. It’s absolutely delicious and I recommend ordering two if you plan on sharing (haha)! With the prawns, I also went with something traditional and chose Chicken Tikka Masala. This is always one of my favorite dishes, especially with a side of garlic naan; I am totally a dipper! Had I not been so full, I would have absolutely ordered one of the Biryanis too, because those are always a favorite and you’ll have delicious leftovers for days.

For dessert,  I enjoyed a Pistachio flavored Indian Ice Cream with berries. This was a nice refreshing way to end the meal and was still light enough that I didn’t feel overwhelmed by all the food I enjoyed. Overall I really enjoyed this spot, and if you enjoy Indian cuisine as much as I do, then you will really love Benares Indian Restaurant in Tribeca!