BENARES Cucina Indian

Benares holds a special place in our hearts. It was the very first restaurant we ordered from on our first night living in Toronto, and now three years later it’s the place we chose for our last dinner in the city before moving to the suburbs. From day one, it’s been consistently delicious, comforting, and memorable. We’ve ordered from Benares dozens of times and it has never disappointed. The portions are generous, the flavours are great, and the food is always satisfying and usually leaving us with enough for lunch the next day. Our go-to dishes are the butter chicken, chana masala, aloo gobi, pulao rice, pakoras with tamarind sauce, and garlic naan. They’re also incredibly accommodating of dietary needs - always happy to make my vegetarian dishes gluten free and vegan. The staff are friendly, welcoming, and fast whether we’re ordering takeout or dining in (which we’ve also loved doing on occasion for the warm and cozy atmosphere). On our final night in Toronto, Aneesh made our order extra special and added a thoughtful complimentary addition that wasn’t technically on the menu - per my request! Benares has been part of our Toronto story from beginning to end, and we’ll miss it dearly. If you’re in the area and haven’t tried it yet, do yourself a favour and order!