Benaras Indian Restaurant and Lounge has unpacked the spices, seasonings and flares of North Indian cuisine right in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City! We were even treated to their Royal Experience which was definitely a night fit for queens! To start our endless...meal we had a Hot and Sour Chicken Soup which was warm, filling and the perfect amount of spice to make me wish my bowl was bottomless. For our vegetarian starter we dove into a Paneer Tikka packed with taste. Grilled veggies accompanied by beautifully sliced pieces of golden paneer (cottage cheese). Delicious. For our non-vegetarian starter we opted for the Boneless Chicken Tikka, a special spice marinade giving loads of flavor! After a delicious start to our royal meal, it was time for the main course! Our tasty Vegetable Tawa Masala was an incredible array of flavours and the Dal Makhani was a yummy combination of lentils cooked with butter and cream to create a unique flavour that utterly soothed my soul! Our non-vegetarian main, Chicken Tikka Masala was creamy and rich in the best possible way and the Mutton Shahi Korma was a gorgeous mixture of spices combined with tender pieces of lamb which gave it an edge over the other dishes! I mean, naan and roti are an integral part of any Indian meal. So, we just had to get our hand on the Tandoori Roti and the Garlic Naan. One bread I’ve never had the chance to try is the Stuffed Tawa Paratha and let me tell you, it was incredible! Whether or not you’re a rice lover, there is no escaping the aroma a plate of Kashmiri Biryani gives off. Kashmiri spices combined with the long grained Basmati rice, tenderly cooked meat and topped with colourful dried fruits is a stunning addition to any meal. No matter what anyone thinks or says, there is always room for dessert. This Indian version of ice cream, Kesar Kuffi, was such a treat to our taste buds and the Vermicelli in Milk was a simple but deliciously sweet milk pudding left us leaving on cloud 9. If you're looking for a spicy bite in the Saigon, Benaras and Benaras Gardenia will transport you on a journey through Northern India’s streets where the aroma of spices welcomes you and mouth watering flavours leave you wanting more! I can’t wait to go back again!More

We had a 8-3 party in Benaras - District 2, and it was amazing. It is Indian culture with a little bit of Vietnam, big garden with Vietnamese fruits: mango, man^., gac^’... and playground for kids.🥳 Foods are also very good. I love rosa drinks,...cheese and garlic nan. Next time, I will take my kids.More

Ok, they did a scam on us. We did a reservation on Dec 14 for New Year's eve dinner (Dec 31st). This was 2 weeks in advance. They never told us about any special night happening on Dec 31st. And then when we landed up...at Benaras Gardenia on Dec 31st at the reservation time of 7.30 pm, suddenly they told us that today is Bollywood themed party and is meant for invited guests only. One very princely dressed up person, who seemed to be the owner kind of accosted us as to who had confirmed the reservation and actually checked the whatsapp message exchange regarding the reservation. Then he very coolly said that it is Bollywood theme party and he would be able to "manage" a table for us somehow, but we have to pay extra. How much extra? They charged RM 470 for 4!! Over and above that drinks would be extra. Under normal circumstances we would not have spent more than RM 120 for a good lavish dinner. So, 4 times the amount for no fault of ours. So, here's the summary: - On Dec 14, they confirmed reservation for Dec 31st dinner. Never mentioned about any special dinner or special cost. - For 14 days, they never cared to inform us that they would have special themed dinner which will cost higher. - On 31st, when we landed up, they behaved as if it is meant for only invitees. But then did us a 'favor' by 'managing' a table and charged us RM 470. On top of that we had to pay for the drinks extra as we went for the lower priced package without free flow of drinks. There was an even costlier option with free flow of drinks. Yes, I didn't complain then. What's the point? We are in Vietnam for 7 days and it is 31st night. And we have already landed up at the place. Do we start complaining or just accept the charges and try to enjoy the rest of the evening. Also, we had mentally decided to have Indian as it was a special occasion. If we refused to eat there, we would have to look for some other place and that too maybe non Indian food. Also, we had to travel a good distance from our hotel Hoang Lan Hotel (please see my separate review of that place) by Grab (e-hailing). All that effort would have gone waste. The only big disservice that the restaurant did was to confirm the reservation well in advance. And then never bothering to inform us of special dinner. And once we land up, taking advantage of the situation. Ok, now about the rest of the experience. We got a table for 4. The place was fully booked no doubt. We felt that most of the guests were invited by the owner. And they mostly Indians only. There was live music. In fact, a Vietnamese girl was singing English songs and she was very good. But, it was funny that it was Bollywood themed night and she was called in to sing English songs!! Yes, later in the night an Indian RJ took over who started playing some real good Bollywood dance numbers. He really rocked the place. So, overall the music was good. But, as a part of the decor, they had this very funny photo op area with a poor cut out of the famous Shahrukh Khan movie - Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (DDLJ). And everybody was being encouraged to pose in front of that funny cut-out and a photographer would then take your pic and give it to you on a frame for some VND 50,000 or something. Rest of the place was also decorated to reflect the special occasion. Also, another funny thing was that in some time all the ladies were pulled out from their respective seats and were made to do a ramp walk...hahaha...this was really funny. But, was kind of cute also. Must say that these kind of silly things happen in Indian parties. Well about the food. Yes, it was nice. It was an elaborate buffet menu for that night with a live chat counter. The Aloo Tikki was awesome. Must say the rest of the food was also good. There was good choice of chicken, kebabs, fish, etc. We actually enjoyed the food. No complaints on that front. But we moved out by 9.30 pm. Yes, must appreciate that the princely looking owner (who took the charges during the entry) did say that why we are leaving so early when the party was about to begin. It was nice of him. But, cannot cover up for the overall disservice they did. The service was a bit slow but cannot blame them too much because it was a full house and we could see limited number of waiters. Benaras has 2 restaurants - Benaras and Benaras Gardenia. They are in different locations. Benaras Gardenia is the one which has outdoor and indoor sitting. So, all in all. This encounter kind of left a bad experience for us. But no complaints on the food and the service and the pricing. I would recommend this place for good Indian food in HCMC.More

Excellent food and service. Food came fast and service was great. Very tasty. Cost was fair. Will come backMore

Dine in with my friends. Whatever we tried was perfect staff was helpful and friendly. Ambience,music was perfectMore

One of the best places to have Indian cuisine in Ho Chi Minh City. The guys there suggested some food to us and they were perfect, though we only tried vegetarian recipes. The quality of the food is great, price is okay considering the fact...that you get good Indian food miles away from India. The staff are very cooperative and friendly. I would say this a must visit if you arein Saigon, even for a day. Great restaurant, great food.More

I eat my dinner earlier than most so I arrived at an Indian restaurant in D1 around 4pm. How lucky I was that it was closed. Right around the corner I found the wonderful Benaras. I have been in 59 countries since 1978 and I...look for two things in every country: an Irish pub and an Indian restaurant. What a find Benaras was. The cheese naan was the best I have ever had. My favorite Indian dish is Mutton Palak with Saffron Rice so I ordered it here. To die for. I came back and had the same thing a few nights later. I send my very best to the gentleman who waited on me, Dinash. We had a good political discussion while I waited for my taxi. I come to Vietnam every two years to teach English for non-profits so look for me in 2021.More

We had a great dinner here. When traveling we always look for Indian restaurants, and we weren't disappointed. The food was very good and the service was very friendly. Thanks much!More

Must visit Indian restaurant if you want to taste real Indian food. Serving style is really good. Lot of variety of Indian food available especially Indian Local street food like panipuri, delhi chat, etcMore

It is a must visit for Indians. We came for 5 times in 2 days..nd food was just wow... Lot of variety..staff is polite and helpful. We felt like that we r in our own country.More

Came across this place by accident while walking around the city. Nice food, good service and good price. Will go again if I am ever in Ho Chi Minh City.More

customer service and food was amazing!! We came here without a reservation and we were served quicklyMore