Varanasi Restaurant – Review

Varanasi is a strikingly decorated place to dine. The cost of the refurbishment, which happened well over a year ago now, was an estimated 4 million pounds, and this is very evident by the sheer opulence and quality of the internal décor.
The dramatic deep-coloured and affecting interior décor is clearly southeast Asian influenced. The tunnel entrance is adorned with two rows of Buddhas, on either side of the pathway leading in. The tunnel then opens up to an impressive bar area. This is further accompanied by a beautiful and equally impressive waterfall feature. There are then are gold leaf painted artworks and frescos painted throughout the restaurant.
The restaurant is vast, spread over three floors with the bar and reception area on the first ground floor. The bar area on the ground floor seats over fifty people in the reception bar area. On the second floor two hundred dinerscould easily be seated. There are a total of two private dining areas that are opulently decorated. The entire menu has been created by Alfred Prasad, the Michelin-star chef and the vast kitchen is led by a total of fourteen chefs.
We first feasted on the Karara, Crispy Soft Shell Crab, Radish Salad and Mango dressing at £14. A delicious dish fusing the sweet of the mango with the slightly sharp taste from the radish and the succulent flavours of the crab.
We followed this with the Organic Salmon Tikka, Caramel Roasted Pineapple Relish for £12. The full-bodied sweet of the caramelised relish brought out the full flavour from the salmon.
Then we opted for the Nawabi Spiced Lamb Seekh, Cumin Mint Chutney at £10. For great fans of most variations of Lamb, we were not disappointed. This was a mildly spicy offering tempered by the cooling subtle effect of the mint against the Cumin.
Our next selection was the Tandoori Wild King Prawn, with the Spicey Beetroot Ketchup. Here, it was made beautifully sweet and sharp, complementing spicy beetroot ketchup. Only £13!
For our first main we chose the Malabar King Prawn in Chef Special Spiced Sauce. One of my favourite dishes of the evening! Again expertly prepared to not overpower the prawn – all for £22.
Our next choice was from the Bowl Curries selection – the King Prawn Bhuna with potato at £22. A sweet and totally satisfying, slightly hotter than usual version on an Indian Classic. Full-flavoured and just right for anytime of the day. The dish was offered at £22.
For our sides, we chose the Black Lentil for £8 and the Dal Fry at £7. We also chose the Steamed Rice and the Garlic Naan for £3. This was our second trip to Varanasi and over one year after our first visit. General Manager Mohammad Hussein has succeeded in maintaining a high standard for diners in one of the most opulent and striking places to dine in the UK.
The service was responsive, rapid and the staff were excellent. We would highly recommend this restaurant for all dining expectations and needs.
Varanasi, at 184 Broad Street, Birmingham, B15 1DA.
Rating – *****
> Andre N Rock