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We came here for a friend's birthday two weeks ago and had a fantastic time, although as always (I've been here several times) the place was really empty for a Saturday night. The decor was lovely, the service was top notch, and the food was delicious with generous portions. We ordered the Aloo Gobhi (cauliflower), Chana Masala (chickpeas), Chicken Makhani and Lamb Vindaloo, all of which were very good. I especially loved the Chicken Makhani, which is similar to Chicken Tikka Masala except more buttery (I was basically wiping the serving dish clean with my naan). I've only tried the onion and regular naan, but they have many different types that I really should try. I also always get a mango lassi (which they make very sweet at Palace at the Ben).
Overall, I love the food at Palace at the Ben but everytime I'm there I wonder how they're still in business since it's a pretty large restaurant I've never seen more than a handful of parties there.
Lunch buffet. 5 of 5 nomomomoms. Feel like I'm ripping them off paying the standard lunch buffet price. Everything here tastes fresh and well put together.
Best goat I've ever had. Pakoras were flavorful. Dessert had just the right sweetness. Tandoori chicken was succulent and falling off the bone.
Tastefully decorated as well.
They didn't complain or give weird looks when we made goat sounds while eating.
Went here on my birthday while in town. First off the food was amazing! I can't remember the names of the dishes but my chicken was at the perfect spice level and my girlfriend's vegetable dish had her raving. They were also not skimpy with the rice, nor was it overcooked like I find at a lot of places. It was nice having a sampling of samosas for an appetizer since we differ in our attitudes toward meat!
The atmosphere was really nice too. Perfect lighting and spacing, and we saw a few private tables with curtains too if that's you're thing. Our wait service was attentive and ready with recommendations but not always around. Which says something because when we went there was no one there. From 6-7:30 on a Friday evening we were one of two couples that ate there, I have no idea why!
Good food, good service, nice place, and decent prices. Next time we're in Philly I'll be going back. My only complaint was that their wines weren't that exciting.
Palace at the Ben is easily the best Indian lunch deal in Center City. And is probably the poshest Indian restaurant in all of Philadelphia. For about $10 you get a selection of tasty lunch-buffet items, both meat and vegetarian, and hot, fresh naan. The dessert, understandably, is regularly a lackluster, watery rice pudding that is serviceable, but not much beyond that. I also don't recall any standout dishes. And the dimly lit individual-stall bathrooms are not pleasing. Palace still gets 5 stars, though, because you're not going to find a better Indian lunch in Center City; at least I haven't.
I normally hate eating Indian food outside of our home but this place, wow! Not only is it absolutely beautiful inside, the food is actually really really good! The owner is usually there and the staff are friendly and eager to make your dining experience more than enjoyable. The first time we went was with our entire family and we had this awesome private table where we couldn't see or be seen by anyone else. The drinks are also really unique (and strong). I've been there for brunch, happy hours and parties and wow this venue is fantastic.
I went here the other day for their lunch buffet. Everything they have to offer is delicious! Yes, the buffet is advertised as $9.95 but they add on some sort of mandatory service charge (around 20%) to your bill regardless of how many people are in your party. I'm not sure why they feel this is warranted seeing as you will be doing the serving.
Clearly the other night was a fluke. You guys are back in good standing--I'm sorry I ever threatened to... you know.
xo,
Kim
Open letter to Palace at the Ben:
My Dear Friends,
I ordered take out two nights ago from you guys. It…
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Everything at Palace at the Ben was amazing!!! I cannot have had a better experience. When you first walk in the staff graciously greets you and you see what a beautiful restaurant it is. The food was so perfectly cooked and the flavors were amazing. The portions are more than ample and as far as Indian cuisine goes, this is by far one of the best experiences I've had. Don't forget dessert! Each of the items our party tried was fantastic! Such a great experience! Make sure to take a look deeper into the restaurant which leads to a beautiful grand gallery-type room with handsome architecture and design. A very loungey and elegant bar sits in the gallery that is part of the restaurant. Definitely looks inviting and we will stop for a drink there the next time. A true gem!!!!
Wow, this food is fantastic! We had the Garlic Naan, Chicken Tikka, Panir Tikka Masala, Raita and Achar and everything was great. Definitely a touch pricey but well worth it.
$9.99 for the lunch buffet. I have a few 3 & 4 stars(yes, Tiffin included), but this is the only Indian food in the city that I would rate 5 stars. It's a very nice dining space too.
They also have a separate lounge area if you just want to have some drinks and chill. It is located outside of the dining area but inside the lobby of the Ben. Look for the happy hour specials. Lotsa fun.
The food was good overall, but the service was a little slow... which was weird since there was no one else there!
Of course.... get the Gulab Jamun... it will make everything better.
Stopped by the Palace at Ben before a friends wedding reception in Philly. This place is super cool (in the lobby of the Ben Franklin--which was a ritzy hotel back in the day but now is upscale apartments). The drinks are stiff and the appetizers are great.
We had the fried potato balls stuffed with cheese and spices and one of their specialty breads. I definitely want to come here again if in town for business or leisure.
One things for sure, late night after the wedding I'm getting a famous cheese steak. Woot Woot.
Palace at the Ben has excellent Indian food; bottom line. My friend (a vegetarian) and I (not even close to a vegetarian) went for dinner and loved the food. Their menu was reasonably extensive for both of us.
My only complaint was that, although the restaurant was almost empty, all the dinning parties were piled into the back of the restaurant instead of spreading us out.
Food was amazing!
Well... Based on a shout-out as 1 of 16 "Great Restaurants for Valentine's Day" from http://PhillyMag.com, we went to the Palace on 2/14/2009. While we both really liked the food (although probably not enough to justify the price), the service was comically bad. Here are some real examples..
1. Watching a bartender search for 5 minutes for a bottle opener to open your beer with.
2. Picking 3 bottles of wine from their wine list before choosing one that they actually had in stock.
3. Having a slobby, seemingly intoxicated waitress whose most insightful comment was when she bad-mouthed the restaurant as poorly managed.
Bottom line is that I would never return to the Palace,
At some places, restaurant week brings down the quality and service a bit, but not at Palace at the Ben! We had an excellent time. Our server, Barry, was attentive without being intrusive, and helped us out with several questions. I have to echo the beauty of the space others have mentioned. The quality of the food was excellent and portions were generous enough that we took quite a bit home with us. Nice touch that the soups came with veggie samosas and chicken on the side. Two thumbs up for their outrageously fluffy naan. The korma was positively decadent.
On their regular menu, entrees are mainly in the low $20s.
I'm no Indian food conosieur, however, I think Palace at the Ben is delightful. I went on a limb and tried this chicken dish cooked in coconut milk , golden raisins, and nuts... SO DELICIOUS...
And I'm pissed I missed this event that everyone's referring to!
Plan on returning the next time I'm getting Indian
Best Indian food in the city, hands down. The interior design was beautiful - contemporary yet it felt true to the culture. I don't think there's a bad seat in the house - but I highly recommend trying to reserve the table in the corner on the 8th Street side (it's tucked away in a little nook that's perfect for an intimate dinner).
As far as the food goes, everything I ordered was delicious. I went for lunch and tried the Thali special (a little sampling of 8 of their "greatest hits"). I especially loved the Navratan Korma, a creamy vegetable dish that tastes great with their homemade Naan. It's not very spicy, though, so if you like yours with a little kick you might need to say something.
Start your dinner out with the Rangpur Rose (Tanqueray Rangpur gin, Pama pomegranate liqueur, fresh ginger, lime, cranberry and rose water) and save room for the rice pudding. Yum!
Great service, too. I'll def. go back!
I was in town for business in May, when I stumbled upon the best Indian food I've ever had! I am a big fan of Indian cuisine, and I thought I'd had "the best" prior to eating at The Ben. Boy howdy, was I wrong!
The food, service, and ambiance were all fantastic. The food was as spicy as I'd ordered it (very spicy!) and the mango lassi was the best I've ever had.
The only complaint I have about this place is that it's in Philly, and I'm in Southern California! I'll plan my work travel around trying to eat at this place again. :)
Finally, a venue truly worthy of kudos for design in Philadelphia. Nestled into the Ben Franklin House apartments, hence Palace at the BEN, you have an amazing setting of a 75 year + historic building. This is where the outdoor (indoors technically) bar shines. With chairs, pillows and cushions straight out of the Taj Mahal it's almost as much fun aesthetically outside the restaurant than in. The streets aren't paved with gold, but the ceilings sure look like they are!
Inside the elephant is king as a design fixture. There are a few private tables cleverly nestled into the layout, and a lounge-like setting by the interior bar. You have to see it to understand... This is a great venue to impress someone or a group of someones who have never been. It's definitely atypical of the philly restaurant scene. If the food and the drinks are as well thought out as the venue, then this is a winner.
We went there for dinner on a Saturday night. The place looks very nice right in the Ben Franklin building which is beautiful in itself.
We had Samosas for appetizer. Some of the best I've had - as much as I love meat - the vegetable samosa and cheese were my favorites. My better half preferred the meat Samosa. The Samosa appetizer came with a Tamarind sauce and a mint sauce both complimented the appetizer very nicely.
We had a lamb stew for one of the entrees which was very tasty, a little bit of spice and a lot depth in flavor, this was served with rice. We had chicken Tikka as the other entree which was not bad but a little dry and lacked a sauce or something to dip it in. This dish was a little disappointing.
Overall the food was very good to good. I expected a little more from an upscale Indian restaurant. Didn't try the cocktails so can't testify for those. I had a decent glass of Cabernet.
One very pleasant aspect of the dinner was the atmosphere which was very nice. It was a pleasure to dine in a quiet in a quiet environment even though the restaurant was pretty full people were not noisy. So I was able to dine and converse without having to shout across the table.
-Amazing space - beautiful bar, gorgeous dining room, every detail is perfect.
-Very good food. Its definitely not as spicy as I would prefer but still very good.
-The tables by the bar sit in the stunning Ben Franklin house lobby and its worth it to have a few drinks there before or after your meal.
-Service was ok, but it was also the first week it opened that I went.
-I would have given it 5 stars if it was a bit more affordable. I guess the beautiful decor comes at a price.
I had heard such good things, but sadly they were all untrue. I went today for the weekend lunch buffet. They had a number of veg options, none of which tasted much like anything nor different from anything else. I mean, we're talking big-time bland here. I ordered veg samosas too, which seemed a bit better spiced at first, but it turned out to be a phantom taste, because they drifted down into flavor monotony like the rest of the food. And they were mostly ugly and gray inside with sparse appearances of peas. The naan was cold, rubbery and flavorless. This is not what South Asian food is supposed to taste like. The setting is fine, but overly formal for such not-great food, and the service was lackluster. And the bill was over $20. I can't help but think it's money thrown away, but at least I know now and can stop wondering if this is the place in Philly where I'll finally find great Indian food. It's not. And I will not be going back.
I went there this Saturday for brunch. I ordered the thali (non-veg) and the collection of dishes were varied and delicious; the lamb was to die for, as was the Dal. As a previous reviewer said they have creamy thick sauces which do have wonderful flavor The nan is exceptional as is the tandoori chicken. I was pressed for time but I was promptly seated and the waiter was very help full and friendly and got me out in time to avoid being towed.
I got takeout veggie samosas and Chicken Tikka Masala. It was good, but not awesome. I probably will return for a sit down meal to give them a second chance with another dish. I apologize for the low amount of substance in this review, but it is what it is.
not into it. service was great and decor was nice. but if you want fuckin good indian food, GO TO TIFFIN. patb is about three times as expensive and half as good. i should know. i did the side-by-side paneer tikka masala test.
i live by the theory that unless you can set your indian food apart as an absolute work of art (indique in DC, devi in NYC) don't charge a freakin fortune for it. we already have perfect-tasting indian food in the city, and at reasonable prices - so if you're going to charge more you have to find a way to justify it, as far as i am concerned.
This restaurant was amazing - from the food to the decor to the staff. Me & my BF had dinner this past Tuesday night and it was wondferful. First, the building that it is in is beautiful and the decor is lovely. The layout is very nice with a non-open floorplan with little private areas to eat. There are 2 lounges that are also beautiful. There were not a lot of people in the restaurant having dinner but that was not a problem for me - I liked the privacy. The staff was very gracious and friendly. As for the food, it was amazing in my opinion. This was my first time having Indian food so I am far from an expert but my BF loves Indian food and he loved it as well. The food is somewhat pricey - we paid $81 for 2 (not including my tip) but well worth the price and you get a lot of food. I had to take food home. I thought the dress code was dressy but I would say that it was more casual to dressy. I would highly recommend the Palace at the Ben and will definitely be going back for more.
Wow, this restaurant was rated tops on yelp for Indian and was I sorely dissapointed. First off, the restaurant looks beautiful and this is where the compliments will end. Despite there being only one other table in the restaurant, service was very slow. After having the shrimp appetizer, it took an exasperating 20 minutes before the main course arrived. It was not worth the wait. We also had to ask for the check because they were simply not paying attention. Very lackluster!
Price very very high. Food is not better than gagan restaurant in new jersey.
Most definitely the best Indian food I've had in Philly. For the most part, the flavors were complex and delicious. There were a couple of mediocre dishes, but the outstanding ones certainly outnumbered the underwhelming ones.
Everything was great, except the bill, but I'd had so many signature drinks it didn't matter anymore ;)
Palace at the Ben is simply the best Indian restaurant I've ever eaten at. From the friendly staff to the elegant surroundings, this place feels like something special and that's before the food even arrives. The flavors, colors, and textures of the cuisine are just spectacular. Nothing is overly salty, which scores huge points with me because when a dish is to salty I know the chef is covering up a lack of talent. Every flavor from chili to ginger to cardamom is perfectly balanced in every dish. I've eaten there over ten times in the past eight months and will certainly return!
JUST F**KING INCREDIBLE!
I almost feel like that's all I should have to say...but as I know it is not...I shall continue.
Four of us went here last night. The couple that we went with had already experienced it before...and were talking it up on our way there. As we walk in the doors of the Ben Franklin house to our left is this beautiful seating area...outside of the restaurant itself. It gave the air of sitting on an indoor mezzanine, even though we were at ground level. Beautiful textures and colors. We opted to sit in this area.
Drinks came first of course.
I'm not sure of the name of the drink...but it was delicious, so delicious in fact that we ordered a pitcher of it! Our sever liked that idea because it saved her making a bunch of drinks! It was Gin, ginger, rosewater and I'm not sure what else. What I am sure of though is that it tasted like fruit punch.
The food...just...perfect in every aspect.
I was eating whatever we ordered...there were so many dishes and too much food for us to finish! Beautiful colors as well...just a very wonderful experience.
The food was so good in fact that I requested to go boxes! (Something I never do!)
It's a must.
Let me add a disclaimer...it is NOT cheap. It's worth every penny...but not cheap. You're looking at 20-30 per plate. Still worth it!
Good food, not the best though. Service lacks proffesionalism. Not worth the money you will end up spending here. 2 stars.
The ambiance, the staff, and the food are incredible. Very stately decor, very attentive staff, and huge portions of delicious food. Don't be afraid to ask for what is not featured on the menu the staff graciously accepts requests. If you are looking for something quick, perhaps you should reconsider their dining room as a 2-course meal for 2 takes about 2h, but you should consider the bar area which has a great happy hour--430-730 with $5 martinis and $3 beers free appetizers. I'll hurry back!
Best Indian food I've ever had - best in the city and beyond. Amazing ambiance and very attentive staff who will make sure everything is seasoned the way you want.
I went here with a group of friends and we ordered the following dishes:
plain naan (wonderful), chicken korma (delightful), paneer saag (the best i've had), chana masala (nothing special), chicken murg makhani (spicy and nice), and lamb pasanda. The service was wonderful. The location was very nice with beautiful settings and servings. For the portions it was expensive. We originally ordered 4 dishes and two naans for six and had to add another dish and we had no extra (all small girls). But, if you compared it to a nice expensive restaurant rather than your typical indian place then the serving size seems more fair. I think if you ordered appetizers and ate lightly you could likely get a small portion for lunch the next day. In all, I love indian food and i was very pleased. The chicken of the chicken korma fell apart in the sauce which was excellent. The paneer in the saag was perfectly done. We also had a vegetarian with us and she had plenty of choices. I think in all it ended up costing around 28 dollars per person. If you are looking for a nice or date type Indian food, look no further.
i have only been here once, like a year ago, but i cant stop thinking about it! it was sooo delicious!!! it was oddly empty at lunch time and a bit too fancy and pricy for me, but i am dying to go back on a special occasion.
Seriously, I am not an Indian Food connoisseur, but let me tell you, I know good food when I have it. The meal I had at the Palace at the Ben was outstanding. We moved to Philadelphia recently, and this has been the best meal we have had so far. The waitstaff was excellent, they were attentive & friendly and made great recommendations. We started off with a decent assorted samosa appetizer, but the entrees really made the night. The Murg Makhani, Navaratan Korma & Lamb Roganjosh were all excellent. The Naan was freshly made, and the best we've had. Seriously, if you have not tried this place, its worth a trip. It takes alot to impress me, but the service and food were great.
Kind of a hidden gem! We had a nice dinner here. The spot is lovely (great atmosphere), the service is good, and the food was tasty. Some in our party were disappointed that the 'spicy' stuff wasn't hot -- so I'd suggest that you make it clear to the waitstaff if you want your dishes spicy/hot/not toned down.
Addictive.....Addictive.....Addictive food
Neighborhood: University City
Category: Indian
Philadelphia, PA
Category: Indian
Neighborhood: Queen Village
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Fishtown
Category: Indian
Neighborhood: Olde City
Category: Indian
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