Mornings in Benaras are spent on boat rides, walking through the ghats and sampling hot local breakfasts.
While walking through the ghats of Benaras, we always used to see and admire the Brijrama Palace at the Darbhanga Ghat. During our last trip in February 2020, we were tired after long walks and decided to step in to the Brijrama Palace for a cooler / coffee just before lunch. They had a cover charge for non-resident guests and they were also booked out for lunch so we decided to reserve and return for dinner.
Brijrama Palace was built in 1812. The first sight of the hotel is the historical elevator that was installed in 1918 and it boasts of being the first elevator of India.This heritage hotel is beautifully preserved and maintained. You get a sense of royalty when you enter and are greeted. The palace offers beautiful view of the ghats and the Ganga river.
They also had a live music & kathak performance in the evening at the main atrium of the palace, which is called the Bada Aangan
The hotel offers a maharaja style dining experience at Chota Aangan that serves traditional food of India in a low seating dining hall.
We got our reservation at the Darbhanga, which is a multi-cuisine vegetarian restaurant. While Mohit and Chetan opted for a-la-carte options, I chose the Banarasi Thali (which is a 3 course combination of local meal served in silverware).
Your meal may take a while to arrive but I must say that the wait is totally worth it. Each dish in the thali was very flavourful and beautifully made. You need to visit this place with a good 2 hour meal plan. Relax, chat up and enjoy the royal treatment with your meals. A royal meal like this needs to end with Benarasi Paan
It is highly recommended that you reserve a table in advance if you are a walk-in guest and not staying at the hotel. We would surely want to return to this palace for a stay whenever we get affordable deals in 2021.
Address: Brijrama Palace, Darbhanga Ghat, Dashashwamedh, Varanasi India 221001