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Restaurant Reviews List > New York / Tri-State Area Restaurant Reviews > Connecticut Restaurant Reviews > New Haven Restaurant Reviews > Southeast Asian Restaurant Reviews

Restaurant Reviews for Bentara Restaurant

Bentara Restaurant

76 Orange Street
New Haven, CT 06510

Bentara Restaurant was first open in Connecticut in the town of North Haven in April of 1995. In May 1997, the operation was moved to our present location in the historic district of Ninth Square. Bentara Restaurant offers a blend of all different ethnicity & influences from Indian & Chinese cultures as well as Dutch, Portuguese & English to produce a unique mixture of dishes in the Malaysian dining experience.

Dining Style: Casual Dining
Price: $30 and under
Parking: Private Lot
Cross Street: Center

See more Bentara Restaurant details

Average Diner Rating
Overall Rating		4.0 out of 5 (72 Reviews)

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Very Good)
Service		(Very Good)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Moderate)

Summary of Special Features

Diners classify this restaurant as:

fit for foodies (31)
good for groups (26)
notable wine list (26)
neighborhood gem (21)
special occasion (18)
romantic (16)
hot spot (10)
great for lunch (7)
kid-friendly (2)
late-night find (1)
vibrant bar scene (1)

Bentara Restaurant Reviews List

Overall Rating

(Very Good)

"Have loved it for years. Great food!"

Special Features: notable wine list

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Very Good)
Service		(Very Good)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Moderate)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 03/13/2010

(review submitted 03/17/2010)

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Review 2 for Bentara Restaurant

Overall Rating

(Very Good)

"Simple but effective SE Asian decor, excellent service from helpful staff. Steak was superb, as was the satay, soup, although we requested mild, seemed to have more heat than flavor. First rate wine list and very good choice of beers to accompany the Malaysian food.
Highly recommended!"

Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Good)
Service		(Very Good)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Quiet)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 03/07/2010

(review submitted 03/10/2010)

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Review 3 for Bentara Restaurant

Overall Rating

(Fair)

"So the food was pretty good. I'm not familiar with Malyasian food but I did enjoy the dinner for the most part but it took OVER an hour to get our meal. We ordered a drink and two appetizers which came fairly quickly but we had to wait an hour and 10 minutes before our entree arrived! If the waitress came to us and apologized then I would not be upset because I understand even the best places make mistakes since they are only run by people and nobody is perfect; but we didn't even get an apology."

Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list

Food		(Good)
Ambiance		(Very Good)
Service		(Poor)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Moderate)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 03/06/2010

(review submitted 03/08/2010)

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Review 4 for Bentara Restaurant

Overall Rating

(Very Good)

"The best meal I have had at this restaurant, where I have eaten several times and been underwhelmed. We loved the calamari salad, and the fried tofu to start and the chicken rendang. Also had a great lychee martini."

Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, notable wine list

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Very Good)
Service		(Very Good)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Moderate)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 03/04/2010

(review submitted 03/07/2010)

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Review 5 for Bentara Restaurant

Overall Rating

(Very Good)

"The food here is great, the wine list is exceptional, and the atmosphere is energetic. One of our favorite restaurants in Connecticut. If you love spicey food this is the place to go."

Special Features: good for groups, notable wine list, romantic

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Very Good)
Service		(Very Good)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Moderate)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/24/2010

(review submitted 02/28/2010)

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Review 6 for Bentara Restaurant

Overall Rating

(Very Good)

"Extnesive wine list. Curry Mussels were fantastic as appetizer. Asam Pedas dinner was in fabulous sauce."

Special Features: notable wine list

Food		(Outstanding)
Ambiance		(Very Good)
Service		(Very Good)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Moderate)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/25/2010

(review submitted 02/26/2010)

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Review 7 for Bentara Restaurant

Overall Rating

(Outstanding)

"We were passing through CT a couple of years ago and had dinner at Bentara by chance.
We loved the tum yum noodle soup and have always talked about going back.
We finally made it back and the 2hr drive (one way) was worth every bite...delicious!
Don't miss the chance to go to Bentara, can't beat the price for great food!"

Special Features: neighborhood gem, special occasion

Food		(Outstanding)
Ambiance		(Outstanding)
Service		(Very Good)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Moderate)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/13/2010

(review submitted 02/24/2010)

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Review 8 for Bentara Restaurant

Overall Rating

(Very Good)

"The food was wonderful and I haven't had that cuisine in about 15 years (I used to live in Malaysia). I was a little disappointed Bentara didn't serve some traditional desserts/drinks like cendol, kuih, ABC, or teh tarik. I was not sure of the spiciness level of the food (Connecticut tends to be on the mild side), so I ordered "regular" which was of normal spice in Malaysia; a little heat but not face-melting. Their spice chart is mild, medium, regular, hot, and spicy hot. Definitely worth the hour drive to sample the food."

Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion, great for lunch

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Very Good)
Service		(Good)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Energetic)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/19/2010

(review submitted 02/23/2010)

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Review 9 for Bentara Restaurant

Overall Rating

(Very Good)

"Great experience- the portion sizes are much better, not as huge as they used to be (I don't like leftovers since I always toss & hate wasting food) I ordered keratuk as a 4/5 spiciness, and I would say they made it 2/5. So please be more accurate with the spice factor! our server was very good, and the restaurant is busy without being noisy and overcrowded which is great! overall a very nice birthday dinner for me."

Special Features: neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Very Good)
Service		(Good)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Moderate)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/20/2010

(review submitted 02/22/2010)

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Review 10 for Bentara Restaurant

Overall Rating

(Fair)

"Our first experience at Bentara may well be our last! My problem with the glossary on the menu is that other restaurants with unique food explain what their dishes are and how they are prepared, why can't Bentara. We had to explain to our waiter that it was our first time in order to get him to speak to us. I must say that our griddle bread stuffed with beef and eggs was superb and could have been a meal in itself. The 2 soy chicken was dried out and not flavorful at all. It was supposed be made with medium heat and wasn't spicy at all. My companion's Hot & Spicy chicken was bitter and mild- but supposedly didn't come in a mild spice option. We actually left the meals on the plates and went somewhere else for dessert."

Food		(Fair)
Ambiance		(Good)
Service		(Fair)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Quiet)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/20/2010

(review submitted 02/22/2010)

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Review 11 for Bentara Restaurant

Overall Rating

(Very Good)

"My husband and are a big foodies and we found Bentara very interesting cuisine. Our waiter was extremely knowledgeable and took the time to walk us through the menu and made excellent recommendations."

Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Good)
Service		(Outstanding)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/19/2010

(review submitted 02/21/2010)

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Review 12 for Bentara Restaurant

Overall Rating

(Very Good)

"first time experianced dining in rear,munch nicer. quieter and better ambiance."

Special Features: notable wine list, special occasion

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Very Good)
Service		(Very Good)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Moderate)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/14/2010

(review submitted 02/19/2010)

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Review 13 for Bentara Restaurant

Overall Rating

(Very Good)

"Our table was not ready at our reserved time, so we had to wait 15 or 20 minutes. Service was very good afterwards though, and the food was delicious."

Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion, great for lunch, hot spot

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Very Good)
Service		(Very Good)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Moderate)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/14/2010

(review submitted 02/19/2010)

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Review 14 for Bentara Restaurant

Overall Rating

(Good)

"We picked Bentara to celebrate our 15 year engagement anniversary on Valentine's Day. The Ambiance was romantic yet energetic. The Food was simply prepared but complex flavors that brought our tastebuds to life. Overall what kept the night from being a five star, was the separation of serving the Coffee and Dessert. Although the dessert was tasteful, it was served separately and the coffee was not hot as it must of sat out before being served. You can tell that the waitress was a good waitress but became overwhelmed as the night went on and became less attentive to us. Logistically she must have had tables in other parts of the restaurant."

Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, romantic, hot spot

Food		(Outstanding)
Ambiance		(Very Good)
Service		(Fair)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Energetic)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/13/2010

(review submitted 02/18/2010)

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Review 15 for Bentara Restaurant

Overall Rating

(Very Good)

"Delicious Malaysian and fusion food. Lovely atmosphere."

Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Very Good)
Service		(Good)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Moderate)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/14/2010

(review submitted 02/17/2010)

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Review 16 for Bentara Restaurant

Overall Rating

(Outstanding)

"Great food! Seriously one of the best menus in CT. Sit in the front for a more social scene or in a COMFY booth for quieter dining."

Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion, great for lunch, hot spot

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Very Good)
Service		(Very Good)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Quiet)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/13/2010

(review submitted 02/16/2010)

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Review 17 for Bentara Restaurant

Overall Rating

(Very Good)

"This was my first time dining at Barcelona. The tapas were amazing. They came out quickly. It was Valentine's Day and the service was terrible. We had 8pm reservations and didn't get seated until almost 9. Our waiter had to pawn our table off to not one, but two other waiters for help. He apologized, but still it didn't leave such a great impression because I heard him give the same sorry speech to the table next to us. However, the food was amazing, better tapas than Ibiza. The prices were quite high and we missed the half off wine on Sundays. Still I will be going back, but will pay close attention to who I get as a waiter."

Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, notable wine list

Food		(Outstanding)
Ambiance		(Very Good)
Service		(Poor)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Energetic)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/13/2010

(review submitted 02/16/2010)

0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

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Review 18 for Bentara Restaurant

Overall Rating

(Good)

"The menu is very complicated and hard to understand. You need to refer to definitions, and there is a lot of confusion as to what applies to what."

Food		(Good)
Ambiance		(Good)
Service		(Good)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Energetic)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 02/06/2010

(review submitted 02/08/2010)

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Review 19 for Bentara Restaurant

Overall Rating

(Outstanding)

"The food and service at Bentara exceeded our expectations. Norman, our waiter, was knowledgeable about the extensive wine list and gave us excellent direction when determining how many items to order and the degree to which the spiciness would meet our palate. A definite plus!"

Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, notable wine list

Food		(Outstanding)
Ambiance		(Very Good)
Service		(Outstanding)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Moderate)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 01/30/2010

(review submitted 02/02/2010)

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Review 20 for Bentara Restaurant

Overall Rating

(Very Good)

"My husband and I went to Bentara for a special event that we read about in the paper called Pecha Kucha. The menu provided such a wonderful selection of food, it was very difficult to make a choice. The waiter was very patient and helped us to make decisions. The problem arose when our food was delivered. Only 2 of the four in our party received our plates. So much time had passed after two of the plates were served, I had to ask a bus boy to check on the other two. A few minutes later, the plates arrived. All four were meals were inhaled, two warm and two cold, but each extremely delicious. I assume the issue existed only because of the event and can't wait to dine at Bentara again! **Great vegetarian options"

Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups

Food		(Outstanding)
Ambiance		(Very Good)
Service		(Good)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Energetic)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 01/27/2010

(review submitted 01/29/2010)

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Review 21 for Bentara Restaurant

Overall Rating

(Very Good)

"Very enjoyable all-around experience. Great for folks who are open to experiment with their food choices and expand their culinary palates."

Special Features: fit for foodies

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Very Good)
Service		(Very Good)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Quiet)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 01/23/2010

(review submitted 01/25/2010)

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Review 22 for Bentara Restaurant

Overall Rating

(Very Good)

"Never a dull experience. Food is plentiful and wonderful. Just the right touch of exotic. Not great if you have picky kids. Food may be too spicy for kids."

Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, notable wine list, romantic, great for lunch

Food		(Outstanding)
Ambiance		(Good)
Service		(Very Good)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Quiet)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 01/22/2010

(review submitted 01/24/2010)

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Review 23 for Bentara Restaurant

Overall Rating

(Very Good)

"Great ambiance, interesting food that can be catered to your taste and exceptionally knowledgable staff. We were not rushed and had a lovely, leisurely experience. And very accomodating --- the owner went across the street to the steakhouse they also own to get a glass of 20-year-old port since the restaurant only had 10 year. She personally walked across the street and carried it back -- and it was about 5 degrees out. Talk about service!"

Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, romantic, special occasion

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Very Good)
Service		(Outstanding)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Moderate)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 01/09/2010

(review submitted 01/12/2010)

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Review 24 for Bentara Restaurant

Overall Rating

(Very Good)

"As always Bentara does not dissapoint the service, food and ambience was great
The only issue is the menu never changes and no specials
were offered."

Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, kid-friendly, neighborhood gem

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Outstanding)
Service		(Outstanding)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Quiet)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 12/19/2009

(review submitted 12/21/2009)

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Review 25 for Bentara Restaurant

Overall Rating

(Good)

"I always come here when i am in town to visit my son who resides in new haven, the food is almost always good and presented well, the service however has grown more negligent over the years."

Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, late-night find, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Very Good)
Service		(Fair)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Moderate)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 11/25/2009

(review submitted 12/04/2009)

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Review 26 for Bentara Restaurant

Overall Rating

(Good)

"The food was excellent but the service was horrible. The waitress messed up our drink orders, we saw the drinks sitting at the bar but it took the waitress a good 20 min. to bring them over, it took a very long time before the waitress came back to check on us and get our orders in, and the dessert took a ridiculously long time to come out even though we were the only ones left in the entire restaurant."

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Very Good)
Service		(Poor)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Moderate)

By an OpenTable.com user

who dined on 12/02/2009

(review submitted 12/04/2009)

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Ratings-Only Reviews for Bentara Restaurant

Based on the average of (46) ratings-only reviews

Overall Rating

(Very Good)

Food		(Very Good)
Ambiance		(Very Good)
Service		(Very Good)
Restaurant Experience:
Noise Level		(Moderate)

Restaurant Reviews for Bentara Restaurant

Bentara Restaurant Reviews List

Review 1 for Bentara Restaurant

Review 2 for Bentara Restaurant

Review 3 for Bentara Restaurant

Review 4 for Bentara Restaurant

Review 5 for Bentara Restaurant

Review 6 for Bentara Restaurant

Review 7 for Bentara Restaurant

Review 8 for Bentara Restaurant

Review 9 for Bentara Restaurant

Review 10 for Bentara Restaurant

Review 11 for Bentara Restaurant

Review 12 for Bentara Restaurant

Review 13 for Bentara Restaurant

Review 14 for Bentara Restaurant

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Review 19 for Bentara Restaurant

Review 20 for Bentara Restaurant

Review 21 for Bentara Restaurant

Review 22 for Bentara Restaurant

Review 23 for Bentara Restaurant

Review 24 for Bentara Restaurant

Review 25 for Bentara Restaurant

Review 26 for Bentara Restaurant