The Benevolent King - Saint Louis

The food at Benevolent King is excellent. They are portioned to be small plates, but I felt that they were pretty generous. We loved everything except for the poached apples they were fine, just not to our taste. We tried a couple of the wines by the glass and appreciated the dry and not to sweet selection. Our server was also very hospitable and timed her checks on us, very well, always coming as well finished a plate and ready with what was next. It was a great place to eat on a cool, fall evening.

The food at the restaurant was excellent, but unfortunately, the service was very inconsistent which detracted from the overall dining experience. Two appetizers never arrived, drinks were served very late, and everything seemed out of sync. This type of service issue seems to be a common problem in many restaurants these days. While I am not surprised by mediocre service at 7 out of 10 places I visit, it is still disappointing that the bar has not been raised since the pandemic. It is crucial for restaurant managers and owners to understand the importance of providing great service. No matter how talented the chef and kitchen team are, if the service team fails to deliver, it ruins the entire dining experience. It is essential to prioritize good service, not just for the customers' sake but also for the hardworking kitchen staff. I would much rather see waiters using paper and pen to take orders than missing dishes and drinks being served at the wrong time. Providing notebooks for the staff to write down orders is a simple and effective solution to ensure a smooth dining experience and show consideration for the chef and their team. It is an easy problem to fix that can greatly improve the overall customer satisfaction.

It's fine but we wont be back. The food is very flavorful but we left there just now starving. Tiny portions, huge prices. Also, the patio is on a busy intersection, so it's not very peaceful.

The Benevolent King was the last stop on dining at every restaurant in the Bengelina Hospitality Group. From the second we walked in the door to paying the bill, everything was top-notch! Jonathan greeted us and worked with us to get the prime seat in the window. He easily listened to my partner's wine preferences and was able to suggest something she liked, and even offered tastings to be sure. When it came to meals, he also was able to differentiate between the entrees and dinner servings. The lamb meatballs and couscous came in a delicious sauce with just the right amount of spice. We this far hadn't been big fans of dessert at Bengelina locations, but they knocked it out of the park here.

I had the pleasure of trying this restaurant recently and I felt the need to rave about what a wonderful experience I had. Right off the bat the manager, Johnathan, made me feel very welcome. He made sure to answer all of the questions I had about the food as I had never tried Moroccan inspired cuisine before. He was very knowledgeable about all of the food and gave me some great suggestions. I ended up trying the Briouat which was fantastic! I love the savory and sweet combo and the dipping sauce was exquisite. I ordered the charred chicken for my main course. The chicken was cooked perfectly, very juicy and the seasoning was fantastic. I was dining alone so I sat at the bar, and the bartender Andrew was awesome! Great cocktails and great conversation. The atmosphere in the restaurant is very warm and I love the black and gold theme. If you are reading this review I encourage you to give Benevolent King a chance!