Mantra Restaurant & Lounge

09/26/2008 Posted by lisahazarika

We decided to try out Mantra and must say that they have a great place. There was live music on that Saturday evening. However we were disappointed with the food. We had the chicken curry and arugula-cheese platter with naan and found it to be really ordinary. Specially for the price for each of them. It was almost $18-$19 per plate and didnt taste very good.The dessert we had was nice (cant remember the name now but it was a torte). I would skip this place the next time I am in University ave area..there are other good eateries!

04/19/2008 Posted by Lekh

I went with a friend of mine for a casual dinner. The best samosas I have ever had. I focus on the little things like chutneys and raitas and Chef Sachin Chopra delivered what I have been looking for over 9 years in US now - both were the best by far. Sure the items on the menu were a bit expensive (Entre: 18-50 I guess), but food quantities were quite generous. We knew we ordered a bit extra, but the left overs laster me for 2 full meals. Our total bill was $87 (plus tip) - not bad huh!! I haven't tried their non-veg menu yet, but can't wait to go again.... at the very least once.... If you like authentic Indian food, made and served gourmet style and don't mind paying that little extra price, then you have to give this a try. Hope you like it just as much too.

12/17/2007 Posted by dtrang

We had a large dinner party here. The food was good. Experience was great until the end when we got the bill. We asked the lead waiter to split the check for more convenient payments for us. His attitude gave me the impression that we were giving him hassle. This, after $160 for gratitude? We will not come back.

11/09/2007 Posted by weakticket

Tasty mussels and great curry chicken, I would recommend this place if you have at least 1 hour and half. This being said the service was slow, at least on the server side, the water and dish guys were operating at great speeds. The food was different, and quite good.

Pros: Great indian california fusion.

Cons: Slow service - Takes awhile to get your food.

07/18/2007 Posted by jcfrench

Mantra was hugely dissappointing, it has so much potential, but the kitchen just doesn't execute. It is a beautiful restaurant with nice art on the walls and it has a fun hip vibe, and the menu sounds great, but it doesn't come together on the plate. I'm not against Asian fusion, I 've actually started becoming quite fond of it, but I think Mantra is an example of why some people are so against fusion. The paneer appetizer lacked flavor. The samosa's are way overpriced for being as simple as they are. The lamb chops were undercooked, we asked for med. rare and got very rare. The seabass itself was very nice, but the accompaniments lacked flavor. All this and you walk out with a big hole in your wallet.

Pros: nice setting

Cons: poor execution on food

01/06/2007 Posted by ankitg06

I was at Mantra a few nights ago with a friend, and had a terrific experience. The bar, called "Daru Lounge" may just be my favorite physical part of the restaurant. Grandly yet sleekly designed, with friendly, accommodating bartenders, it wouldn’t be out of place in a chic neighborhood in Manhattan. Of the drinks we tried, I particularly enjoyed the pomegranate "pom-pom" martini and the red mist martini, although my friend preferred the slightly harder "Mantra" special. We also tasted the chocolate martini, which was too sweet for my palate, but our bartender Jerry said it's a favorite with the ladies. The martinis were a little pricey at $10 a pop, but given the exquisite ambience of the bar, and the fresh naan and chutney we were given as a special treat from the owner, it was entirely reasonable. Dinner was equally impressive. The dining area at Mantra is actually separated from the bar quite effectively, which makes for a more private dining experience. We shared the Paneer Cuboid as an appetizer, whose only fault may be its slightly diminutive size. But I was very pleasantly surprised by the portions of the entrees. I had the Kashmiri Sea Bass, which may just be the best, most tender, and agreeably spiced sea bass I've ever had. My friend ordered the Chicken "Moilee", which he seemed to enjoy. I had a taste of it and found it just a little bland though the meat itself was very tender and well-prepared. For dessert we split the chocolate "bombe" in passion fruit soup, which I think really showcases the chef's creative ability to infuse Indian flavors into an otherwise Western dish. It's a must-have. All in all a delightful dining experience, with perhaps one of the most underappreciated upscale bars in Palo Alto. Mantra is not your typical Indian restaurant trying to attract attention by abusing the "fusion" label. I wouldn't compare it with other Indian restaurants in the area – it really is fine dining experience with an Indian twist.

Pros: Ambience, Food, Wine List

12/29/2006 Posted by lilfreakyzombie

i was a little hesitant when my family told me that we were going to eat indian/french food on christmas eve. as i dont generally like indian food i must say i was quite impressed. we ordered the menu that offered a four course meal. the firset course was a refreshing modern twist on the traditional peruvian dish of ceviche drenched in fresh lime juice and for the vegeatrains there was a magnificent mozerella substitute. following that was served a zesty butternut squash/carrot soup with a hint of an indian aftertaste. As the first two courses were of the perfect proportions, i still had a decent appetite when the main dish came. the main dish was a puff pastry covered in a zesty chile sauce with shitake mushrooms inside. last but not least came the desert which i must say was divine. itw as something ive never heard of called a chocolate bombe which had white chocolate in the center and was submerged in a jasmine tea soup. i can't wait to go back and try their main menu.

11/24/2006 Posted by anthony_gonzales

My wife and I had dinner at Mantra last week. We were impressed by Mantra's warm modern decor, vibrant colors and contemporary art work. Mantra has a very long very urban, New York style bar and lounge. We were greeeted warmly and seated near the fountain. The server recommened Sea Bass and Mixed Grill as their signature dishes. We had an interesting Vegetarian Starter called Paneer Cuboid that came with a shot of delicious cold soup. The Sea Bass was the best I had. We had their one of their Burgundy Pinots by the glass. The service was prompt. Will highly recommend this new addition to Palo Alto.

11/04/2006 Posted by jeannierph

My husband and I went there for dinner tonight. I ordered the lamb chops and he ordered the steak. We were seat at 7 pm. They totally forgot our orders. When we follow-up on our orders, neither the maitre-d nor our waitress apologized. I got my order at 8:05 pm and my husband got his around 8:15 pm. In addition, my husband ordered medium done for his steak and it came out rare. When we brought that to our waitress' attention, she stood there for 30 seconds before offering to have it cooked more. Again, she didn't apologize for not getting the order right. Basically, she took his plate in and had the kitchen cook the section of the steak that was rare. When his plate of steak came back out, it was half cold and half warm. For what this restaurant charged us, the service was quite poor. The portion size was also small. I'm giving Mantra a 1/10 because my lamb chops tasted good but that's all it had going for it.

Pros: food tasted okay

Cons: poor service, poor value, bad attitude

08/24/2006 Posted by acsquires

Learned about this restaurant from Michael Bauer's blog. Incredibly talented chef trained in New York at some hot restaurants. We got fresh California cuisine with Indian influenced spices and flavors. Tasty scallop app, lamb kebobs, and watermelo salad to start. Then the sea bass, mixed grill with lamb, shrimp, chicken, and a vegetarian timbale. The wine list was really well selected and priced low! How refreshing. They have 18 wines by the glass. I wish everyone had this friendly of service. We loved our waitress>nice and well trained. The lounge is a cool place to meet up before dinner. They have awesome cocktails and played Bollywood movies on their plasma>a weird but cool touch.

Pros: service, freshness of food, wine prices

Cons: parking a little difficult but where isn't it?