Mantra

05/06/2008 Posted by CambridgeFoodie

I must admit I was a big fan of the food at Mantra and still am I am really surprised that they have still kept the hostess around after so many negative reviews. I personally had a bad experience with her when we reached 15 minutes late for our reservation, our table was given away and she spoke to us as if she was doing a favor by providing us with a table when it is available. Very unprofessional and I have now stopped going to Mantra after this recent experience.

02/09/2008 Posted by blnkc182

This place was unequivocally the worst time I have EVER had!!!! My friends and I were on their list so we got to skip the six mile long line... but then we got in and it was $15!! Ok I will pay that much money for a place that is worth it but not for this place. And then you HAVE to check your coat, and that line was a 15-20 minute wait and it was $5 for each coat. And they were at least 200 people above what the capacity should've been. It was not even a comfortable place to stand, FORGET dancing. My friends and I were pushed and shoved, had drinks spilled on us multiple times, and even when we attempted to forget about how mad we were someone would just trip all over you and remind you why you were mad to begin with. And each drink was at least $10 each. And the crowd was AWFUL. Like gross dudes all over you that don't know how to take the word no. Maybe its a nice restaurant but that's exactly what it is. It should never have been allowed to call itself a nightclub. Oh and there are THREE bathroom stalls for the whole place. And there is a downstairs lounge area, which might have dispersed he crowd a bit except they were playing the crappiest music ever down there so there was never more than like 10 people there at a time, and they were probably just trying to avoid the 20 minute wait at the upstairs bar for a drink. I don't even know what else to say this place should just be shut down. AWFUL- do NOT go there- save yourself a horrible night! And you'll never get a cab home either!

Pros: NOTHING

Cons: EVERYTHING

01/22/2008 Posted by smerediths

haven't been there for dinner ok club to go dancing make sure you get there early especially on the weekend

11/16/2007 Posted by voiceofboston

Saturday night is great for the college club scene. Friday is more of a mash up. I've been to both too many times to count. Its a great place to have your birthday party.

08/08/2007 Posted by aekelley

We went to Mantra for lunch during Boston's Restaurant week. Its a very cool atmosphere, and when we arrived, we thought it would be a fun place to come for drinks after work. There was also a buffet that seemed to be well stocked with tasty smelling indian style dishes. Unfortunately, we were there for the restaurant week special, and after being seated (right under a blasting air conditioner) we waited what seemed to be forever to be even looked at by an employee of the restaurant. The food itself was terrible. After eating barely passable apps and burned Naan, our entrees inally arrived. My pork came out completely raw and the tandori chiken skewers were pretty gross. we sent my pork back and requested our bill as we decided it wasn't worth wasting our time on trying the dessert. The saving grace was that they didn't charge us for the meal after that. We ended up stopping for a snack at the local burrito stand before heading back to the office - completely dissapointed in our restaurant week adventure. We may go back for drinks, but this is definitely not going to be another food stop.

Pros: fun atmosphere- looks like a decent buffet

Cons: wait staff, food

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

06/22/2007 Posted by lnn

My boyfriend and I are a quite food lovers and I used to be a server in a five star restaurant in Boston for several years. I know what people expect from fine dining. Mantra is known to be the one of the finest restaurants worth trying in Boston.... Let me tell you! It was the worst food I've ever had in all the fine restaurants I have gone to so far. We ordered two appetizers, soft shell crab and seared scallops. The soft shell crab had way too much breading. I couldn't taste the crab at all. The scallop was overcooked so there was no juice in them which is crucial for the flavor of scallops. Sauce was too bland. Our entree was even more pathetic. The veal tenderloin that we ordered was too dry and again the sauce didn't bring out the flavor of the meat. The stuffed pork tenderloin had tastless stuffing that I wasn't able to tell what they were and the white asparagus on the side was so hard I had a hard time chewing. Then the service was as bad as you get in Chinatown. Our server didn't even know if the seasonal appetizer on the menu was available, didn't bring out the wine menu until we asked for it ( it was 15min after we were seated), got our drink order wrong, and then took away our entree even though I still had much food left in my plate. If we pay 20 something dollar for an appetizer and close to 40 for entree, we would definitely anticipate the food quality and service to be at a much higher level. But unfortunately their food quality and service didn't even deserve one star. I highly recommened to NOT waste your money at Matra and go elsewhere. You'll tahnk me for it.

Pros: Ambiance was really nice. Very nicely decorated.

Cons: Food, serivice, attention to detail, shall I go on?

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

04/05/2007 Posted by redsoxnation9988

I never bothered writing reviews, pessimistic that no one cares. But i had to about Mantra because of my recent experience (this Saturday) versus numerous awful experiences over the 2 year period that i frequented the establishment (Live around the corner). It seems that the club is still favored but now more controlled by a very protective gentlemen overseeing the dinning floor. No more breaking down of the surroundings while dinners are still eating and more of a restaurant atmosphere. Now i feel like i am having dinner in Miami or New York and still part of the scene. Great food and service. Too bad you can't reserve a dinner table past 10 pm. They only do early dinner on Friday and Saturday. But it's about time that Mantra discovered their true identity. Great Job...

Pros: Great Atmosphere, Great Food, Great Service

Cons: Early dinner only

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

03/29/2007 Posted by starlight2007

The whole experience from the beginning to the end of the evening was amazing. The staff was lively and made our stay the best that we had in Boston ever. We regret finding out about the space on our last day in this city but we will be back on our next trip and make our first stop. The french cuisine was a surprise but delicious (we were expecting Indian cuisine) . Chef Anupam came out and greeted us as we got the check and spoke a little about his cooking. We were treated like rock stars. The city was a bit cold but Mantra more than made up for it with it's staff and warm and welcoming decor. This place should be a MUST on everyone's restaurant list. And the host with the french accent brings a sexiness to the whole place.

Pros: Beautiful Scene, Great food

Cons: None

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

03/29/2007 Posted by lucywang

We had a limited menu so i can't comment for a whole experience, but for what it was the food was excellent and anticipating great experience on my return. The office was honoring our CEO from overseas and he is a hard man to please but Mantra did a great job. They do need new furniture. What was there was not impressive. The staff shined and the overall experience was an A+. Our event coordinator (Paola) was very impressive. Was at our beck and call all evening. Om Bar was a great dinner choice.

Pros: Impressive staff and food

Cons: None

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

03/15/2007 Posted by paulghetty

impressive space and beautiful decor. The restaurant is very Miami chic from the front lobby to the Om Bar on the lower level. The space turns into a lounge in the evening which fits perfectly with the concept. The staff was very friendly even to four female patrons that were very annoying and spoke consistenly about the rude hostess. The noisy chatter almost made us leave. But the evening was saved by our great waiter and the food was very good and on time. First time that we were offered an amuse bouche at any of the restaurant that we frequent so you know that little extra touch will have coming back. Monday wine tasting will be our next project at this venue and if this night is any comparison we will be having a great time. Good job, keep it up....

Pros: Great staff, great food

Cons: Noisy space

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful