by Meagan N.

Im not going to lie here....I was incredibly intoxicated upon arrival as my old roommate from college had booked a hotel room and I didnt have time for dinner.....whoa alcohol travels fast. By the time we rolled up there was a bit of a line. A friend happened to know everyone there so we simply walked right on in. It was easy to get a drink....however, I paid 12 dollars for an upgraded vodka tonic....wtf. :( The music wasnt too bad. I remember hearing LL's new jam, "Im yoooo Baby, yo baby, yo baby..." and loving it. This place was pretty generic. Nothing too special about it. I only gave it three stars because I had room to dance without bumping into people and the crowd was dressed nicely. Say no to jeans and sneakers.

by Steve s.

What happened to Mantra?Back in the day, this was the place with imaginative Indian food that was exceptional.  Well about 4 years ago their executive chef, Thomas Johns left for all places Au Bon Pain.  He is now in charge of their new offerings.  Unfortunately, replacing a visionary chef is a tad harder than expected..There were 3 diners in the restaurant at 8 o'clock WednesdayBut the food was not bad...The presentation was actually quite good.  It just was not memorable, as it once was.  Service is still good as is the Nan bread

by Anna F.

It gets four stars for the lunch buffet.  I've never been for dinner or their club nights.  The price is right for the food quality, selection, service and atmosphere.  The lunch buffet is $13 (the same price as the infinitely inferior Tantric nearby) and has an excellent selection of hot entrees, appetizers and top notch salad fixings.  They bring you fresh nan when you sit (none of that sitting in a warming tray, soggy stuff.  The space is clean, bright and relaxing. It's really the best Indian buffet I've been to in the city. An all around great lunch spot for business meetings or a mid-day rendezvous.

by jason f.

i saw a lot of pretty bad reviews for this place, but most of them were for dinner. i went to mantra for the lunch buffet with my beautiful girlfriend. the decor of the place is amazing, i especially like the golden buddha. they bring the naan out to you, and its fresh from the oven, flufffy and lightly crisped. much better than most indian buffets where they naan sits out and gets hard. everything was great, the chicken tikka masala was absolutely amazing. the pricing is fine as well, the buffet was 11.95 a person, and well worth it for as much as i ate.

by Denis K.

Is it weird if I've never seen this place in the day? Mantra is a popping lounge at night, if a bit pretentious. Atmosphere is good and it was always packed, but not too crowded. Drinks, of course, are over priced. Oh, the men's restroom. Nicely designed - I've heard of many-a guy mistaking the sink as the urinal (not me!). Just saying.. review 4/21/2008I.M.Y.

by Dan G.

i really really hate their bathrooms. Their two way mirrors? Nope, you can see right through them no matter which side youre on. Oh and forget that everyone is taking a piss in the sink where you wash your hands, its the worst set up ive ever seen. You have a square in the middle of the room, and 3 urinals on each side and then the sink on the 4th. Seriously this place is gross.The drinks are not worth $10 the food was good though. Tiny, made for tiny people but tasted good.i wont be back unless its free

by Jimmy H.

I finally came here for buffet. Solid 3 stars without compassion vote like my previous review. I am almost leaning into 4 stars. But when I hover the cursor over 4th star, it says "Yay! I am a fan!". And I am not sure if I can say that.I must say it was all pretty tasty. As far as other Indian buffet in Boston I've been to, I think they hold the 2nd biggest selection in buffet if I remember correctly.(1st is Kashmir). You may find it pricey but it's necessary considering its location and size of the space. So I think it's fair.(appx $15 including tip)If you have liberty and time to go out of this downtown area for lunch, I would do so. But if you have neither, I think this place is pretty good. I think this is the only place in downtown where offers buffet. I think it's precious, don't you think? Ugh.... I really want to give this place more stars as my buddy works here, but man.....Firstly, I…

by Denis A.

Interesting lounge in a convenient location. I also liked the set up, there's plenty of space to keep some distance from strangers, unless it's an election party and then you would have to squeeze thru people to get around. This is an upscale lounge so I would recommend you dress in a fashionable way, I don't know if it requires a dress code or not, but better be safe than sorry.Negatives inlcude high prices and a lack of a good ventilation system. Mixed drinks were $11 or so, beers around $7. As for air circulation, I think they can do a better job, especially when the place gets too crowded. As for the food, I didn't try it so I can't be of much help in that respect.Overall I liked the place and plan to go back (most likely on paydays when I know my wallet can handle Mantra's prices).

by Preethi C.

My friend had her birthday party here - the service was great and very accomodating to our party.  We had the large lotus-like "hut" at the back of the restaurant/bar as our VIP area and it was spacious and intimate - perfect for cake cutting and post-dinner cocktails.Our dinner was fun and the dishes were an inventive fusion of Indian and Western fare.  I ordered the rainbow trout and my date had a steak, both of which were good.  We also ordered a few bottles of wine which were delicious.It was really interesting to see this fancy restaurant transform into a club - the club space is excellent, however the DJ they hired was TERRIBLE.  The music was a mish-mash of hip-hip/dance/top 40 and wasn't mixed very well or generating much dancing from the crowd.  Disappointing, since the floor is so large and perfect for dancing.We didn't have to pay cover because we were having a birthday party and had dinner there, however there is usually a $20 cover which is pretty ridiculous, especially since the drinks hover between $10-$15.  Also, valet parking is $16 whether you are a diner or not.None of the specialty cocktails are served after the restaurant closes it's kitchen, which is too bad since there are some fun drinks such as Tamarind Margarita, etc.All in all, Mantra has potential to resurge as a really great nightlife spot if they would reduce the cover charge and bring in better DJing talent - it was embarrassing for a Saturday night!I do recommend it as a birthday celebration spot, however because they were very accomodating and we had a great time.

by John L.

From an event standpoint, Mantra was an effective place to hold an election-night party.  It's big, it's got weird looking stuff, and they have all those screens that you can do a good deal with (like, say, an election-night party).  There's also a lot of art and stuff.  On the other hand, as many people note, the prices on drinks are steep.  $7 for a Sammie?  I know I'm not in Kansas (or the People's Republic) anymore, but I could probably buy a 6 pack.  Also, when it does get crazy, it turns into bar central:  it's next to impossible to order anything, and I couldn't tell if they had enough people behind the bar to deal with the massive demand.And the bathrooms?  I've never seen anything like that before.  In fact, I'm kind of frightened.  I've seen stalls, urinals, pee troughs (that would be Amherst's "The Harp"), and other random things, but never a monolithic silver box, ominously plopped into the middle of the bathroom.  There were four areas carved out of the pee box:  two to pee, and two to wash your hands.  Considering the people I saw nearly accidentally peeing in the hand washing ones, this set-up is a terrible idea.  Trendy, maybe.   If the ICA had these, I'd get it.  But they don't.  I've been there.  They have regular stalls.  Let me give you a visualization.  Remember the Michael Bay Transformers  movie, and that All-Spark thing that Shia LeBeouf uses to kill Megatron?  The stalls kind of look like that.  Except that no one, not Autobots, Decepticons, Constructicons, Dinobots, Gobots, whoever, are fighting over it.  Not even Unicron wants anything to do with that, and he eats planets.Overall, from an event standpoint, it's a big place.  But the prices are too high for my own personal taste, particularly on the mixed drink/cocktail end, and it can get a little wacky when it's too crowded.

by Laura S.

Mantra has to be the biggest P.O.S in New England.......A) The Manger is a creep, this smurf pops up out for no where and says you arent on  aguest list you have to wait. Great choice Mr.Manager, 17 hot girls cant come in?? I kid you not 17..There isnt even a line and we were willing to pay.B)The bouncers really forget that they are bouncers and believe that they are home land securityC) A promoter comes out and says hey ladies wh are you leaving, Uhmm because its been 15 minutes and im not waiting in line at an Indian  joint turned Night club, a second longer.D) The promoter mentions we should go to  Rumor or Whiskey Park, I think the promoter is right. We should go to a really trendy and busy night club. Great idea jackass..

by Dan C.

Not entirely sure how I ended up here, but that wont stop me from giving it a poor review.  Actually that's not true, I am just surprised about how I got here.  I was walking down the street and someone stopped me and invited me to be on their guest list (I should mention I had a light-up t-shirt on).  Reduced cover was $10, so I figure real cover is $20, which is a little high for what it was.  Now I'm a classy guy, in fact it says that in my profile someone, so naturally I enjoy classy things.  This place has a playboy bunny night, err some cheap knock off bunny night...classy, real classy.  All the women had cheap bunny ears, little bunny tails, and a good portion were in lingerie...classy.  The sad thing is the place actually looks really upscale--dark wood, comfortable chairs, long bar--but when they have women dancing on the tables it becomes less refined, and by less refined I mean more syphilitic. Aside from the classy clientele that frequent this place (and probably frequent the CVS nearby to pick up their Valtrex scripts), they didn't have Jim Beam.  I don't ask for much (in fact asking for Jim is probably the least you could ask for), but how can you have a bar without Jim Beam?  I mean Jim is the go to whiskey, especially when someone orders a drink and doesn't specify a type.  Anyways my whiskey and ginger ale came out to be $10, which was ridiculous since it came in what could be confused for a dixie cup or a shot glass.Oh, the bathroom is a real trip.  There is think big metal rectangle in the center with a recess on each side.  Three of the recesses hold weird drains which somehow make them urinals.  The fourth one has the sink, so you pee in one then put your hands in another...just don't mess up...or you'll get herpes.Bottom line: ehhhhh, herpes?

by Jackie K.

I loved the food here.  Great variety on the menu.  We tried a naan sampler that was amazing (esp the one with goat cheese).  The food just tasted fresh and new.   Beer selection is not good but what can you expect.  Ate only vegetarian food and there were tons of options that were all good.

by Calvin C.

If I ever want to have an epileptic seizure, I would definitely come back to Mantra. The four large projector screens on the walls show a bazillion different images coming at you from all angles. There's even a creepy animated music video that's played every five minutes. Probably most disturbing is the weird image of Stonehenge being ripped apart and put back together over and over again at 500 miles per hour.But I digress. In terms of overall space, Mantra is amazing. The bar is huge and the dance floor can more than accommodate a large crowd. This is one club where it's actually possible to get through the night without having someones 3-inch stiletto heel driven through your foot. It's also relatively easy to get a drink at the bar. There's no need to throw elbows to get close enough to get the bartenders attention. Because we were attending a private Birthday Party, we also got to use this large "hookah hut" near the back. It was made from intertwining wood beams that curved all the way to the ceiling and had wraparound seating on the inside. It was a nice private area that has probably seen some scandalous acts. If those cushions could talk, they'd say "burn me". Unfortunately, Mantra goes downhill from there. The fact that they charge $20.00 cover should be considered an act of rape. I know plenty of clubs charge that amount, but once you get in, you're obviously going to have yourself some booze. And what does that amount to? A $15.00 Gin and Tonic in a plastic dixie cup!!! Fenway Park beer prices just got a little bit better.Of course the only thing that could have saved this place was having a good DJ. Unfortunately they forgot to hire one. It was easily the worst techno/trance I've ever heard. Apparently I wasn't the only one that thought so. Up until about 12:30 am, there was literally no one dancing. Everyone was just standing around trying to look cool. The douche factor was at an all-time high and rising. Definitely our cue to exit.

by Melissa M.

I got in and I got out.  I went for the election party and stayed for a bit.  But, Mantra was too loud, too expensive, and had not a morsel of food that I could eat and enjoy.  I couldn't really even find a server who knew what was going on.  The tunes that were played for the 40 minutes I was there were great (Aretha) and okay (Britney).  The atmosphere was there but with all the people, I just couldn't enjoy it.  And, no one likes to pay for $14.00 cocktails, not matter how hot the bartenderette is who is making them.I hear good things about the bathroom, but I held it until I got home.

by Kristin G.

Overall I was pretty underwhelmed. Went on Friday evening- we were probably there from 7:30-9:30 or so. I was impressed with the decor, though I thought that having a Buddah in the middle of a bar was a little weird. We sat in the little area that i guess used to be a hookah den, and the setup was pretty cool. The service was ridiculously bad. And if I'm paying $12-$14 for a drink, I'd like to have decent service. We were basically ignored for 20 minutes. My friend had to go to the bar and point out that we were sitting in the den area and hadn't been served. The drinks were OK. The three of us all got martinis of some sort, and I'd say that only one of them was good- it had honey in it. We beat a hasty retreat before it turned into trash. We saw the nightclub waitresses come in (and i had the unfortunate luck of having to use the bathroom when they were all getting skanked out (i mean ready) for work. Gross.Overall--terrible service-unimpressive drinks-skanky waitressesI can't really comment on a cover ($20? are you people insane??) or a wait because we got there early. But I'd say skip it. Too much attitude.

by Tepring P.

Excellent food and wine. The goat cheese watermelon salad was amazing. I tried to make it for a party, but their dressing made the salad something to write about. There service is wonderful. We went on a sat night, sat at the bar, ordered a bottle of wine. It was out of stock, they took it upon themselves to bring us a BETTER/WONDERFUL bottle for the same price as the one we ordered. Amazing customer service. I will without a doubt go back.It is easy to get to off the Park Street T stop, BUT the door is obscure, so remember 54 Temple st. =)Maybe the mixed reviews are more about the people. If you are going on the prowl I can't yelp about it, but I went with friends both times, so I am only evaluating as a restaurant with great service, not a dating scene.

by Sally B.

I recently had their lunch buffet, which offered a ridiculously large amount of food for only $11.95.  There weren't a million options (about 3 hearty veggie dishes, plus 3 meat dishes, plus rice, sides, raw veggies, and dessert) but they also threw in free naan and every topping imaginable.  Overall, a great deal for your dollar and delicious food, no waiting. I met friends here for a birthday celebration, and was satisfied but not overwhelmed with the…

by Lily C.

MANTRA as a CLUB sucks ass. Been here a few times and have left feeling like "WTF just happened?"-------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------Do you want a Downtown Crossing skank that stole clothes from a homeless man on the Commons?Do you want herpes all over your face?Do you want to blow your money on a little table and inattentive waitress?Do you want to be the Eurotrash on the sidewalk screaming at the a$$hole bouncers?Aside from all that, the place itself isn't half bad looking.

by Nicole S.

I apologize to my coworkers who can just smell Mantra's buffet lunch steaming from my pores. I just consumed mass quantites of potato picora, chick pea salad, basmati rice, curried mixed vegetables, chicken tika Marsala, tandori chicken, and onion chutney. So sorry everyone but my lunch was damn good.While it was not my goal to spend $15 on lunch that day I was in the mood for Indian food and Manta or the place in Faneuil were my two closest options. Since I was not mentally prepared to deal with tourists on top of the rain I chose Mantra. I have to admit it is dicouraging that when you walk in the hostest is texting and I counted to about 8 in my head before she looked up and noticed I was there. The buffet was clean and the food was fresh, nothing looking like it had been out there for a while and they kept refilling the dishes. There was a good selection of dishes which of course is the point of a buffet. I say save room for the rice pudding- creamy, sweet, delish.

by Kymm P.

Ugh, I can't believe I'm actually reviewing this place. But since it's Monday morning, I think I'm fairly removed from the weekend that I can 'fess up to what actually happened Saturday night.I've really beaten the whole Alley-skanky-club scene to death these past several weekends, so my friends and I agreed to try something else. This desire for a new spot, combined with our non-sobriety (I love getting drunk in hotel rooms) and penchant for Eurotrash led us to Mantra's door on a side street.Long story short - gorgeous space, RIDIC cover wtfff, bridge-and-tunnel crowd, unjustifiably expensive drinks, pretentious bartenders, decent(ish) music.Why two stars? You see, people, I'm a club girl. I'm willing to forgive a place for asshole bouncers and cheesy clientele if I can just have a good time, with good music, and good people.Andddd, I totes made out with a model from LA here. Yeah, I have no shame :)(Hi Mom!)

by Sarah N.

I work for a large company in the financial district and was in charge of planning our company dinner.  I contacted the event manager and she was a pleasure to work with. I had never booked an event of this size before, so she was extremely helpful and patient with all of my questions.The night of the event, everything was great.  We had an amazing 3 course meal and everyone loved the food.  Overall, we had an excellent experience with Mantra and I will definitely be going back with some of my friends for drinks and tapas.

by Leisel A.

Ate at Mantra this weekend. We were a party of six. The waiter gave us six menus, but only one menu of the six was the complete menu of French-Indian Fusion/And Indian traditional.  I felt like he was trying to scam us since the fusion dishes are quite pricey. After mentioning this oversight, the waiter gave us all the "full" menu. We all ordered traditional Indian. Waiter completely forgot to give us one of our appetizers--although did not forget to bill us for it! Waiter served 5 entrees together and my sis-in-laws entree did not arrive until we were all done our dishes (she asked for it twice). The service was deplorable. Food was highly overpriced and mediocre.  We will not return.

by Kelly O.

I had a $25 gift cert from http://restaurant.com for this place (which I got for like a buck, score!), so a friend and I decided to stop by for a quick dinner before a show at the Orpheum last night. Things started out well but progressed downhill fast...One * = very nice host-man making sure we were comfortableOne * = complementary amuse bouche (tuna-and-spice with a papadum cracker, nice; I even commented "this will rate them a high review on Yelp for sure"... it doesn't take much to buy my love, a free bite of food will do the trick every time)One * = hot-from-the-oven naan with cilantro dipOne * = delicious drinks, Alibaba = yum (pricey though, of course)One * = generally tasty foodMinus three *s = beginning the night with a very attentive staff, but then having the entire staff completely disappearing after the first nominal check-in "how is everything, can I get you anything else", leaving us to fend for ourselves (it wasn't even busy in there). It took a half hour just to get our check despite our best efforts (from a random bus boy no less, not even our waitress), making us late for our concert and generally unhappy (we didn't miss the headliner thank goodness, but if we did there would have been hell to pay!). The waitress wouldn't even look at us while we walked out. Cool.And the kicker: they added 18% gratuity to the check total (we were planning on tipping only 8-10%ish). Obviously they didn't have to pay attention to us after dropping off the food because of that. WTF? Also, I'm pretty sure once they knew we had a 'coupon' they decided not to continue with the high level of service we had upon arrival (I think there's a Groupon for Mantra out now? But hello, a gift cert is NOT a coupon, nor should any kind of coupon or discount allow for poor service anyways!)Side note: the food was generally pretty good, I had a shrimp biryani ($20) that was very flavorful and my dining companion had the veggie kofta balls ($15) which were saucy and delicious and came with a side of rice. Each of us got just the right amount to fill us up (not really enough for any leftovers), but I don't think I would have been as happy were I to be paying full price... $20 for one serving of rice, albeit tasty rice, isn't really my style, especially when I've had just as good elsewhere for cheaper.So in sum: food decent but overpriced, service either awesome or awful (we got most of the awful). Skip it IMO.UPDATE 10/7:The manager apologized for the service we received and offered to send another $25 gift certificate, a major plus. Will rereview when we go back.

by Yao W.

I came here to dance with a couple of friends last Friday.  After over half an hour in line and a $10 cover charge (even though we were on the "guest list") and promises of Mantra being a "meat market," what I got was some half-decent hip hop mix and more sausage than Oktoberfest.  And not even nice sausage, either.The room downstairs filled with desis and bhangra/hip hop was fun, though.

by Amy B.

I went here today with Chris M on an impulsively purchased 20 for 50 dollar voucher on http://buywithme.com... In terms of quality of the food at the lunch buffet it was very good- definitely four stars. The paneer was fresh and there is a good variety of options, even for a vegetarian like myself. I really enjoyed the rice puddingI would say the samosas seemed kind of bland in the inside, but otherwise the food was really good.As Chris mentioned this place is pretty over priced- to use up the groupon we got mango lassis (6 dollars each) and  mozzarella and chili naan ( 7 dollars- that is kind of ridiculous!). I have to knock down a star for service. The guy filling our water was very attentive and nice. However, our waiter not so much... I know it's a buffet but we were literally one of two tables there, so I feel he could have been a bit more attentive. It took a very long time for him to bring out check. At one point I thought maybe they weren't going to bring it at all because we used the voucher. They also seemed mildly confused by us using the buywithme voucher...I don't know if I would come back here, maybe if another offer comes up but otherwise I agree with Chris... Boston is a city with tons of more reasonable and equally-or-more delicious Indian restaurants.

by Maria T.

I got delivery from here (by Meals on the Move) today. The food was not spectacular although it was decent. My friends and I had the plain parantha, aloo parantha, the mixed tandoori grill and vegeterian appetizer combo. The appetizer combo was pretty good, the aloo tikki was to die for, the pakoras were good but the samosa was lackluster. The chicken tandoori was succulent and my friend said that the shrimp was pretty good too. The seekh kebab was not good however, it had way too many spices in it and it wasn't seasoned right. Overall, it was an ok experience although it isn't worth the price.

by Chris M.

I can only speak for the lunch buffet, but it was very good.  The food was good, everything was hot and fresh.  There was also a good variety, which is what you want on a buffet.  That being said it was overpriced for the quality.  Two lunch buffets, two mango lassi's and an order of naan was just under $50, and this was for lunch.The restaurant was also very empty, but it was around 1230 on a Monday.  It was kind of dark, but I had a wonderful view of a big column  that had a waterfall running down it, so that was kinda cool.Having never had an Indian buffet before, this was definitely a good experience, but there is no way that I would come back.  The food that I can get elsewhere, such as India Quality in Kenmore Square,  is just as good, and cheaper.

by Praful M.

I just got an email from (I guess) owner of this place about my review offering me a gift card for trying out restaurant. When I visit Boston I will try it then. If I could give half *, I would for trying to improve. This place as a club sucks big time. If the atmosphere is same during lunch, dinner hours too, then…

by TK T.

One of the worst night clubs/venues I have been to in my life. We spent at least 15 minutes outside in the rain waiting to get in . And when we did get inside the club was empty. What the hell? Drinks are on the pricey side, DJ that night sucked - seriously my 10 y.o. nephew can be better at that, club's stuff was really rude. We got all our drinks and set at the table when 15 minutes later we were told the table was reserved and we had to move all our shit somewhere else. Mantra lady said it exactly like this: "Table was reserved. Move NOW!" So we did move after a big debate, however we lost 2 umbrellas, 1 scarf and one hat as a result of it. If I was not with my friends I would have shown that lady my middle finger and left the club right away. I had to stick around for another 1,5 hours - what a waste of my time! However, all in the name of my friends.

by Becky M.

A HORRIBLE VIP EXPERIENCE!! Never book a VIP table at Mantra!!!Last weekend, I celebrated my 24th birthday at Mantra and I am truly appalled by the experience. I originally reserved Mantra's Hookah Den through the Saturday night promoter, 6 days before my party, and received both verbal and email confirmation that the space was mine. At 10pm the night of, I checked in with the promoter again and received additional confirmation that everything was in place. However, upon arriving to Mantra, I found out our space was double booked and that I was being forced to move..not asked, but forced. The other party involved was going to get the space because they were purchasing 1 additional bottle than my party. In addition, I received utterly DISGUSTING treatment from a staffer there..I believe her name was Lea, so I was told. She was rude, disrespectful, and lacked any sort of compassion or sense of customer service -- I was literally floored when she started screaming at me because I was not okay with moving to a new space. I mean seriously...I'm paying nearly $400 for this EXPERIENCE...I refuse to be bounced around because of Mantra's greedy motives. Long story short, we ended up keeping the Hookah Den just because the other party decided to move -- Mantra could have cared less where we ended up. And finally, the icing on the cake was when my friend, who purchased more than one bottle of Moet as a gift, was asked by the cocktail waitress to drop off his empty bottle to the bar...while she stood  there. ARE YOU KIDDING ME??Either way, I will never do business with Mantra again and my advice is that you do not either. I joined Yelp solely to post this message and share my negative experience. Consider yourself warned.

by Jason L.

Much better than the current average rating would suggest--though that's largely due to the fact that Mantra as a restaurant is far different from Mantra as a nightclub.Went with the girlfriend using a Groupon (paid $20 for $50 in food) on a Friday night. Our waitress was very friendly and accommodating, and was perfectly attentive (we didn't have to wait around forever for her, and she didn't hover over us). The ambiance is great, and although the tables are all right in the middle of an open space, we never felt awkward or self-conscious. There was just enough separation for comfortable conversation with the noise of other tables and music from the overhead speakers.One IMPORTANT note: Mantra has two menus. One is a "traditional" Indian menu (which, as some have noted, is generally cheaper), and the other is the Indian-French fusion menu. This isn't something that's immediately obvious--they hand you the fusion menu when you sit down, while the Indian menu is already on the table in a plastic casing.We ordered the naan trio and chutney from the fusion menu, and pistachio shake, duck jhalfrezi, and thali combination dinner from the Indian menu. Everything was delicious, but the roasted garlic and spinach naan, garlic and green onion chutney, and pistachio shake really stood out. The thali combination dinner was a surprisingly good deal, and very well prepared--it included a samosa, lentil soup, coffee/tea (or latte/espresso/cappuccino), poori and rice, raita, small portions of malai kofta and some other vegetable curry-type dish, and a choice of three desserts (kheer, rasmalai, or gulab jamun) for ~$20.The prices are a little steep, but not completely unreasonable (roughly $68 for a LOT of food before discount, tax, etc.). The place itself is pretty nice, and the service was great. The only thing holding me back from a higer rating is the fact that a number of somewhat upscale Indian restaurants (notably The Kebab Factory in Somerville) provide experiences of similar caliber for lower prices.Caveat: we did not order appetizers aside from the naan, and we ordered our entrees off of the traditional Indian menu. Their appetizers and fusion dishes all sounded fantastic, and we'll be sure to try them if/when we make another trip.Oh, and by the way--the men's bathroom is truly an experience unto itself. I highly recommend checking it out.

by Douglas W.

THIRD WORLD SERVICE AT SWEDISH PRICES.No option to give no stars? Too bad. What a horrible experience. Horrible. Horrible. Horrible. I don't know how these people sleep at night.  Criminally horrible.It started at the door. I was quite early for my reservation, and when I enquired if anyone else in my party had arrived yet, the scowling "hostess" snapped at me--(snapped! I mean, I'm just asking!)-- that I was too early and I should go to the bar and have "a few drinks". Kaching! I went to the bar and it took the the not very busy barmaid a good ten minutes to ask me what I wanted, and another ten minutes to return and ask me again what I wanted. My "bourbon with a splash of soda" was absolutely inundated--a big glass of soda with a subtle bourbon flavor. Kaching!When my family arrived and we were seated, a waitress with a Minnie Mouse voice and impenetrable Slavic accent told us she would be our server tonight, tried to serve us bottled water instead of tap, and then disappeared, never to be seen again   .A long time later a smarmily charming Latvian waiter arrived, sold us cocktails and vanished for half an hour. Upon his return he suggested a bottle of wine, and vanished again. Umm, maybe a menu?The food was rubbish: Seared foie gras ($22.00!) was cooked through and tough as an old boot--how the hell do you make foie gras tough?--, and plonked on a cold leathery momo filled with god knows what, cause it tasted like nothing.My sister-in law's seared tuna, requested rare, arrived completely raw, and cold. My "cumin crusted" duck breast was a large rubbery piece that arrived cold and had no taste of seasoning of any kind, much less cumin. My step-brother's mustard halibut was entirely tasteless and also arrived cold. My parents' courses were meh, which at $36 each for a piece of meat the size of a silver dollar is inexcusable. Our first courses  took well over 90 minutes to arrive. We watched the entire restaurant turn over between being seated and getting our food, although the waiter returned repeatedly to try to ply us with more booze---hmmm, do discern a strategy here?-- and a good hour more passed before our main courses came-- so our waiter told us he would comp us our desserts. We asked if he could comp us another bottle of wine and skip the desserts   and he agreed, but after the wine was opened and we had started drinking it he told us the law wouldn't allow this and he had to charge us for it after all. Excuse me??.  Kaching!  Desserts were just blah, except for my stepbrother's carrot cake, which was horrific, a damp brick of cooked grated carrots, sort of a solid carrot soup . Yuck.To top it all off, the bathroom was disgusting. It stank of pee, and the one toilet in the men's room couldn't be flushed, so it was a mess of floating poo. Lovely. Also, the facilities are so confusing you fear you might be peeing in the sink.I understand we all have off nights, but come on! our bill was in the neighborhood of $500, and as I was being taken out for my birthday and had suggested this nightmare in the first place, I was left with a feeling of shame and embarrassment for putting my family through such an expensively awful evening. I understand that restaurants exist to make money, but the bald-faced shameless scamming in this place is disgraceful. I mean, we're polite but we've all worked in food service and we're not fucking stupid. We would have been better fed and better treated at Doyle's for $8.95. I had been to Mantra once before and it used to be a good fusion restaurant in a cool room, but it seems to have morphed into a skeevy club with an afterthought pretentious crap restaurant attached and a management style that radiates hostility. Worse than the bad food and lousy service was the obvious culture of total active contempt for customers. Thanks Mantra. You spoiled my birthday and ripped off my family. You're hateful and I hope you die.The one bright spot in what was otherwise an unmitigated calamity  was the busboy's beautiful smile, but that really wasn't worth $500.00.

by sabitha y.

Me and my co-worker went on a wednesday night after work to check out their $2 tapas. They were awsome. When i heard of the price $2, i thought thay must not be that great. I was wrong. They were awesome. They have a friendly service and i love their architecture setting. The huge lord ganesha murthy at the entrace is my favorite. It looks very ethnic and beautiful. It had a relaxed environment and not very crowded. It's a nice place to go after work for appetizers and drinks! And i am there almost every wednesday!

by Liz M.

way too expensive on food and drinks.  tough duck, rough beef.  no bueno. decor is nice but i'd rather have good eats on plastic tables than flashy cherrywood with cherrywood on my plate.

by ChianWen T.

I like the architectural elements of the former bank retained by the restaurant.  For example, the bar makes use of the gorgeous marble tellers counter.   Especially thoughtful is the waterfall incorporated in the original marble column.  I like Indian restaurants that do not let its "fragrance" precede its aesthetic beauty.  Mantra is one such place - your nose will not be able to tell that it's an Indian restaurant upon entrance.  I have never met a mango lassi that I did not like - the mango lassi here was just so plain that I was almost determined in not finishing it.....but a mango lassi is a mango lassi. The complimentary samosa was pretty decent.  The dipping sauces for the calamari and the naan were both yummy.  I can't remember having better lamb korma anywhere else.  The sorbet dessert was just okay.  The food wasn't that expensive but the pricey drinks pushed the bill well into a 3 figure total.  If you are good and drunk by the end of your meal, you may as well stay for the nightclub experience as the restaurant turns into a nightclub after 10 pm.

by Jillian Y.

This is the update an of older review; the owner sent me $50 in gift certificates to come back and try the food (with an apology, of course, since my previous review* was horrible), and who can say no to that?We walk in, and the maitre'd is on an obviously personal call...for FIVE MINUTES. He doesn't even put them on hold to talk to us.  One star off.After that, however, it was smooooooth sailing.  Our waitress was very sweet, we were served some delish complimetary soup, and the naan was fresh-fantastic (the other naan we ordered, on the other hand, was overcooked).  Together, we had the jhinga biryani and curry leaf shrimp and both were 5-star meals - excellent portions, and totally delicious (now that I know the same people own Mela, I understand...both have the same dishes and same delicious food!)So...Maitre'D: 1 starWaitress: 5 starsFood: 5 starsAtmosphere (as always): 5 starsBathrooms: 2 stars (boyfriend said the bathroom was filthy)*Worth noting: While the owner was nice, the waitress who allegedly served me that same night left me a very rude private message telling me I was wrong.  Um, no? Gossip GIrl here.This place would be great if it weren't for the fact that the servers expect you to…

by Elizabeth F.

Five stars for the mustard seed lambchops and the use of the space, transforming an old bank into a restaurant, keeping the vault door and the marble walls and columns. Also for the mirrored glass on the doors in the ladies room; being able to see someone wash their hands while they couldn't see you pee was a little creepy at first, but a cool idea all the same.Four-and-a-half stars for the naan kofta sliders. They lose half a star because the menu didn't say they had mayo on them, so I had to scrape it off. Four-and-a-half stars also for the roasted garlic and spinach naan. The dipping sauce which accompanied the naan, the cilantro-mint chutney, had pulverized nuts incorporated into it, making it more like a pesto. Very interesting, and quite tasty.Four stars for the dirty martinis, both gin and vodka.Three stars for the potato-chorizo samosas. They had more cranberries in them than chorizo (I found six specks of chorizo total, two in each samosa. Yes, I looked. Shush). They weren't bad, but I couldn't taste any chorizo at all.Two stars for the chili-tequila mussels. They were quite good, but half our shells were empty, and the meat that was supposed to be inside couldn't even be found hanging out in the broth. Two stars for the MoMos. We had really high hopes for those; they sounded like the most delicious things on the menu. But they had as much flavor as rice paper rolled around rice paper. The spicy tomato-peanut chutney which accompanied them was not spicy, nor did it contain even a hint of tomato. Two stars for the cocktail menu, which offers only the sickly-sweetest looking drinks.One star for the fries which accompanied the naan kofta sliders. I'm pretty sure they were Ore Ida fries fresh from the freezer, and the ketchup was less ketchup and more no-name catsup. Feh.Finally, half a star for the waiter, who took his sweet time with us. We ordered our appetizers (the MoMos and the naan) but said we weren't yet decided on the main dishes. Our drinks arrived, sometime later our appetizer arrived, but our waiter didn't reappear to take our order. We tried to flag him down a few times, but he averted his eyes. He finally returned when we'd finished our appetizers nearly half an hour before. When it was time for us to get our check, he didn't walk it over to our table. He reached over the bar and kept calling and motioning for me to come and get it from him. He tried the same thing to return the check to us for my boyfriend to sign, but when neither of us ever stood, he huffed and walked it over to us himself.

by Anas Q.

Mantra redeems itself.I went to Mantra because my GF got an gift certificate from the owner because she had originally left a bad review. I read the reviews before I went and I had my doubts.I was pleasantly surprised, the staff was friendly and attentive, my water glass was never empty for more than a minute. Spot on service really.The setting is incredible, one of the fanciest places I've went to in Boston yet.Now to the stuff that really matters: FOOD! It was superb, I tried the shrimp jhinga (shrimp, biryani rice) and it was freaking delicious and the shrimp was abundant, bordered on too much shrimp really. The appetizers and the naan were as good as it can get.I would really recommend this place as a dinner destination as I had a lovely experience. I have no idea if it is that good as a night club, so you're on your own if that's why you're going there.Mantra really deserves 5 stars, but I took one out because I wasn't a big fan of the men's room. It was clean, but smallish, unorganized and the sinks were really annoying to use. It's really below the standard the rest of the place sets. However, I was told the women's room was lovely. Discrimination lawsuit anyone? *kidding*If you want a lovely indian meal with a great experience to go with it, Mantra won't let you down.

by Jin C.

I wish I could give a 2.5?3 stars is "A-OK" ... does that mean 'Alright' ? ..I was going to give 2, but I'm adding a star because the interior design really is lovely. (Although they really should use one of their many flowing fabrics to cover the giant, 'you are in a club' speakers up during dining hours lol.The service was pretty good.The waitress was very friendly, but not very knowledgable.. and the server did pretty much all the work which always makes me wonder, who exactly am I tipping...  She told us that the Naan trio was good for two people...Just to let you know the Naan trio is good for two people, if you are only eating naan.  It was more like an appetizer for 4... and my boy and I are not pussies... we can eat.Now, aside from the quantity... the naan was, to give you an idea... not even close to trader joes naan, not even close (I must reitterate).  I tasted it and immediately thought they tasted like half unknown flour and half bisquick... I like my naan to not taste like pancake batter if you please.  All the types of naan are non-intergrated, aka, they have a stock naan they sandwish other ingredients into.   Needless to say worst naan I've ever had.  I love naan, bummer.  =(Boy and I both ordered the duck entree.We both kind of wished the duck fat had been reduced a little more on the meat for better flavor, but it wasn't bad.  The sweet potato and broccolli rabb were really good, but we didn't pay $56 for sweet potatoes and broccolli rabb...They also gave us a pre-meal sample of soup which was very good.Decor was excellent and made us feel like we'd really gone out, but the bottom line at a restaurant is, the food in my opinion.  I'm sorry to say the food, especially for the price, is not worth it.I'll update again at some point though, we are going to go back and try their $2 tappas during the week and give the food another chance at a more affordable gamble.Highlight of the evening.* ** ****This section contains private gossip.**This highlight was a highlight for us, because it was funny to hear women our mothers' age using the kind of language they used, obviously not funny for the 50 y.o. woman.***I'm adding this portion in part because these may be the type of people you are dining with.  The other part is... it is funny.  =)After we left the restaurant my boy tells me that he overheard the ladies behind him say, "She's 50 years old and desperately needs to be f**ked... How many 50 year olds do you know who need to be f**ked?  That are married..."

by Jin C.Anas Q.Elizabeth F.

I wish I could give a 2.5?3 stars is "A-OK" ... does that mean 'Alright' ? ..I was going to give 2, but I'm adding a star because the interior design really is lovely. (Although they really should use one of their many flowing fabrics to cover the giant, 'you are in a club' speakers up during dining hours lol.The service was pretty good.The waitress was very friendly, but not very knowledgable.. and the server did pretty much all the work which always makes me wonder, who exactly am I tipping...  She told us that the Naan trio was good for two people...Just to let you know the Naan trio is good for two people, if you are only eating naan.  It was more like an appetizer for 4... and my boy and I are not pussies... we can eat.Now, aside from the quantity... the naan was, to give you an idea... not even close to trader joes naan, not even close (I must reitterate).  I tasted it and immediately thought they tasted like half unknown flour and half bisquick... I like my naan to not taste like pancake batter if you please.  All the types of naan are non-intergrated, aka, they have a stock naan they sandwish other ingredients into.   Needless to say worst naan I've ever had.  I love naan, bummer.  =(Boy and I both ordered the duck entree.We both kind of wished the duck fat had been reduced a little more on the meat for better flavor, but it wasn't bad.  The sweet potato and broccolli rabb were really good, but we didn't pay $56 for sweet potatoes and broccolli rabb...They also gave us a pre-meal sample of soup which was very good.Decor was excellent and made us feel like we'd really gone out, but the bottom line at a restaurant is, the food in my opinion.  I'm sorry to say the food, especially for the price, is not worth it.I'll update again at some point though, we are going to go back and try their $2 tappas during the week and give the food another chance at a more affordable gamble.Highlight of the evening.* ** ****This section contains private gossip.**This highlight was a highlight for us, because it was funny to hear women our mothers' age using the kind of language they used, obviously not funny for the 50 y.o. woman.***I'm adding this portion in part because these may be the type of people you are dining with.  The other part is... it is funny.  =)After we left the restaurant my boy tells me that he overheard the ladies behind him say, "She's 50 years old and desperately needs to be f**ked... How many 50 year olds do you know who need to be f**ked?  That are married..."Mantra redeems itself.I went to Mantra because my GF got an gift certificate from the owner because she had originally left a bad review. I read the reviews before I went and I had my doubts.I was pleasantly surprised, the staff was friendly and attentive, my water glass was never empty for more than a minute. Spot on service really.The setting is incredible, one of the fanciest places I've went to in Boston yet.Now to the stuff that really matters: FOOD! It was superb, I tried the shrimp jhinga (shrimp, biryani rice) and it was freaking delicious and the shrimp was abundant, bordered on too much shrimp really. The appetizers and the naan were as good as it can get.I would really recommend this place as a dinner destination as I had a lovely experience. I have no idea if it is that good as a night club, so you're on your own if that's why you're going there.Mantra really deserves 5 stars, but I took one out because I wasn't a big fan of the men's room. It was clean, but smallish, unorganized and the sinks were really annoying to use. It's really below the standard the rest of the place sets. However, I was told the women's room was lovely. Discrimination lawsuit anyone? *kidding*If you want a lovely indian meal with a great experience to go with it, Mantra won't let you down.Five stars for the mustard seed lambchops and the use of the space, transforming an old bank into a restaurant, keeping the vault door and the marble walls and columns. Also for the mirrored glass on the doors in the ladies room; being able to see someone wash their hands while they couldn't see you pee was a little creepy at first, but a cool idea all the same.Four-and-a-half stars for the naan kofta sliders. They lose half a star because the menu didn't say they had mayo on them, so I had to scrape it off. Four-and-a-half stars also for the roasted garlic and spinach naan. The dipping sauce which accompanied the naan, the cilantro-mint chutney, had pulverized nuts incorporated into it, making it more like a pesto. Very interesting, and quite tasty.Four stars for the dirty martinis, both gin and vodka.Three stars for the potato-chorizo samosas. They had more cranberries in them than chorizo (I found six specks of chorizo total, two in each samosa. Yes, I looked. Shush). They weren't bad, but I couldn't taste any chorizo at all.Two stars for the chili-tequila mussels. They were quite good, but half our shells were empty, and the meat that was supposed to be inside couldn't even be found hanging out in the broth. Two stars for the MoMos. We had really high hopes for those; they sounded like the most delicious things on the menu. But they had as much flavor as rice paper rolled around rice paper. The spicy tomato-peanut chutney which accompanied them was not spicy, nor did it contain even a hint of tomato. Two stars for the cocktail menu, which offers only the sickly-sweetest looking drinks.One star for the fries which accompanied the naan kofta sliders. I'm pretty sure they were Ore Ida fries fresh from the freezer, and the ketchup was less ketchup and more no-name catsup. Feh.Finally, half a star for the waiter, who took his sweet time with us. We ordered our appetizers (the MoMos and the naan) but said we weren't yet decided on the main dishes. Our drinks arrived, sometime later our appetizer arrived, but our waiter didn't reappear to take our order. We tried to flag him down a few times, but he averted his eyes. He finally returned when we'd finished our appetizers nearly half an hour before. When it was time for us to get our check, he didn't walk it over to our table. He reached over the bar and kept calling and motioning for me to come and get it from him. He tried the same thing to return the check to us for my boyfriend to sign, but when neither of us ever stood, he huffed and walked it over to us himself.

by Jin C.Anas Q.Elizabeth F.Jillian Y.

I wish I could give a 2.5?3 stars is "A-OK" ... does that mean 'Alright' ? ..I was going to give 2, but I'm adding a star because the interior design really is lovely. (Although they really should use one of their many flowing fabrics to cover the giant, 'you are in a club' speakers up during dining hours lol.The service was pretty good.The waitress was very friendly, but not very knowledgable.. and the server did pretty much all the work which always makes me wonder, who exactly am I tipping...  She told us that the Naan trio was good for two people...Just to let you know the Naan trio is good for two people, if you are only eating naan.  It was more like an appetizer for 4... and my boy and I are not pussies... we can eat.Now, aside from the quantity... the naan was, to give you an idea... not even close to trader joes naan, not even close (I must reitterate).  I tasted it and immediately thought they tasted like half unknown flour and half bisquick... I like my naan to not taste like pancake batter if you please.  All the types of naan are non-intergrated, aka, they have a stock naan they sandwish other ingredients into.   Needless to say worst naan I've ever had.  I love naan, bummer.  =(Boy and I both ordered the duck entree.We both kind of wished the duck fat had been reduced a little more on the meat for better flavor, but it wasn't bad.  The sweet potato and broccolli rabb were really good, but we didn't pay $56 for sweet potatoes and broccolli rabb...They also gave us a pre-meal sample of soup which was very good.Decor was excellent and made us feel like we'd really gone out, but the bottom line at a restaurant is, the food in my opinion.  I'm sorry to say the food, especially for the price, is not worth it.I'll update again at some point though, we are going to go back and try their $2 tappas during the week and give the food another chance at a more affordable gamble.Highlight of the evening.* ** ****This section contains private gossip.**This highlight was a highlight for us, because it was funny to hear women our mothers' age using the kind of language they used, obviously not funny for the 50 y.o. woman.***I'm adding this portion in part because these may be the type of people you are dining with.  The other part is... it is funny.  =)After we left the restaurant my boy tells me that he overheard the ladies behind him say, "She's 50 years old and desperately needs to be f**ked... How many 50 year olds do you know who need to be f**ked?  That are married..."Mantra redeems itself.I went to Mantra because my GF got an gift certificate from the owner because she had originally left a bad review. I read the reviews before I went and I had my doubts.I was pleasantly surprised, the staff was friendly and attentive, my water glass was never empty for more than a minute. Spot on service really.The setting is incredible, one of the fanciest places I've went to in Boston yet.Now to the stuff that really matters: FOOD! It was superb, I tried the shrimp jhinga (shrimp, biryani rice) and it was freaking delicious and the shrimp was abundant, bordered on too much shrimp really. The appetizers and the naan were as good as it can get.I would really recommend this place as a dinner destination as I had a lovely experience. I have no idea if it is that good as a night club, so you're on your own if that's why you're going there.Mantra really deserves 5 stars, but I took one out because I wasn't a big fan of the men's room. It was clean, but smallish, unorganized and the sinks were really annoying to use. It's really below the standard the rest of the place sets. However, I was told the women's room was lovely. Discrimination lawsuit anyone? *kidding*If you want a lovely indian meal with a great experience to go with it, Mantra won't let you down.Five stars for the mustard seed lambchops and the use of the space, transforming an old bank into a restaurant, keeping the vault door and the marble walls and columns. Also for the mirrored glass on the doors in the ladies room; being able to see someone wash their hands while they couldn't see you pee was a little creepy at first, but a cool idea all the same.Four-and-a-half stars for the naan kofta sliders. They lose half a star because the menu didn't say they had mayo on them, so I had to scrape it off. Four-and-a-half stars also for the roasted garlic and spinach naan. The dipping sauce which accompanied the naan, the cilantro-mint chutney, had pulverized nuts incorporated into it, making it more like a pesto. Very interesting, and quite tasty.Four stars for the dirty martinis, both gin and vodka.Three stars for the potato-chorizo samosas. They had more cranberries in them than chorizo (I found six specks of chorizo total, two in each samosa. Yes, I looked. Shush). They weren't bad, but I couldn't taste any chorizo at all.Two stars for the chili-tequila mussels. They were quite good, but half our shells were empty, and the meat that was supposed to be inside couldn't even be found hanging out in the broth. Two stars for the MoMos. We had really high hopes for those; they sounded like the most delicious things on the menu. But they had as much flavor as rice paper rolled around rice paper. The spicy tomato-peanut chutney which accompanied them was not spicy, nor did it contain even a hint of tomato. Two stars for the cocktail menu, which offers only the sickly-sweetest looking drinks.One star for the fries which accompanied the naan kofta sliders. I'm pretty sure they were Ore Ida fries fresh from the freezer, and the ketchup was less ketchup and more no-name catsup. Feh.Finally, half a star for the waiter, who took his sweet time with us. We ordered our appetizers (the MoMos and the naan) but said we weren't yet decided on the main dishes. Our drinks arrived, sometime later our appetizer arrived, but our waiter didn't reappear to take our order. We tried to flag him down a few times, but he averted his eyes. He finally returned when we'd finished our appetizers nearly half an hour before. When it was time for us to get our check, he didn't walk it over to our table. He reached over the bar and kept calling and motioning for me to come and get it from him. He tried the same thing to return the check to us for my boyfriend to sign, but when neither of us ever stood, he huffed and walked it over to us himself.This is the update an of older review; the owner sent me $50 in gift certificates to come back and try the food (with an apology, of course, since my previous review* was horrible), and who can say no to that?We walk in, and the maitre'd is on an obviously personal call...for FIVE MINUTES. He doesn't even put them on hold to talk to us.  One star off.After that, however, it was smooooooth sailing.  Our waitress was very sweet, we were served some delish complimetary soup, and the naan was fresh-fantastic (the other naan we ordered, on the other hand, was overcooked).  Together, we had the jhinga biryani and curry leaf shrimp and both were 5-star meals - excellent portions, and totally delicious (now that I know the same people own Mela, I understand...both have the same dishes and same delicious food!)So...Maitre'D: 1 starWaitress: 5 starsFood: 5 starsAtmosphere (as always): 5 starsBathrooms: 2 stars (boyfriend said the bathroom was filthy)*Worth noting: While the owner was nice, the waitress who allegedly served me that same night left me a very rude private message telling me I was wrong.  Um, no? Gossip GIrl here.This place would be great if it weren't for the fact that the servers expect you to…