Mantra is all about charm
Ten years ago it was really difficult to find a good Indian restaurant in Jozi that had ambience and was relatively full. Red tablecloths, heavy draperies, dark wooden furniture and a sombre vibe prevailed. The trend seemed to be that takeaways did really well, but restaurants stood empty while having to pay hefty rents which inevitably led to closure.
Enter (thankfully) The Raj, Karma and Sahib - they made dining at Indian restaurants popular. Some fly by nights followed suit including one of my favourites which sadly didn't make it - Indigo in what is now known as the Verdi Centre on Beyers Naudé.
Enter (thankfully) The Raj, Karma and Sahib - they made dining at Indian restaurants popular. Some fly by nights followed suit including one of my favourites which sadly didn't make it - Indigo in what is now known as the Verdi Centre on Beyers Naudé.
These days Jo'burgers have a choice of really good Indian restaurants including the above-mentioned and others like Sitar in the Cresta Centre (as a regular patron there, I feel another blog coming on...)
When Mantra opened in 2009, I was drawn to the quirky, colourful décor, patrons spilling onto the pavement and wondered what a Melville-like restaurant was doing in Parktown North.
I am a regular patron now, in winter lounging on the couches in the window booths, which are strewn with sequinned scatter cushions, enjoying the delicious Chilean red wine and the cosy atmosphere, or becoming one of the patrons that has spilled onto the pavement, watching twilight turn to evening and tucking into chicken madras.
I have always been enamoured by Mantra from the very friendly waiters who never make you feel rushed, to the management, always behind the scenes and very patient with patrons inevitably enjoying their dining so much that they stay longer than operating hours (that includes me and my crowd). The menu is really well priced, especially for Jozi with mains less than R100.
Last night I indulged in a really good paneer tikka masala, plain naan and the obligatory red wine from Chile, while my companion enjoyed the chicken version. The menu includes vegetarian, lamb, chicken, fish and prawn options.
It was a Monday night, and we arrived at 7pm anticipating that Mantra would close early - that's when the photo included in this post was taken. By 7.30pm there were several tables of patrons, including a few large tables, the Indian music was soothing in the background and the candlelit venue turned on its charm once more.
Address: No 17, 4th Avenue,
Parktown North,
Johannesburg,
2193.
Tel: 011 023 0632
I am a regular patron now, in winter lounging on the couches in the window booths, which are strewn with sequinned scatter cushions, enjoying the delicious Chilean red wine and the cosy atmosphere, or becoming one of the patrons that has spilled onto the pavement, watching twilight turn to evening and tucking into chicken madras.
I have always been enamoured by Mantra from the very friendly waiters who never make you feel rushed, to the management, always behind the scenes and very patient with patrons inevitably enjoying their dining so much that they stay longer than operating hours (that includes me and my crowd). The menu is really well priced, especially for Jozi with mains less than R100.
Last night I indulged in a really good paneer tikka masala, plain naan and the obligatory red wine from Chile, while my companion enjoyed the chicken version. The menu includes vegetarian, lamb, chicken, fish and prawn options.
It was a Monday night, and we arrived at 7pm anticipating that Mantra would close early - that's when the photo included in this post was taken. By 7.30pm there were several tables of patrons, including a few large tables, the Indian music was soothing in the background and the candlelit venue turned on its charm once more.
Address: No 17, 4th Avenue,
Parktown North,
Johannesburg,
2193.
Tel: 011 023 0632
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