Mantra
“It's got a chic little lounge area as soon as you walk in and an ample size dining area.”
“I always get the Naan basket which has plain, cheese and garlic, and onion.”
“But a little too expensive compared to other Indian restaurants in bergen county.”
Mantra
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Having dined here before, I came here to celebrate my anniversary. Wanted someplace local, nice environment and good food. We made reservations via open table and were immediately seated. Our server asked how we were and if we were celebrating anything. When we told him he immediately made it his mission to ensure we had a great time. He took our drink orders, we received complimentary soup and he made sure we took our time and were paced in a way that allowed us to talk, and enjoy the dining experience. The food was great and the service was even better. I always consider Mantra when its time to dine out. I will absolutely return.
Decent lunch buffet. Great value for money. There is a good variety of dishes for the price. I had not been there in a while and this time, they added a new talipia curry dish which was very tasty. Only thing…. while I didn't notice it as I was eating, there must have been too much salt because I was so thirsty for the rest of the day.
Haven't been out to an Indian restaurant in a while before this place. A huge group of us came here last week to celebrate a co-worker's last day.
When you walk in the layout is interesting – to the right, a regular restaurant, to the left, a lounge set up with a bar. At first I thought it was weird but it works.
Food was great, I love indian food and was not disappointed. The menu is extensive and can be kind of overwhelming. The nan wasn't the best I've ever had but then again you can't go too wrong with nann in general. I would definitely come back here to try more of them menu.
There's a lot of places in the area that try to make Indian food, but Mantra comes closest to it. I've been a regular visitor for my homeland-cravings and the lunch buffets have given me numerous food-comas.
The buffet offers a very balanced option space – with some indo-chinese appetizers/ idlis or wadas with sambar/ pakodas, a couple of vegetarian subzis, a chicken tikka and rotating fish/lamb dishes. One of my personal favorites is their asparagus kofta. Their cloudy nans are very well done and even though the gajar halwa fails to impress, the kheer more than makes up for it. Their service is quick and the staff is very friendly.
Not the best Indian food I've had – but it's geographically located to succeed and satisfies my cravings with much ease.
Perhaps not the most authentic compared the others down around Edison, but tasty and solid nonetheless. It's pretty obvious that they have dialed the heat index way down for those of us who may be less accustomed.
Have been here numerous times for the lunch buffet. It's fairly consistent and perhaps not the most exciting. However, the quality is definitely there. Tandoori chicken is tender and moist. The fish curry is bold and creamy.
Service and lighting are both much better than most of the other Indian places around the area. This is probably the thing that set them apart from the rest of the competition.
WOW!! This place is gorgeous! As soon as you walk in, you notice a beautiful lit up bar with comfortable lounge couches, live jazz playing ,soft lighting, and a fire divider between the bar and the restaurant. This is very rare to see because most Indian restaurants are BYOB. The restaurant itself is very romantic with candles on every table, dim lighting and classy music playing separate from the live jazz at the bar.
Service is always top notch here. The wait staff is very friendly, accommodating and always have a smile on their faces. All the times I came here were on Saturday nights, busy or not they provide great service for every table. The prices are higher than your average Indian restaurants in the area, but you get good quality food.
OMG the food!!! Its DELICIOUS!! To start, they gave us a complimentary cucumber spicy appetizer, which was different but good. We ordered the samosa which was crispy, filled with potatoes and definitely a nice starter. The cauliflower appetizer, was sweet and spicy yet crispy on the outside and super juicy on the inside, just a bite of heaven in your mouth. Lamb vindaloo, was spicy, extremely tender and melt in your mouth as soon as you bit into it. Chicken curry was OK, not my favorite, sauce was a bit off in flavor, wasn't spicy but the chicken was soft and edible. Rosemary naan was OK, I think I'll stick to the traditional and garlic naan next time. To finish off, we got the banana foster which was made table side and it was a great way to end the dinner.
You don't find many great Indian restaurants that have high quality food, great service and a large bar selections. If you don't mind paying the extra few bucks then this is your spot, especially for a special occasion.
Been here 3 times for dinner. Last time was a while ago, but I'd love to go back. I'm a huge tikka masala maniac and this place does it right. Their garlic naans are soft and chewy. I also tried the biryani rice bowl with chicken, which was excellent – had just the right amount of spice for my taste. Saag paneer is also a crowd pleasure, so I had to try that also – wasn't disappointed! But all of the dishes I get are usually the "standard" that most people have tried and love. Well, I'm sticking to it!
I usually take pictures but I just wasn't THAT into Yelping back then (my Yelp obsession is actually quite new). Besides, during dinner time, the interior is very very dark – my photos would likely all have been quite orangey, making the food look less delicious than it truly is.
The bar, which is to the slight left when you walk in is quite awesome (but small)- the lighting and decor is welcoming and modern. The service was good enough and the bathrooms were clean. It's just, I have Kinara and Blue Lotus to order from when I want to eat Indian food (which is usually take out for me). Would love to come by to check out their lunch buffet!
This place is the ultimate go to Indian/Pakistani restaurant in NJ.
Why ? I usually can find Indian restaurants that have good food but not a place I would bring a date too(as long as she likes spicy flavorful food). This place takes the cakes. As one who loves this type of cuisine, I am constantly exploring to find the best of the best. This place is quite a rare find for me.
The set up of this place is elegant, dimmed lighting, with a fireplace, bar and lounge. Now there is one other Indian restaurant that I have been to that has a nice bar but that is triple the price and the food doesn't compare. This place looks like it was built to be Mantra, not a take over of some old restaurant converted over to an Indian restaurant 🙂 but then again who knows lol. From what the bartender told me this place is been open for quite a few years.
Anyhow on to the best part.
The food here is great. Some of the dishes they have are modern twists on traditional dishes.
The Spinach and Tomato rice had a taste i never experinced, it was quite enjoyable.
Hyderbadi Angare (fire)- Was spicy, rich and creamy. Definitely never had a dish that had the taste combination of this.
Chicken Tikka masala was great,
Naan was good.
Mango Lassi was average.
I know it's cosmetic but the food presentation here is done so well. All of the dishes had vibrant colors to them.
Desert wasn't bad at all, they did hook up the decorations on a Dessert I ordered( see pics).
Now why not 5 stars? Well I have gone to their Buffet twice and the Chicken Tikka Masala is no where as good on the Buffet menu as it is when you order it.
That being said if you want an Indian Restaurant that is easy on the eyes and you might not having a few drinks at this is your spot !
Enjoy