Just wanted to update that I went for their lunch buffet and found it very average. I loved the onion pakoras and the naan was great! Everything else was average, not as mind blown as the first time read more

Mantra - Hyderabadi Angare - Indian Near Me - Paramus, New Jersey

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I ordered 4 dishes: 1. Asparagus Kofta: Quantity, Price & Taste * Rating- 4 / 5 2. Tandoori Mixed Grill: Quantity, Price & Taste * Rating - 4 / 5 3. Chicken Rice Bowl: Price & Quantity * Rating - 4 / 5 Taste * Rating - 2 / 5 4. Naan : 5 / 5 Suggestion: Please read "add instructions" properly while a customer order foods. it wouldn't cost you $1 to add little onions, lime / lemons, and few piece cucumbers / green salad. Clearly mentioned in the order to add. FYI delivery guy was well mannered so tipped $8. so the owner of the restaurant try to add little value sir / madam for customers please. Thanks you! read more

This place completely shattered any preconceived notions I had for an Indian restaurant but in a great way! If you're looking for huge dishes full of overflowing gravy, this isn't the place for you...but if you're into MODERN SOPHISTICATED INDIAN CUISINE and FINE INDIAN DINING, this is the place for you! The amazing hospitality I received when I walked in was not only great, but also was accompanied by delicious cocktails It's worth the drive to #Paramus #NJ and you should definitely check this place out. Every dish here gets the personal love and attention of Chef Arnal who has been the head chef of the restaurant for over 10 years! So don't waste anymore time, and head to Mantra: your new favorite Indian restaurant! My favorite dishes here: -Table side Chaat (best papri chaat!!!) -Tandoori chicken -Lehsuni chicken (garlic chicken) -Dahi ke kebab : yogurt kebabs (I had my doubts but wow it was delicious ) read more

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BEWARE! This restaurant's management has changed and so has the food taste & quality. Mantra had been one of our favorite Indian restaurants in north Jersey. But the other day, we ordered Bhuna lamb & paratha thru Uber eats. Paratha was so so but the meat dish was unpalatable & extremely spicy and induced cough in both my wife & myself. We had to throw it away. Never again. read more

This place is absolutely amazing! Every dish has such a beautiful and complex depth of flavor, I really can't get over it. Special shoutout to the lemon coriander soup. OH MY GOD. I've never loved a soup like this before. Bright, spicy, a bit of crunch, really unique. I wish words could describe. Anyway, check this place out. Order from the menu for some dishes made with lots of love and skill. read more

Mantra - Indian Near Me - Paramus, New Jersey

Yummy! The restaurant is super cute with a lovely ambiance. Service was excellent and the food was great! Prices however were a lot pricier than most Indian restaurants. My best friend and I came here on a Monday night. We were given a small shot size cup of complimentary soup which was quite delicious. We shared samosas which were so flavorful and enjoyed their delicious naan! We both ordered a dish of chicken tikka masala and given a bowl of rice to share. We wondered why we weren't given our own bowls of rice especially since we both ordered our own dish and honestly for the price you pay for this dish you should each being having your own bowl of rice. When we asked our server why we only got one bowl of rice he came back with another one and mentioned that usually they only serve it with one bowl. After eating our dish, we realized one bowl would have definitely been enough to share. However, hey at least we made our money's worth. For dessert we ordered creme brulee and we definitely could have done without. It definitely wasn't torched completely or properly. Overall, our experience was great. Would definitely come back. read more

Mantra - Indian Near Me - Paramus, New Jersey

"A Decent Night Out" As an alternative to the typical night out and to our customary celebratory dinner, my wife and I decided to eat Indian cuisine for the night of our seventeenth wedding anniversary. While there is certainly a great selection of eateries from which to choose, based upon the reviews we chose Mantra located in Paramus, New Jersey. Having had some exposure to Indian food in the past, I recommended for my wife to search online to read up on some of the more popular Indian dishes to prepare herself; this is a good idea, by the way, especially if you're a novice to the typical fare. Upon inspection of their site, I was impressed with the selection Mantra has to offer. Their menu doesn't disappoint. Our expectation of the restaurant vibe was high, and we were not surprised by the Ramsay-styled decor. There's a chimney wall from floor to ceiling, separating the bar area from the dining space. The Maître D' handles check-in (for our reservation), and he doubles as Coat Check Clerk. The lighting is elegant, and our server lights a table candle. We dressed the part, although attire is apparently not important; some folks wear sports team jerseys, sneakers, etc. Don't be fooled by the appearance, the restaurant is kid-friendly. If you ask for it, you get it - and expect to pay for every single thing the waiter brings, including bread. The naan isn't included; it costs $4.50 per basket of four pieces. We're given a choice of regular H2O or sparkling (Bolle from Italy). The bottle costs $7.00. If you order alcohol, be prepared to pay through the nose. My wife orders a coconut martini for $12.00. We order appetizers, and they're delicious. I order Dal Shorba, a lentil soup, and it's fantastic for $5.95. My wife orders a delicious and recommended cauliflower, called Lassuni Gobhi for $9.95; it has a good amount of spice and is a pleasant warm-up (so to speak) for anything else we'd order as an entree. For the mains we order the Mixed Grill. At $21.95 it's a good choice for the novice. I order the Andhraa Goat for $20.95. Basmati rice comes with mine, but we order a side of lemon rice for the mixed entree for an additional cost of $6.95. We feel the order should have come with the choice of rice. By the time the dessert option comes, I'm conservative and order a $4.00 espresso. My wife orders a Kulfi Trio of three ice cream scoops for $7.00. The frozen treat reminds me of a gelato from ShopRite. All in all, with tax and tip we're in it for $122.90. Remember, this is for one alcohol drink and a shared bottle of imported spring water. Positives? * Selection * Ambiance * Service * Location * Flavor Negatives? * Price $$-$$$$$ * à la carte What advice would you give to dine here? Be prepared to spend some money. It's certainly not as much as a steak dinner from Ruth's Chris - it's a little less than half of what we paid there for an anniversary dinner. Check out the menu in advance, and decide upon what you'd like to eat beforehand. I have little faith that the waiter will be able to adequately describe the food. Although, our waiter did make a good recommendation for appetizer and was spot-on with the amount of spice in the goat dish. Would you recommend a customer to order anything in particular? Of course I was attracted to the mere fact that this restaurant serves goat. But, there are plenty of other great options on the menu from which to choose. Everything mentioned above is good. Again, if you are an Indian cuisine novice, there's a section of menu that features staple options - that's where we found the Mixed Grill. read more

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I have order pick up order Saturday night around 6:00 pm they told me it will be ready in 30 min when I got there at 6:45 food wasn't ready girl at the bar told me food is not ready but you can pay I said ok so I made payment than waited another 10 min and every one all the workers drinking coffee talking no One cared about going back and check with my order finally at 7:00 pm I ask the girl at the bar how long it will take instead of saying nicely let me check manager walked in and said wats my name for order I told him instead of straight going to kitchen to follow up he waited talk to new customer and than walked in and grab my order . So my order was READY no one bring it out or even care to checked in the kitchen extremely bad customer service. read more

We recently attended a family party at Mantra. For the function we had the entire place to ourselves for a brunch. Everything about this place put a smile on our faces. From the friendly and helpful wait staff, to the atmosphere, to the food selections. Everything was top notch. The decor is wonderful and looks stylish and modern. The restaurant even has a small but trendy lounge, you can sit and sip cocktails in. Food was exquisite and service was outstanding with great attention to detail. The menu has many items to choose from, though much of the choices remain authentic to the cuisine. The food is fresh and extremely flavorful. Since we attended a private party at Mantra we got to try lot of their appetizers and main course items. For first timers, Mantra is on Route 4 going West so easy to locate but going East can be tricky as you have to U-turn and signs to get back on 4 West are not clear. Mantra is located in an old Thomasville, Macy's furniture shopping center. If you have GPS you should have no problems and once there you will not be disappointed. They will certainly get my business again. Highly recommended! read more

Really bad food. Only Naan is good. I realized for the first time that indian food can be made this bad read more

I came here for the Sunday brunch buffet, which was $13 well spent. The chicken tikka did not wow me but everything else was great! All the dishes with spinach were particularly terrific. I would most certainly eat here again. BTW, its easy to miss the entrance! Trust your GPS when navigating here. read more

Mantra has been our local eating spot forever. They have amazing buffet that caters well to work lunches as well as good all a card dinner menu. The food is delicious and prices are relatively good however I feel that they could do better with more creativity in the menu. Their menu has been saying for a while and some of their regular items are becoming a bit bore. This place is recommended for lunches or dinners however after a while lack of variety is noticeable. read more

I had visited recently Mantra to have the lunch buffet. While I was eating, a roach was crawling down from ceiling. This was very disturbing. I brought it to the attention of the manager and they moved me to another table. At this point I paid the full bill and left disappointed and disgusted. read more

After reading some of the other reviews of Mantra, the consensus seems to be that this is Indian food for white people. Well I'm a white girl and I can attest that I love Mantra. I don't know "real" Indian food, I guess. And if Mantra isn't real Indian food then I don't really care. I know good food and Mantra has it. I've had many things from their menu by dining in and getting take out. My favorite is the chicken tikka. I know, I know. Chicken tikka is the typical go to white people Indian food dish. I'm really fitting the stereotype here. But I can't help that it's so delicious. One time, I was chatting with the waiter and told him I love extremely spicy food and he recommended a non-chicken tikka dish to me. I was afraid to step out of my comfort zone but I did it. I don't remember what the dish was called but it was hot af. Very delicious. I appreciated his recommendation. All in all, the food here is excellent, the presentation is beautiful, the establishment is clean and classy. There's nothing not to like unless you're an Indian food snob and don't consider this "real." Real or not the food is good so that's all that matters anyway. read more

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I went to try Indian food, it was just ok for me since I'm not used to their spices. I liked how the place is set up it was nice and clean. The price for the buffet is very reasonable. Service was ok read more

I used to frequent Mantra's lunch buffet so when I felt for some Indian take out during quarantine, they were a natural choice. I ordered the chicken and chicken tikka masala with garlic and cheese naan. The quality was great and usual. Everything was packed neat and delivered in a time fashion. read more

I fondly remember this place as "Namaskar", and growing up locally, this is where every Indian would hold their events. I returned to the familiar area on a Tuesday afternoon for their buffet lunch. They had all the staples (chicken tikka, chicken tandoori, rice), a few additions like aloo saag, onion pakoras, etc., and two desserts (kheer and date halwa). The lunch buffet was a good mixture of veg and non veg. There is complimentary naan, but I think you have to ask for it. The flavors were authentic and similar to what I'd get at home. The servers were very kind and attentive with refilling water glasses, bringing out naan, etc. The restaurant and the bathrooms were clean, and the atmosphere was friendly and pleasant. Overall, it's about $12 per person, not including taxes and tip and an excellent way to eat Indian food without breaking the bank. read more

Mantra - Some items from the buffet - Indian Near Me - Paramus, New Jersey

We had to postpone our monthly date night (usually held on the 23rd) due to scheduling conflicts. Typically, there aren't many options on a Monday night in Bergen County, yet we were able to have an incredible experience at this wonderful restaurant. From the "Nirvana specials" cocktails, to the "Chef's Table" dishes, each sip and morsel was created with care and artistry, yet the mood and ambiance was understated and relaxed. There were couples, friends, a gentleman eating alone, and even a big, family birthday party. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for authentic Indian cuisine, with excellent quality and service. read more

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Came to Mantra for their New Years Eve party. Off the bat, we were taken care of by none other than a server named Omer. This guy was attentive and on point. They started off by serving apps at the table. The food was absolute B O M B as per usual. Omer hooked it up w some incredible lamb chops, lollipop chicken, yogurt balls, paneer and more. Every dish was an experience. Omer kept a close eye and made sure all our needs were met. Including our drinks. Though I think it was outside his remit, he made sure our glasses were always full. The crowd was very fun, bar tenders tended bar w a smile and a two step, they were very positive / having a good time which was contagious. There were almost 0 'bad actors' as you sometimes see on New Year's Eve. I say almost 0 because there was a couple that was...getting out of line. Alas, Omer came to the rescue and escorted the couple out and helped them order and get into an uber. Omer strikes again! The dinner was a b s o l u t e fuego. Again, as expected from a spot like Mantra. I especially loved the biriyani and koftas. But all dishes were delicious. The DJ didn't play tunes. He played CHUNES. And he took requests. The guy spun like a champ and my hips are still sore two days later. Any way, Mantra killed it. Omer killed it. Hats off. read more

Mantra's vibe & food was great, especially for the price point. But the service was next level. Our Server Wasid was incredible. Made it feel like true fine dining. read more

Loved this place. Warm and friendly staff. Early evening child friendly. Complimentary amazing spinach soup Wonderful chicken and lamb dishes. We will be coming again. Thank you! read more

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Ordered delivery and while it's not the best of the best it's definitely one of the better Indian places in the area that delivers. Marking this as my go to Indian spot for now. The chicken tikka masala, chicken saag, and chicken vindaloo were all spot on. Solid garlic naan and I appreciated that they included the side "sauces" i.e. Chutney and green sauce. read more

I rarely write reviews but this time I really want to share our experience at Mantra. Hope the OWNER (not the manager) gets a chance to read this review. We have been to Mantra almost every other weekend in the past but this last visit was a nightmare. The short haired Indian waitress was extremely rude and racist. She gave much more attention and better service to non-Indian customers. Upon pointing this out to her, she put her hands on her waist and rolled her eyes which made me mad. I told her it's her job to serve everybody without rolling eyes. To that she said I'm nobody to teach her how to do her job and went inside. Once we completed our dinner and were on the way out, a tall young man stopped us and started shouting at us saying we treated the Indian waitress poorly and looked down upon her. He didn't even know what the situation was and he started arguing with us. This guy "claimed" to be the owner of the restaurant which I know he isn't as I have talked to the owners multiple times in the past. He said this is my property and don't ever set your foot here again and ran inside without listening to what we had to say!!! read more

The garlic chicken entree surprised me because I expected it to be brown but the gravy was white. The samosas were tasty. The portion size was good and enough for 2. I ordered delivery but they didn't give a plate or plastic ware so it was very inconvenient. read more

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Good food, not so great service. Overall a descent experience, but don't plan to come here for a quick bite around dinner time. Once seated it took at least 10 min before someone even came around to even offer us a glass of water. My coworker ordered an ice tea which didn't arrive until after the appetizer because the waiter didn't remember. Between the appetizer and us receiving our main course it was at least 40-45min, I had ordered the lamb roganjosh but when a different waiter came to deliver our food at first he placed Chicken Tikka Massala in front of me which I told him I hadn't ordered. He looked confused and ran back to the kitchen with our food. Some time later he returned again with something and placed it in front of me, didn't look like what I had ordered but at this point I was so hungry I wasn't going to argue anymore. Whatever the meal was, it had goat in it, but it was good. So overall good food, but the staff need to slow down and listen. They run around frantically and clearly don't listen to your order. Service might be better at a different time of day. read more

My office ordered lunch today for about 45. The food was delivered warm, in a timely manner and boy was it tasty and filling! We enjoyed the fresh, warm naan. The tiki masala, spiced chicken dish, fried veggies were just OK- a bit dry and tasteless for my liking. We had a cottage cheese dish that was surprisingly very very good! The cheese felt like a chicken or sturdier tofu substance. It was very good with a yummy sauce. The veal was very tender and quite good- cooked perfectly. Desserts-rice pudding was refreshing Donuts in sweet sauce were OK-I'm not a donut person I really enjoyed the food and cannot wait to try them again! read more

Mantra has been one of my favorite Indian restaurants since they first opened more than 10 years ago! When I was younger, I loved coming here for the delicious lunch buffets. My favorite items: chicken tikka masala (so creamy and hearty), samosas, naan, mango lassi (to ease the spice factor), and for dessert, the ever-entertaining banana flambe that they light on fire in front of you. Their green chutney is also one of my favorites! As the years went by, I began to appreciate the sexy, elegant vibe of Mantra more. It's a perfect date spot with a cozy bar area and mood lighting. I've come to more than one party at Mantra where it feels like the whole restaurant is celebrating with you, not just your table! Service has always been personal, warm, and quick. If you ever have a problem, mention it to the manager and they'll jump through hoops to ensure that you leave happy! Price point is pretty standard for an Indian restaurant, around $15-25 for an average entree Mantra is one of the few restaurants that I've been a consistent diner at, and I'm sure I'll keep going back for the many years to come. read more

Came here for a friends birthday and I can say that we had a great experience. The owner came out and greeted us. The environment was clean food came out quickly and the customer was great. Indian food for me is hit or miss and this was definitely a hit. Also they had a great drink menu with many different drinks to choose from. I enjoyed my food drinks and environment. I'll def be back read more

I thought this place was great. It has always treated me well. Its a nice Indian restaurant with a good vibe and decor. I had a birthday for my dad a few years ago, and they couldn't have been more courteous or professional here. I have been a few times since, for dinner and even a meetup for young professionals (drinks/cocktails). My dad sometimes whines that is not good, but today I ordered Seamless from here and they delivered the food home. Lamb chops was his favorite part, then the mixed grill and goat curry. Chili nan was good too, he toasted it and ate it with the goat curry. was very nice. He was not a fan of lasuni chicken. I went to the buffet today and it was so good, quality and lots of items, veg and non-veg plus two dessert items. And it was so freaking cheap. Literally felt cheaper than Wendy's for me and my co-worker. read more

Mediocre food and poor service. Not interested in coming back. Side order of basmati was cold, clearly it was nuked in a microwave but not heated enough. Moreover had carrots and peas in my basmati, which I've never seen before or care for. Chicken tikka masala was bland and its sauce was watered down. read more

Decent ambiance and good north Indian food. Liked their Chicken fried rice and chicken noodles

Outstanding food and Excellent service. Unless you exclusively eat at 3 Michelin starred restaurants i don't see how you could complain about anything here. Great dining experience. COVID has been a tough time for a lot of local restaurants I will definitely be coming back. read more

Food was delicious! My friend and I ordered the cheese and garlic and mushroom truffle oil naan along with samosas for apps. Got complimentary soup as well. For our entree, we both ordered the chicken tikka masala. So good!! Although, it was a little pricey compared to other places I've been to. Service was great! The creme brûlée was just OK. I've had better. But overall, I had a great experience. Friendly staff, quick service, and delicious food. read more

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I went to try this place since I wanted new taste of Indian authentic food. The vibe in the restaurant with very calm music and great atmosphere. As soon as you enter, there is open bar with sofa seats and live music which is enjoy before having actual meal. The bartender are very sweet and drinks are not watery at all. The food's quality (order of 1 veg plate) including the taste, price, and quantity is sufficient for two people. Definitely enjoyed eating there. Only giving 4/5 rating due to lack of long wait for take out. Will definitely visit in future only to eat in person. read more

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. read more

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I would have given Mantra negative stars if that were an option. The quality of food was sub par. In Hydrabadi Angaray, chicken was smelly and bad. Dum Aloo, Dal Makhani & Methi Malli had big onion chunks. Table was so small for 4 guests, and plates were so big to even have one dish on table. Food quantity was very very small for the price. To make it worse, they added 18% gratuity themselves and that when we had to wait 1 hour for our food to be served and it was cold & tasteless. Just don't waste your money at this place. read more

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Definitely more mild in flavor compared to other Indian restaurants I've been to, but still tastes good! We got their chicken tikka, samosa chaat, table/let's chaat, gulab jamun, rasmalai, and mango lassi. Also came with rice and plain naan. They forgot the naan in our pickup order, so we called and they were able to drop it off to us! The mango lassi had a very strong cardamom taste. Probably wouldn't order the samosa chaat again - I'd rather just get a regular order of their samosas. Would order the naan, table chaat, and chicken tikka again! read more

This is a top of the line Indian restaurant. The interior is classy, the food unique and incredibly flavorful. The owner and staff are gracious and welcoming. Some of the most delicious and creative dishes I have had at Mantra. You will definitely become a fan once you eat at this restaurant. Some must try dishes: 1) Kokani Crab 2) Lemon Corriander Soup 3) Fish Ghassi 4) Mushroom Methi Malai 5) Mushroom & Truffle Oil Naan read more

I was scouring OpenTable for new Northern New Jersey restaurants, when I came across Mantra. I became excited at the prospect of an Indian restaurant in nearby Paramus. I clicked through to the website and was shocked to see just how funky and modern the space really was. On my next suburban dinner excursion, I suggested the hip destination to my friend. She drove us over to the space, which happened to be located in a strip mall on the major highway of Route 4 West. With a location like this, I was not expecting a restaurant with a fun lounge area and creative specialty cocktails. The bar also offered a fabulous wine selection and comfortable couches for dining. The large window into the main dining room enticed the bar goers to order food, but it also had the potential to annoy the diners who were trying to have a more peaceful meal. After our sneak peek towards the dining tables, we decided that we were ready to be formally seated. Our server came by the greet us, and he actually maintained his conscientious assistance throughout the remainder of our meal. He started us off with some crispy, puffed snacks and the standard sweet and green dipping sauces. We glanced at the affordable menu and each decided on some entrees. I ordered the Murgh Tikka, which was skewered boneless chicken marinated with yogurt, ginger, garlic, and fengugreek. The tandoor oven sure was respectful of the meat - keeping it tender and flavorful. The aromatic spices were so intoxicating that I continued to munch even after I was stuffed. My friend's Goan Shrimp Curry contained crisp, jumbo shrimp that were simmering in a sweet and spicy curry broth. The coconut milk and mature seasoning blend were in perfect balance. Both of our dishes were served with delicious, firm rice. We also shared the Kulcha, which was a doughy, multi-layered flour bread stuffed with large chunks of cauliflower. Though Mantra might have been located in a highway strip mall, it possessed a definite Manhattan vibe. However, its delicious, satisfying portions came at a fraction of the cost. This restaurant was definitely worth a trip into the 'burbs! read more

I have for many years wanted to go to this restaurant and could not get anyone in my family or friends to come with me! I was happy to know that it survived the pandemic. So I was wanting Indian cuisine terribly last night and decided to order out and "wow", so very happy I did. Everything was delicious!! I may have to go dine alone!! I would give this restaurant 10 stars if I could!!! read more