Manatee was a surprising find for me when I went yesterday. It had been recommended a few times and I was finally at the right place to try it out one afternoon. Walking in it didn't look much and there was nobody there to greet me, but eventually I was taken to the back patio that was lovely and service was fine the rest of the evening. No complaints. Every single item that keep was done pretty well or was great. The fatoush salad was very good. The acidity was perfect. The only real knock was that it has a lot of tortilla pieces in there making it less healthy, but they did taste great and they weren't your typical thin pieces. The crispy potatoes were cooked perfectly and had good seasoning but could have used a drizzle of some sauce. The Manatee was a delicious shoot off of ravioli. It wasn't life changing or anything but it was certainly a tasty alternative to the typical ravioli. It has a much better texture and shape than typical ravioli, so maybe it's not even fair to call it ravioli. The marinated feta was pretty good, but it's not like cheese is often done badly. This dish seems very popular here but it's skippable for a small party, I really only needed 1-2 bites max before it was too much cheesez. I also got the sweet and sour ground beef entree (not pictured ), it was quite good and the rice it came with was also excellent (and I'll not a big rice person) but portions of both were on the smaller side than typical Mediterranean meat and rice plates. All in all good atmosphere and food. 8.2/10 read more

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|[ g e m ]| You know what, I actually needed food to-go so I ordered it, not knowing this was a kinda pricier sit in restaurant. I can't yet attest to the dine-in aspects yet but the food was what blew my mind, portion was not big but it was so savory and good! The quality and taste of the food was what earned them 5 stars in my heart, it's not everyday I come across something so delicious and savory. |[ y o g u r t k e b a b ]| I chose the yogurt kebab because it seemed like a promising choice. Everything from the meat to the sauce to the pita was absolutely amazing. Even with the not-so-big portion I was satisfactorily full and saved some for later. The rice was SO FLAVORFUL and perfect, I can probably eat the rice itself and be happy. I recommend yogurt kebab if you don't know what to get. It's pricey, but... it was worth the splurge for me. |[ c l o s i n g ]| They gave me a ton of pita bread, probably enough to be considered an order in itself. From the outside this place looks kinda like a hole in the wall. Decor is kinda dated but whatever I'll come back for that yogurt kebab (and hopefully try more items). read more

Mantee Cafe - Yogurt Kebab so bomb - Mediterranean Near Me - Studio City, California

Hamovvvv Went to @manteecafe and let me just say, I absolutely LOVE this place. The food is just delicious, the staff is so amiable, and the atmosphere is so cute!!! I definitely recommend coming here if you are in Studio Cutu looking for some amazing Armenian food we got a few appetizers such as Kebbe Naye or "Chikufte" which is my favorite food in the entire world We also ordered their traditional mantee which was PERFECTION and their baked feta!! Check them outttt Kebbe Naye: $12.95 Mantee "Traditional": $14.95 Hot Feta: 10.95 read more

Mantee Cafe - Mediterranean Near Me - Studio City, California

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One of my favorite spots! Whole in the wall with authentic Armenian food (specifically for all the Lebanese armenians). I am armenian and I hate to admit that some of this food is truly better than my MEDZMAMA'S (grandma's). The MANTE dish in hot yogurt sauces is impeccable. The creamy sauce with authentic peppery flavors is doused over a small tray of drenched yet crispy homemade bites of dough and meat. I'd call it crunchy armenian dumplings with a twist. I recommend going for appetizers. Go meze meze style like we say! And try it all! You'll feel cultured after this meal! My go too's include: APPETIZER:Mante, Sueberag, Sojouk, Quail egg sojouk DRINK: Tan(savory yogurt drink) DESSERT: Kadayef (topped with lebanese "cotton. candy in a very delicious integrated way). The ENVIRONMENT just adds to this aesthetic. It transcends you to an armenian grandmas kitchen. Where on the inside you feel warm and homey, and on the outside it's more like getting transported to a small cultured village. Although its on a busy street they manage to keep the environment secluded. Best armenian food! I would pay some money for that mante recipe!! I may need to use my connections to hire my old friend plankton and get to the bikini bottom of this bottled up secret recipe. read more

Everything is smaller than it used to be. The portions seem to downsize as the years go on. Eventually, it will stop, I hope. I remember the golden days where you'd get an authentic Mantee at the authentic Mantee size. The Mantee is so small now that 1 is barely enough for 1 person. I'd prefer they go back to the original size of the menu item. This is super disappointing and we haven't been back since. read more

This is the worst Middle Eastern restaurant I have ever been to ( have been to many restaurants) Really overpriced Lamb chops are drenched in pepper paste you cannot taste the lamb flavor The plates are really small for what you get The place is a joke small rooms in between the kitchen Will never go there again Do not go there they take your money and you leave there hungry Below 0 star read more

If you are taking the time to read the reviews for this place, this is all you need to read - GO! This place is amazing, authentic, fresh and very intimate with the neighborhood. I was a bit disappointed with more recent reviews slandering the service during Covid. Gotta have some patience folks. 80 percent plus of restaurants are done. So many went under- so many without jobs and money to pay their families. This place is delicious and plenty of outdoor seating. I brought my family last week for my birthday. Get the hummus w Pine nuts. Tabouli. Mantee special item (#1 on top of page / right side of menu). The hot plate with filet and tomatoes. Just go. Great place and I'm really happy for the owner and staff to have been able to hang around. read more

Mantee Cafe - Waiting for hot delicious meals - Mediterranean Near Me - Studio City, California

Finally braved myself and the wife and son to try this peculiar place. Its a blessing and a curse knowing the best of the best of Middle eastern fare; the latter because everything is downhill when you try anything that tries to be authentic. Still, was optimistic and excited to try. Ok here we go: The place is tucked away and hidden deep; so deep I didn't know Ventura ran that deep (were talking 101 exit vineland shit coming from the valley). Parking is scarce up front, and most of the sidewalk is painted faint red (great city maintenance) so not taking a chance just parked across the way in the Ralphs shopping center. Didnt see valet anywhere, or a lot to park behing restaurant. The inside front dining area is tiny...but keep walking and it leads to a funky, spacious, another world-like patio with an attached further out area, and I guess they own the watering hole next door, which is connected through open space, cool. Our server Moe was cool, as was the help. They were fast and courteous. Starter free pita bread...pretty bland store kind, but the crisp pita chips were tasty, served with a zaatar oil dip (not a fan of zaatar spice but it was ok) Oven baked feta cheese appetizzy....Dont know why I ordered this don't think feta anything hot works well but lets move on, was ok for what it was. (B-) Fatoush Salad= Not over-garlicked to death which is good, just the right amount. Crisp and lively, tasted great (A) Khash-Khash kebob: (Kinda like long meatballs) For the cash-cash spent, Its a rather small portion, and smothered in so much exploded roasted or steamed tomato couldnt see the meat. There was more tomato than meat, but meat itself was ok nothing spectacular. The rice was delicious, the tomato was tasteless. This dish needs some work on the portion and garnishes. Also could use a better char on the meat, there wasnt much. Almost as if it was stewed and not grilled. (Tip: dip the meat in the garlic yogurt sauce if some else orders the Manti) The Manti: This ain't your grandmas Manti, that's for sure. When it arrived, I was taken aback by the tiny portion. But in this case it worked out good because got to try many things. But as a meal by itself you will starve. Very small boat-like dish. I LOVE oven baked, crispy manti. But this was a bit lacking in terms of meat ratio, flavor, and just tasted pre-made and reheated. Not bad by any means, but not worth trying more than once. Also missing mint and only a trace of sumac, more would made it better. In a nutshell, nothing was bad and ranged from mediocre to decent, its a solid 3 out of 5 stars for me. Adding one star for the service. Good to try once and that'll close my book here. Sodas are free refill and strong like bull. read more

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Came here for dinner with some friends yesterday evening. It was my first time and it won't be my last! The service was outstanding. Everyone who took care of our table, from server to food runner to busser, were all so kind and accommodating. There was an unexpected issue with my order and our server made sure I received something equally delicious and even went so far as to reduce our bill because I had to wait (which I didn't mind, the sarma I ordered kept me happy while my other order was being prepared). They went above and beyond. The food...oh, the food! Everything was delightful. We all got something different and shared little bits with one another. The hot feta was SO good, all the meats were cooked perfectly, and the spicy potatoes were made just like my grandma used to make them. I can't wait to go back! Thank you all for such a lovely experience. read more

Mantee Cafe - Sarma - Mediterranean Near Me - Studio City, California

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Finally made a trip to visit Mantee Café as we were in the area. I didn't imagine a cute outdoors patio seating area and was pleased to find this welcoming restaurant for a lunch with mom and grandma. The weather was pretty, the birds were chirping and of course, the horns were honking uncontrollably in the busy streets of Studio City to give it that extra LA touch. Jokes aside, we came in on a Saturday afternoon with no reservations and were seated immediately. I primarily brought mom and grandma here to introduce them to mantee. I have many Lebanese-Armenian friends who've introduced me to this delicious dish and knew they'd love it just as much. STARTERS 3/5: We began with the crispy pita bread and the sweet and savory, almost pasty Za'atar dip. Pretty good and light. Nothing exciting. FATTOUSH SALAD 5/5: One of my favorite dishes in general and the one here was delicious. Perfect blend of tangy and savory with a fusion of lemon juice, sumac, greens and tomatoes. SARMA 4/5: Not bad. One of the better ones I've tried. Good blend of pomegranate molasses/paste and tomato sauce. No greens chopped in the filling. Pretty simple and tasty. SPICY POTATOES 5/5: Perfectly crisp, diced potatoes with a hint of spice. I'd order this again. MANTEE (TRADITIONAL) 5/5: So good. Doused in a delicious, robust, garlicky tomato sauce and covered in yogurt sauce. The meat was great. I'd order this again! The other option available is the vegetarian kind with no meat. SHISH KEBAB 5/5: I absolutely loved the kebab pieces, the perfectly roasted tomato and pepper and the side of mujadara. I need to find a recipe similar to this mujadara (basically rice with cooked lentils). There's something about it that makes it so savory and full of flavor that you don't even need to add anything to it. It's served as its own dish on the menu as well and I definitely will not hesitate to order it next time. Generally speaking, the quality of food is wonderful here. Unfortunately, the portions are not. For a $25 entree, I'd expect a dish such as the shish kebab to be served in greater portions. I know now to come here for a light lunch versus a dinner outing. The service was also very friendly and the place was generally very clean. I liked the ambiance--very welcoming and family-oriented. PARKING Very tight parking in the alleyway entrance (pass the Shell gas station until you see the designated spots for Mantee Café) read more

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I absolutely love this restaurant. I have visited many times and never been disappointed. Today we decided to order in since I was craving their Mantee. Besides the Mantee we got a few more other sides. I was a little disappointed with the portion sizes and they forgot to include pita bread. With everything going on it's understandable. We still enjoyed our dinner and the Mantee was on point as always. read more

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Delicious food. Filet mignon so tender. Lamb was tender and delicious. Everything had great flavor. Staff very professional. Great ambiance and vibes at this restaurant. Happy we came! read more

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Wow. In the Mecca of great Mediterranean food how does this place manage to stay alive. Don't waste your time or money. The food is sub-par if that and we ordered almost everything on the menu. The portions are laughable...I mean tiny-tiny and I eat like a bird. The ambiance is nothing special so I guess I'm still trying to understand the draw. I don't know how anyone could mess us a kabob but my kabob was dry, rubbery and pink (undercooked), everyone agreed that it had a weird aftertaste as though the meat had gone bad. This place was a hard no for us; a week later and I'm still trying to shake it off. read more

Another place we tried after our archery lesson (we "Arch & Brunch") so were there Sat at 12:30. Back patio quite nice and the open area is shared with the tavern next door (also an attractive space), we walked in from the front and the interior was very stylish as well. Heaters available, but we didn't need one. Waiter prompt and attentive. We ordered Motabal (simply amazing), and Sue Berag (good) as appetizers. Spread motabal on the pita chips and happily munched while we sipped mimosas. There were 4 of us and the dishes ordered were Mantee "Traditional", Chicken Kebab, Kafta Kebab, and Khashkash Kebab. All agreed the food was good, well-prepared, and came relatively quickly. It was a bit pricey for the amount that came, but wasn't so much we were grumping (but if we hadn't ordered the appetizers we might have). read more

I first went to Mantee Cafe years ago and loved it - the mantee was incredible and so was their fattoush salad. I was in the area tonight and craving Armenian food so I placed an order for pickup on Yelp (I had tried to call the restaurant directly to place a takeout order but no one picked up the phone). I placed the order at 6:30 and was given a 30-50 min wait time for pickup. I showed up 50 minutes later at the restaurant around 7:20 and the order still wasn't ready. I waited for another 5 minutes and finally got my order. When I got home, I realized 1 of the items (hummus filet mignon) in my 5 item order was not in the bag. I called them to ask for a refund of the hummus since I was not able to drive back to pick it up, which they provided. While on the phone with them for the refund, I also noticed that almost all of the pita in the bag was moldy, which I told the woman on the phone. All she said was "we get our pita fresh every day", which was clearly untrue as I was staring at 10+ pieces of pita with blue mold on them. We were starving so we still ate the other items in the order and were very disappointed. The mantee (we got the meat and vegetarian) were fine, but didn't travel that well so weren't great by the time we got home. The chicken kabob tasted extremely rubbery and the falafel was very dense and dull. All in all, an very forgettable and even bad meal, especially for the price point. read more

Mantee Cafe - Moldy pita :-) - Mediterranean Near Me - Studio City, California

I recently went to Mantee Cafe Armenian Lebanese cuisine in Studio City. You must experience the excellent choices of traditional Armenian Lebanese food. Best tasting, best service and best ambiance. You feel like you're at your friend's cozy backyard eating good food and sipping your favorite wine. They have an easy accessibility to wheelchairs from the back side. Definitely deserves 5 STARS. read more

Amazing food. I cant wait to come back to try other dishes I wasn't able to order because you can only order so much you can finish. Environment is amazing; Michael was very nice and quick. We sat outside, was slightly cold, they quickly turned the heater on. Food arrives fast. Every dish deserves 5 star! read more

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Server took our drink and appetizer order and then vanished for 90 minutes while 3 out of 4 of our apps trickled in. When the 3rd came around 75 minutes after we ordered, we asked the busboy if he could have her bring our bill. When she came, she didn't acknowledge any of it. We had 2 small children with us. The food was good but I would never go back to a place like this. read more

Mantee was a bit of a disappointment. The restaurant is a bit weird, I had to enter the kitchen ro get the attention of the host, who turned our to be the waiter and then the owner. Another man came in and they were asked if he has reservations, the restaurant was empty. I came strictly for the veggie mantee which after tasting it, i could love without. I asked for easy garlic sauce and try told me it's all or nothing and the that I'm gonna hear the chef yell at me when he sees my order. My husband got a small plate of shish kebab that was $30.00 very small plate with mediocre flavor, so much smaller than taffis yet so much more expensive. Our drinks were never refilled and the rice was so mushy. Safe to say we will pass on this place next time. read more

Rating: Excellent. Scale: Bad, Meh, Average, Good, Excellent Comments: Lovely outdoor dining, delicious meal read more

Late post- was here Thursday Oct 13, 2022. Twas my first time here. Parking was a problem - didn't have enough parking at the back so we parked along Ventura blvd which on regular hours would not be easy but we were luck coz we went around 5pm so went around 3x and found parking in front. Food was great though - quality and taste. What's weird too is when we entered thru door by Ventura blvd no one was there to meet us and being the first time there, we wondered if we should just go in or wait for someone. Anyways we decided to explore and just walk right thru and found our party in one of the tables. Will come back but will try to see what day.. read more

Mantee Cafe - Beef with cherry sauce. - Mediterranean Near Me - Studio City, California

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Mantee is one of the best Armenian restaurants in studio city. The service is always on point and the serves have great knowledge of the menu. Some of the must haves are fried cheese, mantee, yogurt, the filet plate is to die for. If you want good Armenian food you must visit here. The restaurant is super cute too. read more

One of the best middle-eastern places in LA. Be sure to have the kebabs, and the mantee pasta; they're to die for.

Best baba ganoush I've ever had Friendly service Casual spot Would definitely eat here again read more

Service was excellent. Ambiance was casual. Parking in the back. Food was good, especially the salads. We tried all of them they were delicious. Mantee was average but not bad. read more

I went for my birthday in August and absolutely everything ordered was outstanding. Starter: Tabboulh Main Dishes: Kebbe Naye/a meat tartar and Lamb Chops. Since there were two of us this was plenty and the impressive menu will necessitate my friend and I will return to go through it. Highly recommended with excellent service. read more

Such a GREAT PLACE to spend your afternoon! Had a lovely brunch with my mom yesterday here. Everything was perfect, from food to service and we just loved the overall feel of this place. Such an intimate, yet cozy atmosphere and the staff just made us feel so welcomed. I walked away feeling like I just visited a friend's house for lunch. It was our first time and we will definitely be back! I read some reviews beforehand and ordered as recommended: hummus with filet mignon, hot feta and traditional Mantee followed with some great desert and Armenian coffee. Nothing disappointed! They offer parking in the back, which we didn't know, so we parked on the street, in front of the restaurant. I highly recommend this place and sit outside if you can, the staff is very attentive and make your experience that much more special while soaking up a great atmosphere and delicious food! read more

If you are into patios (and who isn't?), this has a lovely one in the back with lots of umbrellas and tables to choose from. Even on a hot day, it is shaded and has a nice breeze. The lunch specials are a smart choice at about $13 a piece. We had a vegetarian plate #1 and the labneh was among the best I've had--thick, with herbs mixed in, and slicked with olive oil and paprika. The eggplant dip was also delicious and had that wonderful smoky flavor. The plate was rounded-out with hummus and a stuffed eggplant. The lentil plate was good, too, but not as tasty as the veggie plate. We finished the meal with mint tea. What a nice touch to have it on the menu! There is also parking behind the restaurant and the service was attentive. read more

Mantee Cafe - Lentil plate. Nice sale and stuffed grape leaves. - Mediterranean Near Me - Studio City, California

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We come back again and again. The food is delicious but the ambiance is what we love to come back to. It's relaxing and chill without having to give up on service and food quality. Even on their busiest night (they had 1 server for about 15 tables) they made quality food and the server was still courteous and prompt. Things to order: Fattoush Salad Hummus with Filet Mignon Spicy Potatoes Hot Feta Mantee (duh) Queens Delight Falafel Mohammara read more

Mantee Cafe - Only 1 beer on the menu, but clearly it's one we love! Order it. - Mediterranean Near Me - Studio City, California

Dining at Mantee Cafe was a completely different experience than our first visit. The food was OK, not as good as last time, but the service was horrendous. We had to ask three different people before getting an order of hummus. Two of the four of us were served our dinners, and after waiting ten minutes for our wives' food (two orders of falafel), and having to search for our waiter, he arrived to tell us that the orders all went in at the same time, but the falafel was cooking and they were out of sauce. I hope they were having an off night, because the service was unacceptable, as was the attitude of the one person who seemed to be in charge. read more

Particular. Pleasant. Great for smaller groups particularly if you have out of town guests to dine rather than grabbing food on the run. I haven't dined on the patio but gather it's idillic on the perfect patio dining day. The food is perfect! read more

I am backkk... This is one of the "Must Eat" in LA. Made the reservation but didnt get patio per request. We ordered Hummos Cocktail, Lentil Kebbe (per recommendation by Vana), Mantee Traditional, Chicken Kebab. Food and service are great except today, the Chicken Kebab kinda dry (not juicy). Will definitely stop by again before leaving. Wanna try other stuff thats recommended by Vana. (Soujuk, Hot Feta, Lamb Chops). Or probably gonna try their other restaurant which serves American food, which is next door. read more

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I am kind of in shock by what I received from this place today. I ordered the traditional mantee and what I received look like dog crackers. When I called the restaurant I legitimately thought they forgot my order and gave me some free sweet dish instead. The woman said no that was the mantee and the sauce was on the side. I've eaten mantee for years and even without the sauce it should never be hard and burnt and look like dog crackers without the sauce. This was so beyond disappointing. The kofta kebab was okay but I was so turned off by off the mantee that I didn't even want to try anything else. Don't think I'd ever be able to return. read more

Mantee Cafe - Mantee without the sauce - Mediterranean Near Me - Studio City, California

One of the best Armenian restaurants I've been to. Their Mante is probably the best in the area. The portions are small, so you'll need to order a few for the table. Their kabobs (one with cherry, one with yogurt, one with tomato sauce) were very delicious. They're served with middle eastern rice. We kept ordering more as we couldn't get enough of them. We tried other appetizers too, and everything tasted really really good. PS: They have a weird parking area in the alleyway, and a back entrance. Make sure to use it and sit on their small but cozy back patio. read more

Service - amazing customer service and attentiveness including refilling water and breads (pita). Ambience - perfect back patio with a romantic setting Parking - free parking in back (very limited). Food - amazing hummos, dolma, mantee, soujuk, and chicken kebab was not dry at all like other places Definitely need to come here for their lunch specials. Simply amazed by this gem! read more

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This is definitely a hidden gem in Studio City. The food is phenomenal and always a great experience. Their back patio is also super cute.

Mantee Cafe is my favorite place to eat I love there mantee I enjoy every bite of it I love there different types of Mediterranean dishes reasonable prices and very affordable environment very relaxing very nice customer service friendly happy to assist you with your order once placing an order it doesn't take too long too serve you and it's made freshly after taste is very enjoyable thank you for all your hard work Mantee Cafe I'm always happy that you're exist keep up the great work see you soon!! read more

I've stopped there for a quick lunch with my buddy. Interior feels upscale, but the prices are not crazy pricey, even though there are way cheaper places in LA that serve comparable quality Mediterranean fare. I really liked unique silverware there. Re food, I had yogurt kabob, it was on the smaller side that I'd expect and had in many other Mediterranean places, but it was good. The bottom line is, it's a good place, probably good to have meetings there or some dinners with important people, but if I'd look just for good food for myself, I don't know if I'd to go Mantee or somewhere else. read more

Mantee Cafe - Yogurt kabob - Mediterranean Near Me - Studio City, California

My bf brought me here for V-day and the ambience was perfect for the occasion! It's such a romantic and intimate space. I prefer the outdoor seating area but the inside looks very cute as well. Unlike many restaurants for V-day, there was no pre-set menu which is good since some of those can be $$$$. We got the fatoush, which was very very salty. Since all the reviews for it are so good, I'm wondering if we just got a bad batch?! It was so so salty... We also got the hummus with which was delicious. We had plenty of complimentary pita bread and pita chips. We ordered the Mantee traditional which was my favorite dish this dinner. The portion size was sadly small but I guess understandable since it's just an appetizer. Lastly, we got the yogurt kabob which was good! We concluded that nothing beats Raffi's when it comes to kabobs but we still enjoyed it. All of this was filling for the two of us and we left full but not overstuffed. As for the service, unlike some of the reviews, the servers were very attentive to us. I was pleased with the service. I recommend Mantee for a romantic date night with your loved one :) read more

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One word, don't wast your time Came here with kids, ordered food at 8:00 9:05 still not food on the table, we got out a left Never had such an experience read more