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Overall good experience. Service was excellent and consistent the whole way through. Outdoor seating is a must, ambiance is great. Was very satisfied with the cold appetizers, specifically the hummus and the tabbouleh salad. The kebab plate was a bit underwhelming. Rice with vermicelli was excellent, just personally prefer long-grain basmati rice for this style of entree. The kebab didn't hold together well, it would break apart easily when cutting into it, outside could've been grilled better, the meat inside though was cooked good and was seasoned well, would've expected a bit more flavor from it. Finished dinner off with baklava and espresso and was a great ending experience.
My spouse and I haven't been there for a very long time, and we were surprised to find that it still exists after so many years. That says a lot about a business nowadays. We decided to go there on a rainy Tuesday evening for dinner. Of course, as we expected,d it wasn't very busy. That is what we actually liked. When we walked into the restaurant, the first room was very modern and white, and not what we expected or remembered. A very friendly server. I think his name is Michael, and he showed us the next room, which also leads to the beautiful patio. That room was compared to the first room, nice and warm and cozy, and nobody else was sitting there. It was nicely decorated,d and we had the view out to the patio with their rope lights on. We liked it indeed. Michael, our server, whom I liked right away, because he was so polite and approachable,e but you could also tell he was professional, asked us what we would like to drink. After receiving our drinks and going through our menus, we ordered our dishes. Meanwhile, we received complimentary flat bread and chips, and mohammana. My spouse liked it very much. To me, it was a bit too foreign tasting. But it doesn't mean it was bad. My spouse ordered Mantee " traditional"; he always wanted to try it, and I ordered Shish Kebab. The Mantee, he let me taste it. I am sort of a picky eater, especially with foods that are foreign to me. I am more familiar with German, Austrian, and Italian foods. I would have liked it, but for my taste, there was too much of that sauce on it. But, as I said. I am not familiar with this dish. So, who am I to judge it? My spouse, on the other hand, who is familiar with Middle Eastern foods, wasn't too crazy about it. I found it okay. My dish, in comparison, was very good. The meat was cooked to perfection. I love that kind of rice. What I also appreciated was that the portion wasn't that typical exaggerated, like in most restaurants. It was a normal portion for a normal eating human being. Not someone who seems like they're close to starvation or is in need of a doggy bag. Or adding so much food on the plate to " impress" customers, but them complaining that their business doesn't make enough profit. That I do like about this place.
Beautiful restaurant with great indoor & patio seating. Everything was super clean. The service was very friendly and attentive. But the food? Absolutely delicious. Everything was hot, fresh, and super flavorful. We were impressed to say the least. We will definitely be back.
Had a lovely lunch of several appetizers most of which were perfect. I'd never had eggplant dolmas before and this one, bathed in yogurt, was delicious. The labneh was creamy and the okra was especially delicious. My only complaint was that the Armenian salad was overly vinegary and the cucumbers were too prevalent. Couldn't taste the tomatoes and the lettuce was shredded far too fine. Mint tea was lovely. Accommodating service and pleasant staff. Especially because we had our dog and we were allowed to sit in their covered section.
Nomnomnom my favorite spot for mantee. Not heavy and not garlicy, just perfect. I also love the red wine selection. I usually do the mantee, fattoush salad, hummus, and anything else that I crave. Service is also wonderful. The outside patio seating is super cozy and has heaters for cold days.
I was invited to have lunch at this intimate restaurant in Studio City the other day and was amazed by the cuisine. This small but cute establishment specializes in Armenian and Lebanese dishes. Everything was very flavorful and presentation was excellent. The staff were all friendly and attentive. This place is great for a date as well as a gathering of friends, the atmosphere is perfect for both. The only downside is the parking, there are only limited spaces in the back, so your best bet is to find street parking, a minor price to pay for the delicious food served. I truly enjoyed my meal at Mantee Cafe.
Whenever I go here I order two appetizers; the traditional mantee and the queen's delight. They don't look too big at first glance but they fill me up and I even take some home as leftovers! Sometimes the traditional mantee can be a bit harder than I prefer, like it has been cooked too long or on too high of heat, but it is still tasty. The queen's delight is also very good and the meat is tender and the cherry sauce is perfect accompaniment.
My parents love this restaurant. They have been regulars for years Seating is outside and it was a little chilly summer evening. The bread or cracker that they give when you arrive comes with an oil dip, not sure what is in it. I didn't care for either. I ordered a salad and was told what would come in it and there was just a taste that really made it something I didn't care for. Come to find out it was mint. That's a herb that should be disclosed as it's strong. I ordered chicken and hummus - it was good. Again, my parents love their food. I think that maybe Lebanese food may not be my thing. Now, it was busy and people seemed to be regulars. So again, if you like Lebanese food you may love this place Service was great
Mantee is truly a hidden gem! The front of the restaurant when we walked in was pretty empty, but we quickly realized you have to walk through it to get to the beautiful outdoor patio. The setting outside is just lovely. It's right next door to Gray Tavern, which also has an outdoor patio so the scene is very lively. There are lots of heaters, so you won't be cold on the patio. We ordered the Armenian salad, lentil pilaf, falafel, mantee veggie, sue berag, spicy potato, and kafta kebab plate for four people. When we sat down, you are immediately given a basket of pita and crisp thin bread with some sort of a sesame dipping sauce. The appetizers are pretty small plates, but the Armenian salad was absolutely delicious and plenty to share! Honestly, everything we ordered tasted incredible. I would DEFINITELY come back and know that anything you order here is going to be good. However my one issue is that we ended up having a 2.5 hour dinner because our food came out so slowly and the waitstaff wasn't super attentive. We had to continuously flag people down to order, get more water and the check at the end. Highly recommend this place if you are looking for a nice night out, just make sure you aren't in a rush. Though quite the leisurely dining experience, I think it's worth it!
Reviews are largely positive. People highlight the flavorful Mediterranean dishes, charming patio atmosphere, and friendly and attentive staff.
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6 years ago
SUPER SMALL PORTIONS - AND EXTRA LONG WAIT TIME!!! Super pissed at how small the portions were. Ordered a $14 mantee traditional and when we got it we were so confused! We've bought mantee dishes in multiple different Armenian restaurants and this has to be the tiniest SNACK SIZE that we've ever received!! Nail salons always tell me that my hands are small and yet the box was smaller than my hand!! Crazy!! Another issue was the Shish kebab / filet plate! It was $25 dollars and it mostly had two giant peppers and a super small portion of rice and meat! Sorry but who the heck wants two Giant peppers to take up half the plate???? Very much a Scam!!!! That's not even a real side!!! I asked for no tomatoes so they stuck two peppers?? Overall this felt like a total rip off. read more
4 years ago
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
|[ 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
2 years ago
5 years ago
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
4 years ago
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6 years ago
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
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
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
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
4 years ago
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
4 years ago
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
5 years ago
4 years ago
5 years ago
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
5 years ago
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
3 years ago
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4 years ago
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
3 years ago
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7 years ago
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
3 years ago
6 years ago
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
3 years ago
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
7 years ago
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
3 years ago
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
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
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
6 years ago
Business owner information
Sylvia G.
Dear Igal,…
More info about Mantee Cafe
10962 Ventura Blvd
Studio City, CA 91604
Studio City
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(818) 761-6565
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http://www.manteecafe.com/
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Ask the Community - Mantee Cafe
What is the corkage fee?
Hi I've been to this place over 10 years ago and want to come again. Miss the great food. Is the owner, the cute older man and his wife still around?
He may be alive but no he dosnt show his face at the restaurant
Is the mante served with broth?? I don't see broth mentioned anywhere.
Hi Jen, Yes it is served with broth. You are right it's not mentioned on the website. We will definitely added. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.
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