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Mantra

3.3 (279 reviews)
ModerateIndian, Seafood
Open • 7:30 am - 11:30 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

Order Mantra Takeout or Delivery

Mantra Photos

MANTRA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating
Good for kids
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - Mantra

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Reviews With Photos

Butter chicken rice and bagara baingan in thr back
Marisa M.

So happy we stumbled on this place. We were in the mood for warm and comforting Indian food and we found it here! They have a couple of tables outside where we sat. We were brought water - water bottles to be exact (no charge!) right away. I got the butter chicken and my boyfriend got bagara baingan. We also got naan stuffed with potatoes. The bagara baingan is an eggplant dish with rich spices and it was so good. He really enjoyed it and I actually liked it more than the Butter Chicken. My butter chicken was a bit too spicy for me and some pieces of chicken where chewy. It didn't stop me from eating it though and still dipped plenty of rice in the sauce. They also brought us more rice when they saw it was low. Customer server is 120%. The owner/manager I believe served us and he was so kind. He also brought us out the chutney my boyfriend asked about and didn't charge us extra. The naan has such a good flavor and was crispy and had a thin perfect layer of potato filling. Will definitely come back and eat outside again or order food. Come and try!

I had the shrimp and noodles and they were yummy
Mildred O.

Me and my daughter went for the first time and we loved it and Aaron our sever was awesome and attentive .We will for sure be back

Chicken Tikka
Itatis B.

I was super hungry today and wanted to try something new in my area. I was excited to finally have some authentic Indian food, rather than my usual go to- Taste of India at Newport mall. I ordered the chicken tikka, and I was expected to be blown away by flavors as I usually am when I eat Indian food. (Also, I think it is important to mention that I have had a good enough variety of Indian foods growing up, as my mom's boss is Indian and would usually treat us to food.) I paid around $20 dollars which I did not mind... I came home thrilled to eat my food and my first bite was sooooo sad. Oily. Dry. Flavorless. (This sounds so dramatic but I need you to feel what I feel lol). This chicken is so under-seasoned, the cilantro sauce was alright, but the worst part about this is that half of my food was burnt. It seems as if the cooks were in a rush as closing hours were approaching when I came in. I waited for 20 minutes for some burnt chicken. No matter who your clientele is, or the hour of the day, you should give 100% into whatever you are cooking. After not eating all day I am high-key mad that I wasted 20 beans on this when I could have gotten some Taco Bell.

Saag Paneer
Michelle O.

Came here on a Saturday night and was able to get seated immediately. Service was friendly and quick. We ordered: Lamb rogan josh: tender pieces of lamb in a tangy curry sauce. I was told the chef cooks the lamb for 3-4 hours to achieve that level of tenderness. However, the curry sauce was a little too oily for me. $17 Saag paneer: my favorite out of everything we ordered. Smooth spinach in big chunks of paneer. $14 Chicken tikka masala: chicken breast marinated in a creamy and delicious tomato based sauce. I could drink the sauce by the cupful! $15 The food is quite pricey, especially compared to what you can get at journal square. However, they have a $40 Groupon deal (dine-in only, not valid for lunch buffet), which made the prices comparable to JSQ.

Sara B.

Delicious Indian food!! I'd normally just order regular samosas, but instead opted for an open faced samosa dish (blanking on the name right now) which had crumbled pieces of samosa topped with chickpeas, tomatoes and some sort of crunchy topping. So unique and definitely something that I'd order again. For our mains my fiance and I shared chicken bryani and chicken tikka masala. Tikka masala is always my favorite and this was no exception. The sauce was thick and creamy and there was a generous portion of chicken. The bryani was good but I wish there was a little more chicken and less rice. These dishes were similar so next time I'd probably order one of their seafood or veg dishes - the menu had a ton and they all sounded great. Fair prices, friendly service and BYOB so make sure to bring your favorite bottle of wine. The space is large and inviting with beautiful decor. When you walk in there is a large glass case with enclosed flames. Solid Indian food in Jersey City - I'll be back for sure!

Chicken Tikka Masala Garlic Naan Lamb Biryani

Everything we had was absolutely amazing! One of the best Indian place I've been to. Will visit again for sure! The garlic naan is to die for!

Cindy S.

SO MUCH POTENTIAL: So I order from mantra often via seamless. We love their food but lately there is a reoccurring thing that I hope Mantra fixes. We love their chicken tikka but for $17.00, I opened up our takeout container and i sifted our the chicken and counted nine (9) pieces of small cut pieces of chicken and majority of the rest was sauce. It's like they throw all that sauce in there only to cover how much chicken they threw into it. Mantra, If you're reading this, you have so much potential because the food is delicious but consider making sure the costumer gets what they paid for.

Garlic Naan
Waaza A.

Me and my husband were struggling to find a place at 9:30pm bcoz everything was closed and we just stumbled upon this place. We thought to try one last time and to our luck this place was our savior. They were also going to close by 10 but still they accommodated us and we were very thankful for that. The food was fresh and delicious and the staff was very friendly. Would definitely go back again.

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We love Mantra! It is the best Indian Restaurant in New Jersey and the service and ambiance are excellent. Highly recommend!!

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3 years ago

The food is now terrible. I'm not sure if the pandemic killed this place or what did it but the food is greasy, salty, and awful.

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7 years ago

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3 years ago

Food is ok not bad. Service could be a lot better. Feel like they take too long to give the food and don't really care for their clients

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Ask the Community - Mantra

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Bengal Tiger

Bengal Tiger

4.5(2.5k reviews)
4.5 mi•Midtown West
•$$

Great service and good …read more Love the poppadums are more UK style than usual US papads . I opted for Chicken Tikka Masala with plain naan and rice . Rice comes with the meal . Overall great entrees. Meat was great and sauce was perfectly spiced per my medium request . Service was prompt and overall definitely a go to place for a well priced Indian meal .

Cuisine: 6 Service: 5…read moreDecor: 7 Value: 4 Overall: 6 I tend not to trust ethic food Yelp reviews in touristy areas because they tend to be skewed by tourists, and not locals. However, sometimes you just take a chance and pray it lives up to the hype. Having a short period of time before our show at Radio City Music Hall, two of us shared a quick bite here after a few snacks on the nearby street fair. Just one order of Chicken Tikka Marsala, Garlic Naan, and a Mango Lassi. I'm actually not a big fan of Chicken Tikka Marsala because it's often too sweet and creamy for me. Though the chicken was overcooked, I did find this version quite differernt, in a good way. It had depth, and definitely a lot of heat, even on the medium level, the spiciness was very noticeable. My dining partner would have died without that Mango Lassi, which was yummy. Lmao On the other hand, the Garlic Naan was horrible. Instead of being a pillowy soft bread with some chew, it was stiff and cardboard-ish. This is one of the worst versions I had in NYC. Not sure how this major blunder can be overlooked. Naan is such an important part of Indian food culture, I can't believe they haven't realize that they need to fix this matter. Btw, service was efficient, almost too efficient that it felt rushed. One minute after we were seated, we were asked if ready to order. Again, we were asked literally one minute later. Then, just as we were finishing our meal, and while I'm still chewing my final bite of food, the bus boy cane to take our plates away. I was technically done, but would have like to have had a minute. Finally, without asking about desserts, another server came by with our check as if to say, "Please pay and make room for the next guests." I know we wanted a quick meal, but never thought we would be in and out of a situation down restaurant in less than 30 minutes. Hahaha Anyway, I live in Queens where we have same quality Indian restaurants at a much lower price point. Portions are bigger too. For me, this is an attempt at finding a gem that everyone seems to suggest. Unfortunately, it's hard for me to return to an Indian restaurant knowing they can't properly make naan.

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Kanyakumari

Kanyakumari

4.4(226 reviews)
2.8 mi•Union Square, Flatiron
•$$$

I absolutely loved Kanyakumari! It was spectacular! Lori wasn't as excited as I was, but she said…read moreit was "good". This is REAL Indian food. Here is what was NOT on the menu - Chicken Tikka Masala, Butter Chicken, Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Korma, Lamb Vindaloo, Rogan Josh, Chana Masala, Samosas, Garlic Naan, to name a few. The concept is "journey from Mumbai to Kanyakumari" - (central west coast to the southern tip of India). The diners were mostly Indian and Indian families with three generations represented at the table next to us. A two or three-year toddler in a highchair would scream when his grandfather fed him, and the grandfather would say, "Is that too spicy? I don't think it is too spicy." The food WAS spicy and I loved it. It was super delicious too with the beef and chicken melting in your mouth. Samrat Vada Pav - from Mumbai -- spicy potato filling inside bread, Bombay's favorite street snack. These were like samosa-buns. Excellent. Slow Cooked Black Gold Beef - from Malabar -- Madras onion, chilli. Melt in your mouth, sweet, savory, and spicy. Malvani Chicken - from Maharashtra -- coconut, black stone flower, triphala spice. The most tender chicken with addictive flavors. Guruprasad Dosa - Sambhar, chutney. Lori loved this one, but none of the sauces worked for her. I wanted to drink them straight out of the little bowls. Malabar Parotha - Flakey layered flatbread. Delicious by itself, but also great for dipping the in the chicken sauce.

Vibe: clean Service: standard…read moreReservation: recommended masala dosa 8.5/10 dosa was very crispy, could use more potato chicken curry: 7/10

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Cloves Indian Cuisine - Navratan Korma

Cloves Indian Cuisine

4.8(239 reviews)
3.3 mi•Flatiron

4.5 rounded up to 5. One of the better Indian spots. Good food and good service. We were able to…read morewalk in as a party of 2 on a Wednesday night around 6:30pm but we probably got the last table available. It was otherwise mostly full. We got the lamb vindaloo and paneer tikka masala with garlic naan and mango lassi and really enjoyed everything! They had more lamb and paneer pieces compared to most places, which was nice. And the lamb vindaloo wasn't as spicy compared to most places, which I appreciated. The owner stopped by every table multiple times to check on how everything was going. Overall, a good spot!

FOOD POISONING!!!!! STAY AWAY AT ALL COSTS FOR YOUR HEALTH!…read more mother and I ended up in the ER from eating the chicken byriani last night (10/02/26) from Cloves. I had a 103.5 fever, chills, sweats, vomiting and fainted at home and hit my head. My husband called the ambulance and I was admitted to the ER and kept for observation for 15 hours since they said my food poisoning was so intense and my fever was so high that I could have died! The nurse told me I was vomiting and urinating blood. Then I go to their sanitation record and they keep their kitchen dirty and their food below legal temperatures. Never going back and warning everyone about this place! Don't go! Don't put your life in your hands for a meal. My mother and I shared my food and she ended up getting violently ill at home. I should have known by the dirty plate that I asked the waiter to return and give me a clean one that it was a reflection of the cleanliness of the kitchen even though the sanitation dept gave this restaurant a undeserving A. Should be a C.

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Dhamaka - Paneer Methi

Dhamaka

4.1(848 reviews)
2.6 mi•Lower East Side
•$$$

Upscale Indian desi eats with no-nonsense taste…read more The Kale Pakora Chaat was a great start, along with the Ajwain Prawns and classic Shami Kebabs. The Mutton Dhungar (smoked) and Chicken Hari Mirch Kurma were outstanding gravies--perfect with hot chappatis. But the piece de résistance was the Goat Neck Biryani--deeply flavorful, with meat literally falling off the bone and proper, fragrant basmati rice. Absolutely fantastic. The place is nice and lively--busy and a little tight on space, but the service is fast and friendly. Reservations are a must. An absolute must-try when visiting NYC.

Dhamaka is a modern yet upscale Indian restaraunt tucked away in the back of Essex market on the…read moreLower East Side. Because of its location, it may appear unassuming and underrated, but the food is bold, spicy, flavorful, and packed full of rich cultural elegance. On my first visit, I was able to try a few different dishes, both veg and non-veg, as well as one of their signature cocktails. We ordered to start the Kale Pakora Chaat (fried kale, tamarind chutney, with a sweet yogurt) and it was perfectly crispy, flaky, and delicious. Next, for main dish we ordered the Paneer Methi (fried paneer in a fenugreek and tomato blend) and I honestly can never complain when it comes to any paneer dish and I have to say this one was absolutely no exception. The paneer was so soft and tasty with the sauce and other spices that I couldn't help but feel like I was eating a home cooked meal. Lastly, I ordered the Shami kebab because I wanted to try a non veg dish. This item consists of lamb, minced and blackened, paired with a green chili sauce with mint. I have to say this was a complete miss for me; the lamb was so dry and mealy I couldn't finish it at all, on top of that it had too many spices and was a bit salty in my opinion so I needed a lot of water. I would seriously consider altering this dish before keeping it on the menu in its current state or removing it completely. If you're thinking of ordering this, I wouldn't recommend it as I'm sure they have other protein dishes on their menu that are far better. I'm looking forward to trying some of the others the next time I go. Lastly for cocktails, we ordered the Monsoon wedding (Indian gin, lychee, curry leaf, and lime). I thought the cocktail was alright, it didn't stand out too much to me as it was a fairly decent lychee drink that had a slightly muted flavor. I've noticed that Indian restaraunts often struggle to make good cocktails because too often they rely on mixing things that shouldn't really be mixed and adding unnecessary ingredients. Overall though, the time spent there was worth it and I appreciate that it's relatively easier to get a reservation here than at some of the other Indian spots in New York currently. Based on my experience, Dhamaka should be considered highly rated on that list.

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GupShup - Old Delhi Butter Chicken (@joeynht)

GupShup

4.0(913 reviews)
3.0 mi•Gramercy, Union Square, Flatiron
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Okay this place deserves all the hype. It is actually that good…read more We tried a few dishes - I've been here twice so the food is over a course of 2 reservations so yes, it is a lot of food but you're welcome!! My favorites - The Dahi Sev Puri and Mutton Sukha is to die for. Butter Chicken Wings were worth it too. I've had better Butter Chicken so can maybe pass on that but get the damn Mutton Sukha. Beware, it is unapologetically spicy. It is meant to be so no modifications! Indian food is not for the weak over here! Wash all that down with some Cha and go to bed in your food coma. Go go go go go.

We made a reservation at GupShup after reading so many great reviews, so we came in with pretty…read morehigh expectations. Reservations are definitely recommended. The restaurant itself is beautiful. The interior is really well decorated, clean, and has a nice atmosphere. Our service was also great. Our server was very attentive throughout the meal, and we felt well taken care of. We ordered quite a few things: Paan Pe Raag, Braised Nihari, Butter Chicken Wings, Laal Ishq, Naan, S. Pellegrino Sparkling Water, Sada Bahar, Paneer Cheese Rolls, Steamed Basmati Rice, Mutton Sukka, and a Limca. For us, the Butter Chicken Wings were the best dish 5/5. The Paneer Cheese Rolls were also really good 5/5. Those were definitely the two dishes that stood out the most. The Braised Nihari was around 3/5. The meat itself was good, but there were so many spices that it was hard to really taste the flavor of the meat. The Laal Ishq was also about 3/5 for us. We like flavorful food, but we felt that the amount of spices in several dishes covered up the actual flavor of the ingredients. The Mutton Sukka was okay, but again, we felt it was pretty heavy on the spices. The Naan was good, especially the garlic naan, but nothing particularly memorable. The Steamed Basmati Rice was probably 2.5/5. It was just okay, and we felt it was overpriced for what it was. The drinks were actually one of the better parts. The Sada Bahar had a really good flavor, and we enjoyed the Limca and sparkling water as well. Our biggest issue with the food was that the spices seemed to overpower the actual flavor of the food. We don't mind spice or heavily seasoned food, but we would have preferred a little more balance so we could actually taste the meat and other ingredients. Sometimes it felt like we were tasting the spices more than the dish itself. We also got so full from the food that we didn't have any room for dessert. Overall, we can see why GupShup is popular. It's a beautiful restaurant, the service is excellent, and it has a fun, upscale atmosphere. We also know it's a popular spot with celebrities, which probably adds to some of the hype. For us, though, the food just didn't live up to all the positive reviews we had read. Nothing was terrible, and there were definitely a couple of dishes we really enjoyed, but overall we expected more from the food. Beautiful restaurant, great service, good drinks, but the food was just okay for us.

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Indian Accent - Amuse bouche

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4.3(842 reviews)
4.5 mi•Midtown West
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the $135 tasting menu after much consideration (and knowing my boyfriend was paying ). I knew I was…read moregoing to like this bc I love Indian food lol. However because Indian food has complex flavors in general, I feel like fancy chefs tasting version was less impressive than other cuisines (bc Indian food is already sho good lol). Still this was really delicious, like legit the best Indian food I've ever had for sure for sure. Some notes on food: - pumpkin & coconut shorba SOOOOO GOOD... i've had starter broths and consummes but this was probably my favorite, it was warm and hearty and flavorful. - jackfruit: decided to give this a try and it was most definitely worth the try.... not sure how tf they cooked this but it was so good - lobster tail: cooked to perfection but more importantly the sago and the sauce were very delicious. i told sam he could have most of da lobster but i just wanted more sauce - then when I was thinking i was pretty full they gave us these 4 dishes. the naan(??) was just ok a lil too doughy but holy the dal moradabadi was so good just on its own too - makhan malai: SO FAT AND HUGE AND JIGGLY LOL. at first the saffron & cardamom flavors were a little too sudden but it grew on me almost instantly and the texture is actually godly like so airy and soft and whipped as hell. I could've had another fat bowl of it but also it was comical how much they gave lol.

Very good food. Interesting Indian dishes and for the quality and quantity, the 3 courses is pretty…read morefair pricing and also definitely enough food for 2 people. The starters were the pumpkin soup and the blue cheese naan. The soup was very yummy and had a nice flavor. The blue cheese naan was very potent. For the starters we chose the tofu and the potato sphere. The tofu was crispy and had a really nice texture. Never had tofu like that before. The potato sphere was also super interesting. I wish it had a filling though. The middle dish we got was the yogurt kebab. The texture of the yogurt was very interesting. The sauce was pretty spicy but again another dish that was super interesting. For mains we got the lamb and the paneer. The paneer texture was good and the sauce was very yummy as well. The lamb was very tender and was very delicious. The roti it came with was also so soft and delicious. The green chutneys were my favorite. The chicken kulcha and black daals were also good. Personally loved the black daal and the garlic naan the most. I think these two dishes could have had more flavor. For dessert we had the black rice cake with the rice pudding. The black rice cake flavor wasn't my favorite. The rice pudding was great. They also surprised us with an extra birthday dessert which was the saffron foam dessert. I really liked this one and the flavor was super interesting. Service was great all night. The only thing throwing me off was the b health rating. If you're looking for an upscale Indian restaurant to celebrate something this one is great.

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Semma - Dosa

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4.1(665 reviews)
2.4 mi•West Village
•$$$

This South Indian place was absolutely amazing. We had a reservation scheduled for 90 minutes on a…read moreSaturday. My friend and I shared the dosa, which was one of the best dosas I ever had. I got the lobster tail and parotta and my friend got another dish. There was so much good lobster in there and I wish I could have taken it home but I was traveling here and was going somewhere else immediately after. The ambiance is great. There's a lot of light and great decorations. Because the reservation is 90 minutes, they may slightly rush you, so perhaps come with questions or knowing what you want. Overall, I highly recommend coming here with a reservation.

We visited NYC for the sole purpose of visiting Semma, as one of my best friends is South Indian…read moreand she was so intrigued by this Michelin star South Indian restaurant. Overall, a lovely experience! We accidentally missed the reservation opening due to a counting error, so we walked up at around 4:25pm (they were supposed to open at 5) and we were luckily able to snag bar seats for 4:45pm. We wandered around the area and returned at the reservation time and were seated promptly. Over all, the service was quick, efficient, and friendly. We really enjoyed our food - the goat biryani was my favorite - so flavorful and the meat was very tender. We also had the beef short rib small plate paired with the parotta (I LOVE parottas, so this was a perfect combo), the tiger prawns (good, but not something I'd go back for), and the lamb chops. The flavor of the lamb chops was excellent, but I found the meat to be tougher than I would like. I expected melt in your mouth tenderness, but definitely didn't get that. As far as the Michelin star goes, I'm not sure I had anything that I would say blew me away to that level. Per my South Indian friend, the flavors and dishes were very true to South Indian cooking, but there wasn't anything to set it apart from other fantastic restaurants that don't have a Michelin star. That's why I'm giving this restaurant 4 stars. Finally, these 4 dishes, plus the parotta, and 5 drinks (2 alcoholic beverages, 1 non alcoholic) cost a little over $300; truthfully, better than I expected for a high end restaurant in NYC! I'd say if you can get into Semma, it's worth trying, but I wouldn't go out of my way to come back, especially given that NYC has an endless amount of incredible food to offer.

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Semma - Nathai pirattal (@joeynht)

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Mantra - indpak - Updated October 2026

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