Spice Mantra, Almaty — Restaurant in Almaty

A Mixed Dining Experience Today, May 31, 2025, I visited your restaurant and had a truly enjoyable meal. The food was delicious, and the serving staff were excellent, providing attentive and friendly service. However, my experience was significantly dampened when it came time to pay. There was a network issue with the payment machine, so I approached the cash counter, hoping it would be in a better network area. The woman at the cash counter immediately and rudely declared there was a problem with my card, without even attempting to check the machine or the connection. She then curtly demanded cash. This kind of behavior is completely unacceptable in the hospitality industry. While the food and service staff are clearly top-notch, the attitude of the individual at the cash counter suggests she believes she's doing customers a favor by serving them. This creates a very negative impression. If this woman is the owner of the restaurant, I strongly urge you to reconsider your approach to customer service. Such an attitude will quickly drive away customers and could lead to the downfall of your business. If she is an employee, I implore the owner to address this issue promptly. Her demeanor is actively damaging the restaurant's reputation and undermining the excellent work of the rest of your team. Removing her would be a crucial step in preserving your restaurant's good name and positive...

Went as a solo-diner. No reservation but was willing to wait. However, the person seated near the manager said she doesn't speak English and dint bother with me after. Waited for 30+ mins whilst she and the manager were sorting the bills for the day.

The manager noticed i had been waiting for sometime and pointed to a table. Waiting continued for another 10-15 mins for the table to be cleaned and then some, before the menu arrived.

Some items weren't available it was already 9pm. Chicken tikka was dry and the rice flavouring could be improved.

During my 1.5 hours at the restaurant, I observed a few tables. Family of 6 was seated next to my table. They waited 15 mins for the menu and were frustrated. One of them got up and went to the front desk to get the menus themselves. Ordering was an interesting little dance between the staff and the family.

To sum up, if you are really craving some Indian food and not worried about a little messy restaurant with moody staff, dirty utensils/floor, slow service and have couple hours to kill.. this is the place.

PS: Waited a couple days to see if I would see this in a different light but just a bad...

Utterly disappointing, horrible staff, the worst customer service.

This was by far the worst dining experience I’ve ever had—not just at an Indian restaurant, but any restaurant. Spice Mantra in Almaty should be avoided at all costs.

The waitress was shockingly unprofessional from the moment we walked in. She made faces at customers, refused to bring water when asked multiple times, and clearly had no interest in getting the orders right. Her attitude was rude, dismissive, and downright disrespectful—not just to us, but to other tables around us as well. It felt like we were bothering her by simply existing in the restaurant.

Food aside (which wasn’t anything special), the level of customer service—or lack thereof—was enough to completely ruin the experience. Hospitality seems to be a foreign concept here.

Avoid this place unless you enjoy being treated with utter contempt. Zero stars, if I could give that.

Hospitality business runs on the level of empathy you treat customers with and spice mantra for sure failed to deliver....