Title: A Sojourn of Flavours at Mantra Café, Cape Town

Written by: AB Pieters

As someone who relishes the peculiar blend of relaxation derived from picturesque landscapes and mouthwatering culinary arts, my visit to Mantra Café situated on 43 Victoria Road, Camps Bay, Cape Town was nothing short of a memorable sojourn. Akin to a shining beacon amidst the sandy bays, Mantra Café presents itself as an extraordinary retreat to the discerning palate and the weary traveller.

For those unfurling from jetlag at Cape Town International Airport, the drive straight to Camps Bay is strategically convenient and visually pleasing. The journey sparks a sense of tranquil enthusiasm as the azure view of the Atlantic flits by, culminating in a delightful aura enveloping Mantra Café.

Upon my first visit, I was greeted by an array of breakfast delights. I opted for the nutritious and tantalising Ancient Grain Granola and Yoghurt Fruit Bowl. This palette tantaliser featured the perfect blend of health and sweetness: buckwheat, rolled oats, cranberry, goji berry, pumpkin, and hemp seed honeyed granola with Greek yoghurt and fresh fruit. The skilful blend of fresh wholesome constituents were reminiscent of nature's myriad bounty.

The service at Mantra Café was exemplarily responsive. Our waiter, with her commendable hospitality, served our table flawlessly. She was consistently efficient, making sure we were adequately attended to without making her presence overwhelming. This theme of elite customer service was upheld throughout my visit, with the café’s manager, Yves, echoing this standard of excellence.

Yves, the manager, was a vibrant, eloquent, and attractive man who carried an air of gracious professionalism. His routine check-ins at our table communicated not intrusion, but genuine care, further echoing Mantra Café's commitment to superior.

Given the exceptional experience, there are several reasons why I, and any discerning patron, would recommend Mantra Café.

Firstly, the café’s prime location presents it as a convenient culinary destination for both local and international visitors. The easy accessibility paired with a stunning view of Camps Bay contributes to an encompassing, relaxed dining atmosphere.

Secondly, the assortment of health-conscious and tasty dishes offered cater to a variety of palate preferences. Mantra Café’s commitment to quality produce and inventive culinary techniques is clearly reflected in the enriched flavour of their menu. Offering a medley of cuisines, every dish mirrors creativity etched with distinct flavours and artistic presentation.

Lastly, the café’s focus on customer satisfaction, reflected through their attentive staff and management, resonates deeply. It invariably leads to a pleasant experience, strenthening the desire for a return visit .

In conclusion, Mantra Café presents itself as an integral gastronomic sanctuary within the vibrant city of Cape Town. Balancing elegant decor, exceptional service, diversity of palate, and a beautiful location, it embodies a holistic catering experience. Mantra Café is a testament to the ideation of a comprehensive dining sojourn, striking the perfect balance between comfort, enrichment and pure delight. A visit is certainly a must, for the café encapsulates nobel simplicity with gastronomic exploration, unequivocally leaving one in eager anticipation of the next...

Racism and rubbery mussels.

Half empty in the late afternoon, Mantra Cafe still seemed like a nice place for drinks and ocean views. Upon entering, I informed the hostess that we’d just be grabbing a couple drinks and an appetizer, and I asked her to seat us at one of the many empty tables near the windows. The hostess responded that all the empty tables were reserved for dinner service. Seeing that the reserved signs had times nearly 2 hours later, I clarified that we only planned to stay for a short time, but still she seated us in the very back. I pointed to a table near the window that did not have a reservation sign and hostess told me that we couldn’t sit there either because the restaurant’s greeter had recently requested “a table for four of his friends who were visiting” and promptly brought a reserved sign over to that empty table. (Spoiler Alert: The greeter later told me he had no idea why someone thought his friends would be visiting him during his shift.)

Shortly after our waiter took our drink order, I watched as two White women who - like us - said they did not have a reservation ask the hostess for seats by the window, and after only a moment of scanning the tables, the hostess seated them directly in front of the window, removing the “7:30 party of four” as she handed them menus.

Unfortunately, by that time we had already placed our order and the food was almost as bad as the overt racism. The mussels were rubbery and sour and the seared salmon was flavorless.

I asked the different hostess why the White couple had been seated by the window despite not having a reservation, and she said it was standard protocol and asked if we wanted to be moved closer to the window too, but at that point I was just trying to leave.

Please don’t support...

We booked this restaurant for our last dinner at Camp's Bay and Cape Town. We tried to have dinner the day before but was completely full. My first complaint is the desmeasure payment you have to make for book a table, I'm from Europe and this kind of amount only for a 3 people reservation is not common, even for the better restaurants. The food was really good and the ambience really cool, they have a really beautiful space. The service was ok but with too much waiting even for take the order (thing that it seems to be common in South Africa, so we got used to it). The biggest problem and complaint was when we received the bill, it was a little bit expensive beside other restaurants but we did expect that until we realised that we have the discount for the pre-payment did for the booking, but an EXTRA CHARGE for service of 12,5%. I think and I know that, the tip it is voluntary, depending on the service you receive and they tried to charge the service for a 6+ people table (Specified in the menu). In that moment I complained to the waiter and he suggest to talk to the manager, which I did. They finally took out this charge and let us to decided the tip amount. But the most sad point about this, is the fact that we being cheated, maybe because they thought that we are from abroad and we wouldn't complaint because we don't have the better of the english knowledge or maybe because they are used to do this, I am not sure. My finally tip amount, obviously was R0, we were very disappointed and sadly we had a...