Mantra (restaurant)
Restaurant in Massachusetts, United States
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Mantra was a French–Indian Fusion cuisine restaurant located in Temple Place of the Ladder District of Boston, Massachusetts designed by Monica Ponce de Leon and Nader Tehrani. It was cited as a factor in the transformation of the Ladder District into a more appealing part of the city of Boston.[1][2] The restaurant featured an avant-garde style design. The food served was compared to Nouvelle cuisine.[3] The restaurant also featured a hookah bar.[3] They began selling high-end Voss bottled water after opening in 2001. Voss was a new brand at that time and Mantra offered it in part to draw attention to their unusual selections.[4]
| Mantra | |
|---|---|
 Interactive map of Mantra | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 2001 |
| Food type | French–Indian Fusion cuisine |
| Location | Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Coordinates | 42°21′18″N 71°3′42″W |
The dining room was located in what was previously the lobby of a bank. The restaurant retained some aspects of the bank's decor with a high ceiling and a marble bar.[3] The restaurant's restrooms drew attention due to their unconventional design. The stalls used One-way mirrors as doors and the urinals were located in the center of the room and were filled with ice.[5]
Although it was initially slated to open in January 2001, Mantra did not open until June of that year.[3] It initially featured an Indian chef who had worked in French, Mediterranean and Indian style restaurants.[6] The owners of Mantra had previously owned several traditional style Indian restaurants in Boston.[7][8]
In April 2012, parent company One World Cuisine announced that it would be closing Mantra, along with the company's flagship restaurant Café of India in Harvard Square.[9] In July 2013, the property was sold at foreclosure auction for $1.7 million to Amir Youshaei, owner of Paz Jewelry.[10]