Review Mantra Cafe - Camps Bay

A lovely restaurant overlooking camps bay right on the oceanfront. The server - Mignon - was courteous and very knowledgeable. He was able to make recommendations that I enjoyed. The service, while there were a few other diners, was efficient. The food is superb. Did I mention that the restaurant has breathtaking views of the ocean.

Stunning restaurant with a gorgeous view. Loved my choice of mussels for lunch and my hubby equally enjoyed the burger. Service was great. Music at the right level so we could have a lovely chat and enjoy the vibe. Really loved our lunch spent here.

Fantastic restaurant on Camp Bay. Great food, luxurious service and amazing turquoise sea view of the bay. Recommend pairing wine was wonderful too.

Amazing restaurant in Camps Bay, ambience super great and fire views. Deposit needed to book( I however think the exclusivity might be overly dramatized) with the strict payment as part of the booking. The deposit goes to the bill, but still, just have a more efficient booking system maybe? The food options are great, not too expansive though, the service is amazing and place very welcoming with plants and a zen vibe to it. They also sell candles and an assortment of other trinkets. Would go back again when in Cape Town.

Excellent food & atmosphere! If you want a prime table for the sunset be sure and make reservations. Prices are higher for the perfect views.

Food was good had a bit of a wait for it. Was accommodated without a reservation which is always nice. View is amazing especially overlooking the sea. The sun feels good on the skin. Love the ambiance, so many plants it gives it a unique vibe. Good idea for date day/night. We had an amazing server.

My partner and I had lunch there today… cocktails- amazing Food- amazing Service- maybe a but slow because it was really busy… Location- Sea facing, full sea view when you are sitting outside. A must try when you are around town.

Edit: Visited again and the food and service was exceptional. The Mushroom Masala fillet was Devine. So was the salmon. The food was so good, visually and tasted amazing. The service was good and the views were the best!

This is my favourite place on Camps Bay to sit and watch the day go by. They serve great breakfasts and I love the seafood pasta for lunch. A lovely view of Camps Bay from the first floor and if it's a nice day you can sit on the veranda.

The food and atmosphere were great. We were seated and not attended to for more than 15 min until we asked to be attended to. However, the food was spectacular.

It was great! Staff were great, food prep a bit slower being so busy but was delicious. Had a great brunch with Mimosa’s and did some lovely shopping on our way out - so happy with our Hello products! The view is great, we were cosy with a heater and the rainbow reflecting through was great. Will go back.

We LOVE Mantra cafe! One of my local friends invited me here when I first got to Cape Town and I fell in love. The vibe, the view, the food, and the drinks are all incredible. You cannot go wrong. The Malva pudding is to die for 🤤 the service is also great, lots of friendly faces and they try to accommodate you even if you don’t have a reservation.

Visited Mantra Cafe twice last week and it was just fabulous. A gorgeous setting with delicious coffee and breakfast. A brilliant place to have brunch when visiting Camps Bay❤️

Great experience. Food was excellent, ambience was great. Service was impeccable!

Cool little resultant and great location. The pizza looked great, tasted great and was gluten free - this was a big bonus. Burger was ok, the only reason that I’m giving it four stars is that the food took a little long to get to the table. Isn’t the worst criticism as the food was prepared and presented wonderfully well!! Went back for breakfast which again was great. Odd as they do not have bay baby chairs… management said they don’t normally cater for kids under 12. Something to bear in mind.

I always make sure to visit Mantra Cafe when I’m in Cape Town, located in Camps Bay on the restaurant strip. Most beautiful leafy restaurant you can find in Cape Town - we had a seat on the deck during sunset hour and it was absolutely stunning - it overlooks the ocean with Table Mountain in the back. The food is always super tasty, Efficient and friendly service from management right down to the waiters. The vibe is phenomenal. A “must-visit” for when in and around Cape Town

Fantastic evening, we had the seafood platter that was amazing so fresh and brilliantly cooked. Our son had the Ostrich steak which he loved followed by two fantastical cooked malva desserts. Service was really good, very friendly and knowledgeable about their menu was refreshing to see staff that cared about service. Would highly recommend if you are in the area. Thanks for a great evening.

We visited this place twice. The first visit was perfect. The view was breathtaking, staff were friendly, we had Mocha, Chai Latte and beef burger. All were good except the Chai latte, it has lots of cinnamon. Our second visit was for breakfast, we were 15 persons. The manager/owner was nice and agreed to combine the three most wanted tables for us. The order took approximately 45 minutes which was a lot! But all the orders were served hot and fresh. They managed to please all of us. However, we didn’t like the attitude of one of the staff. The lady didn’t want to combine the tables and was clearly mad even when the manager told her to do so. She could’ve treated us better. The atmosphere is very nice and neat, lots of greens and big class windows. Overall, its highly recommended in terms of sitting place & atmosphere, very good in terms of food & drinks (except for limited food items). Prices are high compared to other breakfast restaurants in Cape Town.

This is a great restaurant if want to enjoy the views or catch the sunset in Camps Bay. I had some pizza and champagne, their pizza was absolutely delicious with a nice thin base. Our waiter was also very friendly.

Great service, food was delicious and couldn't have asked for a better table right ny the window to experience the beautiful views as the son was setting. Definitely coming back.

A friend recommended it and it's a great place to be, good food, great ocean view and obviously friendly staff. Would recommend it as well and surely gonna go back.❤

After a rather tiring day of sightseeing, I came to Camps Bay especially to Mantra Cafe for a spot of dinner.  <br/><br/>Let's start off with the service, the service when available, was good.  But unfortunately it was sproadic.  And also they still serve plastic straws (tsk tsk) hence if I had this review a 4 instead of the 5.  If it was the food alone, it would have been a perfect 5.<br/><br/>I chose to have a starter of tuna ceviche which was very quickly brought out.  It was a really good starter.  The marinade was spectacular, together with the raw tuna, avocado and peppers was a taste sensation.<br/><br/>For mains, I had the seafood pasta.  Now, I'm not usually a cream based pasta person but this seafood pasta is in one word - WOW.  Food came out hot (thankfully) and nice presented.<br/><br/>The were 6 large mussels and a few smaller ones.  It also had a boat load of fish (hake I think).  Please allow me to wax lyrical about the fish that accompanied this dish.  It was bite size pieces of the most juices and tender soft morsels which I think had been deep-fried before (or flash fried probably) as the skin had a smoky taste which indicated it to be so.  But nevertheless after being mixed into the dish, it was melt in the mouth soft.<br/><br/>The food was cosmically good but unfortunately, in my opinion over all let down by the slightly degraded service.<br/><br/>Still the restaurant was very busy (though not full) and very nicely decorated.  I sat on the deck with a view of the already dark Camps Bay Beach.  I reckon in the summer months when the sun sets much later, it would have been a instagram-worth view.

My partner and I went for our anniversary brekkie here and my oh my did they blow our expectations away..The food was delicious- we had traditional breakfasts and hot chocolates <br/>The service was excellent- they are all so friendly and on the ball which is great!<br/>And last but not least the view..  you overlook onto the ocean's tides<br/>Thank you for such a great experience<br/><br/>Looking forward to going back !

I love coming here as often as I can for their ice coffees and summer berry pavlova, it's to die for I can't get enough of it. Every time I want to try something else on the menu my taste buds won't let me.

Food is really a 3, but giving this place a bonus point for the amazing service and fabulous views. <br/><br/>Scorching hot day in Jan and all I wanted to do was pretend I was still on vacation, wine glass in hand...while watching tourists on the Camps Bay strip. This place was perfect for that! <br/><br/>Had their goats cheese, caramelized red onion and walnut pesto pizza. It was ok.. nothing amazing. I actually thought the pizza bread served complimentary was far better. <br/><br/>I’d return here solely for drinks.

Our favourite restaurant in Camps Bay by far. A beautiful setting, great service and really good food. Our son is ‘hooked’ on their Hawaiian pizza. One of the few family friendly outlets along the party like Camps Bay beach front.

Could do with more vegetarian options- there were only one. The staff are super friendly and the restaurant is beautifully located though. Would probably visit again

If you're looking for a cute spot to watch the sunset Melissa's got that. Such an amazing place and great dessert. Thats the bomb.com. Great service

A friend and I went to get desert here. I had a Malva Pudding with Amarula Ice Cream. The Malva was great but the Ice Creamy was rather icy and I could hardly taste the Amarula flavor. The ice cream was too little for the size of the Malva the give with it.<br/><br/>My friend ordered a Mojito which was just a disaster but the bar tender was really helpful and fixed it right away. <br/><br/>It has a family vibe and a great view and it’s warm when it starts to get chilly later in the day. <br/>

What an incredible location, a place where Brigitte Bardot would most certainly be found if it existed 50 years ago. Tasty and well made breakfasts but unfortunately not great value for money. The service and interior decor should be upgraded to match the price and the spot. I was eventually asked to leave, so don’t come here to relax, read or work for more than an hour.

Breakfast at Melissa’s camps bay is great - what amazing views and perfect location to enjoy a breakfast in the morning! Just be sure to get there early since the breakfast menu closes relatively early and double check your omelette for fillings since you will be paying for them irrespective of whether they included or not (as experienced a few times there) - the restaurant is also dog friendly. ❤️

Pretty view, trendy music, quick and friendly service, lovely watermelon cooler and mojito. Was a great stop for a quick sundowner after a visit to Table Mountain.

Had a proper 3 course meal at Mantra this afternoon and in most departments, the place did deliver. Some real highlights included the Prawns (main) which looked INCREDIBLE alongside some roast veggies; looked like they had hit the sauce nail on the head. I had the Linefish and although it wasn't a world beater; it wasn't shy of a top quality piece of fish. The starters were nice; decent portion size and lovely finishes. <br/><br/>The problems at Mantra though start in the dessert corner; my friend ordered the Lemon Tart which looked VERY frozen, it took a decent couple of spoon whacks to dismantle the first piece and the rest of the tart did take some effort. My Chocolate Mousse was also quite rock solid and I guess had lost its dark chocolate finishes in this cycle of freezing and defreezing; the cream placed on top of the Mousse also tasted lemony which was strange because there was no mention of any lemon cream of sorts on the menu. For a place that is quite a major bakery from a reputation sense, there were some glaring misses down the dessert front. <br/><br/>Overall, top effort guys!

Went to Mantra for mimosas and brunch. It’s has a lovely view but nothing more than the original Melissa’s menu to rave about. Enjoy my meal and the service was pleasant

Great quality food, good view. The menu is quite wholesome and there is something for everyone.<br/><br/>Only thing I could fault is the lack of communication between the waiters and customers. They shouldn’t be letting you order something when a key ingredient from a meal is out of stock without giving a customer the choice to pick an alternative option.

Worst breakfast we've ever had. The only good thing about this place is the view. Other than that, horrible omlettes, it's like the first time they make omlettes with vegetables. They put whole tomatoes and onions inside the omlette flap. The hashbrowns don't look or taste like hashbrowns. We truly regret the money we spent here.

When we last visited Melissa's Mantra Cafe, it wasn't to have a meal but rather for sundowners in a restaurant that provided protection from the winds sometimes prevalent in camps Bay 💨<br/><br/>It is upstairs from (The 41), and is easy to miss if you aren't aware of it 🕵🏾 so keep your eyes open...<br/><br/>Once found, you ascend the stairs to find an unpretentious and beautiful nautical setting with ample natural light from its huge glazed windows ☀️☀️☀️<br/><br/>The staff are super friendly, and helpful... not sure how busy it can get. We virtually had the space to ourselves and loved it 😁😂 Melissa's to locals is a comfortable and familiar space, found all over the country from the Cape to the lights of Johannesburg 🌆<br/><br/>We digress... Stick around longer and you can indulge your senses in African sunsets over the Atlantic Ocean 🌅 we had some cocktails infused with bubbly🥂 they were cool and refreshing! <br/><br/>GREAT FOR SUNSET VIEWINGS! 📱📸 get those cameras ready! <br/><br/>*TIP: it really is easy to miss, rather look for the 41 Restaurant, and ask someone there to direct you to Melissa's 💛<br/>

I'm inclined to give them 5 just for that view. Great breakfast spot, friendly staff and great quality as you can expect from Melissa's. We'll be back for more mimosas for sure!

Definitely the best breakfast on the Camps Bay Strip, in terms of both food and views. The prices are reasonable and the staff are friendly.

The view is probably the best in Cape Town! But I have had one or two bad experiences at this remarkable place. The strawberry daiquiris are out of this world but recently I am unsure if they changed the recipe but it no longer tastes the same as it did earlier. There is a limit to your palate at this establishment with the menu being very set. I have had some good and some not so good experiences with this.

Nothing sort of love for this place :) Setting, tick. Friendly service, tick. Cocktails, tick. Food, tick. And specials, tick!<br/>The cocktails are really fantastic, the cities martini and grapefruit mimosa my fave. Their pizzas are gourmet and tasty, I've tried the goats cheese and caramelised onion one, as well as the chicken, both equally tasty!<br/>The view is one of the best, so stop for a sunset dinner or a morning sunlight brekkie :)

Had the best experience at Mantra. We did not eat but the drinks were great and the food looked amazing. Service was great especially for such a big crowd, although there was a slight mix up with the bill the staff were helpful to sort out the mistake. Will be back again soon hopefully.

We had the MOST delicious early dinner at Mantra this past weekend, I had the Aubergine Parmigiana washed down with their homemade lemonade which was divine and everyone else thoroughly enjoyed their meals too. The service was as friendly as you can get and the decor and location are hard to beat. Can't wait to be back to try their breakfast menu sometime. 👌🏻

This must be one of the greatest sit down views on the strip, service was good, the melanzane was a decent portion and looked better than it tasted, needed some more substance, the chicken was tender but I do not like a mass of herbs all over powering with Rosemary, once the skin with the herbs was removed it was pretty tasteless, the ceaser salad was OK

Food was traditionally Melissa's, wholesome and well presented. Had the Cajun pizza, with roasted peppers and feta. Great combination. Weren't very impressed by the hot drinks. Will skip the iced tea with apple next time. Great spot on the Camp's Bay strip, ideal for sun downers.

Walking up the beautifully tiled stairway up towards the traditional Melissa's shop had me thinking that it would be no different to the other branches around town. But Mantra Camps Bay blew me away. It was simple and classy but with that great Melissa's flare. Despite the horrendously slow service which brought the review down by 1 point, the food was great and the drinks were well priced. I ate the Cajun Chicken Salad which was divine. Will definitely return for that view and that salad! <br/>

I went here with a few friends for the half price cocktail special. The cocktail were great and the sunset view was just perfect from up there. <br/>We also ordered pizza. The pizza was good (a bit expensice though) , but nothing spectacular.

Melissa's Mantra Café has a very beautiful ambience and setting, their Mantra salad is so great, and their hot chocolate is even tastier. <br/><br/>However, the burger that I ordered was not up to my standards nor the Mantra standards. The bun was very hard, and the patty was extremely chewy and tough. I did enjoy this meal. I made the manager and waiter aware of the and they were extremely helpful and kind! So I appreciate that! <br/><br/>Thank you for everything!

Stunning views, friendly staff, nice atmosphere and most of all good food! Had the prawns which was a decent portion and tasty. Followed by a pavlova with berries which was divine! Would definitely recommend it!

Beautiful place with a beautiful view!<br/><br/>Friendly staff. The breakfast was really good and the bubbly even better!<br/><br/>Enjoyed the little shop/market afterwards! Thank you!

Best location on the Camps Bay beachfront, with incredible views. Had breakfast here, and ordered the hashbrown and salmon dish. Unfortunately there was a piece of plastic in my food, which thankfully I only discovered towards the end of my meal else I would have left hungry... as the dish was so delicious, but this was super unfortunate. The waitress was amazing and apologetic and they gave me a drink on the house. But probably won't go back due to this.

Incredible views and decor. But unfortunately the service and food doesn't live up to expectations. The food is not bad but very overpriced and the portions are small. I would recommend going for a drink for the views.

Decided to go for sundowners and bumped into this lovely place. Really enjoyed everything about it and obviously to top it all off, there are lovely views of the promenade and the ocean which sets a lovely backdrop. Definitely going back to try out some of their food.

I mean... WOW. Everything is so lovely! We've passed by this place one day on the bus and never left our minds. It is a must-go place. Not only because of the sympathy of the employees, but also about the amazing food and the super cute store inside. We ordered one Greek salad for starter and 3 mantra burguers as our main course. I've eaten a lot of burguers in my life but this was, by far, the best! The beer (castle lite) is always good, so I'd recommend the mango smoothie.I miss this place so much!

What a fabulous location and the view is to die for..went to grab a drink and light snack while I caught up on emails..tried the duchess non alcoholic gin and tonic and it was different a nice tasting different I enjoyed it..we also had the basic pizza with garlic olive oil and roasted red onion boy was it good..I will be back

Great view, good food, and if you get the wonderful waitress Thandi then you are really in for a treat! She was super! Would highly recommend this restaurant.

The view from this place was oh so beautiful. Our waiter was really nice, but managed to get our orders wrong a few times and didn't seem clued up with the menu. The food was really good so I would definitely go back for the food.

BEAUTIFUL spot overlooking the beach. It's become my favourite spot to take friends and family to for a light sunset dinner in Cape Town! Definitely add this spot on for a sunset pizza date night. Doesn't break the bank, food is simple, yet really well done, and the service is honestly the best service I've received in Cape Town. Hopefully it'll stay this way as the restaurant ages!

Melissa's have done such a wonderful job with this new spot! Such a great space with the most gorgeous view that they take full advantage of. Divine for breakfast, lunch or dinner. <br/><br/>I came for breakfast with a friend one Saturday morning and we had a lovely time. We both had cappuccinos (delicious) and she had a mimosa which was also so great (amazing for a boozy brunch!). I had the avo on toast with poached eggs and she had the full English with scrambled eggs. Food was all great, no complaints except I though my breakfast was too much toast for too little avo, so that ratio needs to be worked on. <br/><br/>Service was super friendly and efficient. Can't wait to go back!<br/><br/>UPDATE: Came for a family dinner one evening, and was treated to the most gorgeous sunset! We had a greek salad to start, and the rest of the table had burgers while I had the aubergine parmagiana. The burgers were great, served with nice chips, and my aubergine dish was delicious. Service was excellent again. The only thing I can criticise is that the food seems pretty pricey for what you get - R115 for a burger, and R225 for ribs?? Tourist prices maybe... Worth it for a special occasion though.

First time today ... a woeful experience for breakfast ... took over 90 minutes to receive our order ... management apologizing saying kitchen could not cope / at least 4 other tables complaining ... a need to raise your game in terms of service experience as customers will vote with their feet ! With restaurant being open for a while there is no excuse for this shocking customer experience ... it will take a lot to make me visit again ....

This is a FIND!! I will admit that the view from the street didn't excite me much, but heading upstairs and into Mantra was something special! Exceptional views of Camps Bay Beach and the ideal location to watch the sun go down. The staff and management were incredibly welcoming and the food and cocktails were made with love and fresh ingredients...it's event a step up from the high standards that Mellissa's is synonymous for. The pricing is also very reasonable for the strip. I will be back soon!

Really great new spot with a gorgeous, uninterrupted view of camps bay beach front! Love the open plan space and decor. The pizza and fresh apple juice I had was yummy and the service really friendly and attentive. I love the cocktails they have on offer and can't wait to try out this place at night for dinner and drinks and a thrumming camps bay night vibe!

Stunning restaurant with the most gorgeous view. I had the yummiest Pimms cocktail and a pizza which was divine as well. The service was a bit slow but the view and drinks make the slow service easy to forgive. Perfect Sundowner spot if you're in Camps Bay.

Beautiful place to enjoy sundowners and a meal. As well-established fans of Melissa's, we love this new extension of the franchise. I had a great meal of Cajun prawns to follow my gin and tonic as the sun set over the ocean, the setting alone being worth the price. The only complaint from our family table, was a slightly "over-bitter" beer batter on the hake. Despite this, we will definitely return.