Review Mano's - Cape Town Central

Well established restaurant with a warm atmosphere in the heart of Greenpoint. Good authentic, great tasting food with attentive service. Outside seating available, also bar seating.

Great food. Always served piping hot! Superb service by the team. Always relaxed and A favourite restaurant of ours due to the service, choice of food / quality and good portion sizes.

This restaurant is a first choice when coming to Cape Town. For the last 7 years we’ve had excellent service and mouth watering food each and every time. Waiters are professional and the manager also jumps in when the place is pumping to ensure it remains a 5 star restaurant. Would recommend hands down to anyone visiting Cape Town, it is worth driving 30+ minutes for the top class experience.

Jade and Bella were superb hosts to a truly incredible dining experience. This place is always busy and rightly so. The class and proactivity of the Manager is part of the reason why this venue cannot be missed! Needless to say the food was delicious!

The food was delicious and good service.

A very popular restaurant in Greenpoint. It is a trendy place and the food is world class. I love the baby chicken. We tried the creme brûlée and also was 10/10.

Amazing service and atmosphere. The place was very crowded so reservation is recommended. The menu is simple but every order was on point. My fav was chicken preggo roll. Even the side dishes are very good

Wow! Honestly I’ve been coming to Mano’s for years and I love the food! In my opinion the best food in Capetown! Brings me to my roots from the food I grew up with! My favourite dish has to be the prego! Literally every time it blows my mind! The best prego in Capetown! Authentic! I recommend this spot till the day I pass on!! - Flávio

Our hotel was very close so we thought we'd give Mano's a try for a bit of lunch, and were very happy we did. The food, drink and the service was A1. Kelly the owner even put herself out of her way to come and welcome us and had a little chat, lovely friendly lady for sure. We thought it was that good we went back the following night. As we turned up, Kerry welcomed us again and also remembered my girlfriend's name and mine, which we both thought was amazing. Over the 2 meals which included amazing salads, piri piri chicken livers, tempura prawns, lamb chops, bbq chicken kebabs, spaghetti bolognese, black tiger prawns and lovely hot chilli sauce. All the food we ate was absolutely awesome and would definitely visit again when back in town. The 2nd time we visited, the restaurant became very full, very quickly, so I'd highly recommend booking a table, we saw multiple groups being sent away. Brilliant food and great hospitality puts Mano's very high up on my Cape Town restaurant list, maybe top!

What a great experience. The service was friendly and relaxed. The pasta salmone was one of the best I had, amazing - as your pasta cools down the salmon sauce thickens slightly with help of the shaven Parmesan. A good wine companion for me for this dish was the Paul Clover Sauvignon Blanc. Love the good and energy.

Come on, just have a look at the pictures ... Mano's is exceptional! Best crayfish tails I have had. Everything we tasted was exceptional, calamari, ribs just everything! Food made with real soul & expertise. The Greek salad is very authentic, it comes to the table neatly presented altough it's best served all mixed together!

Thank you very much for the unfortunately too short time that we were able to spend with you as owners, it was very nice to get together with you and your cuisine is incredibly delicious, we wish you all the best and see you soon. Kind regards Annette and Matthias

Can't beat Mano's. Literally one of Cape Towns very best. Next level seafood!

Fantastic place. Great food, good service and a nice atmosphere.

Wonderful service great atmosphere, super food all served together and warm as it should be ... A highly recommend restaurant!

Good food, good service and good vibe. Made our birthday celebration even more enjoyable.

Consistently good food. A small menu, but every dish is a classic. Will not disappoint. Service is attentive but not overbearing. Pricing is fair.

Mano is the perfect host and the food is excellent. I had the deboned chicken drizzled with olive oil and chilli and I've never had chicken that tender and tasted that good. Mandy our waitress was attentive and always at hand when we needed anything more to eat or drink. Highly recommend for a great and festive atmosphere with the best food. Dave Gauteng

Best view ever to have a great meal watching passersby. Prawns to die for, Portuguese Steak Roll - best ever ever. Excellent wine list. Plush dining with a touch of informality that I love. Waitrons super on the ball! 6 stars!!!!

The Caesar salad is to die for. Friendly and helpful staff. Special mention to Fran and Mandy. I would definitely recommend this place.

The food is good, the wine is even better.... the staff brilliant. They are sooo attentive that the dining experience is superb. I will remember the meal for a long time. Thanks for a great evening.

One of my favorite restaurants. Apart from the food always being excellent. The staff are exceptional. Would highly recommend to everyone.

Cape Town’s most consistently excellent restaurant. Great vibe and ambiance. Top service. I wouldn’t change a thing on what is offered on the menu.

Best food iv ever had, best mangers, incredible evening yet again.

Love love love this place!! ❤️❤️ Best steak frites ever outshines the Butchers Grill by miles! Consistently Delicious simple fresh food. Fabulous friendly owners and staff.

Wonderful food that never disappoints, waiters very helpful

Excellent food and service always ! My best eatery by far !!!

Has to be the best Italian restaurant in Cape Town.

Tout est bon et copieux ! avec une tres bonne ambiance . �

The place you wanna be. Just perfect.

Very busy on a Saturday night. Good service. Good food.

El penne con hígado de pollo espectacular. La mejor pasta que he probado

Wauw...perfect chicken. Go Go GO!!!

DODGY MANOS CHICKEN<br/> <br/>Last night my wife and I went down the road to Mano’s in Greenpoint for dinner. As this is a local eatery, we have eaten there on numerous occasions and have enjoyed it. We have taken friends and family there and I have recommended it to all my national (local out of town) and foreign clients.<br/> <br/>As almost regular customers, we knew what we wanted. I ordered the baby chicken as I always do. Being super hungry and to my delight the meal arrived faster than usual; cutting into the chicken my wife pointed out immediately that the chicken looked undercooked and completely raw in areas. My first reaction was to give Mano’s the benefit of the doubt as we would never have expected this kitchen to serve us raw chicken.<br/> <br/>Against my better judgment and the observation of my wife, I continued to eat the meal served. Then horror of horrors, I noticed it was completely raw, this being verified by the red blood juices on my plate and that the bones and knuckles started to reveal themselves as being truly undercooked and raw. At this point I was confronted with the smell of raw chicken. <br/> <br/>We are sure you can understand that this smell would immediately turn many if not all off their dinner. We sent the raw chicken back to the kitchen, two minutes later the kitchen had verified and admitted to serving us raw chicken. Not so much as an apology was received from the kitchen and the duty manager was nowhere to be seen. <br/> <br/>I cancelled the order as I had now completely lost my appetite. I was feeling rather queasy at the thought of having eaten raw chicken and the horror stories of salmonella poisoning which is associated with raw chicken.<br/> <br/>This however is not the complaint. It was not being served raw or truly undercooked chicken but rather with the manner in which my dispute was handled my management aka the owner of the Mano’s.<br/> <br/>Our waitress apologised, yet management approached every other table in the restaurant to check on their meals, but did not have the decency or courtesy to approach us. We asked him for our bill hoping that he, as the duty manager, would bring it to the table and potentially explain what had gone wrong. Instead he sent the waitress over. To the waitresses credit, she had voided the chicken on the bill. <br/> <br/>After paying our bill I felt we deserved an explanation especially as we are loyal patrons. I approached him as we were heading out to discuss our very disappointing evening. To my absolute horror I was told explicitly that he “did not know me” and that he prefers his chicken undercooked so therefore so should I. The way we were treated made us feel like sub-standard customers if not inferior humans that did have the right to get what they ordered in the first place.<br/> <br/>The basic business tenant is that the customer is always right, even when the customer is wrong. In our case, we were right and well within our rights to return the undercooked meal to the kitchen and also cancel the order. Management should be on top of what is going on in their establishments. Keeping customers happy will see them support you, despite bumps along the way. But treating another person with disrespect is in this regard is not on. This was a complete character attack; we are dignified professionals and are super comfortable with who we are, we can only assume it was how we where dressed. Either way long hair, hoodie and Vans - who actually cares you where wrong, we paid and you told me to be happy with raw chicken that’s it. So if you are deciding to eat in this establishment I hope you better not wear this type of clothing to Mano’s, you will likely be treated differently to all their “regular” customers and will have to chew on that raw meat with a smile on your face. <br/> <br/>No apology; therefore we are certain that our shadows will never be crossing the threshold of that establishment again. Our word of mouth recommendations will not continue, but this time will be replaced with a warning to others to avoid Manos and rather take their custom elsewhere; there are great alternatives out there who insist on providing true value and appreciation towards their customers. <br/><br/>We where not going to write this but after reviewing other complaints online we noticed others had too been treated in such a fashion and seems to be the trend over there at Mano’s. And as I said in the start we really enjoyed dining at their establishment, we really did. It’s just a shame that he couldn’t see the true issue here. How does a business survive with an attitude like this? It should bring it crashing to it’s knees and begging for sustenance.<br/><br/>Hopefully writing this might save you from a raw uncomfortable and snobby experience. Life is too short to be a P**S.

One of the best burgers I’ve ever had in my life. The onions and tomato based sauce made it 5 star. Special thanks to kitchen staff who cut and peeled the potatoes to perfection. And of course Rigan who offered sterling service. Love how the menu was so minimalist so that attention to detail can be paid to each dish. Will be back on a weekly basis.

Mano’s is great for lunch or dinner and provides a great menu offering. my personal favorite is the steak offering. The service is always warm and friendly and the restaurant provides a quality upmarket meal and venue at a reasonable price 😎

Went here with my grandparents, ordered the dijon mustard chicken schnitzel. Was superb, very tasty and not overdone or dry. Atmosphere is cool, perhaps a little dark but good. Service was good, look forward to visiting again.

The food was amazing here Mediterranean prawn curry was exceptional , the pork ribs , this needs to be requested as it's not on the menu these were succulent and juicy the sauce on the ribs completed the dish , simple and delicious. The chicken Deboned also on request was on point and really good. The chocolate brownie was soft and and moist with just the right amount of ice cream to cover the balance and with every bite.

With its lovely location right on the main strip of Cape Town this trendy restaurant sets the scene for a great lunch or dinner while feeling you are part of the street atmosphere bustling around you. The wine list is good and the food is even better. Having been around for years this goes to prove that good service and good food goes a long way in terms of establishing a solid reputation that never disappoints. Mano’s offers some beautiful Chardonnay wines and their fillet is delicious.

The place definitely has vibe and you can see that it will easily attract regulars. A nice catchup spot for friends. Unfortunately the food really doesn't match the price. This place is rather expensive for the bland food you're served. The service was okay, not terrible, and the waiter friendly. I just wouldn't spend my money here again, expect more for that kind of money.

I'll come any day of the week and never be disappointed (perhaps only on Sunday because they close). <br/>As a regular I've eaten most of the menu and am yet to find something that isn't tasty. Some of my favorites are the pork spare ribs, which I hear they go at lengths to prepare, the baby chicken grilled over the fire is always extremely juicy and tender and the Mozambique prawn curry must definitely be tried. Oh and if you like chicken livers you're in luck. <br/>Manos it's been many years and I have no doubt that there will be many more!!!!

I eat here a lot, mostly on Fridays, it gets quite vibey then. I recommend going at rush hour lunch time while there are people there, not the best place to go if it's quiet. Foods divine, waiters are really cool. Great lunch spot

I liked that Manos is open till 1:30am. Food was great, but a tad expensive. Great Friday lunch time vibe. Service was good. Calamari was excellent.

My experience at Mano's can be categorized as average. I felt like the food was neither amazing or bad... it was just very mediocre. I did however find my portion size to be pretty small for a main course and I had some burnt bits on my plate. The service was good though, our waitress was always checking up and staying on top of it.

In Cape Town from Zim - we wanted to make sure we ate st the most recommended restaurant - this was definitely Mano s. We had such a fabulous evening. It was fully booked when we arrived but we enjoyed a lovely glass of wine and watched the hussle and Bussle for 20 mins before we were seated. Mano greated us personally with in 5 mins and we discovered he was also from Zim. We were served an exquisite complimentary salad followed by a delicious hearty meal. Our waitress was unbelievable with the best energy <br/>What struck me the most was the sense that it felt like everyone came to see Mano and we left feeling like we had known him for years. Thank you for a very memorable evening Mano and his team.

We enjoyed our meal at Manos. It's got a great vibe and Mano is a fabulous host, very busy walking around checking on everyone. The menu is a bit random, serving everything from spaghetti bolognaise to prawn curry to steak bernaise, but I quite like how it's got many different tastes to suit different appetites. My prawn curry was delicious, my partners chicken limone was bland. The chocolate brownie for dessert was decent but could've been more chocolatey and fudgey. Good wine list with many options by the glass rounded off a great evening out.

Was treated to dinner here last week, they  have a very small menu, which I like as it makes it easier to pick a meal but may not work so well for large groups. I had the Mozambique style prawn curry which I loved - it was rich, creamy with a nice kick (just little more than mild) - the portion size was generous which made it quite decent value for money. The restaurant is small and the space is  reminiscent of a gallery but it had a nice relaxed ambiance for a Friday night with good service despite there being only 2 or 3 waitresses.

U can taste that the food is made of very fresh ingredients. Very nice food. However there r one or two waitresses aren't very friendly. That manager(I think) in particular.

A Green Point institution that we have been frequenting for years for its simple and consistently tasty food and vibe that, until now, has provided really good value for money. <br/><br/>The food is still very good and the portions sizeable, unfortunately price increases (steak = R195) have outpaced other restaurnts and therefore Mano's no longer offers good value (-0.5 pts) but still a good experience.

I decided to try out mano's on a friends recommendation of one thing, the creme brulee. We were seated outside and it was a fairly warm night. The service was good and they have a decent selection of wines to choose from. The creme brulee portion was huge!!! The sugar layer on the top was quite thick but enjoyable. It was quite delicious. Will be back to try out more items on the menu.

I have to rate Mano's 5/5. This restaurant is elegant, timeless and definitely a Greenpoint landmark in its own right! Conveniently situated on on the main road I found it easily enough! The decor is classic light palette - not giving away too much. The staff are professional and offer helpful suggestions with wine pairing for meals and offering to tweak a meal here and there. I appreciated the options available for wine- good range! For mains I had the baked potato and salmon- absolutely delicious. Will definitely keep going back!

This landmark restaurant has been going for nearly 20 years. And there is a definite reason for their success and loyal returning customers. <br/><br/>The interior is pretty plain, but what stands out is the personal service from the friendly staff. Treating you like you've been coming here for years. Topping up your drinks, offering you warm bread before your meal. Genuine, efficient without being overbearing. <br/><br/>I simply love the chicken liver salad. It's quite large and perfect to share as a starter. The beef fillet with Bernaise sauce was perfectly grilled, served with a healthy side of your choice (I like their steamed spinach). <br/><br/>You have to try fillet Suzette at least once in your life - and this is the perfect place to do so! <br/><br/>They also have a pretty large bar - so don't be shy to go here for drinks (AND dinner). <br/><br/>I'll will be back for that salad - and the steak! <br/>Long live Mano's!

Still one of the all time favourites in Cape Town. It is always full and has a great atmosphere. The food never disappoints and is always consistent. The menu never changes but they have daily specials.

The first time I came here I was not impressed by the food but now for my second time I was over joyed at how great this place is. They don't have reservations so its first come first serve at Manos which is great. It was a busy night when we came but tables turn quickly and we were seated with in 5mins. For starters I order the smoke salmon and avocado salad, the portion is rather large but it was a divine salad. For mains I have the beef medallions with a pepper corn sauce, my beef was Cooked perfect also it was not that warm. My mom order the curry prawns and she however said it was too creamy. I was overall impressed and the service was excellent for a such a busy night.

I was quite disappointed with my most recent visits to Mano's.<br/><br/>Although the staff were friendly they were clearly overwhelmed by the number of people in the restaurant and did not offer the service expected from a restaurant of this nature and price point.<br/><br/>Paying R275 a head including drinks, one expects better service than the waiter only taking half the food orders and then myself being the customer having to get up and go place the order as the waiter was walking away.<br/><br/>For a table of seven, they provided four measly slices of bread and then when asked for more told us they had run out. Again, I find this unacceptable for a restaurant at this price point.<br/><br/>I was willing to forgive all the above on the expectation of receiving a good meal. I had the grilled calamari to start and the barbecue chicken kebabs with a baked potato as my main. Others at the table had the fried halloumi cheese and chicken livers to start with a prego roll, steak and egg and line fish (kingklip) for mains.<br/><br/>My grilled calamari was tasteless. The fried halloumi was nice and the sauce in which the chicken livers are served is delicious. My barbecue chicken breasts were also lacking taste and were very overdone and dry. The kingklip was nice and the prego did look quite good. The baked potatoes were very average and were not crispy at all.<br/><br/>Based on the above, I'm not rushing back to this restaurant with all the amazing other choices available in Cape Town at the same price point.

Ate at Mano's last night for the first time. <br/>I had a rump steak (one of the specialities), the rest of my table ate a deboned chicken thy skewer and one person had the salmon on a baked potato.<br/>The rump was amazing, cooked to perfection. Perfect cut and very big (also, not badly priced). The rest of the table's food also looked amazing and everyone was very happy! The ONLY fault that I can give them is on the spinach. It was a little flavorless and definitely needed some fetta or cream (although the way they serve it is much healthier!). If I could just deduct 0.2 marks for that- I would.<br/>The service is great! <br/>Finally, I was pleasantly surprised about the corkage fee- we took 2 bottles of our own wine, they only charge R35 on the second bottle (which is shocking but awesome!) <br/><br/>All and all it was lovely!<br/>

This restaurant offers a lively atmosphere and food of a good quality. I had a very tasty salmon pasta, but to me the menu lacked variety and originality. The service was also very average and not very attentive. This is the ideal place for a quick drink after work, but on Friday's it's way to busy to enjoy a meal as well.

A CT institution. Solid menu with something for everyone fussy or not. Some of the best prawns in town or if you're looking for something more chilled tuck into a delicious crunchy baked potato. You can't book so get there early as it's always busy!

Had an excellent meal at Mano's in green point tonight. Plain and simple decor, nothing special but the food was fantastic. Had beef carpaccio to start, the meat was of such great quality, you could see the marble in the thin slices. Then had the prawn curry Mozambican style as a main, didn't really know what to expect as I had never had a Mozambican curry before, what I received was very different to the curries I am used to, very creamy without much of a bite but oh my word it was DELICIOUS, I will most definitely be returning.

I had planned to simply pop into Mano's for a drink, but the service and atmosphere was so good that it convinced me to stay for dinner. My portion of Fish was very generous and certainly good value for money. It was a nice relaxed environment, which served perfectly after my long day, but I can imagine that it could be a great spot for a couple bottles of vino and a long vibrant dinner as well. Very nice restaurant. I shall be back.

The menu is small but caters for everyone. The ambience is unpretentious and works well with the space. Food is really good and the portions are almost too big. My favourites were calamari starter and chocolate brownies for dessert.

Manos is one of my regulars! My two favorites are the Mozambican prawn curry and the calamari with side spinach :) Manos is always busy - no bookings so get there early!

Trendy venue, great food, good service & friendly staff! ! ! ! ! 👌🏼 🍝

This was interesting version of an Italian restaurant, I really did enjoy my pasta though. I wouldn't say it's the best Italian restaurant I've been to especially because it was very pricy.

I love Italian food so this place was perfect- had an excellent pasta served very stylishly on big white plates. The decor is simple and chic and the atmosphere friendly and warm- good place on a cold winter's night and equally excellent in summer where you can go for a stroll after supper. Will definitely go back!

This was a disappointing experience. Im not sure what I was really expecting. The food was bland. The portions were not great. It was one of those..."bill please and out of there" meals as we just were not enjoying the vibe.Looks like the kind of place where older people go out.  Nothing wrong with that. Just not my cup of tea.

Always a pleasure to be here, love the food, only complaint is that I wish they would bring back the grilled chicken to the menu. And the crispy chips are no longer crispy. Stick to baked potatoes and you cant go wrong.

A long wait to get a table but we'll worth it. The prawn Green curry was fantastic! The owner was very friendly and accommodating. I'd highly recommend this place if you're near by!

Great place to go for a lunch or supper. Their ribs are fabulous, wine is great too. Nice vibe to Manos and the service is really good too. Friendly, clean, nice restaurant to take friends to.

This is a real, typical locals hang out... You are very likely to see an older crowd (mainly men) sitting on the street and viewing the other, much younger, locals.<br/><br/>The vibe is very relaxed, with lots of waving amongst tables, or hidden eye contact (depending on the mood). <br/><br/>The food is good (not spectacular), but consistently good. The fish is better. Meals are slightly over priced but are served to you by waiters who have not yet discovered the wonders of a bra. <br/><br/>Great for a casual late lunch or early evening dinner with relaxed colleagues or mixed ages friends. <br/>

Manos was a great choice for dinner with friends because of the vibe and service. Our waitress was efficient and witty and made our evening. Food was reasonable and well priced for CPT.

I need to begin at the end - we booked Mano's for a celebratory lunch - blah blah and then there was the Choccorico - recommended by our waitress and simply 'to die for' .. it was SERIOUSLY LOVELY & CHOCOLATELY - I seriously considered ordering another but absolutely could not fit it in but had I known I may not have had lunch .. But back to the beginning - we had a lovely waitress who was attentive and generous with her time (we had my elderly in-laws with us) even though she was busy. We had the fish & chips which my mum-in-law rated as super, my husband had chicken liver pasta - really super and we also had calamari as well as a couple of steaks round the table and a generous salad for the table which was NOT mostly lettuce, a real treat. Champagne and cocktails were had too - what a lovely venue, great Manager / Owner (I wasn't sure) with exceptional service - I will be back but will definitely start with dessert.

Awesome spot. Has a bit of everything - great vibe , great food, great staff combined with competitive prices makes it hard to beat. The Menu is also nicely varied -ask about the blackened kingklip that is a bit of a locals secret!

I love Mano's! The food and service are always fantastic. Their Caesar salad is a winner every time. The grilled calamari is delicious. It is one of the most consistent restaurants I know. The fact that they don't take bookings is a positive for me because if you're feeling too lazy to cook dinner you can pop by early and you should get a table. Mano's is my kitchen away from home!

The fish and chips! THE fish and chips!! Delicious...

Philip has been having lunch every Friday for the last 25 years with the friends he went to varsity with and shared a house with. The group has gradually dwindled to only two of them, but when friends are in Cape Town from Johannesburg, or overseas, it is a standing date. For the last 12 years he has been going to Mano in Green Point for Friday lunch and occasionally I join them. Everyone seems to know each other and people walk from table to table greeting. Mano and his sister also go from table to table making sure everyone is well looked after, so the restaurant has a neighbourhood atmosphere and you feel part of the family. This does not mean that the restaurant is folksy, it is a chic establishment. No matter how I try to order other things from the menu like chicken limone or ceasar salad, I always return to the lamb chops for which they are deservedly famous. Scrumptious. The secret is in their basting sauce, and although they don't want to give away their secret, Mano's sister once gave me some of the basting sauce to take home with me for a home braai. Just like a good neighbour would!