"Camps Bay's upstairs sunset perch: an ocean-facing terrace, ceviche and carpaccio from the Melissa's team since 2016."
Mantra Café opened in December 2016 above Victoria Road in Camps Bay, the chic café-and-bar concept from Mark and Melissa van Hoogstraten, the couple behind Cape Town's Melissa's brand. The headline is the position: an upper-level terrace looking straight out over the Atlantic, which at sunset is one of the best seats on the strip.
The cooking is contemporary and Mediterranean-leaning — built for grazing, drinks and the view rather than for a chef's tasting-menu statement.
The menu reads for sharing: tuna ceviche, beef carpaccio, sticky chicken wings and plates of fresh calamari, alongside salads, seafood and a sundowner-friendly cocktail and wine list. It is polished crowd-pleasing food, executed cleanly.
There is no celebrity chef here and the kitchen doesn't pretend otherwise; the brief is reliable, good-looking plates that hold their own against a once-in-a-trip view.
The draw is the upstairs terrace and its uninterrupted ocean horizon — arrive before sunset and the room does the rest. Interiors are bright and contemporary, the mood relaxed and social, equally suited to a long lunch or evening drinks.
Service is friendly and unhurried. The terrace tables go first, so book ahead for sunset.
Mantra is a natural first date — the sunset view carries the evening — and an easy anniversary sundowner. The relaxed room and ocean backdrop also make it a pleasant spot for a business lunch with visitors in town.
Not for serious gastronomes after destination cooking; the food is good but the view is the star. For a fine-dining occasion in Camps Bay, book Salsify at The Roundhouse instead.
A contemporary café, restaurant and bar above Victoria Road in Camps Bay, opened in 2016 by the founders of Melissa's, known for its ocean-view terrace.
The upper-level terrace looks straight out over the Atlantic, making it one of the best sunset seats on the Camps Bay strip.
Sharing plates lead the menu — tuna ceviche, beef carpaccio, sticky chicken wings and fresh calamari are the regulars.
For a sunset terrace table, yes — the ocean-facing seats are the first to go.
Booking through Mantra Café, Camps Bay.
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