The Mantu | Modern Afghan Cuisine

Great experience. The menu is unlike any other afghan food I have had. Presentation is rather fancy and the flavor is delicious. I think the whole menu is probably amazing, we had multiple appetizers and entree at the table to sample from, all great. Fresh garlic naan, mantu dumplings, stuffed cabbage leaves, falafel, and eggplant, and baklava. This place is a gem, I would definitely go back.

Just WOW! Everything about The Mantu is so charming and culturally beautiful. My partner and I went for the first time last night and it did not disappoint. Upon entrance, we were greeted by Cheryl who allowed us to choose any table of our liking. We went on a Wednesday night around 7:30pm and although there was a large party of 20 present at our time of arrival, the service remained attentive and the kitchen was able to promptly bring out our food. This place runs like a well-oiled machine — they are a small but mighty team! We ordered the Lamb Chopan Kebabs and Cauliflower Karahi for dinner. Since it was our first time, Cheryl recommended we pair our dishes with the Zereshk Pallow and Kabuli Pallow. We loved combining the subtle sweetness of the rices with the savory richness of the meats — each bite was packed with flavor. The food came out piping hot and the presentation was excellent. Regardless of what dish you plan on getting, do yourself a favor and order a side of Garlic Naan with the yogurt dill sauce. You won’t find any other naan better than this in RVA. For dessert, we tried the Firni and it was the perfect way to wrap up our dinner. The pudding had a smooth texture with a mochi-like center, topped with pistachios for that extra crunch. It’s not too sweet either — just how we like our desserts! At the end of our meal, we were greeted by Chef Noori who is a complete delight. You can tell he and the rest of his family at The Mantu care deeply about sharing authentic Afghan food and culture with everyone who walks through their doors. The food was undoubtedly delicious, but what we remember most from our visit to The Mantu is how it left us feeling — full of warmth and gratitude. We will definitely be making a trip back soon.

Delicious meal and great service. We ordered the cabbage rolls all, chicken and lamb karahi, herb rice, and naan. The cocktails were also great. Highly recommend all of those dishes.

A great place to- fantastic food and super service. We had a party of seven and the service was very timely. The chef came to visit a couple of times and he was very helpful just like our host. Highly recommend and will return.

We were excited to come back to this place after we tried it a few years back, and loved it. We were not greeted by the waitress. She told us to sit wherever, but not by the windows as those tables were reserved (there were two other people at the neighboring table, and for the whole time we were there nobody else showed up )Her service to say the least was very rude and unprofessional. As for the food, it tasted good but some of the things that we ordered were not available and we were charged for bread that we didn’t order, but it was OK as it was tasty. The young man that brought us our food was very nice and friendly. Some order was forgotten and we had to ask for it ….. the mantu, the lentil soup, the appetizers were pretty tasty , but the service was one of the worst we experienced in Richmond. The atmosphere could have been better as there was just silence no background music or similar. While we were waiting on our food, the waitress Cleaned up the table next to us, when she set the table she dropped a fork on the floor, picked it right back up and kept on placing it on the table and added some still dripping, wet water glasses. I understand it’s hard to get good personnel, but I don’t think this lady should be in The service industry. I usually don’t review, but this one was not a very good experience , specially for the price payed. I updated my review : Kindness, Flavor, and Heart — All in One Place Sometimes, second chances remind us how much heart people can have. Our first visit didn’t go well — the service had been disappointing — but the chef reached out with such kindness and invited us back . I was touched by that gesture alone, but what followed truly moved me. From the moment we walked in, the entire team welcomed us with warmth and care. The food was extraordinary — rich in flavor and soul — and the chef personally checked on us several times, making sure everything was perfect. You can feel his passion in every bite. Even more inspiring is who he is beyond the kitchen: a compassionate man who helps children and families in his home country of Afghanistan. His kindness shines through his food and his heart. This visit turned everything around — not just the experience, but how we felt. We left with full hearts and happy smiles. Thank you for reminding us what true hospitality and humanity look like.

Mantu (Afgan Dumpling). YUM! RVA has been graced with something amazing, like The Mantu. Our waitress was very attentive, and gave us solid opinion when we asked for it. (I had their "Afghan Mule", it was delicious) We had 3 out of 4 appetizers on the menu. Potato skin was unbelievably good, and the sauce has a bite(spicy). The four of us ordered four different dishes and each stood on their own. From chicken to beef to lamb, they not only smelled wonderful, but they all were glorious to our taste. They were so good, we didn't even need rice. And their carrot/raisin infused rice was delicious! Ok, let's talk about their naan. They were, as delectable as others, just wasn't enough... haha. Overall, loved the cozy setting, amazing food and drinks. The Mantu is a gift to RVA!