Will never go back. My friend and I were enjoying our first time at Mandrake in Geneva. I typically look at the bottom line number, but this time as I reviewed the bill, a 20% ($38) line item jumped out at me called "Server Development" - this is in addition to gratuity and is a line item right along with the scallops. I asked the manager what Server Development was and he said that it was to cover higher wages, benefits and staff development. We asked that he remove this from our bill as we had always planned to give our server, Sarah K a cash gratuity - she was great! When he returned with the revised bill he leaned down and said "I will be sure to let Sarah know that her service was sub-par." My friend and I were stunned and outraged. When we tried to give Sarah her gratuity, suddenly she was either "on a break (during busy dinner time) or had to" leave for an emergency." Who runs a business like this? The owners spent a boatload of money building out the exterior and interior. Too bad they didn't think about the best way to treat customers and staff members. We have since heard a number of people complain about this hefty addition to one's bill. Please don't ask customers to foot the bill for what is your responsibility.
Hailey O'Connor
Our experience was absolutely amazing!! As a local business owner as well in Geneva I kept hearing about this restaurant from multiple clients and it did not disappoint!Our server was absolutely amazing, she did not rush us, she was very sweet, and very genuine when it came to describing the food.The food was 10/10! The beetroot salad with chive ice cream was incredible. It sounds like it would be questionable but it is such an amazing and brilliant combination of flavors. The scallops were out of this world and cooked to perfection.We did not have one bad dish and will definitely be back! And for as fine dining goes I don’t think the prices were outrageous for the quality of work, service and ambiance that was given.Can’t say enough good things! Thank you Mandrake :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Seared Sea Scallops
Christa C.
We went to the Mandrake on opening day for my daughter's birthday. It also happened to be opening night for the restaurant. We figured that there would be lots of kinks to work out but the service was outstanding. We loved the coursed approach to serving the dishes. As for the meals, they were terrific. The cheese and meat board was wonderful and really unique. The desserts really stood out - particularly the chocolate cake. It was a memorable night for my daughter. Looking forward to visiting for the spring menu.
Britney S.
You guys dont get it.... this is food you just gotta understand. SO GOOD. yes its pricey but the quality is great. i also had the best dessert i think i have ever had, which were these brownies with a raspberry(?) sorbet and pistachios and whipped cream. if you want an experience with a great ambiance and carefully crafted courses I highly recommend this place.
Jonay Dvorak
Had dinner and cocktails there for the winter menu. It was absolutely fantastic. The food was amazing and the service was great. I can’t wait to go back for the spring menu and some wine on the patio.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: European Cheese Platter with Charcuterie Board, Octopus
John Harkness
Really cool
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ali R.
Our first time to Mandrake and we loved the ambience! Such a great experience! From the food to the service, we were very happy with everything!
Pamela W.
We dined at Mandrake and had the most wonderful experience. The cocktails were eclectic and perfectly executed with amazing flavors. My husband had the old fashioned and I have the hibiscus gin cocktail. For dinner we started with the butternut squash arrancini which was perfectly crispy on the outside and oh so decadent on the inside. Next we had the scallops with polenta cake. The scallops were honestly the best I've ever had! Perfectly cooked and full of flavor. We moved to the duck breast which was perfectly crispy on the outside. Duck breast that is cooked correctly is so hard to find and it was such a joy to have. We finished with the Waygu steak with Gorgonzola and chimichurri. The steak was cooked to PERFECTION and the char on the outside was so great. It came with house made chips. We ended the night with the homemade chocolate cake. Decadent and full of flavor. We truly enjoyed our dining experience. Not only was the food excellent but our service was exceptional.
Max Algrim
They’ve done a great job with this place - ambiance, food, and service were all impeccable. Loved the decor and vibes. Food is fantastic, almost intimidating in how good it looks. Staff are very in tune with their tables and will be catering to you often. Portion sizes are great ESPECIALLY for the prices, very reasonable for the quality they put out. I’ve been twice now and have had their burrata, arancini, scallops, steak, and pork belly dishes. Very much looking forward to the spring menu but will miss the burrata and scallops dearly
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Seared Sea Scallops, Burrata Cheese with Prosciutto
Glenn C.
Not worth the money. Way too much vermouth in the martini to start. We ask the waitress how many plates for two people and she said 5-6 . Way too much food. Broccoli was tough, scallops were undercooked and the duck was not crispy. Much better options in Geneva.
A very chic aesthetic with chic food to match. Cocktails were delicious and had wonderful presentation. A little on the pricey side but the food was delicious and worth the splurge!
The Finolans
Decor was very well done. Restaurant was half empty so it was quiet. Cocktails/selection were very nice. The menu looked very promising. There were 4 of us out for a nice dinner among friends. We ordered 7 “small plates” for the table. When the food started coming out of the kitchen I was expecting to have a couple plates at the table at a time as every “small plate” restaurant I had ever been to over the years. Nope! Dinner was served as a tasting menu with one plate on the table at a time. AND they appeared at about 15-20 minute intervals. Nothing was hot. Not cold but Luke warm. Almost every dish was over-sauced or totally unbalanced. Parts were good parts were flat out bad. I am a big foie fan, but mandrake somehow ruined the foie by serving it COOKED! None of us could eat it. I felt like we were on a food show and the chef felt the need to use every expected element but didn’t stop to taste anything.We purposely waited a to dine here so they could get out the opening kinks which many of our friends experienced.One redeeming quality is that the prices are not too bad.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Nick Kelne
Had to cancel, was charged a cancellation fee. I guess when you think you’re really special, your public can get really screwed.
Jackie K.
The food was horrible. We ordered lamb lollipops that had less than one bite of meat on each of the 4 bones on the plate. The grilled octopus was burnt on the ends of each piece and it had a horrible smoke flavor. I highly advise not to go to this restaurant.
Kimberly Perkins
Our first time and we loved it. We’ll definitely be back. Our favorite was the lamb lollipops.
Will never go back. My friend and I were enjoying our first time at Mandrake in Geneva. I typically look at the bottom line number, but this time as I reviewed the bill, a 20% ($38) line item jumped out at me called "Server Development" - this is in addition to gratuity and is a line item right along with the scallops. I asked the manager what Server Development was and he said that it was to cover higher wages, benefits and staff development. We asked that he remove this from our bill as we had always planned to give our server, Sarah K a cash gratuity - she was great! When he returned with the revised bill he leaned down and said "I will be sure to let Sarah know that her service was sub-par." My friend and I were stunned and outraged. When we tried to give Sarah her gratuity, suddenly she was either "on a break (during busy dinner time) or had to" leave for an emergency." Who runs a business like this? The owners spent a boatload of money building out the exterior and interior. Too bad they didn't think about the best way to treat customers and staff members. We have since heard a number of people complain about this hefty addition to one's bill. Please don't ask customers to foot the bill for what is your responsibility.
Our experience was absolutely amazing!! As a local business owner as well in Geneva I kept hearing about this restaurant from multiple clients and it did not disappoint!Our server was absolutely amazing, she did not rush us, she was very sweet, and very genuine when it came to describing the food.The food was 10/10! The beetroot salad with chive ice cream was incredible. It sounds like it would be questionable but it is such an amazing and brilliant combination of flavors. The scallops were out of this world and cooked to perfection.We did not have one bad dish and will definitely be back! And for as fine dining goes I don’t think the prices were outrageous for the quality of work, service and ambiance that was given.Can’t say enough good things! Thank you Mandrake :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Seared Sea Scallops
We went to the Mandrake on opening day for my daughter's birthday. It also happened to be opening night for the restaurant. We figured that there would be lots of kinks to work out but the service was outstanding. We loved the coursed approach to serving the dishes. As for the meals, they were terrific. The cheese and meat board was wonderful and really unique. The desserts really stood out - particularly the chocolate cake. It was a memorable night for my daughter. Looking forward to visiting for the spring menu.
You guys dont get it.... this is food you just gotta understand. SO GOOD. yes its pricey but the quality is great. i also had the best dessert i think i have ever had, which were these brownies with a raspberry(?) sorbet and pistachios and whipped cream. if you want an experience with a great ambiance and carefully crafted courses I highly recommend this place.
Had dinner and cocktails there for the winter menu. It was absolutely fantastic. The food was amazing and the service was great. I can’t wait to go back for the spring menu and some wine on the patio.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: European Cheese Platter with Charcuterie Board, Octopus
Really cool
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Our first time to Mandrake and we loved the ambience! Such a great experience! From the food to the service, we were very happy with everything!
We dined at Mandrake and had the most wonderful experience. The cocktails were eclectic and perfectly executed with amazing flavors. My husband had the old fashioned and I have the hibiscus gin cocktail. For dinner we started with the butternut squash arrancini which was perfectly crispy on the outside and oh so decadent on the inside. Next we had the scallops with polenta cake. The scallops were honestly the best I've ever had! Perfectly cooked and full of flavor. We moved to the duck breast which was perfectly crispy on the outside. Duck breast that is cooked correctly is so hard to find and it was such a joy to have. We finished with the Waygu steak with Gorgonzola and chimichurri. The steak was cooked to PERFECTION and the char on the outside was so great. It came with house made chips. We ended the night with the homemade chocolate cake. Decadent and full of flavor. We truly enjoyed our dining experience. Not only was the food excellent but our service was exceptional.
They’ve done a great job with this place - ambiance, food, and service were all impeccable. Loved the decor and vibes. Food is fantastic, almost intimidating in how good it looks. Staff are very in tune with their tables and will be catering to you often. Portion sizes are great ESPECIALLY for the prices, very reasonable for the quality they put out. I’ve been twice now and have had their burrata, arancini, scallops, steak, and pork belly dishes. Very much looking forward to the spring menu but will miss the burrata and scallops dearly
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Seared Sea Scallops, Burrata Cheese with Prosciutto
Not worth the money. Way too much vermouth in the martini to start. We ask the waitress how many plates for two people and she said 5-6 . Way too much food. Broccoli was tough, scallops were undercooked and the duck was not crispy. Much better options in Geneva.
Restaurantji Recommends
A very chic aesthetic with chic food to match. Cocktails were delicious and had wonderful presentation. A little on the pricey side but the food was delicious and worth the splurge!
Decor was very well done. Restaurant was half empty so it was quiet. Cocktails/selection were very nice. The menu looked very promising. There were 4 of us out for a nice dinner among friends. We ordered 7 “small plates” for the table. When the food started coming out of the kitchen I was expecting to have a couple plates at the table at a time as every “small plate” restaurant I had ever been to over the years. Nope! Dinner was served as a tasting menu with one plate on the table at a time. AND they appeared at about 15-20 minute intervals. Nothing was hot. Not cold but Luke warm. Almost every dish was over-sauced or totally unbalanced. Parts were good parts were flat out bad. I am a big foie fan, but mandrake somehow ruined the foie by serving it COOKED! None of us could eat it. I felt like we were on a food show and the chef felt the need to use every expected element but didn’t stop to taste anything.We purposely waited a to dine here so they could get out the opening kinks which many of our friends experienced.One redeeming quality is that the prices are not too bad.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Had to cancel, was charged a cancellation fee. I guess when you think you’re really special, your public can get really screwed.
The food was horrible. We ordered lamb lollipops that had less than one bite of meat on each of the 4 bones on the plate. The grilled octopus was burnt on the ends of each piece and it had a horrible smoke flavor. I highly advise not to go to this restaurant.
Our first time and we loved it. We’ll definitely be back. Our favorite was the lamb lollipops.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5