147905 Fri May 07 17:27:17 -0700 2004 2 12 Boston Area 0 793093 Hello all. We are throwing a bday dinner for a girlfriend. We will be 7 women - pretty sophisticated, trendy, hip. Food should be good/ineresting but doesn't have to rock our world. We want a hot, fabulous, place where we can linger, drink (heavily) and maybe even hang out afterwards. I chose Mantra based on a recommendation and quick perusal of its website. That OmBar looks hot. Any thoughts on the place? And where might we head to afterwards to continue the revelry? Isn't it near some good spots? And what is the "ladder district" I am hearing about? I am in Boston a lot and lived there 6 years and have never heard of it. Money not an issue. Fri May 07 17:27:17 -0700 2004 0 chowgal 1 793094 Mantra does high-end New French cuisine with subtle Indian touches; I've gotten generally excellent service. They do serious cocktails at the bar. After dinner (10pm) on Thursday through Saturday, it becomes more nightclub-like (velvet ropes, bouncers, lines). I like the food, which is beautifully presented, though I wish the Indian influences were more overt, a la Tabla. I used to carp that their wine list was absurdly top-heavy, but they've fixed that. The room is very cool-looking in that sleek, ultra-modern style (frosted glass, brushed steel, lots of marble from the old bank lobby it used to be) that you see in a lot of Schrager hotels. Great bathrooms. I don't think it's the It Place that it was a couple of years ago. I remember a time not long after The Station nightclub fire that it was shut down for a few days for packing too many people in on a late Friday night. There are a bunch of nearby bars, nightclubs, and restaurant bar scenes to check out if you think OmBar is dull. Fri May 07 18:28:47 -0700 2004 793093 0 MC Slim JB 2 793121 Mantra should be fun and Felt is just around the corner. Plus the bar at the Ritz Boston Common is usually fairly active. There's still lots of stuff down that Alley off Boylston. Down toward the leather district is Peking Tom's, Trio and Les Zygomates. Up a few streets is Silvertone and Sidebar for a less high class stop. The Ladder District is just the name they gave those side streets in the downtown/theater district area from around Winter to Boylston, had to come up with a gimmick once the Ritz moved in. Sat May 08 21:42:03 -0700 2004 793094 0 Joanie