A new French restaurant is opening at 2828 Routh Street in Uptown’s Quad development on September 2.
Mamani comes from brothers Brandon and Henry Cohanim, the team behind Bar Colette and Namo, under their Feels Like Home Hospitality group. The restaurant is led by executive chef and partner Christophe De Lellis and draws inspirastion from classics found on the French and Italian Rivieras.
“I want to bring all the techniques that I’ve learned at the at three Michelin star level to a more casual setting. That’s the approach I have when I think about food these days,” De Lellis told Eater. “I got a little tired of super fine dining. I wanted to do something a little more casual, and I want to be able to cook whatever I want.”
Dishes include vitello tonnato with mustard seed and capers, 22-ounce dry-aged ribeye with potato gratin, wild dover sole with brown butter and Meyer lemon, a whole duck, Maine lobster with sauce au poivre, penne arrabbiata, and cavatelli with pork sausage and broccoli.
The wine list curated by wine director Allie Nault, has bottles from around the globe but places emphasis on France, with a deep selection of white Burgundies. Mamani’s cocktail menu is led by beverage director Rubén Rolón, and prominently features drinks from Italy, with a spotlight on Negronis.
Mamani’s 5,200-square-foot space was designed by the London-based design firm Bryan O’Sullivan Studio. The interior features pastel ombré plaster walls, marble architraves, custom end-grain flooring, and stained-glass. Outside, guests will find a fully enclosed, air-conditioned garden terrace inspired by Mediterranean design. The restaurant seats 65 in the main dining rooms, 10 in the lounge, 34 on the terrace, and another 10 in a private dining room.
Mamani is striving to merge aspects of fine and casual dining, with some sentimentality too — the name is what the Cohanim brothers called their grandmother.
Mamani’s hours will be 5 to 9:30 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday and 5 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday. Expanded hours are planned for the future. Reservations are available through OpenTable or by calling 469-455-1435.