I wanted to offer links to the last three restaurant reviews from Greg. (I was out of town and so missed the last two.)

Today, Greg gives 1-1/2 stars to Carolina Smokehouse Grill in Wake Forest. Go HERE to read his review.

Last week, Greg gave 3 stars to Latin Grill in Clayton. Go HERE to read his review.

Two weeks ago, Greg gave 3 stars to Mantra in downtown Raleigh. Go HERE to read the review.

Chef Gamer Rawat, most recently of Saffron in Chapel Hill, is opening Mantra in the space most recently occupied by Vintage Bar and Lounge in Raleigh's Glenwood South.

"I decided to open in downtown Raleigh because there are no Indian restaurants and people love Indian food," Rawat said in a phone interview Tuesday afternoon.

Rawat says he will offer fine-dining Indian fare and pointed out that they will be offering a wide selection of seafood dishes from sea bass to lobster. He said they would be open for both lunch from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and for dinner from 5-10 p.m.

Go to Mantra's website to see the menu.

Rawat hopes to open the second week in August. The restaurant's exact location is 116 N. West St. Suite 100.

Rawat has an impressive culinary pedigree. He trained in New Delhi at what was then the top Indian restaurant in the world, Bukhara. Before he came to the Triangle, he worked as a chef at Tamarind in New York City.

N&O restaurant critic Greg Cox gave Saffron, three out of four stars when he reviewed it in 2006. At that time, the restaurant was in Morrisville.

Click READ MORE to see Greg Cox's review.