Mela Restaurant

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1. SR

   SophiaR

   New England

   5 reviews

   4.0

   5 reviews

   Dined on January 20, 2023

   overall4food5service4ambience5

   Really delicious and the staff was friendly. The service was also super quick

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2. J

   Josephine

   New England

   24 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   24 reviews

   Dined on December 11, 2022

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Love the food., fresh, flavorful and delicious! Waiter is great and professional

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3. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   San Francisco

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on November 27, 2022

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Phenomenal!!

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4. w

   wellesleyresident

   New England

   23 reviews

   vip
   2.0

   23 reviews

   Dined on November 16, 2022

   overall2food4service1ambience2

   It was a strange experience to say the least. I’ve been coming to this restaurant off & on for over 10 years. The staff seemed really inexperienced and it was hard to know who was in charge? We got water right away but it took a while for a drink order to be taken. We ordered appetizers with our drinks and they were clearly interested in taking our entrée order as soon as possible. This would be understandable if we were the only party in the restaurant but we were not-there were two other tables. When we did get our entrees we had to follow up for the naan several times and it probably took 15 minutes to get it. There were multiple servers/employees in the dining room but we had a different person each time. While those other two parties had paid and left, another two seperate groups arrived and were seated. The oddest part was when a server came over to the table with a wireless credit card machine, announced the total and asked us to pay! We had not even been offered dessert or had gotten an itemized bill yet! We got the itemized bill and paid it. They then told us (at about 9:15) that they needed to start clearing the table because the restaurant was closing. And by cleaning the table I mean they took everything off including linens. And yet five minutes later a table of two walked in and was seated? In summary, it was an odd service experience. Keep your expectations low. If management is reading this, you need to do a better job training your staff. You have enough people - they just need to work on customer service!

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5. NB

   NancyB

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on November 15, 2022

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   The quality of the ingredients and the culinary skill of the chefs really stood out. The Lamb Curry was beautifully cooked with tender pieces of lamb in an excellently spiced balanced sauce! I wished we lived closer as I would tolerate the noise level and the closeness of the tables to enjoy these wonderfully prepared dishes.

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6. C

   Chic413

   Washington DC

   16 reviews

   vip
   2.0

   16 reviews

   Dined on November 5, 2022

   overall2food1service2ambience3

   In spite of the great reviews, I was very disappointed. To start, the water bottle stopper had mildew on it. Our food came out room temperature, and while we ordered it spicy, it’s was mild at best. When we brought it to the waitresses attention, she brought a sauce that was supposed to be spicy but it was flavorless and not spicy at all. the vindaloo looked and tasted like spaghetti-o’s. The saving grace was that when we brought these issues to the manager’s attention, he graciously refunded a portion of our bill.

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7. RJ

   RJR52

   New England

   33 reviews

   5.0

   33 reviews

   Dined on October 30, 2022

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Never disappoints! This visit we tried dishes we've never had from the vegetarian menu... Just for something different. The Baingan Bhartha (eggplant ) was very good and our server suggested the Gobhi Charchi, a cauliflower dish, and was another winner. We love this restaurant after our theater visits to Boston!

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8. JB

   JunBoston

   New England

   18 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   18 reviews

   Dined on October 26, 2022

   overall5food5service4ambience4

   Mela Restaurant is a neighborhood gem. Their food is consistently good and not too expensive.

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9. L

   Lioretti

   New England

   6 reviews

   4.0

   6 reviews

   Dined on October 22, 2022

   overall4food5service4ambience5

   I would recommend Mela for those who enjoy delicious Indian food. The service was good; waitstaff were polite, attentive, and helpful. My only concern was that my reservation for Open Table may not have been delivered to the staff; when I arrived the staff did not seem to have my name (even though I had the confirmation) and so we were seated in the small, less idea side section of the restaurant.

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10. C

    Charlie

    New York Area

    23 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    23 reviews

    Dined on October 21, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Friendly and caring service along with always delicious food have brought us back to Melo for 20 or so years.

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11. B

    Budd

    New England

    129 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    129 reviews

    Dined on October 18, 2022

    overall5food5service4ambience4

    The best Indian food we have found on this coast.

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12. DK

    DrKanner

    New England

    8 reviews

    3.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on October 1, 2022

    overall3food3service3ambience2

    Mela is a busy local Indian restaurant 2 blocks from the Calderwood theater. We went there pretheater partly because every other nearby restaurant was fully booked. I appreciate Indian food but am hardly a devotee. The duck comes in a heavy tomato-based creamy sauce and was decent. The tandoori chicken and tandoori mixed grill were just okay. The chicken was overcooked. Not fatally, but significantly. The meat in the mixed grill was tough and hard to identify. That chicken was also on dry side. I thought the sauces were flavorful, but they do drown everything. Nan was fine (this is not a high bar) and the meat samosas were flavorful though also dry. Service attempted to be attentive and largely was. People were friendly. My wife, by contrast, simply can't abide the curry-related flavors in Indian food. She accused me of tricking her to eat there (not true). So her dislike of the food was preordained. So we are unlikely to repeat visit.

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13. L

    Lwynne1

    Portland

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on September 26, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    The food was great, as was the service; nice neighborhood spot.

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14. R

    Roseanneg50

    Naples

    59 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    59 reviews

    Dined on September 17, 2022

    overall3food3service3ambience5

    Cleaner restroom needed

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15. J

    Josephine

    New England

    25 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    25 reviews

    Dined on September 11, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    The food was delicious and the service are great! Love this place!!

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16. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    New England

    6 reviews

    3.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on September 10, 2022

    overall3food3service3ambience2

    Food was fine.. kind of bland, luke warm. Service was fine, I guess. Felt rushed to order but when we asked for extra time we had trouble finally getting a waiter’s attention.

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17. s

    scrod

    New England

    293 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    293 reviews

    Dined on September 9, 2022

    overall4food5service4ambience4

    Delicious food

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18. SM

    SrikumarM

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 8, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Wonderful experience. Enjoyed the meal thoroughly. Service was outstanding.

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19. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Chicago

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on September 6, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Food was great and service was prompt. Waitstaff was pleasant. We will return.

    Report
20. BS

    BenS

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 2, 2022

    overall5food5service4ambience4

    The best Indian food we'd ever had! Servings weren't huge...but more than adequate. The flavors were out of this world.

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21. VE

    VahramE

    New England

    5 reviews

    3.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on July 29, 2022

    overall3food2service4ambience2

    Mela, while being a rather well-established non-European eatery in an otherwise mostly European-inspired eateries in a rather well to do neighborhood, could (and should) have made a better effort to upgrade its menu offerings: the Gilaffi kebab (an item under the Tandoori section) was anything but appetizing (neither optically nor in taste). The chicken curry my companion ordered was, again below average: very bland and uninspiring. The vegetarian appetizer platter was equally boring. This is my second time at Mela (first being several years ago) and it confirms my previous evaluation of this place. One big plus is the friendly and unpretentious service as well as the good value (not my primary concern) in a neighborhood where pretense in the majority of eateries exceeds what is actually on offer. Over the past seven to eight years that I have come to live in the South End/ Back Bay areas of Boston, the creativity and taste in a lot of eateries sadly went downhill.

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22. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 2, 2022

    overall1food1service1ambience1

    Food was not tasty at all. Tomato Coconut Soup was awful

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23. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    New England

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 24, 2022

    overall5food5service4ambience4

    The food was excellent! We ate inside in the light filled dining room. Cocktails were also very good! I highly recommend it if you like Indian food,

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24. A

    Angel

    New England

    46 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    46 reviews

    Dined on June 24, 2022

    overall4food2service5ambience2

    The service was excellent, “Mela” was training a new person, and he did great. The food which is typically delicious, was ok, this round. The Mango Lassie was missing a bit of flavor, the chicken Tikki Masala was missing lots of flavor. The cauliflower vegetarian dish had very little sauce, and the flavor was different than in the past. (We visit quite a bit) The review above is not standard, This is a place you should try, it’s a fantastic spot for Indian food. On the plus side, the naan was delicious, we had the plain, and chicken, the vegetable samosas were out of this world, good. We have been long time customers and plan on returning many times over, not sure if Mela has a new chef or is changing recipes. We appreciate Everyone at Mela. See you soon. Grateful customers

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25. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    New England

    5 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on June 20, 2022

    overall5food5service4ambience5

    Best Indian food in Boston!

    Report
26. CT

    ChristineT

    New England

    1 review

    vip
    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 5, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Delicious food in a nice outdoor setting!

    Report
27. MI

    MITprof

    New England

    114 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    114 reviews

    Dined on June 3, 2022

    overall3food3service3ambience2

    Always good Indian food in a clean hospitabl environment. Good location for pre-theatre dining.

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28. L

    Lex83

    New England

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on June 2, 2022

    overall4food4service3ambience3

    The food was excellent. The servcie and atmosphere were good. I would rate service and atmosphere very good except that as the result of COVID there continues to be a brisk (good for them!) take out business and that detracts a bit from the ambience and attention of staff. But we would defininitely go back. Great location in the South End and near Theater.

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29. AS

    AlexS

    New England

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on May 27, 2022

    overall4food4service4ambience5

    The food was great, the setting is nice, and the staff was polite and efficient. I’ll definitely return for more food in the near future.

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30. SC

    SamC

    West Palm Beach

    3 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on May 16, 2022

    overall4food5service5ambience4

    Worth the cost of Uber from our hotel. Very authentic Indian cuisine.

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31. N

    Neha

    New England

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on May 8, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Definitely a must try! The samosas are delicious and the expresso martinis are great

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32. MI

    MITprof

    New England

    114 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    114 reviews

    Dined on May 5, 2022

    overall4food4service3ambience3

    Always excellent food

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33. F

    Finedyne

    Washington DC

    106 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    106 reviews

    Dined on May 5, 2022

    overall1food1service1ambience1

    The waitress was atrocious. She was rude, bossy, lazy, late with everything. Insisted that we tell her whether we wanted each and every dish, “mild, medium or hot.“ Even raita had to be specified such. Never mind that when we got our food, all of it was absolutely tasteless. Any of it would’ve been helped by a “hot“ rating instead of the non-flavor. The absolute worst of it was that the dining room has an opening to the kitchen for pass-through carry out and delivery orders. There was a constant stream of people picking up dishes through a ver small (hot) room. We were subjected to the whistling of one of the kitchen workers. Someone please tell this person that whistling sounds good only to the whistler. When we pointed out to the waitress that we had been waiting an excessive length of time for our check, she threw her trainee under the bus. She said oh, my new worker. I interrupted her and told her that if she was training her, it was her own responsibility to see that it got done and not to blame it on someone who didn’t know how to do it. When one of our party asked for her name, she informed us that giving her name was not allowed. What a joke. It was right on the check! But Nona me waitress was not giving it out! When she realized we wanted her name to write a review, she changed her tune and became civil, but that was too late. I will never, ever go back to this restaurant.

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34. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 3, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    The only downside to our meal was that we got too full to finish all the delicious food! Would absolutely return!

    Report
35. MH

    MicaeleH

    New England

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 23, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Great service and delicious authentic Indian food!

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36. B

    Bostonphotobill

    New England

    225 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    225 reviews

    Dined on April 21, 2022

    overall4food5service4ambience4

    Food and service are great. Parking terrible due to street construction.

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37. J

    Josephine

    New England

    25 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    25 reviews

    Dined on April 17, 2022

    overall5food5service4ambience4

    The first time dine here. The food was really good, it was beyond my expectations. The service was a little slow. Would like to come back again

    Report
38. t

    theaterlover

    New England

    8 reviews

    4.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on April 16, 2022

    overall4food4service5ambience4

    Delicious food in a comfortable atmosphere with exceptional service. The naan is fantastic.

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39. SC

    SarahC

    London

    14 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on April 12, 2022

    overall5food5service4ambience5

    Great Indian food but the service wasn’t great.

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40. O

    Overthehill

    London

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on April 9, 2022

    overall5food5service4ambience4

    Lovely fresh dishes - choice of heat offered for sauces (UK visitors might want to go for the spicier option as we found the medium very mild but still tasty) Tables for 2 are small so it’s difficult to fit the dishes on and tables are close together.Very busy on Saturday night and the tiny space could have done with more ventilation to feel comfortable. Would definitely recommend but probably for a take-out.

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