Mela on Tremont Street has been open since 2006 and after one visit it is very easy to understand why it has stood the test of time. Whether you are a student, a local or just someone in the South End and Back Bay area looking for good affordable Indian food in Boston, this place consistently delivers. Worth mentioning upfront for students -- Mela offers the weekday lunch buffet for $11.99 with a valid student ID, available through March 2026. The regular weekday buffet is $14.95 and the weekend buffet is $17.95. For a full Indian buffet in the South End Boston that is genuinely one of the better deals you will find in the city right now. The ambiance was warm and inviting, the kind of place that feels comfortable the moment you walk in. The owners were friendly and you could tell they genuinely take pride in what they do. We started with the aloo tikki chaat which was really well done. The balance of spice and sweetness was spot on and the depth of flavor made it feel thoughtfully prepared. It is one of those dishes where every bite feels complete and it set the tone for everything that followed. The mango lassi was just as good. Thick, rich and satisfying without being overly sweet. It felt authentic and filling, not the watered down version you sometimes get at other places. For the main we went with the vegetarian dinner for two which is one of the best value options on the menu at this South End Indian restaurant. It comes with soup, two gravies, basmati rice, naan, raita and two desserts, so you get a full and complete meal rather than just a single dish. We chose the malai kofta and saag paneer. The malai kofta was the standout, creamy, rich and deeply flavorful in a way that genuinely reminded us of food in India. The saag paneer had a fresher and lighter taste that balanced the richness of the kofta perfectly. The naan came out hot from the tandoor, soft and slightly doughy, and worked beautifully with both gravies. Everything on the table felt cohesive and well thought out. The desserts were the highlight of the whole meal. The malai kulfi is made in house and you can taste exactly why that matters. Rich, smooth and perfectly sweet. The gulab jamun came out warm and soft enough that it melted the moment it hit your tongue. Both were outstanding and the kind of ending that makes you want to come back just for dessert. If you are a student at Northeastern, BU, Berklee or Emerson looking for affordable Indian food near campus, Mela is exactly the kind of place you want in your regular rotation. The student buffet deal alone makes it worth knowing about. Between the food quality, the warm atmosphere and the strong vegetarian friendly options at this affordable Indian restaurant in Boston, it is easy to see why this place has lasted nearly two decades. We featured our visit on Instagram @bostonvegeats where we cover the best vegetarian and vegan friendly spots around Boston and Mela earned its spot on the page without question. read more

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Another great Indian buffet experience! Hearty flavors, appropriate saltiness and spiciness, and minimal greasiness. The goat in the Goat Curry was amazingly tender. Their lunch buffet is only on weekdays from 11:30-3, $14.95/person. Show your student ID for an additional 20% discount! What a steal, recommend for sure read more

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The worst food ever I had. I don't know why they add tamarind chunks in chicken biryani. And the most thing is this is not a biryani, it a mixture of boiled chicken, fired white rice with oil. I suggest never visit this place for biryani. read more

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Mela was incredibly good, with both a great dine in service, but also a fantastic delivery program too. After I've been wanting to try Mela for months, I was finally able to order out some food and it did not disappoint. We had the garlic naan which was warm, soft, and flavor-packed; the Chicken Tandoori which was a huge portion; and the Paneer Makhni which was the star of the show. The Paneer was incredible and I cannot wait until I get to have this again. I am looking forward to trying more dishes from here! read more

Mela - Indian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Not as great of an experience as the first time. 1) Picked up a plate and there was food crusted on the bottom... and a couple plates after that. 2) Too many servers and manager roaming around to the point where it actively blocked walkways multiple times. They were good about clearing plates but not refilling waters. Still really enjoyed the goat curry, rice pudding, dessert balls (forgetting the name)! The chai is not very sweet but you can add more sugar. read more

This is a small little restaurant on Tremont street, down a few blocks from Back Bay train station. The buffet on a weekend was $18 per person and has an adequate enough variety. They offered garlic naan upon seating and it is included in the buffet. I'm not sure if refills are allowed or not, we didn't not ask for more. Nothing stood out as particularly good or bad...it's about what you'd expect for $18 per person Indian buffet. The offering is definitely not going to be remotely close to the variety and quality of a place like Godavari that costs about $25 per person...but given the choice, I'd pick Godavari. It was still good to try a smaller local place, though. Parking was very touch on Tremont street. Many were either short term 10-15m max limit or just not available. We had to park several blocks away. The staff were friendly, but interaction was extremely limited. The place looked clean enough, too. read more

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I like how the plates were meant to be shared. I thought the main dish were flavorful, but the chicken was honestly pretty dried. I was able to add chicken to the Gobhi Charchi for the same price as the chicken tikka masala. The vegetarian appetizer platter was a miss...flavorless and mushy and tasted like it was straight from frozen. The space was small, servers were quick and friendly. I really did enjoy the flavor of the Gobhi Charchi, I think I try to come back and try other protein options though. read more

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The décor is lovely, one of the nicer interiors in an South Asian restaurant that I've experienced. The feeling is a little cramped though, I don't like being this close to other diners. They clearly cater to Gora clientele, the food is a little mild for my tastes. Prices are fair for the area and the classy atmosphere, an easy bus ride from downtown hotels. read more

Mela - Indian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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First time trying this place, and overall, it was a mixed experience. The tadka daal and butter chicken were flavorful, and the goat curry was tender. However, the non-veg platter was disappointing--dried and rubbery. We mistakenly received naan, thinking it came with the entrees, but were charged $4 for it, which seemed excessive. Staff were mostly friendly and we had to ask them to refill our waters. read more

Mela - Indian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

We went for the weekday buffet which was an excellent deal, especially in Boston. The food was average and not amazing, but a good price for quantity. There was enough vegetarian variety, and we overall enjoyed the experience. The buffet area was cozy, there was no wait time, and service was great. read more

Mela - Buffet - Indian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Further to my review in July, I have since been totally satisfied with their service. My old review was a hiccup and a little bit early with my impatience and nervousness. As I have said elsewhere, Riley Fitzgerald is the salesman I interfaced with for the whole project. He was amazing and scheduled the project and completed almost a month earlier than previously promised. On that very day, 4 or 5 gentlemen came in and finished with speed and diligence and cleaned up the place so clean that one could not predict if anything happened there ! They were very friendly, and if I can squeeze some politics in here, they were from the south of the border and what's being done to them is very unfair. read more

Honestly, a hidden gem in Back Bay and maybe my second favorite Indian place I've been to of all time (I've been to quite a few along the east coast too) Veggie pakora (8/10): the vegetable were well seasoned and warm, pairing super well with the tamarind sauce and mint (?) chutney that was complementary. Personally, I like my pakora batter a little flakier, less heavy, so I was expecting something less heavy so I could have more room for the main entree, but it was still amazing. Eating a couple of these would make me as full as having one samosa (but I could have more of these so that's a plus) Goat korma (10/10): literally SO tender, juicy, fatty, gamey, meaty, all in the right proportions. there was a good amount of goat in my bowl, so do not be fooled when you see a ton of curry hiding it all. I love goat bone-in because those cuts are usually my favorites of goat, but Mela does a fantastic job of not skimping on portions and giving you more goat than bone itself. I asked the waitress for hot as possible, and for me, it was pretty hot, but it could be hotter. nonetheless, still amazing. probably my new korma place in boston. lamb korma (8/10): my friend is a bit of a copy and got the same curry with different protein, ordered medium; I tried it, and it was great (goat is still superior). I didn't get the taste of medium hotness to it, but the lamb was so tender and fell apart in your mouth, it's hard to deny how great this dish was. garlic naan (not pictures, 9/10): so warm and fluffy! came out just in time with our curry. comes in 4 pieces. I feel like the garlic could've been incorporated better (it tasted like it was just brushed on), but maybe that was the best way. Still, so good, a must-have staple during any dinner. masala tea (not pictured, 6/10): I wanted to like this, because I love chai and I make it at home, but I feel like it was missing a signature punch. If you like a more cardamom/clove heavy spiced chai, this one has that taste but much lighter. It also came unsweetened so you can sweeten it yourself, which I thought was neat. I think what brings this review down is the fact that it was lukewarm when brought out. Gulab jamun (10/10): by the end of the dinner my friend and I were SO full but I love Indian desserts and had to get gulab jamun. When I tell you they were so fragrant and warm and soft, soaked in a deliciously sweet cardamom-rose syrup, I almost caved and got another. I could eat 5 plates of these if I hadn't eaten dinner. Service was great! The people are young and sweet; I had a lot of requests and questions and they answered with ease and sincerity. The restaurant is beautifully decorated, large enough to handle a small dinner party and intimate enough to take friends/family you haven't seen in a while or a date there. Will definitely be making the trek back to try their other desserts. read more

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I was pleasantly surprised how flavorful the food was here. Delicious! I wish there were comparable places out in the 'burbs where I live. The cocktail I had was excellent too (tamarind margarita). Seems to be popular for takeout/deliver too as there was a constant stream of bags leaving. read more

Delicious food. Kind staff. Wonderful night! We had a good time together as a family and the restaurant made sure to stay open a bit past their hours to accommodate us which was very considerate and we were very grateful! read more

Mela - We devoured our dishes - Indian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

With all the various awards on the windowpanes, you'd think the food would be excellent. However, the lackluster meal left me thoroughly dissatisfied with the experience. I give out a 1-star rating only ~2.4 % of the time, so you know to earn a 1-star, you must miss the target by such a wide margin, you don't hit the backstop. I haven't had food this bland while dining out in over five years. There were two things I did like: one was that the rice was cooked nicely, and two that the prices were reasonable. The half-portion of Tandoori chicken I ordered cost $13. This looks fine on the surface, but eating it made me not hungry yet gave me virtually no pleasure. To start this deserved lambasting: there is a tiny side salad of lettuce, tomato, and onion. The veggies themselves were fresh, but they had not been dressed (not even oil), and to add insult to injury, they weren't even salted. My mother taught me to eat my veggies, but salt brings out the flavor, and fat carries it. Without either, I might as well eat crisp wet paper! Then there was the disgrace carrying the name Tandoori Chicken. This chicken went wrong in every direction imaginable. First, despite the seemingly flavorful red coating, the marinade was so bland it might as well have not been there. Second, the tomato-based sauce provided on the side had a muted flavor lacking any oomph at all. Third, other than one tender drumstick, the meat was astonishingly dry. Fourth, especially being a person who does not like to eat with his hands, all but one were neither wing nor drumstick. Getting the meat off the bone was a wonky experience. The service was appropriately fast, and the location was small and cute. read more

Mela - Tandoori Chicken (half) - Indian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Not sure why the reviews are so low, this is a solid spot in a great location and indoors and outdoors seating options. The service was quick and friendly. We ordered the butter chicken which was a perfect balance of flavor, comfort and delight. The channa masala was super tasty was well. The rice fluffy and we were able to get extra rice as we went on our meal read more

We got Mela takeout for lunch one day. They don't have individual-sized entrees or bowls, so it's not a great place for takeout if you're looking for a quick meal with co-workers. Three stars is not a bad review in my book. Fortunately, we had tons of plates, napkins and utensils at the office to make the meal work logistically. All of the takeout containers are messy and oily; there was one major spill in the bag we got. In general, dumping a hot and oily curry dish into a small plastic container and then transporting it for any distance isn't a great idea. Mela doesn't label its vegan options, unfortunately. I shared a gobhi charchi ($15) which I assume is vegan by default. It was tasty but oily. The shahi bhindi ($18) I also assume is vegan by default. It was fine but nothing amazing. I wouldn't go out of my way for Mela. It's not memorable or different from any other North Indian restaurant. But it's not bad. read more

Mela - Gobhi charchi ($15), vegan by default. Pretty good, but slightly oily. - Indian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Excellent food. Reasonably priced and delicious. Highly recommended. Would definitely go again.

I had a lovely time visiting Mela with a friend. We each ordered a dish and so they brought us one giant cowl of rice to split. We also split some garlic naan. I had the lamb vindaloo, which was quite good though very tomato centric. I asked for it spicy and it was delightfully so. The garlic naan was very standard. I wouldn't call this the greatest Indian place in town or anything but it's definitely good and will satisfy your craving. read more

Mela - Meal - Indian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Mela's Sunday lunch buffet is still $14.95, however, there is no more juice at the buffet line. Sadness. They do instead have a milky tea, which, once sugared, is quite nice. The sambar soup was spicy. I think everything else was made mild for American taste and general buffet line consideration. New to the buffet line up were chicken samosa, Chinese style springrolls, and a dense mini savory donut labeled Medu Vada. I preferred the vegetable samosa over the chicken variant despite their far greater size. The goat in the curry was tender, the chicken in the tika masala rather tough. I always enjoy the large cheese cubes in the palak paneer. Definitely go with the garlic over the plain naan. They filled up over the lunch time hour, so reservations are recommended. For dessert, I took some of each: watermelon chunks, kheer, gulab jamun, and think I over did it with the almost bowlful of the rice pudding. read more

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I ordered online and the food was good with the exception of the garlic naan, which wasn't great. As I ordered take out, I can't comment on service or ambiance. read more

Love their lunch buffet! Lots of options for a reasonable price and everything is prepared really well. Naan (your choice of plain or garlic) comes included with the lunch buffet, but it took a while for it to come out for us. Their samosas are delicious and I really like their palak paneer as well. Pretty sure I'll be back often! Taste | 4 Atmosphere | 4 Presentation | 3 Service | 3.5 OVERALL | 4 read more

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I always enjoy a meal here and look forward to leftovers as well! The staff are very friendly and the restaurant itself has a cozy intimate vibe. The chicken curries and Saag paneer are tried and true favorites. read more

I've only gotten delivery from Mela and the food is consistently good. I'm not an Indian food connoisseur but I know what bad Indian food tastes like and Mela does not make bad Indian food. Everything we have ordered has been delicious. Some of my favorites are the garlic naan (a must order), chicken tikka masala, gobhi charchi, and the mango lassi. Pro tip: Add some white rum to the mango lassi to make a tropical cocktail. My wife and I like to get Mela when we're staying in but want to treat ourselves to a good meal. read more

This place came recommended by my girlfriend Ordered pick up, when I came back, the staff was waiting at the door and gave me my order before I even crossed the threshold. This is a first! They saw me coming up the street and brought it out to me as I approached. Ordered: chicken tika masala (medium spicyness) beef somosa garlic naan We started with the somosas, and they were honestly perfect, NOT oily or greasy, they were crispy, savory, and they came with 3 different sauces to dip them in. Naan was hot, garlic was clearly minced by hand, and everything you'd hope for CTM was flavorful, chicken chunks are very large, it does also come with free serving of rice, and was very tempting to keep dipping the naan into (even with the 3 other sauces present) Overall I was really pleased and will definitely be coming back. Amazing flavors and textures, they should be proud of their food. read more

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Food was delicious and reasonable price. Only thing is the ambiance - I felt the waiters kept trying to rush me out the door with every 15 minutes asking if they could clear my plate/glass. Usually most restaurants allow for an hour and half to dine in... by the time we left it wasn't even 1.5 hours and the restaurant was still only half packed for a Monday. It was an uncomfortable experience having them interrupt our conversations and meal and after the second time of asking to clear our plates when we were clearly not done, we got the hint that they wanted us out. read more

Beautiful atmosphere and great service. However, what holds this place back from five stars is that the quality of the food versus the price could not easily be justified, especially when other places do the same thing better and cheaper (although usually minus the atmosphere). Don't get me wrong, the food is more than good. The paneer was an awesome starter, extremely flavorful to the point it didn't really need the chutneys. Naan came out burning hot and delicious. I also got a lychee cocktail and it was great. The main dish is where it started to fall apart. I got malai kofta. The sauce was fine, but lacking in some extra 'umph' I couldn't quite place - it was very 1-dimensional. The koftas were also a lot less crispy on the outside than other places I've been to, which may just be a personal thing (they weren't mushy, just... not crisp). My overall conclusion is that I'd had pretty much the same, if not better and cheaper, at other restaurants. What keeps this from getting a 3 is that the atmosphere really did add to my experience, so if you're willing to pay a little extra just for that, I would recommend it. If you're planning on takeout, however, there are so many better options. read more

TLDR: love the lunch buffet. Have never had dinner here. Lunch has all your favorites and some. I love the little touches like a "condiments" bar with raita and other extras. Or the fact that you also get your choice of naan or garlic naan. There's also a section for some cha that hits the spot. Galub jamen (spelling?) also exists so you can have a traditional desert. Very happy with the lunch buffet and overall value! Wish it was a little spicier but I understand having to make the buffet portion more universal. read more

Mela - Indian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Was craving Indian food so ordered pickup for lunch on a Tuesday around noon and my order was ready for pickup within maybe five minutes! I ordered the Coconut Chicken Curry, which came with rice, and the Onion Kulcha, which included two in one order. Both were extremely filling and honestly could've been divided into two portions, but it was so good that I ended up finishing them in one sitting! Would definitely order from here again. read more

We liked the location, service, and the guidance with the menu. We had chicken soup, multi lentil soup, mixed grill and both samosas. We did not care for the mixed grill but it was not a let down. The samosas are not too thick like some at other places where that dough dominates. We would come back. read more

Very authentic Indian cuisine! Love coming here for the warm staff and consistent food quality! Great value for money too :). read more

Mela - Fried shrimp Fried Prawn Poori yummy - Indian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Quality Indian food at reasonable prices. Frequently go for the Chicken Korma and Peshawari Naan which have never disappointed! Have only ordered delivery, which has always been seamless, but hope to dine in soon. Highly recommend. read more

Mela is a solid Indian restaurant offering a very decent lunch buffet, and it is surprisingly affordable given its high-end South End location. Parking is challenging in this neighborhood, to put it mildly. Service was sadly a bit lacking during my recent Sunday lunch (water not refilled even once), but the food prepared in their open kitchen was on point. Dishes were creative and fresh, though more vegetarian choices would be appreciated. Overall, I give Mela high marks and would gladly return with friends or family. Well done! read more

15+ years of customer loyalty doesn't matter at Mela. We ordered 10 items, and 3 were missing. When we called, the manager made little effort to rectify the errors, and we did not receive a full refund for the missing items. Beyond the financial aspect, it was most disappointing that our long-term loyalty and generous tips, even on takeout orders, were completely disregarded. We have been loyal customers of Mela for over 15 years, even continuing to order takeout after moving further away. During COVID, we made it a point to leave generous tips, even for takeout orders, with our typical order around $100. My husband is Indian, and Mela has always been our go-to recommendation for Indian cuisine. Despite a few misses over the years, we always returned--until now. Last night experience was the tipping point. When we got home, we realized that our order was missing the poppers and the sauce that goes with the tandoori. I called, and the person I spoke with said they would refund us for the poppers and figure out something for the sauce. A few minutes later, we received a text with the updated bill, but only the poppers had been removed. As we were about to eat, my husband noticed we were also missing the raita. I called again, explained the issue, and expressed my frustration at having to call a second time for multiple missing items. Without any explanation I was put on hold. After two minutes, I hung up and called back, speaking to a third person. I explained everything again. The person could have cared less and only assured me that the manager would call us back. We then received another text stating the raita had been taken off the bill. When the manager called, my husband explained our disappointment and the recurring issues with our orders. He apologized but blamed a new kitchen staff member for the mistakes. This is not something that I would expect from the person who is in charge. He mentioned adjusting the bill, but we have yet to see a refund for the missing sauce. Not once did he acknowledge our loyalty or offer to make things right. Even when my husband mentioned we would no longer order from Mela. He showed no concern. I wish now what we had not left a $15 tip, charge that he should have at least offered to refund if our business was important. This lack of customer appreciation and failure to rectify repeated errors is deeply disappointing. The food at Mela has generally been good, but the service has let us down one too many times. Unfortunately, we will no longer be ordering from Mela or recommending it as a good Indian restaurant. read more

The food is consistently excellent as is the service. The new Buffet is truly welcomed and provides ample selection of food. Without doubt one of the best Southend Restaurants. read more

This place is incredible! The service is fabulous and the food is even better! Great location and atmosphere we will be back - also great for gluten free people as they fry in chick-pea batter! A favorite of the neighborhood :) read more

I was there last week and I loved their food and service. The staff is super friendly. It's hard for me to choose between Mela and Nirvana. Both are my favorite restaurants please try both! Love Indian food! read more

lovely place to have the most authentic indian food . Friendly staff, & the ambiance was top notch! dont forget to try their mocktails

Perfect spot for a date night. Affordable, comforting dishes and great service. The Mela dinner for 2 had generous servings of delicious food. Would definitely come back! read more

Mela - Indian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

One star taken off because the bathroom was so hot as if they were cooking the food in there. Everything is good and to standard and I loveeeee the garlic naan! Just the perfect flavor. My waiter was sympathetic and courteous when we explained the heat lol unfortunately there wasn't any outdoor seating but we were seated near an AC. Love this place! read more

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