I visited Mela last week for lunch with coworkers. They do a buffet-style lunch for $9.95. According to the website, the selection changes daily. The day I visited, I believe there was Chicken Tikka, some kind of Pakora, Palak Paneer, some kind of veggie dish with mushrooms and chick peas, beef meatballs and another dish I can't remember. An ok variety, but it would be nice to have more. I liked the pakora and the chicken tikka the best. We also had naan (because how could you not?) The restaurant is contemporary and nicely decorated, but the tables are super close to each other. There was one other party (of 2) in our area and our waiter sat the four of us directly next to them in the corner. So we had to squeeze in and out between the two tables and wait for the inside person to sit first. Plus, we all had coats and bags so it was tight. i think I saw about five different employees running around during our visit and the restaurant was not even half full. The overall experience was ok. I'd go back to experience different buffet dishes. read more

We love grabbing Mela for dinner. There is a great vegetarian selection and the price point is low compared to most other restaurants in the South End. It's a staple in our takeout routine. read more

Had the Sunday lunch/brunch buffet here-- it was around $15.00 with tax/tip, which was a bit pricey for an Indian lunch buffet, but still decently priced (maybe because I had just gotten back from Europe) They had a diverse selection of foods out, including samosas to start and a variety of the spinach and cheese, some veggies, goat, and chicken tikka masala. The food was decent-- but the best thing that Mela has is their naan. I found their garlic naan to be delicious, and probably some of the better naan I've had. It was a bit thick, but the fact that it was fresh and fluffy made it awesome. Also, I am a huge sucker for chai tea, and Mela happened to have it-- unlimited. Would like to try this place out for dinner, as I would think that it would be pretty good, and the dishes would be much fresher! read more

Nice quiet joint in the south end. The portions are good size and service is great. However, if you like your food with a bit more flavor or spice, this place is not the place. Tried chicken vindaloo and lamb sag. read more

This is solid Indian food - well presented and tasty. The decor is nice as well. In fact, it reminds me a lot of Kebab Factory, except that Kebab Factory has grains and beans in the table, and this place doesn't. I ordered the beef saag, and we got the onion kulcha and the peshawari naan. I would say that the bread was quite exceptional, and the saag was good. It is rather rare that the bread impresses me more than the rest of the food, but for some reason it did in this case. And I'm not often a fan or naan or kulcha - a lot of places do it wrong. The Peshawari naan, however, was divine. Recommended. It came to around $50 for two people, although there was probably enough food for three (we ordered two dishes and two breads. read more

I was a little skeptical at first, wondering how authentic a pristine and modern Indian place on Tremont could be, but I was happily surprised during the weekend brunch. It is a bit pricier than the Somerville places I regularly go to (Kebab Factory, Namaskar, Diva), but the ambiance is definitely more unique. The serving ware is very modern looking, and the inside is mostly white, with accents of bright textures decorating the walls. It's a small space with a small buffet spread, but there are a good number of items. The salad selection was very fresh and featured a lot of fruit, which was nice. they also had sambar soup, which not every buffet has. The warm dishes were the standards like saag paneer, chicken tikka masala, etc, but they all had a lot of flavor and spice. Most importantly, I didn't get the post-MSG stupor that I usually get. Water is refilled quickly, and dishes are cleared as soon as you're done. It was a nice change, and I liked that it's so accessible. read more

A wonderful place. Before this whole virus thing, I would go there often for aloo chole and poori, and it would always be wonderful. Mr. restaurant owner: since I won't be able to dine-in for around a month, would you please share what spices you use for aloo chole? Thanks! read more

Came in on Friday night at 5:30 and was seated immediately. The service was attentive and the vegetarian menu for 2 was more than my friend and I could eat. Two bowls of soup, two veggie samosas,naan, raima, two entrees of your choice, two desserts of your choice, coffee and tea all for $35 is RIDICULOUS (in a good way) especially by South End standards. All of the food was fresh and delicious. The decor was quiet and inviting. I'll be back. read more

A few of us from work decided to go for the lunch buffet. The buffet is $10 per person and is served from around 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm. This may sound strange, but I didn't really know what the dishes were, but they all tasted good. There were veggie turnovers and some really great chicken dishes as well as some tasty meatballs. I enjoyed sampling the various items and the garlic naan that was brought to the table. The restaurant itself is beautifully decorated with flowing curtains, immaculate white furniture and an interesting metal wall sculpture. It is small, but comfortable and there is a small bar area on one side. The only strange thing is that it was around 1:30 pm when we went for lunch and we were the only ones in the place. The servers seemed reluctant to pay any attention to us and there were about 10 servers hanging around with just the four of us dining. I will definitely be back for another round at the buffet! read more

Thank you, Yelp, for helping me find this little gem. The chicken korma was very good and filled with spices, even my mild version. My friend had the butter chicken, which also comes highly recommended. The only complaint I had is that no one paid attention to me when I first arrived, which was a bit awkward as I waited in the teeny entryway for my friend to arrive. read more

Went with a group and they did a nice job of seating us as we trickled in as opposed to the wait-til-everyone-has-arrived mentality so many places abide by. (It's the little things, folks.) Our table overflowed with delicious food, leaving us all stuffed. And with still more food in a doggy bag for the next day! My Beef Vindaloo was amazing. They ask for each entree if you want it mild, medium or hot and let me tell you, the hot vindaloo lived up to expectation. My fellow diners kept their tastes of the dish to a nibble for that reason. Several kinds of Naan and the Veggie Samosas were also super tasty. In the end, the bill seemed small for the amount of food we ate - always a pleasant surprise. However, the service was only okay. Our waitress didn't rush us, but there were times when she couldn't be found for ages. (Come on lady, I ordered that dish HOT. Need. More. Water.) Also, our group was decreased by one due to illness and she seemed perturbed we sat there with an empty chair for 10 min before letting her know. What can I say? We had to catch up! Didn't realize you were so anxious. They don't have valet at the front door, but you can use the valet across the street at Aquataine. Not obvious, so I'm glad I called ahead and asked. Will be back for more! read more

I LOVE this place! Been here a few times out to eat and also done take out; their service is really good (always accommodating and get to you right away) and the food takes like, 10 minutes to make. I think their prices are way too much but since their portions are big i recommend splitting something; I love the shrimp masala... it is my favorite! Also their Saag Paneer is really good, too. All very delicious and the best Indian place in South End for sure! read more

This is for the lunch buffet. I've gone to a couple indian buffets and this one though wasn't the biggest was quite tasty especially for the price. The garlic naan was great there. They had about 6 different entrees and rice. All them the normal dishes like a spinach paneer dish, tandoori chicken, some type of lentil curry, beef korma, chicken tikka, etc etc. Overall for 10 bucks you can't really complain. The service is prompt and attentive. I don't think my water even got half way down (borderline annoying but better than being empty all the time). read more

The only reason this is getting 3 stars instead of 2 is because we met an awesome couple there (Aaron and Stephanie!) sitting next to us.... The decor was great, but I don't eat decor...unless it's edible, of course. The service was great...the prices were reasonable...however, the "runs" weren't. Sorry folks. Both my husband and I suffered from major IBS FIF(from Indian food) on Valentine's day night. Dan actually threw up. The romance was boiling over that night! And by romance I mean shit. If it means anything, the food as delicious on the way in. I will likely try this place again because I love to torture myself...and I love Indian food. read more

Defiantly one of the top Indian restaurants around Boston area . Very clean and relaxed atmosphere: Nice lamps hanging on the ceiling. Curtains soft up the conner. Contemporary Metal Wall show off it's character across the curtains which gives a mixed taste. Wicker chairs are comfortable to fit yourself in. Waiters were very well mannered. They asked if the curtain need to be closed or open. They checked if you need water and time. Food were very well prepared and delicious. Garlic Nan was one of the best I had. It reminded me the Nan I had in Kebab factory in Cambridge. It's just right, not too soft and not too crispy. The coconut curry chicken smelled very good and tastes even better. Rice was very well cooked. Two Thumbs up! P.S. The bathroom trash can is over-rated since you have to press a button for it open automatically. read more

Probably the best lunch buffet I have ever had. All you can eat of WONDERFUL Indian food for 14 bucks. This is a can't miss

I work around the area and I couldn't resist that smell of curry in the air. I ordered meat samosas and they were great along with the different spices on the side. Only 4 stars because I haven't tried more.. yet! read more

My favorite indian food in Boston. They are great when it comes to accommodating special requests and the lunch buffet is a great deal. My only knock is that they cook all the rice in margarine. Margarine: the condiment that is one molecule away from plastic. No rice for me, thanks. read more

V bad food. I ordered delivery of chicken biryani and it was the worst food I have ever had. It was old rice mixed with some frozen veggies and some chicken pieces were added to it. The dish was absolutely horrible. Also the yogurt was put on top of the hot dish so instead of being cold it was warm. Disgusting! This was my first time and will be my last time to order food from here. read more

There is good reason why this place has 4 stars out of 5 with the number of reviews it has. Service: Amazing! Food: I ordered the Chicken Vindaloo. The chicken was so tender that I could use a fork to knife it effortlessly. The best Chicken Vindaloo I've had up to date. My friends ordered the Chicken Masala, the beef, and Tandoor Chicken. All dishes received verified passes by my brown friends. I definitely recommend this place. :) read more

I had been wanting to try Mela for the longest time but had been postponing my food adventure for a while, which I regret because Mela is so good! Well, their recent LivingSocial deal gave me that little push so I made a 7pm reservation for a couple girlfriends and I on a Friday night. We arrived right on time and were immediately seated at the far corner or the restaurant away from the cold breezes that would rush through the entrance. The tables began to fill up rather quickly, and not too much longer there was a crowd of people waiting at the door. The restaurant is not that big so if you unfortunately happen to get seated at a table adjacent to the door, you'll probably have people standing over you watching you and your party scarf down the delicious food. However, people, have no shame! We ordered Butter Chicken, Seekh Kebabs, Chicken Tikka Masala, Palak Paneer, Raita, and 2 orders of Garlic Naan. Of course they came with enough basamati rice to soak up the sauces in every bite. They were all extremely flavorful and delicious. The butter chicken and chicken tikka masala tasted very similar, however, the chicken in the butter chicken was more tender. The naan came out hot and fresh. The service at Mela is excellent. Our waters were constantly being filled and we were checked on an appropriate amount of times, even considering how busy the place was. Also, I had ordered Peach Bellinitini cocktail (which was really good) but the server had misheard my order and returned with another another -tini drink, which did not taste like peach, nor was it remotely good. Though it'd be left untouched the entire night, he let me keep the drink and brought out the correct one with no problem. Dine at Mela if you want some good food with good service in a nice atmosphere. But don't expect this place to be the one for your quiet romantic outing on a Friday night. Even though the walls are warmly decorated, the tables/chairs are relatively close together and you might have to speak up a bit to hear the one sitting right across from you. read more

I've had it with Mela. The food is great, but delivery sometimes takes 90-120 minutes which is unacceptable as we are well within driving distance. This means the food is tepid or cold when it shows up, and not fresh at all. When you call, they always say "the driver is on his way" but come on... just outsource to grub hub or something. Very frustrating because they know what they're doing in the kitchen, but not on execution. Hopefully the Boston area gets some competition in this space! read more

Bleh! The first time we went for a buffet a few weeks ago it was really good. This past weekend, many dishes were cold. They somehow managed to mess up the tandoori chicken! I mean, come on! But the chole-batura, dosas and gulab jamuns were great. Chicken curry was nice too but nothing special. The odd thing is the first time we went close to closing time and food was warmer. read more

I've never had food that tasted like this before! Mela got an easy five stars after my first few bites. I had the Malai Kofta and it was absolutely incredible. It was made with vegetable balls and "exotic spices" in a unique cream sauce. Let me tell you it was certainly exotic and delicious. The naan was also warm and fresh and the basmati rice had a perfect texture and was a nice complement to the meal. Another aspect that made Mela memorable was the excellent service. The waitstaff was very attentive without being overly intrusive. I feel like that's a bit of an art form that few waiters are able to attain. Our waiter was also very knowledgeable of the menu and was able to suggest dishes and translate for us. These guys have awesome, professional service from the moment you walk in the door. It should be mentioned that Mela is located in a rather small space. They cram a lot of patrons into the restaurant and you're likely to be sitting very close to other guests. This place may not be the best restaurant for diners looking for a more quiet and private atmosphere. Other than that, Mela is top notch. read more

Girl buys Rue La La groupon for Indian Restaurant. Girl forgets she has said groupon until 2 weeks before it expires... its like a free dinner, right? Mela is solid Indian food. The portions are generous and delicious. B and I started with the vegetarian platter, which gave you an ample tasting framework of all of India's glorious fried goodies - samosa, onion bhaji, and some other tasty treats. They were laid out on a platter with dipping sauces, but I would have appreciated the dipping sauces being in some sort of separate container rather than spilled onto the plate. For dinner we had palaak paneer (our old standby to judge every Indian restaurant we ever visit) and the dish that is fried balls of deliciousness in a masala/korma sauce (name is escaping me and the Mela site is down to check). Plus basmati rice, and we had more than enough. I insisted on Peshawari Naan as well, and it did not disappoint. It was less sweet than in other restaurants which B was happy with. Mela has a super cute interior, and we were seated right by the window, which has pretty sparkly cushions as a window seat. We could see the comings and goings of the South End without the wait for an outdoor table at Stephi's. The staff packs you in there pretty tightly, getting to the restroom was a bit of an obstacle course, but all was fine. As a nod to its all Indian staff, they have a bowl of the candy-covered anise seeds for when you leave for breath freshening. I don't eat the stuff, but B said it was awesome. Will definitely have to try it again. read more

Our go to for weekend brunch- all you can eat buffet. The food is better than any other Indian places in Boston. Shanti is a close 2nd. Servers are attentive and always friendly. read more

I was very impressed with Mela. Their food is just a tad better than most other Indian restaurants I have tried in the Boston area. Their saag was a bit more garlicky, their vindaloo more flavorful. They also have some non-traditional dishes on their menus such as seafood, beef and even a duck dish. We ordered their dinner for "two". Really its more like dinner for 4 or 6, or leftovers for 2 more meals for 2. It came with soup, samosas, 2 dishes from their curry's menu, a tandroori mixed grill plate, dessert and tea/coffee all for $45. Everything was excellent except the tandoori was a tad dry. Service was very attentive and friendly. Looking forward to returning. read more

Arrived on Saturday evening without reservation and we barely had to get 30 minutes to get a table. Fast yet efficient and helpful staff Great food Will definitely repeat read more

Mela has friendly customer service. The chicken salad is exquisite along with being a savory meal. The food is delicious. read more

Mela Modern Indian Cuisine - Indian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The restaurant is decorated nicely. The service was a bit slow to begin with, but it soon picked up its pace. The eggplant vegetarian dish and the spicy garbanzo bean vegetarian dish was delicious. A friend and I got the meal for 2 for $35 which came with samosas, rice, naan, tea or coffee, and a dessert for each of us. I was so full by the end. The food was delicious. I wish the waitress had taken us more seriously when we asked for spicy, she kept repeating medium, but we wanted spicy, it came out with a little kick to it, but I could have handled it a bit spicier. read more

Definitely impressed with this place. The food looked and tasted very authentic and very good! The service was spot on, the space was comfortable, and the prices were more than reasonable. But it was more than just these things. Mela was spot on with the little things too. - Mela has a small coat check right at the front, and they were happy to hang up our coats for us upon arrival. This was nice, considering the number of restaurants I've recently been to that have no place to put your bulky winter coat. - Before ordering anything, we were treated to a small cup of their ginger soup. It was rich and spicy and delicious. A nice way to start off the meal. - They were very accommodating with food allergies. There was a sign posted in the dining area stating that customers should alert their server to any dietary restrictions. My server was very knowledgable of the ingredients on the menu, and was able to help me choose a dairy-free entree. My recommendations would be the Aloo Tikka Appetizer (fried potato pancakes) and the Chicken Vindaloo entree. Both were delicious, generously sized, and reasonably priced. All in all, a great experience and I hope to return here again someday! read more

So, I was looking for something tastey for lunch and remembered seeing a GroupOn for Mela and since I was in the area I decided to give it a try... I should add that this was my second time trying Indian food... I came in figuring I would try the Lunch Buffett and I was definitely glad that I walked in! I had the garlic nan, Baingan Bhartha (eggplant), and the Chicken Tikki Masala. The meal was delicious and the waiter was very helpful! A great lunch...would go back again! read more

We have had two wonderful experiences at Mela so far. We went at the recommendation of a friend of Indian descent - she said the food tasted like food her mother would make. Having spent a month living in India myself, I have to concur. The food was delicious and the service was impeccable. We first went for dinner, using a Groupon. The food came out right away, the spice level was just as requested, and the servers were extremely professional. We also loved the ambiance of the place - it is very romantic and elegant. The second time, we tried their lunch buffet. It was great - way better than I expect from a lunch buffet. Large selection of dishes - three protein dishes, four vegetarian dishes, appetizers, soup, fruit, dessert... Everything was delicious. Milder than you get at dinner when you can adjust the heat to your personal taste, but that is to be expected at a lunch buffet. The daal (lentils) were some of the best I've ever had. As an added bonus, they give you a fresh serving of the naan of your choice! Also, as a pleasant surprise, the host recognized us from dinner the previous week. He was so gracious and kind. Mela is definitely going to be a part of our ongoing rotation of restaurants! read more

Positives - interesting choices on the buffet like big samosas, fish pakoras, chole bature, small dosas, and other items - good service - nice decor - food was not oily as many places can be Negatives - would like more flavor in food - felt cramped inside - $14 per person for an indian buffet is ridic priced especially because the food was not spectacular read more

Got a reservation on friday afternoon and though they had mixed up the reservation when we got there they seated us in no time! The place has a very interesting decor with copper panels on 1 wall and intricate Indian wood carvings on several others. There are several hanging glowing orbs that provide light over the tables. There is a selection of several Indian cuisine themed cocktails but we didn't try any. Service was prompt and polite and within 20 minutes of placing our order we were dining. We enjoyed a contempary curry vegetable dish with asparagus and artichoke, as well as 2 more traditional dishes which were Savage paneer and lentils. The food was well prepared and well seasoned. Portions were moderate in size. Overall a great experience and a restaurant I will be adding to my standards in the south end. read more

I came here on a Sunday for their weekend lunch buffet with a group of my friends. It was $13 for all you can eat Indian food plus made to order garlic or plain Naan. We were greeted with a big smile and the service was excellent throughout the whole meal. I'll start off by saying this is the cleanest Indian restaurant I've been to. All the plates and tableware were spotless and had no greasy residue on it at all. The watermelon juice was very refreshing and was perfectly sweetened, if at all. I tried many of the dishes and all of them were decent. here are my thoughts! -The pani puri was average. Nothing spectacular compared to some of the stuff I had before. -The goat curry had a very flavorful sauce with tender pieces of meat, but some pieces were large and dry--the chunks of goat without bone. -The chicken Tikka Masala was very flavorful but being made with all white meat so some pieces were dry. -The tandoori chicken was average and could use a little more spice in the marinade as well. -The fried chicken pieces were very good. Crunchy and battered with a nice spiced chickpea flour -the vegetarian dishes were greasy, but had a nice flavor profile to it. Overall, I feel that the Indian food here is a good balance and easy on the stomach. It is just spicy enough to please everyone but not catered towards those looking for 100% authentic Indian food. I will definitely be back! read more

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I'd gladly give this place a 5, but....let's start from the unhappy end. The service was very very bad on the Friday night I invited my friends to go try out this "new chic indian restaurant in the South End" with RESERVATION made, and ended up waiting 1:15 hours for the table. 1:15! Apparantly this was a new management; they looked rather daunted by the amount of crowd and had given away RSVP tables to walk-ins earlier. If it weren't for the frigid cold weather that night, we would've easily walked out to any other restaurant on Tremont St. We were all so mad and hungry. Service was slow. After standing 85 minutes we finally sat down; still, waited 10 minutes until someone came to give us some water. Even more hungry and searingly mad. Then the food came. Anger and hunger what? who? where? The food here was absolutely delicious, plentiful, and inventive. Now that our satisfyingly indulged tummies conquered over our emotions, we started appreciating the intimate interior setting. We sat next to a large French window inside this cute nice restaurant. Reminded so much of the hidden dining gems in the Village down in NYC. Oh yeah, the price mirrored those in that city too. But it was well worth the food, and I came to understand why people linger in here long past their meals. Would totally recommend the restaurant, but maybe want to go during lunch or less busy nights. Hey at least the story has a happy ending. Wouldn't want it the other way around. read more

The food was great, and the setting was really nice. We were sat by the window to the street, and they were great about clearing our plates and making sure we had a clean one every time we went up for more food. I wish the service was a bit more attentive - we had to get up to order a soda, get more water, and to get the check. read more

Two stars because they have a Vegetarian meal for 2 for $35 (Meat is $45) which includes soup, app, 2 veg curries, rice, naan, and desert. Not a bad deal. We got palak paneer and gobhi charci, both were very salty. Samosas were good and the naan was fine. Service was ok.... Overall very blah for South End cuisine. read more

Dining room is nice, the staff is friendly. Food was good. Tandoori tends to be a bit dry, and although most of the meat was, the chicken was fantastic. We had the non-vegetarian meal for two ($45) and it was more than we could eat. A soup each, meat samosas (dry), tandoori with mixed meats, but no veggies, big bowl of basmati rice, two curry entrees and two desserts. Soup was delicious and the seafood masala was wonderful. Naan is the size of an elephant's ear. Everything was pleasing and the timing was relaxed (although I would consider it slow if we had somewhere to be). The only disappointment was that one of the waiters dripped sauce on my shirt while clearing the table, but didn't tell me about it. It was brought to my attention later by a friend. Personally, I find this to be rude. Granted, we all make mistakes, but at least tell me about it (and maybe offer to comp my glass of wine for the dry cleaning expense). I'd recommend Mela to a friend if they were looking for reasonably-priced Indian. read more