Turned up at Mela on a Friday at 8pm without a reservation. Had to wait 25 minutes, but it was certainly worth it. My party of four girls ordered one of the 2 person dinners and a couple more pieces, and we were stuffed! Mela also has a mango drink that was simply divine.Total bill was around $80, which was very reasonable for the amount we ate. The staff was excellent, and predicted our every need before we had time to request (e.g. an extra place setting for an additional guest). Will definitely be returning. read more

Although there's no way that this could be called the best Indian restaurant in Boston, it is pretty great. The service is consistently good, the food is delicious, and it's a great spot for vegetarians. Mela Vegetarian Platter - no idea what the things on this platter actually are, but they are all delicious. My vegetarian friend and I decided to order this on a whim once, and now we always have to have it. Palak Paneer - better than most. The cheese cubes are firm and the spinach is creamy. Absolutely delicious. Garlic Naan - it's great, but no different than at other places. Mela is definitely a solid pick and will not disappoint. read more

I've been here numerous times for take out and am always satisfied with the quality of food. Today my fiance and I went for their lunch buffet, I must say I was very impressed. They had a very wide variety of dishes, fresh naan made to order, and fast service. One thing I would suggest to the owner is to have some directions for certain foods, like paani puri, I caught another group seeing how I put it all together and ate! Overall, I'll be back for the buffet, at $13 it's a great deal. read more

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Our experience was absolutely perfect at this restaurant. Good selection, great. Wine list, great. Ambience, lively and great. Service, spectacular. I had the Shahi Navratan Korma and it was as good as anything I've had anywhere for the style. Rich, spicy and loaded with flavor. Would totally go back! read more

Food here is pretty good but the service is horrible. I ordered delivery through app and one of the item showed up incorrect, so I told the app company and got a refund for that item. A few mins later the restaurant called me to express their frustration with me and yelled at me. Seriously read more

I went for lunch buffet which had very few options for what they charge. Since, it was a buffet and I didn't really enjoy the food. We didn't add any tip. The waiter came rushing outside and asked for tip and didn't leave us until we added the tip. And that's how I am never going to go again. read more

Nice location, but the niceties end there! The selection is poor, but if the items were done well, it would suffice. The goat curry is gamey... the garlic naan takes forever to arrive and puts a damper on the meal. The kheer (rice pudding) has no golden raisins (raisins period), no cardamom, no nuts, no authentic flavor.... buyer beware. read more

Food the other night wasn't very good, two and a half stars maybe. But the service and customer service were great. Our vegetarian appetizer sampler was incredibly salty, and we just didn't like the pakoras (which was just our preference, not crazy seasoning). The waiter noticed we left almost all of the pakoras on the plate, and at the end of the meal they actually comped us the app. Totally unexpected - we hadn't even mentioned the salty aspect to the aloo tikki and samosa since we're stupid wimps. We were very touched, and impressed. He also gave us some extra rice for our packed up leftovers. I've had the lunch buffet here a few times and was happy, so I was surprised the dinner food wasn't so great. My fiancee said the Daal Makhani was at best on par with the foil pouch version from Trader Joe's. She likes the TJ's version, but...it comes in a pouch. For $3. Not $12 or $13. The chicken tikka masala was dry, and while flavorful, wasn't very memorable. I think I'd be willing to go back, mainly to see if the food can live up to the customer service. I'm also a really big fan of other restaurants of theirs I've tried (Kashmir and Bukhara), so I'm hoping the other night was an aberration.... read more

After having been to several other restaurants with the same owners as Mela (Kashmir, Diva, Bukhara), I had high hopes for this place. The good: the atmosphere is very nice and the service was quite attentive and friendly. They also bring you a cup of delicious curried soup before your meal arrives. The naan was also very tasty. The bad: my chicken tikka masala just didn't taste like tikki masala. While the ingredients seemed high quality, the sauce tasted sour and really didn't meet my expectations. My date ordered chicken saag and it was pretty unremarkable as well. Perhaps we just didn't order the right dishes, but overall the food left something to be desired. read more

We really like this place. It's small and best on weekdays when they aren't too busy. We always order the dinner for two. Plenty of food and the opportunity to sample a variety of items. During the week, they bring you a little welcome munchie, though not on the weekends. Family friendly place too. read more

I visited from out of town and we came here with a groupon. The food was delicious. We each ordered a curry/entree dish and each were well portioned, coming with rice. We also ordered the samosa appetizer, which was a great way. They also have tons of Flavored Naan. Price was perfect for environment. Drinks were a little pricy, but the restaurant is decently upscale, so that makes sense. The restaurant is in two halves- a bar and a restaurant. They seat tables in the bar so it was a little cold and less intimate. If you were to make a reservation, I would recommend you request the restaurant room. Place is great for dates or small parties. read more

Thanks Yelp for steering us to this place while we were visiting Boston! We were greeted with the amazing scent of Indian food as soon as we walked in the door. Yum. The place is a bit cramped and was pretty crowded but we settled into a table in the corner. Our waiter was pretty good. He forgot about our tea but was very apologetic about it and got it out right away when we reminded him. My boyfriend and I got the vegetarian meal for two. It is a TON OF FOOD for the price. ($34, I think?). Two soups, two samosas, naan, rice, two veggie entrees (we got malai kofta and a dish with lentils... I forget the name), and two desserts. Malai Kofta was tasty. Not the best I've had, but definitely close. The lentils were phenomenal. Just spicy enough, perfect texture. Yum, yum, yum. One sad thing... you can only pick your desserts from the first 4 on the dessert menu. So just beware if you pick the meal for two. :-) Otherwise, YUM. So glad we went here. read more

Once upon a time if you wanted to eat Indian in Boston you had to go to the Back Bay, which is home to more curry houses than any other neighborhood. Fortunately a few years ago a successful local management company that owns several Indian restaurants in Boston opened Mela in the South End. Mela consistently cooks flavorful dishes at a reasonable price. Dinner including an appetizer, main dish and dessert (no drink or tip included) will cost $20.00 - $25.00 per person. However, if you are like me temptations like Samosas and Naan will lead you to order more than you can eat and result in bringing home extra food. Mela recently added a limited organic menu featuring locally sourced ingredients, which I have not tried but wanted to mention. I regularly order the Baingan Bhartha ($13) which is an eggplant main dish that makes my mouth water. If you do enjoy food spicy (no matter what you order) don't be afraid to say you want the food spicy or hot. All main dishes can be cooked mild, medium or hot... I consistently find the medium is not spicy enough for my liking and I think this is simply a practical business decision on Mela to keep their food more mild for the Boston residents. Mela is open for lunch as well as dinner and is relatively easy to get a table except during peak hours on weekends when a reservation are recommended. read more

Nothing memorable for me. Reminded me of why I don't like buffets.. even if it's $12 for brunch buffet, it felt like a bunch bunch of lukewarm leftovers. The food is all kind of warm, or cold, not hot. The garlic nan, which I was so excited about, turned out to be cold, thin, and tasteless. I will take quality over quantity. I didn't even end up eating anywhere near $12 worth, because it just wasn't that great. read more

My husband and I got the dinner for two option which came with an appetizer and a few different curries and naan as well as dessert. There was so much food which was great. I'm a sucker for naan and I didn't like the naan here. It didn't melt in my mouth like other naan I've had in the past. Their lamb coconut curry is BOMB. So good! The chicken tikka masala is ok. Overall the food was really good and I loved how cute the ambience is. read more

When I first came here a few years ago they had complimentary fresh watermelon juice on tap and great food. Last year they downgraded it to free mango nectar on tap with good food. Now it's no juices on tap without extra charge, and the food was decent at best. I will say though, the goat curry is fantastic. However, everything else here is just becoming mundane and has lost the allure and shine that I remembered. Such a simple thing: complimentary juice. I would approximate that as a fixed expense of about $1 per customer. I would honestly love to come back if they added back something like watermelon juice; but seeing the degradation of quality over time, it's painful and I will likely not be paying another visit. read more

This restaurant delivered to my work with on time ordering. Their Samosa Chat was delicious and filling. It was a light combination of veggies along with two samosas and sauce. I also had their eggplant Baingan bhartha which was good as well. It was hearty and was blended well with spices. They gave me a side of basmati rice and I had their mango juice which was a bit sweet but tasty. I will order again here. read more

I'm giving this place 5 stars for service and speed. Food is about 4. Boyfriend and I easily got a table on a Friday night, and within moments of being seated, were served complimentary tastes of chicken soup. It was phenomenal (but not to be confused with their chicken noodle soup, which is less than awesome), and will become a staple in our fridge come winter. Our waitress was incredibly attentive and kind, and our food came out faster than I thought possible. For starters, the naan is out of this world. While I'm no Indian food aficionado, I know a good naan. We tasted the chicken tikka masala, the chicken vindaloo, and the rogan josh, and were impressed with all of them. The raita was a lovely, crisp accompaniment. We also sampled the desserts--while the chocolate cake was alright, we definitely preferred the galub jamun and have come back several times just to savor those little orbs of pleasure. Overall, the prices are great, and we will definitely be returning for more lovely meals in a gorgeous setting. read more

Bought a buywithme coupon the other day and tried the place. My friend is a vegetarian and we ordered the okra and the eggplant. Both were good but the okra was by far the best along with the garlic naan. Will probably try it again some time when i'm around the area and craving Indian. read more

Mela is my favorite Indian restaurant, by far. I've been going there for the past year and a half (sometimes for takeout, sometimes to dine in) and have yet to have a negative experience. Yes, there will sometimes be a wait, and no, they will never ever be rude. These are the reasons why I love Mela: 1. Their food is rich, delicious, fragrant, well-seasoned, and always comes out piping hot. The chicken tikka masala is a must have, with fresh cardamom, thick sauce, and juicy chicken. Their food is always impeccably prepared and I can no longer go to cheaper Indian places because it's never as good! 2. The decor/ambiance is great 3. Their service is impeccable. I've never had a server who has been anything less than incredibly gracious and kind. They will always acknowledge you when you walk into the restaurant, and they are always attentive with the water glasses. EDIT: After going here regularly over the past 3 years, and ordering take out on many occasions, I'm taking away a star because their dishes are often inconsistent. While their food is really really good, when it's good, I've received some overly watery curries on more than one occasion, which is really unappetizing and unacceptable. Still love this place, but please don't water down your curries! read more

God, I love Mela. Atmosphere: Cute, sort of boutique vibe. Very softly lit with pretty tables and windows. Small enough to feel intimate but not so small that it feels crowded. Service: Very professional and polite. Aside from being attentive and fast, our server also was incredibly graceful when I made an idiot out of myself. I accidentally ordered the Jalfazi with meat in it, instead of the vegetarian one. I dug in, and when I realized there was pork, and I had ordered the wrong thing, the server immediately brought me the vegetarian version, and he actually apologized to me, even though he did nothing wrong. Then, we used a $10 coupon, and he said we could reuse it next time for our "trouble." (Meanwhile, it's my fault I ordered the wrong meal.) That's amazing service. Food: Always flavorful and very dependable. Nothing ever falls short. My favorites are the (vegetarian) jalfrazi, mulligatawny and aloo paratha. My boyfriend had the Tamarind Margarita, and it was a well-crafted mix of savory and sweet. Misc: Mela is also one of the more affordable options in the South End, and delivers. read more

Mela is the best Indian restaurant I've ever been to! I've been here a few times (for dinner only) because I can't get enough of their chicken tikka masala. I also love their chat papri (not spicy, but the spices they use are so memorable and cravable), the vegetarian samosas (the meat ones are good to, but maybe not the best I've ever had), and the shrimp saag. I thought the garlic naan was great - came out to our table warm and chewy. The last time I was there they brought us a free mushroom soup and I was blown away. I never would have thought to order it, but it was soo delicious that I will definitely order it the next time I go! Overall, the prices are great and the food is so tasty and there's always enough for leftovers so I will continue to return again and again! read more

I attended an end-of-semester dinner party here the other evening. This place has a lot going for it, but a few flaws gives it three stars. This place gets 5 stars for decor. It's gorgeous. Everything from the mood lighting to the framed photos of India is well done. I ordered the chicken korma and vegetable samosas. The samosas came out piping hot and were really good. No complaints there. We ran into some problems with our entrees. Usually at Indian restaurants, I'm fine ordering a medium heat version of a dish. My dish was delicious, but too spicy for my taste. Half way through and I was gulping water constantly. If I come back, I'll definitely order my dish mild so I can enjoy it even more. I docked some points for the price of the food. As some other people mentioned, I feel like the price for quantity is high. You are definitely paying a premium for the atmosphere and location of Mela. Service was ok. They were very diligent about some things, but not others. It took a while for the food to come out. I want to try to the lunch buffet which seems to be a better deal. read more

The two stars are for the food, which was pretty good. The service is what made my dining experiences here so disappointing. I'm not one to belabor service .. I don't need you to bend over backwards for me. My last time at Mela was just painful. Our server was obviously new and was covering a lot of tables. It took a long time for her to take our order, bring out the food, and then finally bring us the check. I'm understanding to the fact that she was probably new but can't really understand why no one came out to help her since there were other staff at the restaurant who looked like they could. There was a guy behind the bar (I think he was a manager), who never once came out to help despite the fact that he could see our waitress struggling. I don't know if he thought it was beneath him but it was extremely irritating. This place has a "bar" that can maybe fit two people, but it doesn't need a "bartender" or whatever he was doing during our entire dinner, especially considering no one was sitting at it and the restaurant was busy. read more

I'm no connoisseur but this is the best Indian food I have ever eaten. Excellent flavors and a nice variety of dishes on the buffet at lunch. Ambiance is clean and bright. It had a relaxed, laid back feel to it on a weekday. Decor is light, airy, and appropriate for the restaurant. read more

Curry Dinner special was really tasty and a lot of good food for 2 ppl for $50...minus a star because my gf and I were rushed by our waiter to finish our courses...if the foods ready, bring it out, that fine but don't be pulling my half eaten app off the table with my fork still in hand. Still will go back though. read more

Mela has the best Indian food in Boston. One meal can cure hangovers, sadness, and really any physical or mental ailment you might have. My four-year-old cousin is also obsessed with Mela, so he chose it for his Titanic-themed birthday party and safe to say Mela really brightened the vibe. read more

I don't like Indian food because the spices are strong. However, Mela proved me wrong and it's my go to place for Indian food. I told a few of my friends about it and now it's their favorite Indian restaurant too. The staff there are super nice. Try their Chicken Tikki Masala and Garlic Naan (bread). read more

Ordered food on Diwali (caviar) and was very very disappointed with the taste and quality. Each and every dish was sub par (except for the Samosas). They should make it very clear that the curry dishes come with rice as we ordered rice separately and ended up with a lot of rice! We have given Mela a few tries but have come out always disappointed! read more

The decorating is cool, both modern and archaeological-leaning, and still somehow misses twee. I liked the warm copper and red hues. We were seated at a fantastic table, right in the bay window, with a view of the street (which was perfect--especially since it was Halloween night and we got to watch the little Spidermen and fairy princesses tromp by on their way to the next candy stop). The vegetable samosas were pretty ordinary but then it's a kind of ordinary dish, and the sauces it was served with were nice. I had the lamb saag and it was good, but I shouldn't have asked for the medium spicy, because it was actually quite mild. My husband had the kerala fish curry and he ordered it hot; it had a great flavor and was really outstanding, not at all painful or difficult to eat. (I like things spicy and highly flavored, not burning so much that there is only pain, no real taste.) The food was good-to-excellent, the staff was friendly and responsive, and though no one asked me if I wanted another martini, that was probably all for the best. We will definitely be back. read more

A friend and I had an early dinner (5:30'ish) here on Sunday. It's a perfect time for dinner if you prefer a little quiet atmosphere. There were probably about 4 parties total at that time. The service was great. The servers were humble and attentive...not sure if this would be the case if the house is a bit more full. We had a couple of cocktails but forgot the names. They were good and my friend's version was very fragrant. It had a hint of Indian spice with cardamon pods floating in it. He had a second round of the same drink. For the food, we had an appetizer, 2 main dishes and a garlic nan. The appetizer was the meat samosa. This reminds me of 2 mini empanadas with Indian spices, although a bit dry but tasty. As for the main entrees, we had coconut chicken curry and beef korma. They were both very tender and delicious. We wanted them as medium spicey and they came as we like it, just perfect. The bread was fluffy and fresh. In general, the price is a bit on the steep side for Indian food, but we're paying for the location (South End) as Welland the decor was nice. However, we got a great deal through Restaurant's for a $25 certificate at $2 cost, caching!!! A win win all around. Overall, the food was good and the experience was good! read more

Went there the day after Christmas. Restaurant was pretty empty with only one to two other tables. The decor is nice though the chairs are uncomfortable. Staff was attentive (but then again we were one of three tables). We had poori, kerala fish curry, and beef vindaloo. The fish dish was very well done. Poori was good. The beef however was kinda tough, both dish were ordered medium level of spiciness--though they both tasted mild. I don't mind mild but would enjoy more flavor. The shocker though is how awful the rice was. It looked like its been sitting there for way too long and were not fresh, long grains like you'd expect. I tried to explain to the waiter, after all, it's the day after Christmas, maybe they were not cooking rice batches as often as usual. Upon notifying the waiter, he suggests we note it in the comment card. Really? I've just informed you, this is the part where you take action. At some point later, the waiter came back and told us he informed the manager and offered us some Naan instead, which we declined, as we are done with dinner. Overall, we are not impressed enough by the menu or quality of food to come back, which is quite disappointing for us because we would like to dine in the South End more often. read more

This place is delicious. I went with four people and we each ordered different things (chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, beef vindaloo, seafood masala) and aloo naan and regular naan, and none of us could decide which was the best. All of the meat was tender and the sauces were so flavorful. What really made this place stand out though was the service. They did not leave a dirty dish on the table and constantly refilled our water glasses. Everything was so respectful and efficient, and we came on a busy night with no reservation and the host was so nice and hospitable. They are a bit pricey but they have a pretty good buffet deal that I've never gone to but would consider it given how great the food is! read more

We had dinner here last night and brought my parents who were visiting from FL. Wow! What a great surprise! The interior of the restaurant is gorgeous and very romantic. It was also a good sign that on a Monday night, it was completely packed. We had the vegetarian platter to start, 2 orders of naan and each ordered an entree. I had the Malai kofta which was so creamy and delicious! My dad had the lamb coconut curry and couldn't stop raving about how great it was. My mom had the chicken tikka (loved it) and my husband had some sort of mixed platter that came with tandoori chicken, grilled lamb, shrimp and some other meaty lovers delight. I would definitely return here. Also, get a mango lassi! So good! Overall, five stars! read more

Came for a late dinner. The portions are huge and the food is very tasty. I had the vegetable samosa, Garden salad and the Mela Biryani. It was all very good. Nicely spiced. I'd come back often if I lived in Boston. read more

Mela Modern Indian Cuisine - Small cozy dining room. - Indian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

My partner took me out to dinner this past weekend and we had a really great time here. We found a Groupon online for this place -- $34 for an appetizer, two entrees, and an order of naan. (She saved $20 over all!) The atmosphere here is really great and their interior -- the walls -- have a golden siding on them. The staff were phenomenal and attentive as well. We got a vegetarian appetizer platter and the pashwari (sweet) naan which was also pretty amazing. We hadn't had sweet naan before and I usually lean toward garlic naan when I do get Indian food. The pashwari naan is stuffed with toasted coconut and diced, mixed nuts. Delicious! I also ordered the lamb mushroom do piaza, which was a barbequed lamb with spices and vegetables (mushroom, bell peppers, onions). The lamb pieces were so tender and buttery, I was taken aback -- also very delicious. Both of our plates came with basmati rice; I have to admit, the basmati could have been better....it could have been steamed, which is fine, but there have been many other Indian restaurants I have come to where the natural flavor of the basmati rice was brought out more, or more flavor had been added to it. Plus side, though, is that we had leftovers! Apparently, Mela also has a buffet menu; and, I was surprised that this place also has alcohol on the menu. The food does take a while to come out (25 minutes avg.), but I wasn't surprised as it's probably made to order; it clearly tasted fresh. Overall, was very satisfied with this place and likely to come back again! [Side note, though: if you're looking for Indian food jam packed with flavor, you might want to go somewhere else. Some of the flavor in these dishes were more savory and less spicy, and I love spicy food. Guess it depends on what region the owner/chefs come from and how they cook the food.] read more

The reviews looked decent so we decided to try it. I am sad to say that we ended up having just the apps and leaving. We ordered the tandoori platter which was super dry, we sent it back and asked for chicken tikka appetizer which was good at first but the colder it got the drier it got. We also got the chicken pakora which were really good and very kid friendly. The staff was nice though. read more

I have been coming here since it opened, the best Indian food in the city! My favourite dish is the Lamb Mushroom dopiaza, which is incredible, but everything else is amazing too. I know the owner - he is great to me and I always get the A+ treatment, I will keep coming back regularly. read more

Food was an hour late and ice cold. Delivery guy demanded a tip when he was an hour late. $30 for one order of very generic Indian food and zero consideration towards their client. Restaurant did not care to make it right. Was a loyal customer. read more

Amazing Americanized Indian food!! Love the fact that you can get all of your favorite Indian dishes in one sitting. It's an amazing place to grab lunch with your girlfriends or whenever you need a little break and a change of scenery from your rigorous school schedule. read more