Overall, not too impressed. Average The food was OK. I ordered the Vegetable Samosa, Onion Kulcha, Garlic Naan, and Chicken Korma (Medium). The first three listed were all pretty good. Needed a bit more mint-cilantro and tamarind chutneys for the quantity of samosas (4) on the plate, but they were good. Garlic Naan was nothing spectacular, but not bad. The onion kulcha had a great texture with a decent amount of correctly cut onions (not too big, but not too small). The chicken korma was acceptable, but thought it was a little bland. Fairly creamy; plus, it had a decent amount of chicken. I've had some with kormas with whole raisins and nuts and others without - Mela's did not have raisins and nuts, which was neither good nor bad. The korma just lacked the depth, richness, and flavor that typifies Indian food. I requested 'medium' as a precaution (I've had milds that were quite hot and spicy and hots that were quite mild). Unfortunately, this medium tasted more mild. My friends ordered Chicken Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken - both in medium - and they thought that their dishes were almost mild to their taste as well. I am glad that the basmati rice came complimentary, and was refilled without charge... "A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one." The service was lacking: while my friends barely had to sip from their water glass to get a refill, the waiter (not the same person who took my order) never bothered to refill my water glass. At all. Even after gesturing to him while he was refilling my friends' glasses or walking around with the jug, I did not receive a refill. Nice decor and dining environment. The menu was appealing with the usual, traditional restaurant favorites. All the food arrived in a timely fashion. I'm might give this place another try, but only if I am in the South End. Hopefully, the service is better. read more

I normally don't like Indian food in general, as I'm not a fan of curry, heavy food or too many spices in one dish. Yet the food dishes we got weren't overly spiced, they were still a little heavy but that's just how Indian food is, and the decor of the restaurant was very cute. I don't like how the service kept rushing to clear our table, and couldn't wait, it almost seemed as if they needed the dishes because they were running out in the kitchen. Pricing is very reasonable, we had 2 appetizers, two entrees, 2 desserts, a bellinitini and a mango smoothie and paid about $60 total. Portion sizes were pretty big as well. read more

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

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We came here after my graduation ceremony! One amazing lunch this place had and we were so content. My parents love the food and my dad commented he felt like he was transported to Punjab as the food was extremely authentic! Would recommend it to everyone who likes to have North Indian fine dining experience in the heart of Boston! read more

Amazing aroma and authentic flavor. I always go for the lamb Rogan Josh extra hot with garlic naan and it didn't disappoint!

I really enjoyed seeing a little bit of the South End and visiting Mela, although there were three issues that arose during our meal that cause me to drop it down to three stars. Things started off well when we were seated at our reservation time and quickly offered a small taste of soup while we looked through the menu. Our party of three ordered the combination dinner with meat for $45 (pay $10 less for the vegetarian option). Although it says it is for two, we still couldn't finish the meal and had leftovers. Of all the dishes we ordered, those with lamb were the standouts. The meat samosas, chicken tiki masala, lamb vindaloo, mixed grill and naan were quite good. I thought the mulligatawny soup was a bit of a disappointment. Dessert was also quite large and I could barely make a dent in the kheer. On to the issues. My biggest piece of advice for future diners is to make sure you are seated in the main dining room and not the smaller area next to the kitchen. For the majority of the meal, our group thought a woman at a table next to us had her phone on and was receiving constant twitter updates because of this really annoying tweet, tweet noise. It became comical, because my friends were hoping I'd go over and confront the diner (fight! fight!), but that's not my style. But after all the agitation, it turned out it wasn't the diner. It was the hinge of the swinging door into the kitchen. It swings one way and you get a loud boing noise and it swings back the other way and tweet, tweet. The most distracting thing ever! For the other issues, we had a fly in one of the water glasses and while the restaurant has lovely décor and lighting, the bathroom is really a mess. It is like you are walking into an entirely different restaurant. All of these things can be fixed and we left management a note on the comment card, so hopefully they will address the issues. For the meager investment of an oil can and a fresh coat of paint, I'm sure future diners will thank you. read more

This restaurant is single handedly making social distancing a breeze for me. I can't stop ordering takeout from these guys! Their Lamb Coconut Curry is truly remarkable, as was their Mela Goat! In fact, all of their lamb is top quality, some of the best I've found. My wife and I split a platter for two - it's a good deal, and comes with a LOT of food. Def recommend Mela. read more

Waste of a time. Pathetic food. I am.sorry I have never written any bad review for food. This place is so so bad. 1st of all buffet- guys do me a favour, if u know u gonna close at 3 , stop taking tables at 245 PM If u take and worry about $$$$ then make sure u do a great service and not just come on the table and say at 2 55 , last call for buffet. Food - below par . My friend already advised me about the pathetic service and buffet service but I still want to give a try. You really messed up my food. I dont care abt $$$$ but atleast give a gud service guys.... Best of luck for your restaurant and service. That's why u guys are empty..... read more

What a wonderful meal we had. The special dinner for 2 at only $52 was not only delicious but also a great bargain with lots of food. Soup, appetizer, plate of various tandoori meats, choice of 2 curries, Indian bread, rice, chutneys and raita, and desert. We had so much food we took home leftovers! Best bargain on Tremont street! Nice interior plus outside dining. Friendly and efficient service. Looking forward to coming back. read more

So Mela is one of those "Indian Restaurants" that is really not Indian. We ordered the prawn puri and chicken tandoori, and when I asked our server to make it spicy she just gave me a puzzled look. When the food came ( it looked amazing! ) , I realized it has been very heavily americanized...not really Indian. The spices hadn't blended into the tandoori at all and the chutney with it was just gravy from a curry - very bland. The prawn puri was quite good but I would have liked it a little spicier. All in all. I wouldn't go back. I wouldn't recommend this place if you're into authentic Indian cuisine. The ambience of the place is really nice though ! read more

Mela Modern Indian Cuisine - Prawn puri and chicken tandoori - Indian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Went here and used a Groupon deal for $63 which allowed us to order two appetizers, two naans, and four entrees. The decor is so nice; background music is mostly instrumental. We ordered the mustard lamb and non vegetarian platter for appetizers and two garlic naan. For entrees lamb vindaloo, seafood marsala, chicken tikki marsala and prime filet hot stone. The waiter told us to order the most expensive dishes lol! Overall everything was delicious! Standout dishes were the mustard lamb, chicken tikki marsala and seafood marsala. The hot stone filet was good but it's just putting meat and cooking it on a hot stone. Only thing bad about the meal was the Lemelson 2006 wine (terrible). read more

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A great spot to enjoy authentic cuisine with modern flair. The Chicken Tiki Marsala is some of the finest that I've ever had and you really can't go wrong with their garlic naan and mango lassi (yogurt drink). Their Dinner Special for 2 a great value (pair of the following appetizer, entree, dessert and drink) and they often run Groupon promotions where you can purchase $20 for $40 worth of food (for two) or $40 for $80 worth of food (min 4 people), so it's always a win-win. Additionally, the dinning experience is elegant and refined, without being pompus, and If you want to impress a colleague, date, or supervisor, you will definitely set the bar high. Enjoy! read more

Mela is just....weird. It's got tons of room, yet sets up the furniture so you are no more than 6 inches apart from your neighbors and have to hear their loud, geriatric, "What's that, Ethel?" conversation about why their lives are better for being college professors. The menu is huge but offers little in the way of truly different or unique Indian creations. The prices are on the expensive side, yet they offer a Dinner for 2 combo that's jam-packed with stuff. The service is attentive and perfunctory but not friendly in the least. A study in contrasts. The boy and I did the Mela Non-Vegetarian Dinner for 2. Mulligatawny Soup: Hot and salty. Hit the spot. Meat Samosa: Like eating eraser bits (you know, the stuff that comes out when you rub it on the paper) in a fried encasing. Accompanying tandoori pieces were rubbery and dry. Entree 1: Chicken Korma. Very peppery, less sweet and tomato-y. Not bad, but not great. Entree 2: Points for having Butter Chicken on the menu. Not Tikka Masala, that British invention, but good ol' Butter Chicken. Don't know why Boston Indian restaurants seem to not serve this. Mela's is creamy and delicious, and the chicken is quite tender. Naan: Thick and a little too doughy. And charred like a pair of 4th of July BBQ tongs. Dessert: Kheer for the boy, Ras Malai for me. Quite good, but the boy says he's had better kheer. They never gave us tea or coffee. FAIL. $45 well spent only because we had a voucher. read more

I came here with a friend before a show and was happy with everything. The food was great! We split: The Fish Pakoras (very delicious), the Aloo Paratha (very good), Naan, the Gobhi Charchi (I'd get again), and Chana Saag (good also). We were served a large bowl of rice that was bigger than expected but appreciated. We also ordered the Flower Bomb cocktails that were very good. The space is nice, and all of the staff are very friendly. I'll be back. Thanks! read more

If you're in the mood for upscale Indian food, this is your place. They take your order on a tablet which just screams fancy schmancy. While we dipped our naan in thick spicy curry, we jammed to Top 40 hits from various decades almost as if the restaurant chose the Now That's What radio station on Pandora. The food comes out quickly, hot and is high quality. Expect to pay 20% more than other well-known, less sophisticated Indian restaurants, who shall remain unnamed. I really appreciated the complimentary replenishment of rice and free full serving of rice to go with our left overs. Veggie Samosas - $5, two in an order; decently sized and packed with the standard potatoes, onions and peas. Chicken Tikka Massala - $17, healthy serving and the left overs tasted just as good the next day. Goat Curry - $17, sauce base is a little less rich because it doesn't have cream. You feel less guilty about gobbling it all up in one seating. Plain Naan - $4, check out that glistening puddle of butter on top ... a bit overkill for my taste but it's easy to drain it off. read more

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Pretty solid, hits the spot when I'm craving north indian food, so I order from here consistently because it's convenient. Nothing out of this world, but I enjoy it. read more

Spectacular Maconi. Best my wife has had in years. Fantastic Saag as well. Fast service reasonable prices nice setting (we ate in). They do take out too. read more

ATHENTIC INDIAN FOOD...*smile* I've dined there 2x now, and had good experiences both times. The food is flavorful and the service is efficient. The prices were a bit high, but in keeping with the Back Bay area. One drawback...All 4 entrees we ordered came with meat and/or fish in a sauce and rice on the side...but NO VEGETABLES in the main dish itself. (2 came with a "side salad," which was simply a cup of dressed, iceburg lettuce with a cucumber & tomato.) read more

I've had mixed experiences with Mela. The one consistent piece is that the food is delicious. However, I might stick to only the lunch buffet in the future. I'd been there before for the buffet so I decided to take my parents for dinner on a Saturday night. The restaurant had the door open, but no airflow and it was over 80 outside and humid. It made for a damp and uncomfortable eating experience that got worse as the restaurant filled up. They were also out of a bunch of menu items including beers and specials. Our waiter was pretty confusing in general, but he also got our order wrong and then when we commented on it and asked for the dish we'd ordered he argued that we hadn't. It was a complete mess, especially because Indian food is on the pricier side. I'll still go back because the food is tasty, but only for the lunch buffet and only in cooler weather! read more

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Several of the reviewers here state that the service is sub-optimal. I observed none of this during my dining experience. Our waiter was warm, efficient, and accommodating. She even brought me extra tamarind upon request. It's rare to have a waiter bring separate checks for a large party. Usually, they punish groups by charging an extra 18%. I tipped better than average because they were so accommodating. It should be noted that I am weak on spice tolerance when it comes to traditional Indian and Indonesian cooking. My college friend's rendition of the latter made this lactose intolerant person crave milk. I could do extra hot at this restaurant. Our dishes were kind of bland. This is not bad but it does suggest a deeply Americanized menu. It's also overpriced. Indeed, the amount of lamb in my coconut curry was of less volume than average. This place is like the Indian version of P.F. Chang's. My review could be summarized in the preceding sentence alone. read more

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

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Consistently phenomenal! This is one of our South End take out faves. The food is so delicious, you can smell the curry outside when walking on Tremont Street. A secret find is their chicken noodle soup, which is excellent. Other faves include Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken. Finally, their garlic Naan is to die for. read more

I ordered veg samosas palak paneer , it was on time , samosas were mouth watering , so fresh , palak tasted sumptuous , I would suggest this place to order ur choice of food as I have even tasted their goat curry , chicken tikka masala , delicious !! read more

Had a delicious meal here. Everything was fresh and beautifully seasoned. Service was attentive and unobtrusive. We will be back.

So sad Mela stopped delivering to Quincy :(. BEST Indian food we've had for delivery in Boston! Naan is spectacular, vegetable samosas are best we've had ever, chicken tikka masala and Chana saag are delish! Portions are plentiful read more

Such a nice place! Everything was exceptional. Such nice staff and none of them bother you while your mouth is full (lol). Super available servers and explain the dishes well. Food was to perfection. Definitely will return. If any downside parking is $30 if you use Valet but food was worth it. read more

It's one of the best Indian restaurants I've been too. The atmosphere is very quaint and peaceful. The lamb shank is my favorite ! Highly recommend. I think it's the best Indian place in the city read more

I really I had high hopes. Waitress come up and gives us the total bill. Doesn't actually give us the bill until we asked for it. The lamb shank was fatty. If you want Indian stay away. I ordered the shrimp tandoori. I swear the sauce was penne Al vodka sauce. My goodness. read more

They get an extra star for being open later than the avg. Kudos, also, they were unique, less traditional, which cuts both ways, for instance, I was looking for an Indian beer with my dinner as I typically do, they had none to offer. We (the 2 of us) typically order heavy. Looking for a fairly compete experience. I ordered Lamb Curry, her, Chicken Korma, Sampler App plate, and Garlic naan. Despite arriving 45 minutes to closing everything was cooked appropriately and service was performed exceptionally. There were items I would like to try that will bring me back, and they did well enough to warrant a trip back soon. read more

Had a very good late night meal. Garlic beef was excellent as well as the Chicken Tikka masala. Try the ice cream, but the rice pudding left something to be desired. Service was less than par, but that was from a tired waitress as we were the last customers of the night. read more

We got some really decent take out from Mela during quarantine. Indian-American staples likes butter chicken and tika masala. Fast service. Standard Indian takeout. Enjoyable. read more

The restaurant has the right ambience for a quiet dinner. Fantastic main course - vegetarian Thali dinner. Great dessert - kulfi ice cream. I will recommend it to anyone looking for authentic Indian food in Boston. Ordered the GOBI charchi and aloo channa. The rice was well made and tasted great. Looking forward to next time. read more

Brought an Indian visitor here for lunch - she was interested in how Indian food tastes in the US. Unfortunately, she was not impressed - she said it lacked authenticity, though she liked the decor. Server seemed uninterested in her work, went through the motions and could not even answer simple questions - like whether animal fat/lard was used in the cooking. Four of us each had a entree and garlic or regular nan. I had chicken vindaloo, nice portion, chicken and potatoes over white rice. Tasted fine, but I'm no expert. Will try again. read more

I ordered a few things from Mela one night late at work and it was a pretty good experience. Got take out, so can't speak to the service, but the food was good. Had the: Tandoori Chicken Beef Vindaloo Garlic Naan I thought everything tasted good, not great. That being said, I would certainly return here for Indian food should I have the craving for it. One caveat...it is sort of pricey. read more

Customer service at its best. Recently ordered food for pickup. I got caught in the rain and my carry out bag ripped and food went on the sidewalk. Returned to Mela and they replaced the order free of charge. Excellent service and tasty food. Orders are large enough for two meals. read more

Best Indian food in the city. Hands down. Have tried many others. Been going here for years. Realized I should have given a review a long time ago. But the other night they made a mistake in my take out order (forgot a sauce) the other night, it was no big deal but called to check if the order came with that sauce, they said yes and sorry and offered to refund me the whole order! Which was nice but unnecessary. Great people! Great food! read more

My friend & I went to Mela because I had a $25 off a meal of $50 or more and also because we were craving Indian food (or at least I was). At 5pm on a Sunday, the restaurant was mostly empty. We were greeted right upon entering, promptly seated and handed menus. The menu was extensive but not overwhelmingly so. They offer a range of dishes, from traditional chicken tikka masala to organic and modern specialties. We got goat curry (extra hot), Baingan Bhartha (eggplant - also extra hot), chicken tikka appetizer, pashwari naan, and a mango lassi. This added up to $50 perfectly, plus about $3 for tax. The portions are huge. It comes with a massive bowl of rice, which is much needed for the curry. I really enjoyed the goat curry - even though there are some bones (obviously), there was a large amount of meat as well. WARNING for those who can't handle spicy foods - ask for this to be "mild" because although I enjoyed the "extra hot," my friend said it was too spicy for her. The eggplant was flavorful as well. Its texture is slightly strange (it's mashed eggplant), but the peas definitely help give it some chew. Overall, the service was spectacular, the decor was nice, and the food was really good. It's slightly on the pricier side if you don't have some sort of deal, but I think it's worth it, especially as my friend and I brought about half of our meal home. read more

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Good quality food, wait staff sprayed the table next to us down which covered our leftover food in disinfectant.

Great food Fresh Palak paneer Great service Great Indian drinks Ginger Martini requested and made really well Their special drink menu with fiber thistle really good Have to go Love the ambiance read more

I absolutely loved this restaurant. They were such an affordable formal dining restaurant. This restaurant went for a modern indian fusion menu, and the decor was also more chic. The service was excellent, and the food matched. I got the following dishes: Paneer Makhni - this a indian sauce based with butter and cooked spices. Mela didnt make it oily which is great! Gobi Charchi - very well cooked. The gobi [cauliflower] was marinated perfectly, and the seasoning was spot on. Veg Biryani - vegetarian, but you can remove the paneer to make it vegan. I ordered it medium and it was a great balance of spices. The entrees come with rice, and the portion is pretty big so you don't need naan/roti if you want it, I have to give a shout out to our waitress. My sister was vegan, and the waitress knew exactly what to recommend and was so knowledge. read more

Great food, service, price, location, and atmosphere. Do not hesitate to come here!!!

Takeout dinner for two was fantastic! Everything from the samosa appetizer ( which came with all the chutneys) to the dessert kheer was perfectly packed and super fresh. Got the lamb vindaloo and tikka masala - if you like spice go for the vindaloo, you won't regret it! read more