Let's just start by taking them first recognizing us by name when we arrived for our reservation The staff, from the valet parking young men to our hostess and beyond, were as polite as we wish to be hosted. Our server, Indana is a lovely young lady. Kind, polite, helpful, and knowledgeable of her treats and establishment food menu as well as beverage. She suggested wine from Croatia that was delicious. The food was delicious, we ordered grilled octopus for appetizer , a local beet and tomatoes salad and a paella with shrimp and clams. Everything was delicious, but.... The smoked paprika added and the caramelized rice gave to the paella a whole new take on the traditional one. Thank you Chef Soto for your creation and for taking the time to talk with us. Wonderful experience! read more

Rome Meets the Pacific: A Revelation at Meridia There is a specific kind of bravery required to order Carbonara on a tropical island, especially when you are dining with your mother-in-law and your palate is still vibrating from a trip to Italy just a month ago. We had recently dined at a prestigious "Tre Gamberi" trattoria in Rome, so our skepticism was high. We expected a heavy, cream-laden resort interpretation. We were wrong. Under the guidance of Chef Soto, the Carbonara here is not just an imitation; it is an act of alchemy. It is a Roman-meets-Norcia masterpiece--a glossy, golden emulsion of egg, cheese, and guanciale/pancetta, elevated by the earthy whisper of truffle. We were seated at a gorgeous table near the cove often frequented by sea turtles (tartarughe), making this a perfect moment of enjoying a tartufata near the tartarughe. It was, without hyperbole, as good as what we had in Italy. The rest of the meal followed suit in a dizzying display of technique. The Japanese scallops were silken and precise, tasting of the clean, cold ocean. And do not let the whimsical name of the "Poi-cotta" deter you. What sounds like a kitschy pun is actually a dessert of haunting texture and depth--far more compelling and sophisticated than its charming title suggests. Chef Soto visited our table after the meal, his passion for these ingredients palpable. Meridia has always had the view; now, finally, it has the soul to match. read more

Meridia - Mediterranean Near Me - Kohala Coast, Hawaii

Meridia has a new chef and it has absolutely made a massive improvement in this restaurant! Always good - it is now great! We had an amazing meal from start to finish - loved the beautiful outside patio with sunset views, our server Marita was a delight ( perfectly paced out and coursed out our meal) and the food and drinks simply outstanding! Began with a round of cocktails and some appetizers- I had the Gazpacho with feta 'ice cream ' and it was hands down the BEST Gazpacho I have wvwr had with a rich, smoky flavor! Also enjoyed the crudo with star fruit the latter of which came from an employees garden and the delicious tomato and beet salad! Then we enjoyed the warm dishes - the Gambas al Ajillo, octopus, outstanding mushrooms with black salt and the best ever saffron risotto! This was the standout meal of this vacation from views to service to the absolutely excellent food ! read more

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Great venue, great service received, great ambiance for any occasion. The food is amazing. People should come just before sunset so you still get to see the ocean view. I wasn't hungry when I arrive, but I end up ordering more food because the food was amazing. read more

Meridia - Met this cut visiting our table - Mediterranean Near Me - Kohala Coast, Hawaii

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Absolutely loved Meridia! We tried here and the restaurant at the sister hotel (Manta) and preferred Meridia. The mocktail was fantastic (rare in Hawaii), when you walk in the smell of freshly baked focaccia and sourdough bread is overwhelmingly lovely, the Greek goddess salad was incredible (the feta stuffed fried bread that comes with it is magnificent)!!! The waitstaff was some of the best we had during our 2 weeks in Hawaii. If you book during sunset, it's a wonderful view and all the tables are positioned well to see the sunset/ocean. Would highly recommend! read more

Meridia - Mocktails & dragon fruit cider - Mediterranean Near Me - Kohala Coast, Hawaii

For a restaurant where entrees start at $50, service should be exceptional. Our waitress all but ignored us.

OMG, hats off to the chef. This could very well be my favorite meal I've had in a very long time, or ever. You need reservations to even get on the property. The view is to die for. The restaurant is part of the picture perfect terrace landscaping for the Westin Hapuna with pink bougainvillea, infinity pool views, and of course the magnificent Hapuna Beach. Fresh bread was not gluten free but I had to try it. There were 3 types, the one with real olives was my fav. Bottled olive oil and balsamic on the table were served in beautiful bottles. Charred Brussel Sprouts was a side dish ordered as an appetizer, with the vinaigrette on the side. Didn't need all the oil (or chunks of pork). Dipped it in a touch of balsamic and it was perfect. Onaga Chef's Special (Red Snapper), wonderful white flaky fish. Crispy top, served with a few pieces of warabi fern shoot (could've eaten an entire bushel). Hearts of palm sauce was to die for. Also substituted the orzo for a bowl of rice (GF). It was absolutely dreamy. Spanish Cheesecake (ordered without the Mauna Kea Honey) was even more dreamy. Like basque cheesecake, but even lighter than I'm used to...served on a raspberry coulis drizzle and fresh berries. Italian blend and Cab were fab. Marita and Marvin provided the most excellent service. read more

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Our last meal before our red eye flight home was dinner at Meridia and it did not disappoint! We had a party of 12 and 5 of us had to head out before dessert to catch our flight, but we managed to get some drinks, appetizers, and entrees as well as a beautiful sunset before we left. The only other bummer was that we missed meeting the chef! (The rest of our party let me know that after we left!) We ate outdoors on the patio, which was fabulous - we had a view of the water as well as a beautiful garden which I believe is used for some of the menu items. Service was super friendly and attentive and every sip and bite I took was wonderful too... This was my favorite meal of the trip... It comes with a price, but it is truly special. Maholo Meridia! read more

Meridia - Half Greek Goddess Salad - Mediterranean Near Me - Kohala Coast, Hawaii

Whenever you get to quote Tyrion Lannister in your wine menu, this has to be a great place. We celebrated my sister's birthday in Kona and I was told to book a place that could accommodate a large group (8+) that had a sunset view and good food. Thank goodness Meridia had an opening! The food was amazing (some say it was better than Manta), the view was phenomenal, and we got to take tons of pictures on the balcony. The service was fantastic (thank you Krystal!) Merida made me fall in love with Hapuna Hotel again. This place is great for couples and groups. My favorites were the paella, foie gras, and scallops. I was too full to eat the branzino, ribs, or ribeye...but I can tell you that no food was left on our plates! read more

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The food, prepared by Chef Soto and his staff, is amazing. I had the pan seared kampachi and my wife had the scallops. Both were excellent!! And it only gets better with the GREAT service from Elizabeth. She is by far the best server on Hawai'i Island. You match that with the Pacific Ocean as the backdrop and you get a spectacular dinner experience. read more

Boyfriend and his family had come here years ago and thought Meridia was just okay. However, we decided to try it on this trip (I had never been) and had a delightful time. It's a great place to watch the sunset of course, but I also must give a huge shoutout to the staff, especially our server, Elizabeth. She went above and beyond to welcome us. I also liked how right at the entrance, they had someone cutting bread. The olive bread and butter were delicious. For appetizers, we enjoyed the Trio Crudo and Gambas al Ajillo. I devoured my paella--can not recommend it enough. They gave a lot of seafood in that 1 dish. Drinks were also good, like wine and my elderflower sangria. It was a unique tropical take on a popular drink. Will be back. read more

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Very beautiful dinner overlooking the sunset at Meridia with family. The prices are steep, but the service is excellent and my entire party seemed happy with their food. I had the gazpacho to start which had a lovely super smoky flavor and was topped with what was described as feta ice cream. I didn't get ice cream, but it was a fun descriptor for something that goes on top of soup. For my main course, I had the beef ragu which had a great flavor. The beef was so tender and didn't have any lingering fatty pieces on it. For dessert I had a scoop of the lovely made chocolate ice cream -- so good! read more

This was our 2nd visit to Meridia - the ambiance is amazing with the beautiful views of the ocean and sunset, the music playing and the way the staff great you as soon as you arrive. We had Michael as our server and he did an amazing job! Very attentive and made great suggestions. The food was amazing- we had the branzino and the lamb for dinner and the octopus and crudo for appetizers. The bread they bring is so good! Chef Soto checked in on us and we were able to give our compliments directly. We love the restaurant and will return whenever we are on the Big island ! read more

Meridia - Branzino & Lamb - Mediterranean Near Me - Kohala Coast, Hawaii

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What a memorable evening! We were greeted and welcomed by Elizabeth, our wonderful server for dinner, who shared her passion for the food and her culture. Her recommendations were right on point with the perfect pairing of surf and turf (fresh Hawaiian fish with vegetables from the garden in the back of the restaurant and the beef ragout with freshly made pasta). We truly enjoyed every bite as the flavors came alive! Their new chef (Chef Soto) is working magic in the kitchen, allowing the foods to sing! The evening ended on a perfect note with the most delicious beignets - soft and chewy inside and crispy on the outside perfectly coupled with Hawaiian vanilla ice cream and honey. This paired with the Kona coffee French press - oh my! We can't wait to come back next year! read more

I had typical hotel dining expectations here (good but meh for the price) and had my expectations completely surpassed. The food, the service, the ambiance was all great, but especially the food and service given we were the last seated diners of the night. The in-house artesian bread, the first basket is complimentary then it's at an additional cost. The second time I came here, this was all I was thinking about at first. Its hard finding artesian bread of this quality on the islands I feel like, at a reasonable price too. The other repeats I couldn't resist the second time was the grilled octopus and the warm Chocolate torta. Really, they are so good. The grilled octopus, I've had similar but the texture was great and the overall medley was delicious. The fried ulu is very lightly fried but the perfect texture difference. just OMG for the warm chocolate torta, I love dark chocolate and salty and this combined that over and over. I'll keep coming back just for these things. read more

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We decided to come here for our last dinner before heading back home. Everyone here was very friendly, especially our server Rebecca who was super nice and gave us great recommendations. She had said that the scallops were her favorite so I gave them a try. They were so flavorful and my moms Ragout was delicious as well. I hope to come back next time we are here because we loved Rebecca and the restaurant is beautiful read more

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Food was delicious. Chef Soto was over the top! Our server, Elizabeth, was the best! She was welcoming, knowledgeable and professional. The overall experience has been outstanding. We will definitely go back again. read more

Go for the sunset this is what would make it 5*. The food was ok but not great. It was good for the rest of the food we had on Kona. Beautiful drive to the resort and resturant is worth the trip. Service was excellent. read more

Meridia - Food prep - Mediterranean Near Me - Kohala Coast, Hawaii

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We ate here during our stay at the Westin. We had a 5:30pm reservation, which turned out to be the most ideal time to watch the most beautiful sunset. We got some great family pics with it while waiting for our food. It's pricey and the portions are very small, but we thought the meal was pretty good. The bread basket was very popular among my kids and I can agree it was pretty good. We started with the grilled octopus and sashimi. I liked the few bites i had of the grilled octopus appetizer so much that i ordered it for my entree as well. My daughter ordered the empanada appetizer for her main meal and seemed to like them and my son loved his butter noodles cause can't ever go wrong with butter noodles. :) My husband got the fresh catch (mahi mahi). He gave me a few bites and it was also tasty. I thought the paella looked amazing, but it took an extra 20 minutes to cook and one of our kids wasn't feeling well in the hotel room upstairs so I didn't want to leave him for too long. We did make time for churros for dessert though, which were a huge hit among all with the 3 different sauces served with it. If you're staying in the area it's a solid meal in a beautiful setting so I'd recommend. read more

For the remainder of our stay, We ordered food to go on 2 nights and did a room picnic as my wife calls it. The consistency of the food has won me over. Great food every single time. The staff was gracious and polite, and made us feel at home while we waited for our food. Everything was packed well, and they will also throw in bread and olive oil and balsamic... top notch!! read more

Half a leg of octopus for $28. NOT WORTH IT. Not seasoned. Not cooked well. Zero chance this is worth the cost at a resort. read more

Meridia - You get half of a leg for $28. Seriously? - Mediterranean Near Me - Kohala Coast, Hawaii

This is long overdue. We went in for an after valentines dinner and everything was amazing. Elizabeth, our server, was so sweet and personable. The chef came out to see us and check in, he was kind and so knowledgeable. Honestly it was one of the best meals I've had in a while. Thank you so much. read more

Amazing food and service! Try to make a reservation as there might be a conference at the hotel that has the restaurant booked up. In our case we got in easily and they gave us the table with the best view. Highly recommend trying the Trio Crudo as we ate it in about 30 seconds. Bacon wrapped dates were salty and sweet and a perfect filler. Mushroom risotto was so rich, I'm glad we shared the dish as I have no idea how I would have finished it! This restaurant is so tasty and high quality, I recommend splitting dishes to try as many as possible. I could have gone back every night of our trip! read more

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We had a wonderful experience at Meridia!! We're on island time so we had an 8 reservation so unfortunately we didn't experience the incredible view during our dinner, but we're staying at the hotel so we were okay with it. Probably the best service in our 10 days on three Hawaiian islands. Kudos to Krystal our waitress for being so friendly and attentive! We started with the bacon wrapped dates and boy were they fantastic. I'm still thinking about them and will have to recreate at home. The fresh bread was delicious as well, and they even brought out gluten free bread for my dad. For entrees we had the scallops, paella, and branzino and they were all fabulous. So much flavor and just the perfect amount of food. For dessert we enjoyed the cheesecake and churros!! They even added an edible Happy Anniversary touch to the dessert! Overall it was a great experience and well worth dining here. read more

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Leaving a 2nd review because this trip the food was greatly improved. Frito Misto was still a wonderful tapas, as well as the Gambas al Ajillo. The green goddess salad was creative with flavors. The lamb dish was perfectly cooked with generous proportions. We had reservations but took over 30 minutes to seat us. Maitre d' was awesome and comped drinks for our wait, although it certainly wasn't his fault. Our server was inattentive. We would have ordered more drinks had she showed up during our meal. And she's the only complaint to a wonderful picturesque evening. read more

Everything was wonderful. Great Service. Great Food. And seriously... watching the sunset over the water was Spectacular. We started with drinks at the bar since we were a few minutes early. Enjoyed watching the sun start to set while listening to the live piano player. We were soon sat at our table and continued to watch the sun set. Ordered appetizers to start.... Beet and Berry Salad, Octopus and Stuffed Piquillo Peppers. I know... these don't necessarily go together but indvidually... YUM! I especially liked the Piquillo Peppers... I've never had them before and they were really really good. Not hot... really just a flavor bomb... savory... a hint of sweet and heat. For dinner, I opted for the Mushroom Risotto. I was not counting on how rich and savory and filling this was going to be. Probably because of the Truffle... you can definitely taste the Truffle... which I love. The mushrooms were really big and meaty too. They give you a healthy portion size of Risotto and with it being "rich" ... you might be a glutton for punishment if you finish the whole thing. I didn't ... but Boy was it Good! I left extremely satisfied. This is one of my favorite ("fancy") restaurants on The Big Island, so definitely worth the splurge. read more

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Great service from Elizabeth - who has been there for 19 years! Thank you for a wonderful experience! We celebrated a beautiful sunset birthday meal here and had a reservation for 8 people. It ended up just being 5 of us, which was not a big deal. We had a lovely indoor table with one side having views of the ocean sunset. My only complaint was being up against the back of the bar meant bar smells drifted down upon us once we were seated. I noticed this smell at the beach tiki restaurant/bar in the Mauna Kea Resort as well - it was somewhat akin to moldy water or the smell of throw-up on the floor that just doesn't seem to go away even after it has been cleaned several times. Anyway, once our food and drinks started to come out, I didn't notice the smell from the bar anymore. The rest of the meal experience was wonderful from the descriptions of the dishes by the chef to the beautiful presentation of the dishes. We each tried a little of one another's plates, and the consensus was that everyone loved their meals. My one complaint about the dish 3 of us chose (Hawaiian Snapper) was that it was an odd cut of the fish with weird tendons we had to eat around, and it was rather small for the large price tag on it. The cheesecake dessert was especially delicious, as was the olive oil chocolate torta. Overall we had a lovely meal here and I'm glad we chose to celebrate our loved one here. I'd like to sit outside next time and try some of the other offerings for sure! read more

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Excellent food 5 star on quality 100%, staff, drinks, everything about this place is awesome!! I gave 3 stars due to the rapid price increase which equates to price gouging like all the other big island west shore restaurants have done. We used to eat here a lot but now very little due to the cost. If you will notice all the great big island restaurants used to be packed with long waits to get in but now ALL OF THEM are wide open with slow & low occupancy. Please take note management lower those prices because Oahu is not nearly as greedy for the same quality read more

Sixth anniversary dinner. The service was top notch, especially our server Erin. She suggested the drink for my wife since she likes drinks on the sweeter side. The drink was nonalcoholic but she suggested to add tequila Casamigos Reposado. It was the perfect addition. We started with the grilled octopus which came with a chipotle southwest sauce. Very good! The wife loves grilled fish but freaks out at the head being still on. Erin assured her that the head would be removed before presentation. So grilled Branzino with arugula salad and rice. She thoroughly enjoyed it. I got the Pan seared Pave Cut Ribeye medium rare. It came with smoked bacon jam, potato purée, oyster mushrooms and broccolini. Man it was fire! Although the food was delicious and the service was excellent, the star of the show was the amazing sunset! All and all the perfect setting for our special day! Thank you Meridia! read more

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An experience! My wife & I showed up for our 6pm reservation a few minutes early as the restaurant had just began to setup for dinner service, the sun was already starting to descend & throw golden hour hues throughout the beautifully decorated space inside. The hostess asked us to make ourselves comfortable in the lobby or at the bar & she would come get us & introduce us to our waiter shortly. There was a pianist getting warmed up & the waitstaff was moving around efficiently preparing tables & loading fresh baked bread loaves into a staging area. Within a few minutes we were collect & introduced to our lovely waiter Elizabeth who led us to our table with an unobstructed view of the beach. Elizabeth was a professional in every sense. She made it a point to connect with us personally, discuss the menu in detail & encouraged us to relax & enjoy the sunset & let her take care of everything for the evening. I really felt like I had booked more of an experience than a dinner! We started with a few small plates to share & the best item of the night was among them. Also, the bread we had seen being handled a few minutes before was placed on the table & I totally understand why they charge $5 for a refill, it was very good. Starters were the Bacon Wrapped Dates& Stuffed Piquillos. Both were delicious & I considered ordering a few servings of them for a meal instead a single entree. The stuffed piquillos may be one of the most phenomenal things I've ever eaten. I HIGHLY recommend this. I also order a Sicilian mai tai made that had a fresh chunk of local pineapple and cherry garnish. Best Mai tai I've had for sure. For mains I went with the Big Island Wild Boar Ragu & my wife had two starters the Caprese & Puna chicken Empanadas. While the pasta was great with nice firm noods & rich sauce I just couldn't stop thinking about those piquillos! We didn't leave anything on our plates & capped it off with a rich chocolate torta & locally made vanilla bean ice cream. I never stay at resorts like this but I booked our entire stay at the Westin with points from Chase so it costs us nothing so we splurged on dinner & eating around the resort a few times, but i would definitely come back to Meridia for a nice sunset dinner even if I don't stay here in the future. It's worth the drive from just about anywhere on the island. Big thanks to Elizabeth who was a huge ray of sunshine & so sweet & attentive to us during our dinner. She mentioned to us how long she has been working here & how much she loves her job. I truly believe her. Do not be dissuaded by negative reviews of this place that you see on Google or anywhere else. I honestly cannot envision somebody having a bad experience here as it is unless they are just massively stuck up. read more

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This was my first time and definitely a good dining experience. The fine dining menu was exceptional. I ordered the mushroom risotto and would definitely order it again. Service was on the slower side but our group was pretty big. read more

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Meridia is a beautiful restaurant with ocean views. We ate here on night one of our holiday. Dinner was set for 6:15, just before the sun starts to set. Meridia is located on the second floor, located above the pool/bar. The location is why I opted for 4 stars and not 5. You had kids screaming in the pool and it took away from our romantic dinner. Otherwise the food was delicious. We started with the trio crudo and wow, if you like sashimi this is the way to start your dinner. It's so fresh and very refreshing. For the main entree we split the scallops and ahi tuna. I appreciate how our server took her time bringing out dinner. She spaced everything out so nicely we had time to slowly eat and watch the beautiful sunset. Since we were staying at the hotel I was able to take the leftover wine back to our room for a night cap. It was a wonderful way to start our week long trip. read more

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Just had our anniversary dinner here last night and it was such a wonderful experience. We had the best server who was so friendly and helpful with the menu. We ordered the caprese salad which was a 10/10. One of the best things I've eaten, the burrata was so good with the tomatoes. And they add their own twist with balsamic vinegar balls on top. We also got the beet salad, which was still great, but not as delicious as the caprese. For our entree, we shared the paella, which was fabulous. Lots of local seafood, and a good mix of flavors. Lastly, we finished up our meal with the churros, which come with 3 dipping sauces. The churros were different than others I've had. Not as crunchy, but in a good way. I'd rate my experience a 10/10. It made our anniversary very memorable. Oh, and I almost forgot the bread!!! I had to stop myself from eating it or I would get too full for the rest of the meal. As soon as we walked in, the smell of fresh bread hit us instantly. read more

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Atmosphere was amazing, Meridia has the best views and food is really good!! Will highly recommend!!! read more

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We thoroughly enjoyed our first dining experience at Meridia last night! The atmosphere was relaxing, the view absolutely stunning, and the food, delicious . We'll definitely be back to explore more of the menu because we couldn't get enough of what we ordered. Every dish was full of flavor and beautifully balanced. As fans of octopus, we were blown away by Meridia's preparation, it's now our favorite. The chicken empanadas, short rib, and of course, the paella were all perfectly cooked. A special thank you to Chef Sotirios Kontos for taking the time to introduce himself and chat. It was a memorable night from start to finish! read more

We went to Meridia our first night we got to the hotel because of the convenience. We got seated right away, and our server was on top of it (so sorry I don't remember your name!). I got a dirty martini, which was just okay to me. I've had much better and expect better for the price of it, so that's why a star is knocked off. The food is fantastic though. We got a side of the mushrooms--some of the best ones I've ever had. They're fresh, well seasoned but not overly. Juicy with lots of flavor. We thought these mushrooms could easily replace chicken or another meat in some dishes and actually be better. For my entree I got the scallops. They were seared to perfection. And 4 of them! I'd highly recommend getting these, they won't disappoint. We sat outside and had a pretty view. I'd love to come back, just would stick to wine for my drink. read more

Meridia - Sauteed Island Mushrooms - Mediterranean Near Me - Kohala Coast, Hawaii

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Worth the splurge! Almost everything on the menu is from the Big Island or made in house. I came here to celebrate my boyfriend's bday as we were staying at the Westin beach resort. Even though it is one of the higher end restaurants, it also didn't feel too strict on a dress code. When you're first seated, you're greeted with fresh bread! So good, could probably get you full on its own. We ordered the fried mixed seafood and the chicken empanadas; both were good but I wish we would've asked to have the fried seafood a little more crispy! For entrees, we ordered the wild boar ragu and puna chickens; both VERY filling. I ordered fingerling potatoes on the side assuming my entrees would be too small but I was wrong, it was more than enough! Our servers name was Michael and he was honestly great. He took care of an entire section himself with very little help from serving assistants or food runners. Also, was super professional! A right table next to us was so unnecessarily rude to him; like gosh, please have some class! Anyways, he handled it with so much grace before anyone had to step in. I gave that table side eyes all night in solidarity with our boy Michael!! Lol Anyways. Come visit! It was worth the splurge. The views were just spectacular during sunset. read more

It was our last night and we chose to eat dinner at Merida. The views were amazing. Michael was our waiter and was very attentive and gave us great recommendations. Thor the manager came over to say hello and make sure all was well. We loved everything we ordered from appetizers to our dessert. The flavors of each dish were amazing. We will definitely be back. read more

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We had dinner here awhile ago.....6 to 8 months ago. Perhaps things have improved. Our dinner started out great. Great ambience, great views, really good service. But the food was marginal at best. Very delayed service time in receiving our meal. And my plate was especially disappointing....the paella. The paella was overcooked, so much so that I question if it was pre-cooked ahead of time, sitting in a warmer oven. read more

We were disappointed. The food was average at best. The seafood wasn't fresh and the lamb was fatty with no flavor. However, we did enjoy the octopus appetizer & the Greek salad. Our waiter was nice yet, we felt ignored. We were sitting at our table for 45 minutes before we were offered bread. The ambiance was underwhelming. We weren't impressed with the overhead lighting in the lounge which was dated and unattractive. Overall, we would not recommend this restaurant and we have no desire to return. read more