I like the fact that the place feels so homey and elegant when I first came in. However, I wasn't as impressed with the food and space as I had initially expected - when I compare it price wise. I would consider this place a bit pricey for the food and space in general. The service was so-so, not as impressed with the hospitality for a fine dining restaurant.. I would recommend you to try the grilled fish dish with sweet sauce (forgot the name), and avoid the lamb rogan josh. read more

I am a vegetarian, I went there on a weekday. This is the worst buffet I ever had. The buffet did not have many options and the dishes which are in buffet are not at all good. Avoid this place if possible. read more

After taking a long break from Indian food I order from Mela to introduce it to my wife. To say we are impressed with the food is an understatement. We now order delivery twice a month and always look forward to it. The butter chicken is outstanding. read more

There are way better options out there. Food was just average. It was too hot inside read more

I used to always go here because it used to be so affordable and the quality is decent. I went to pick up some food the other night and what used to cost me $14max cost me $24 !!! They just from one day to the next upped their prices by a crazy percentage. It used to worth it but I definitely won't recommend this. $18 for a chicken tikka masala here is freaking a joke. I could see myself paying that much for a higher end restaurant but not here lol. 10/10 won't go there ever again :) read more

Average food. 5/10. I was not wowed by the taste. I went there couple of times and I already don't want to go there anymore. This experience is self explanatory for their food. read more

I would give this place a 0 rating if I could! One of the worst places to go for Indian food. Food I ordered was barely cooked and unpalatable. Complete rip off for the price they charge. Absolutely disgusted with this place. The chef clearly does not know how to cook and needs a serious lesson in cooking food that has some semblance of taste. Don't waste your money here to get food that you cannot eat!! read more

This is really the worst Indian food I have had in Boston in years. First, the food was just bland. Too goopy without any intersting taste or spice that you would normally expect from Indian food. For lovers of Indian food this place will be a definite disappointment. Second, I found two long dark hairs in my chicken tikka masala. The waiter was not even apologetic. And the manager would not give me a refund. Second, the restaurant claims to have vegetarian options but a quick look in the kitchen showed they cook all their food with lard. Disgusting. And non vegetarian. I really dont recommend this restaurant. read more

We loved the food here. One star less because of the price. They are slightly pricey for the quantity of food.

One of the best indian buffet in Boston Small buffet but has Great food. The only thing that bothers me is i had a greasy spoon. read more

Mela - Indian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Hands down the best Indian food I have ever had in my life (including a visit to India and Nepal!). They even have organic options! Go for the lunch buffet though! The price and options cannot be beat, and the quality is unmatched! Also, the service is exceptional! Every time I visit, and every friend I introduce, they instantly become fans! read more

Disclaimer: I'm not a South Asian food expert, so this review should be read with that in mind. The food offerings at this establishment were solid. Our group ordered a salmon kabob, naan, coconut chicken curry, lamb biryani, and a cauliflower/potato dish to share. My favorite, by far, was the cauliflower/potato dish. The lamb biryani was a tad moister than I like and a bit heavy. I didn't try the salmon, so I can't really comment on how that turned out. It looked good though. The waitress was very responsive. She got our order right--all by memory, and she was very attentive to the water glasses, in presenting the bill, and working with us to use a Yelp promotion code. She quickly packaged up our leftover food, and she managed to do all of this while working a number of other tables. read more

The food here is pretty delicious! Although it's not my favorite indian restaurant, I keep going back because the Vegetarian Dinner for 2 is an amazing deal. You get soup, 2 simosas, 2 vegetable entrees, naan, rice, raita, and 2 desserts for $40. It's borderline too much food but we usually have enough for two lunches the next day! The restaurant has a nice ambience and I've never had to wait for a table. read more

Ordered food from Uber eats. Never got my order. Super condescending staff. They were not helpful. Had to cancel order. Would not recommend since food is mediocre and customer service is bad. read more

By far the best Indian food I have ever had! The service is amazing the staff is so attentive & kind. Very welcoming environment!

My bf and I stopped ate at Mela last night. Sidewalk tables only as COVID-19 rules are in effect. We were seated immediately...it was wonderful dining al fresco in a beautiful summer eve. They have such an extensive menu! I opted for the goat korma and my bf had the chicken curry. Both absolutely delicious. Portion sizes were perfect - not too much, not too little. And very fast service! Overall a wonderful experience and I highly recommend. read more

I was not very hopeful given the number of subpar reviews here. But I was pleasantly surprised. I was visiting Boston for a few days on a business trip and came here with a large group. We shared a lot of dishes most of which were very good to excellent. I thought the lamb korma was the star of the show. I normally don't get this dish because it tends to be a bit too heavy with lots of cream, but this was delicious. The lamb rogan Josh was also very good as was the lamb biryani. In fact I can't recall any dish that was particularly mediocre except for the kulfi. read more

I've always walked out of Mela wondering why I haven't discovered it in the past. To be fair I was used to the more hole in the wall style Indian restaurants or takeouts, and just figured Mela was an overpriced, average place with a more stylish interior design to fit itself in the South end. But all of this changed when on a cold night we were desperately needing a quick, reasonably priced place to eat, and since nothing nearby was available, we walked into Mela. We were very pleased with the experience. The service was attentive and the food was delicious. We ordered chicken, lamb and okra. The chicken was very juicy and flavorful, which was not always common. We also loved the okra and already looking forward to ordering them again. The whole meal was pleasant. Price was very reasonable especially for the area. We have since been back twice for their lunch buffet. Again, great value for delicious, fresh tasting food. We will be back again. read more

We have been ordering take out from here for a number of years and LOVE their food. Our favorite dishes are the Shahi Navratan Korma (Veggie Korma), chicken vindaloo and the aloo naan. Delivery can take awhile, so plan accordingly. But if you have the time, the food is worth the wait. read more

It's quite a delightful place with very nice decor and location. The hostess and the wait staff was really friendly. The menu is fairly traditional but somehow the taste was quite a bit for the non-Indian palate. If I were a betting person, I would wager that chef was not an expat. Two of us went for their vegetarian platter for two (soup, samosas as appetizer, two entrees, naan as bread, rice, a selected list for desserts and tea/coffee). Here is the good part: entrees you get to pick. Now a bit of the down part: naan bread cannot be replaced with roti and a dinner for two is served with only one naan. Seems like a minor oversight - annoying nevertheless. Slightly bigger issue was that one of the entree (malai kofta) was on the saltier side. Might want to give them a heads-up on your salt comfort level. Matar paneer was ok on salt but was ok on taste as well. Somehow the gravy and the peas just did not jive together and there were hardly any cheese pieces for a serving for two people. Serving portions were reasonable and rice and other items were pretty good. read more

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I've only been for the lunch buffet but enjoyed the offerings and definitely overate! I would initially say the plates were too small, but then considering how full I got, this is decidedly not true and will help you with your portion control. If it were less expensive, we would frequent Mela for takeout and casual Indian dinners. It was pretty empty when we were there. read more

Just so so. The dishes didn't have enough depth of flavor. We got Malai Kofta, palak paneer and two kinds of naan. The Kofta had a strange texture and the sauce tasted like tomato soup. The Palak paneer did not have much paneer and the spinach was bland. The Peshwari naan which sounded like it would be full of flavor was almost plain with just a hint of coconut and nuts and the coriander chili naan only tasted like chili peppers. read more

If your a Indian, never ever go to this place. Horrible buffet. The tastes are pretty bland. The food is purely Americanized Indian Also the selection of items are limited. Dont even think of trying this place. read more

Been missing a good indian lunch buffet and with the power of yelp, I found Mela. Mela offered a delicious variety. My favorites were saag paneer, chicken tikka masala (a little too buttery for me, but still good), goat curry, and aloo gobi. Pretty much everything at the buffet I would recommend. The staff were very attentive and kind in showing me new foods to try as well. Definitely will be coming back to get my Indian craving fixed. The price is reasonable too for the area. read more

Mela is small restaurant with a colorful atmosphere and a menu filled with all your traditional favorites as well as some more modern dishes. The boyfriend and I came in for dinner during our last night in Boston and were seated right by the window despite there being plenty of other tables available. I was so uncomfortably cold (visibly shivering) because there was a draft coming in and it was 9 degrees out. We asked a server to get switched to a different table, but she just motioned towards the mini space heater on the ledge next to us and said we were free to turn it on. -.-' Their meat samosas were spiced well enough, though our cocktails were more juice and sugar than anything else. And while our chicken korma and lamb biryani were both good, they were not great. I grew up in an Indian neighborhood in New York and am no stranger to the cuisine. They lacked the deep, rich, signature flavors I've come to expect. read more

+ Great location in the city. + Food is typical Indian, nothing amazing, nothing bad - just an average. - Plates (during buffet) are very very small. It's size of appetizer/side plate. - Parking is very difficult. read more

Came here several times with my fiance. The service here is pretty decent and the food does a good job to satisfy any Indian food cravings so no complaints! I've had the chicken saag which is chicken with spinach. Its on the lighter side compared to other sorts of Indian dishes so when I feel the need to be healthy thats what I usually get. A couple of favorites are rogan josh, lamb korma (SO GOOD), and mustard lamb (appetizer or main dish). The garlic naan is also a definite you should order. The non vegetarian appetizer platter is also great and is a nice sampling of different appetizers. Overall a pretty decent Indian restaurant. Definitely have had cheaper Indian food but food quality is good. read more

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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

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

I fucking H8 buffets. They remind me of Fung-Wah bus rides, bad dates, and terrible food. Mela's lunch buffet isn't bad. I just had lunch there (alone :( ). I don't even like Indian food. I have no idea why I walked in here, but out of the 10+ options, I liked most of them. Fuckin' yummy-yummy. My only complaints: The tables were a little too close to each other. I didn't feel like I was having lunch alone. I could hear the WORST wasp conversations. The Tomato and Coconut soup kind of tasted like Spaghettios with coconut mixed in. :'(~~. And right before I left, 2 men walked in and they had ponytails. I guess that's not the restaurant's fault, but I waited around for a minute, and they were still served. That's not cool. read more

I'm still reeling after my experience here. I'm such a lover of South and South East Asian food, and this place is certainly among my top 2 fave Indian places now. The short of it is, food=fantastic, decor=makes me like pink, and service=best I've ever seen! --FOOD-- We did the dinner for two, like many others did. You, too, should do it. Papadams - Came with the usual mint and tamarind chutneys, and I think it was the best tamarind chutney ever. Pistachio Shake - oh. my. god. Mulligatawny Soup - Simple. Good. Slurped it right up. Meat Samosas - Huge pieces, perfectly browned, lukewarm, probably pre-cooked, and hard to eat. If I were you, I would throw out those South End restaurant manners and just eat with your hands. Naan - I kept asking myself, "What is that amazing fresh baked smell??" These smelled quite amazing, and there's no garlic in it! How can anything without garlic smell that good!? Grill Meat (Tandoori) - Not as dry as I've had it before, so that's a plus. Lamb Mushroom Do-Piaza - This was a verrryyyy well-made dish. The meat itself wasn't chewy, which is amazing for stewed curries. I suspect they cook it on the side, but nonetheless, it was a pleasant surprise. Madras Machai (swordfish curry) - I'm dreaming about it! Perfectly cooked swordfish chunks that actually tasted like good quality fish. My fave dish of the night.! Badami Khulfi (ice cream w/ saffron and nuts) - The taste was good, but it was really really icy. Coffee - Gotta include this, 'cause weak-ass coffee means laziness. But the result? They passed just fine. As for spiciness, the bf and I both did "medium," but the bf could've gone for "hot." If there's any way we can describe it ... - "mild" - can't really do spicy - "medium" - can use Sriracha and Tobasco with little problem - "hot" - can't taste the Sriracha/Tobasco! Also, if you don't like spice much, a friend suggests ordering the Butter Chicken. --SERVICE-- So! For the (few) mediocre parts of the meal, the service more than made up for it. We were eating with a few of the bf's colleagues. A couple of them were late, but they seated us anyway! I haven't had that treatment in a long long while. Also, no one was pretentious, waiters were reliable and friendly, everyone looked super sharp and professional, and the manager kept walking around as a sign of reassurance. At one point, the manager came over and asked if I wanted a chair (I was sitting cozy on a booth with the bf and a colleague). I actually liked where I was sitting, so I declined, but he seemed super concerned for my comfort. It felt so incredibly well-run. read more

Poorest service. Never again! Just got back from the restaurant. The experience was bittersweet - more bitter than sweet. The service was terrible, overpowering the good food that it was. Greeted by a grumpy cat in the guise of a woman. Oh! Did I say 'greet'? Strike that. I'm not sure if it was karma or the manager doesn't pay well, we were served by a horrible(fill-in all synonyms) waiter who doesn't seem to serve us with what we need unless we asked him minimum 3 to 4 times. Found it hard to even get a spoon, waited for 10mins to get it. When we asked other waiter, he replied "I don't serve your table". Way to go! In the end, our celebration for a birthday & job went down the drain. I'm sure they served "Non-Indians" better. Do they pay $2 more/dish? Just curious. EDIT: Looks like all those reviews that complained about terrible service go in to the "Not Recommended" section. Check it out! read more

I asked the waiter what's a spicy chicken dish he would recommend, he replies...I can make any dish mild, medium, hot, and spicy. Not a response you want to hear when you know they are just going to proportionally add red ground pepper based on your request. Chicken was terrible quality, samosa and cutless sucked, and the lamb chops were really good, veg dishes ok. 1/11 plates that we ordered was really good. Only reason the lamb chops were good was because the were cooked medium. First time I'd been to an Indian restaurant where they cooked a medium well meat dish. That last straw, as good as it was and cartilagious the lamb chop, it was the straw to break the gringo Indian food barrier, this is as gringo as it gets. Goal for EVERY Indian restaurant is to make juicy/tender meat in tandoor that is well done, I understand not an easy task but with this place, not at all happy. read more

What really pushed this place to 5 stars was the service. I entered by myself and was immediately sat down at a table. Once my friend arrived, we were immediately served a complimentary soup. We ordered the Vegetarian dinner for 2, which was awesome. Not only was it a lot of food and a lot of variety for $35, but it was also all delicious! The samosas are brought to you first. They are perfectly made. Fresh, and lots of delicious potato and green pea filling. Next you are brought the mulligatawny soup. It's also very good. It's not too dense with the lentils, and has a great ginger and coriander flavor. Next up: main courses. We got the Palak Paneer and the Baingan Bhartha. Both of which were completely delicious. The Baingan Bharta consisted of pureed egglplant among peas onions and other spices. t was really flavorful. The Palak paneer was creamed spinach with indian cheese cubes. The spinach was really nicely cooked. It was all surprisingly hearty. Then were was dessert and coffee. We got the gulab jamun and the kulfi. The kulfi was pretty standard, but the gulab jamun was PERFECTLY cooked. Definitely recommend it. The syrup that came with it was also spot on. The coffee was a great way to end a large meal. I will definitely come back to Mela whenever I can, this was a great deal. read more

This past summer, I took my parents here for the weekend buffet. What a spread! I've never been to an Indian buffet that included naan and gulab jamun. My parents were raving about it. Since then, they're always asking about Mela like it's a friend of mine: "How is Mela?" "Have you been to Mela lately?" "Is anything new going on with Mela?" Anyway, other than the buffet, I've eaten here probably a dozen times. Some of my favorites: butter chicken, aloo choley (potatoes/chick peas), shahi bhindi (okra), and daal makhni (lentils). This is a fantastic place for vegetarians, as the veggie dishes are usually even better than the non-veg ones. And the prices are very reasonable. They have a vegetarian dinner for two ($35) and a non-veg dinner for two ($45). No normal couple should ever be able to finish either (maybe Tom & Roseanne when they were married). The veg dinner, for example, comes with mulligatawny soup, samosa, choice of 2 entrees, rice, naan, raita, dessert and tea/coffee. So much food. The only thing that stresses me out about this place is that I'm worried it will close soon. During the week, it is often woefully empty while inferior places like Addis, Pops and Stephi's are packed. I live right across the street, and sometimes I watch over the place like Jerry did with Babu Bhatt's "Dream Cafe." read more

Delivery FAIL. I ordered from Mela at 8:11. At 10:00 I became impatient, but they assured me they "would be there any minute." I had plans at 11:00. At 10:45 I wanted to cancel the order, but they said it was "already made." At 11:15 they canceled on me- actually I believed they asked me if I "wanted my food that day." read more

I came for the lunch buffet, and while there's nothing to complain about, I can't find anything to rave about, either. Its best feature is that it's $12 after you tip, and it's all you can eat, which is a hell of a lot better deal than WholeFoods' indian food. The most mediocre thing was the Chicken Tikka Masala, unfortunately. This favorite of indian buffet-goers was sadly pretty bland here, which I'm aware is a pretty big insult in an Indian restaurant, but so it is. It could have been that particular batch, but the masala tasted like a thin tomato sauce with no spiciness at all (even though Tikka Masala is meant to be mild, it usually has a hint of heat) and weak flavoring. Ok, so maybe there was something to complain about, but as I said, it wasn't bad, just mediocre. The garlic naan was delicious, but it took until our second plate to arrive. But at least when it arrived it was plentiful. The Veggie Pakoras were delish, and the mint chutney was actually some of the best I've had, no lie. I was drowning my Pakoras in it. The Saag Paneer was a bit bitter, but the Paneer was good. The Muttar Masala was alarmingly watery, so much so that you couldn't get the sauce on the slotted spoon. It was basically a soup. I would definitely come back to see if the Tikka Masala was just having an off day, but mainly I would go back because it's a decent buffet and I love Indian food. 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

This was a top to bottom fantastic dining experience. We were greeted by a tall Indian gentleman with a Mandarin collar and a smile who showed us to one of the lovers' tables at a bay window. The largest wall in the room we were seated in was covered in strips of copper that were raised into decorative curls in places which gave the room a wonderfully warm glow and a fantastic aesthetic. The restaurant is beautifully decorated. We sat down and ordered a bottle of still water while we looked at the cocktail menu. I got some pomegranate martini and the gf got a mojito. These were truly some of the best cocktails I've had in Boston, and it was a pleasant surprise. Not too sweet, sour or boozy tasting. We got the non vegetarian meal for 2: Complementary tasting of garlic potato soup (I love it when they do that) Cup of lentil soup 2 samosas and a small salad with some delicious lemon dressing A meat platter... (this plate is usually why I get the vegetarian option. It's just lots of meat on a plate) Our entrees - I had Rogan something which was a lamb dish and the gf got the lamb korma. Naan Dessert. - pistachio ice cream and that dough ball soaked in syrup thing The food was all excellent, but what gives this place its 5 stars is the service. We were brought our courses with immaculate timing, and any time I did want something I would look for our waiter and he would bring me what I needed without me even asking. Magic? Perhaps. read more

Ok, so the decor is very, very nice and the manager there is very, very nice too. However, the food is not so nice. The portions are large but the food tastes really uninspired. One of the naans was a bit too burnt. My friend asked one of the waitresses if they could bring out any dessert with a little candle stuck in it (we were celebrating a birthday) and the waitress snapped "No!" okaaay. We weren't sure if that "No!" meant: "No,we don't have any candles" "No, we won't/can't do that" or "No, get lost!" Then we had two different waitresses come to our table, each asking if we wanted dessert. Also, the restaurant is a bit cramped, if you want to have an intimate dinner, you don't want to come here. On our way out, I noticed a restaurant patron change her baby's diaper in one of the big windows, so i am assuming there is no changing table in the bathroom. All in all, the food and the service can both use some proper seasoning. read more