Outstanding Indian buffet. One of my favorite treats when I travel is finding a good Indian buffet to try. Mela really delivers. Very friendly service as well. read more

Delicious drinks and snacks, we stopped in here for a quick drink and shared a stuffed chicken tandoori naan bread- it was fantastic! The service was also very friendly and helpful, and the restaurant was really nice inside read more

Mela Indian Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Another incredible lunch at Mela! Perfect sauces and chutneys, saag, khorma and tikka. A a tasty plate of all my favorites! read more

Mela Indian Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

First, have the masala chai tea with just the right ratio of gingery goodness. Mustafa sat us down right quick and his attention & service was great. And the musical background set the tone for a nice evening dining in downtown. Definite recommend. read more

Mela Indian Restaurant - Shahi Paneer and Tofu Masala with Garlic Naan. - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Best Indian food I have ever had. The food is phenomenal. Loved all the vegetarian and gluten free options. It's also such a pretty restaurant with great ambiance and the service was great! read more

Mela Indian Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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One of my most favorite places to eat in Asheville. I've been here several times and have thoroughly enjoyed their lunch buffet. Every dish is tasty and has just the right level of spice to it. Servers are very polite and love that they add an Indian touch to their attires. In my most recent visit, we had chai there and it was one of the best chai at a restaurant! read more

Excellent Indian food! As soon as you walk in it smells delicious. Great service- I even accidentally left my debit card and they held it for me. Food was delicious we had the rack of lamb and a spicy chicken curry. All of it was perfectly done. read more

Service was amazing! Yatin was so attentive and kind and anticipated all of our needs before we asked. Food was also amazing and very filling. We got the lamb and salmon. Also golden milk was warm and lovely. Sad we don't have this back in our hometown!! read more

Mela Indian Restaurant - Salmon Tikka - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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The food was delicious! We shared a special naan as our appetizer. It had feta and spinach. I don't know where the spinach was, but it was garlicky and buttery and cheesy and wonderful. My husband had saag paneer and requested medium spice. It was perfect. I had the saffron chicken kabob. It came with a small serving of dal and a tasty salad. We were provided with a big bowl of flavorful basmati rice to share. The ambience was fine as was the service. A nice touch was 2 chocolate covered strawberries with the check because it was Valentine's Day'. I will definitely return. read more

This place has a cool vibe with the wood and exposed brick. Staff were helpful and open to asking questions confirming availability and gluten free options. Food was AMAZING! read more

Mela is my go-to restaurant for an intense food experience. Kind of like an Indian version of comfort food. The buffet offers enough consistency to be reliable, yet enough variation to keep me enticed to return. Heat runs toward the mild side, but there is plenty of flavor in each dish. Condiment and chutneys are available if you want to turn up the heat. During tourist season, Mela can seem somewhat overrun, but I have never had to wait for more than five minutes to be seated. A great place for a fun outing with my husband or to bring out of town friends. read more

I was traveling through the city and I am a huge chicken tikki masala fan. I order their lunch portion along with naan. The flavors were rich and creamy with an incredible cooked rice. The wait was a bit but they happened to be busy on a Saturday afternoon. Seems to be a hot spot if you're looking for a great lunch! I would happily return. read more

The lunch buffet was fabulous. The food was so authentic and cooked perfectly. The chai was wonderful. Service was great.

I'm always searching for the best Indian cuisine. After living abroad in the UK for a while, I'm always on the lookout for a new stateside contender. I got that tonight at Mela. The aromatically spiced air hits you immediately but subtly, as you enter a low key Indian bistro. You're whisked to your table and given a quick tour of how it works (if you're a fan, you *know* how it works). The food is delivered impeccably, both in presentation and taste. I used my barometer of chicken tikka masala, and the dish went beyond my expectations. Creamy and tangy, spicy and sweet, the flavors merge into a deluge of tastiness. This should be on your list. read more

Mela Indian Restaurant - And now, on to dinner. - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Fine dining Indian in the heart of Asheville. Surprised it wasn't packed on a Sat night. Large group all loved every bite.

My wife and I eat regularly at Mela because the food is always excellent. AND we have eaten Indian food extensively in the USA and Europe. India is a big country with lots of varied cuisine, but a trip here is always a joy. The only negative is the parking. Parking in downtown Asheville is always problematic, especially on a Friday or Saturday. And when you are there ask for Naomi. She is a great server. read more

Great atmosphere! Food was awesome! Very flavorful. Our waitress recommended some great choices. Can't wait to eat there again!

Lunch buffet on Thurs., Jan 8, '26. Great variety of delicious food. I had a problem with my food which I brought to the attention of our very polite waiter. The owner/manager came out to talk to me. Issue was resolved immediately, quietly, perfectly & professionally to my total satisfaction. I'm looking forward to my next trip downtown to enjoy Mela's delicious food again soon. read more

Overall, I like this place. I visit for the lunch buffet and take my kids and think it's a decent deal! The buffet features vegetarian and non vegetarian items. If you like Indian, you know the non-veggie items are usually chicken. They have a plentiful spread of Indian dishes and naan bread. Quality and atmosphere and service are good. The one thing I would ask they keep an eye on is that after the peak times some of the dishes run out or low. To their credit they usually bring out more but on two occasions, I filled up on other items and didn't get what I wanted. Having said that, there were plenty of choices and so I would still recommend giving them a try! read more

Yatin catered to our Easter dinner and made us feel very welcomed. The food was cooked perfectly. I had the golden milk, was very smooth and perfectly flavored, and the rack of lamb couldn't have been cooked better. The rice was also cooked perfectly. The atmosphere is very nice and would come back next time I'm in Asheville. read more

I never had Indian food before visiting Mela in May. My husband had been before, and recommended the salmon, raving about how good it was. I went with three girlfriends. Two of us ordered the salmon, another ordered a mahi mahi dish, and another ordered the chicken tikka masala. When I finished my food, I finished everyone else's too!!! Everything we ordered was delicious and fresh. The garlic naan was to die for. Buttery, fresh, warm, flavorful, tons of garlic which I am CERTAINLY about! I begged my husband to take me back. We added 20+ minutes to a long drive just to stop in Asheville for Mela. I got butter chicken, and it was amazing. Comes with quality rice, yummy naan, and the most wonderful sauce over tender chicken thighs. My husband got lamb chops and really enjoyed that as well. I feel like the ambiance could be slightly better, but the food is really the star of the show at Mela! Waiters are sweet too. They definitely deserve even better reviews than they have. read more

Mela Indian Restaurant - Delicious Butter Chicken - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Got this as take out when in the area. Staff were all nice. The food was overall fair- super salty that made it hard to distinguish other traditional flavors that may have been present. Probably wouldn't eat there again, but it was ok overall read more

Food; very nice! Fresh and slightly different from other Indian restaurants Service: Good! Prompt. Attentive. Ambiance: Nice. Subtle and elegant. Come back? Absolutely! read more

Best chai latte I have ever had!! We stopped in for a snack and had the onion kulcha, papadum and butternut squash soup. All were terrific! We will be back! read more

Mela Indian Restaurant - Chai latte - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

We love Indian cuisine and found Mela's to be very good. It wasn't a spicy as we're accustomed to but still fresh and flavorful. I love the wide selection of cold and hot dishes on their lunch buffet. read more

Mela Indian Restaurant - Buffet - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

My first time at Mela and I went for the lunch buffet. The wait staff - Yatin and Naomi - were great. Friendly and attentive. And the food on the buffet was Excellent!! The chicken tikka masala was super! And everything else I tried was great, too. I DEFINITELY will be going back even though I live an hour away. Thank you, Yatin and Naomi!! read more

We like Indian food. This buffet for a Saturday lunch was delicious. There was a nice variety of salad, hot dishes, a soup and desserts. Be careful of the shredded carrots with jalapeños. So hot. The desserts were rice pudding and vermillion pudding. Both were delicious. The drink menu has beer and wine. I tried the watermelon Sessions Sour. Not my favorite, but it was okay with the food. The buffet selection changes every day. Good food. Good service. Friendly staff. They do not take reservations, but can accommodate large groups if you get there at opening. Look for the red front. Small paid parking lot is across the street. read more

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Mela was very welcoming and obliging to us. At this time difficult time in Asheville. it offered us a refreshing atmosphere and a very enjoyable meal with my wife. The manager showed us the buffet offerings and which ones were vegan. Great selection of delicious dishes. We went back three times. The $5 Bloody Mary was good. Go treat yourself and your loved ones to Mela; great price on amazing food! read more

We ordered carry out because we were in Asheville, North Carolina and we had kids with us. All the dishes were excellent except for the tandoori chicken. It did not seem as if they had cooked it in one of those clay ovens and it did not have that red color that tandoori chicken usually has. That being said it had an OK flavor. We ordered Panera masala which was wonderful, and Madras vegetables made with coconut milk which were over-the-top delicious. We would certainly get food from them again if we were in the area again. read more

This had a lot of potential. The menu contained a few items I don't think I have seen in other Indian menus and I was excited to try. Wasn't a home run though. I ordered the Kozi Milagu Chettinad. "Boneless chicken cooked in a sauce made with tomatoes, onions, garlic, black pepper, cumin, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom". Sounds awesome, right? Should have been. But it was too spicy. I like heat and this was far from overwhelming. However, the heat overwhelmed the flavor, so it was only heat. That's not to say I didn't like it but it just wasn't great because there was no subtleness to the flavors or distinctive flavors. My fiancé loved her vegetarian dish, though I don't recall what she got. We also got the whole wheat naan which just tasted like garlic naan, which is obviously wonderful. I liked it enough to come back and try something else. But this one wasn't perfect. read more

The food is just dang good and the price is better than all of Asheville. Excellent vegetarian fair (and chicken dishes) for buffet.

Absolute BEST Indian food in Asheville. The butternut squash soup, aloo gobi, and shrimp vindaloo are honestly incredible... and the vegan cauliflower dish on the new specials menu is divine. After trying every Indian restaurant in town, I really only go to Mela these days. The food just tastes so fresh. I honestly can't get enough of it. Not to mention, the service is great. Crystal and Mufasa both took care of my friend and I the other night. They were awesome. read more

What a delightful and authentic Indian food experience in the heart of downtown Asheville. The Butter Chicken was hands down one of the best I've ever had. From beginning to end the staff was kind and generous with their time. The seating and environment was quaint and simplistic while maintaining the overall authenticity. read more

Mela Indian Restaurant - Butter Chicken - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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This is my favorite place to eat in Asheville. Bryn at the bar always takes good care of you no matter how busy they are and the food is delicious. Not too bright inside and good music at the right volume. I call in an order to eat there after gigs nearby and they always accommodate even though its usually near the time the kitchen closes. Cheers Mela! read more

Lunch buffet never disappoints Food taste well seasoned and not too greasy. I recommend to my friends read more

Mela Indian Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Excellent! Spent the last few days enjoying the mountains and the quirky personality of the Asheville area. We decided before going, rather than dining on the usual, we would step out of our comfort zone and experience something new. Mela Indian Restaurant did not disappoint! Our server Savannah guided us through the menu and after my first fail, she hit it out if the park with the Chicken Tikka Marsala! Oh my goodness! Not only was it superb at dinner, the reheated leftovers were to die for! It's a big YES for the Indian Cuisine at Mela! read more

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So nice. I went a second time with my husband for the lunch buffet! All the allergens are listen on the food at the buffet- which is helpful. The price is good, too. My husband and I really really REALLY wanted samosas... but they weren't out at the buffet. We asked our server, "hey, do you guys have any samosas that you put out on the buffet?" And she said, "no... but we can make you some.... ;)" Mannnnn, they took care of us! Absolutely love it here. read more

For lunch we chose Mela. The three of us found the food tasted only average. There were just two choices for lunch. One was a chicken plate. I ordered the vegetarian plate. It came with a bunch of sampler scoops. The chana masala had a little spice to it, but everything else seemed bland or salty. The sag paneer was a let down as it tasted like spinach with a chunk of cheese in it. The coconut yellow curry veggies were very good. Also the kale salad was excellent. In fact it was the best tasting thing on my plate. The fried veggies however were way overly salted. After so much excellent food on our trip through Asheville, Mela was a bit of a let down. read more

Mela Indian Restaurant - The interior - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Superb evening eating at the bar. Victoria took good care of us and we really enjoyed our time. The butter chicken was excellent as was whatever the hors doerves we had with curried chickpeas. The lamb was good but I will be ordering the butter chicken again next time. We had 5 of us. Beautiful bar and great ambiance and the building is amazing. Great last minute option and so glad we were able to get a nice spot at the bar. read more

Mela Indian Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Mela is one of my go to restaurants whenever I am in Asheville. On my recent visit for dinner, the service was excellent. Our server was attentive, and made great recommendations. We tried the Tandoori salmon and it was delicious. We had the vegetable pakora and the Madras vegetables as well. I will definitely be back! read more