Very diverse menu with only the freshest ingredients. The owner prides himself on quality food and clearly takes a lot of pride in his business. He imports fresh fish overnight from Hawaii. I saw him stop by most tables, and he is practically always there if the restaurant is open. No matter what you order, you really can't go wrong. We had a couple things but got a whole branzino and it was quite special and well done. read more

I met some friends here for dinner and we enjoyed sitting outside. The menu is vast! On a positive note, the onion soup, sautéed calamari and the salmon were delicious, especially with the rustic bread. On a negative note, neither the Greek salad nor the Caesar salad had any salad dressing -- maybe they forgot? I will return but read the reviews so I know what else to order (and not to order). read more

Nice authentic Italian restaurant in Arlington! Cute interior, friendly staff, and pretty quick service. Most importantly, the food was tasty! My family all enjoyed it. The pastas had great flavor and the portions were just right. Would definitely come back! read more

Mele Bistro - Penne Neapolitan - French Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Excellent food and service. We went on a Saturday night out. We Iwould definitely recommend.

I had an enjoyable, tasty meal at Mele. When I arrived it wasn't crowded, and they let me pick my table. But by the time I finished the place was full. Of course it's fairly small too. Service was good, my waiter was pretty busy, but he and other staff checked on me. The owner made a point of coming around and chatting with everyone. He is a real schmoozer, meaning that in a nice way. They had oil and balsamic vinegar on the table for the bread that they bring you, and they also bring a little dish with pepper and salt and a small spoon. Of course in the low light, I thought that the salt was Parmesan and heavily applied it. Then I had to add a whole bunch more oil and vinegar to dilute it. My food choices turned out to be interesting, in that both of them involved apples. The endive salad had shredded apple with it, which is pretty standard. My entrée was a pasta dish with chicken and also pieces of apple in a cream sauce. Everything here is supposedly organic, which I believe. It was also quite fresh. The pasta was very good. The apples were not an overly tart variety, so they actually complemented the cream sauce and the chicken quite well. read more

Amazing restaurant. The pasta portion was large and tasted amazing. This is my favorite restaurant in Arlington. I will be back often! Top notch servers as well read more

Mele Bistro is truly a hidden gem in Rosslyn, VA. When you pull up to the parking lot of the restaurant, its located centrally in a what looks almost like a strip mall. So your expectations are somewhat low for Italian food simply because of that. But oddly enough, when you enter the venue you are instantly transported to a little slice of Americanized Italian home-cooking. There isn't nothing super fancy about this place and to tell you the truth the service is hella slow. Be prepared to wait abnormally longer than you would at any other restaurant. Nevertheless, the quality and taste of the food negates all of that and makes it worth the wait and endurance LOL. I I absolutely LOVE the whole branzino here. Every time I visit its the one thing I order and its consistently great. Only thing is that it takes about 30 mins to prepare. I would recommend trying any of their homemade pasta dishes as they are amazing. On a positive note, the servers and owners are very attentive and do their best to make you feel like you are at home. read more

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The food was excellent. We had the Capresse Salad which was wonderful. I had the Spinach ravioli which I really enjoyed. The two people with me had the Shrimp scampi. They thought the shrimp was prepared to perfection. Their bread is wonderful and they refilled our basket more than once. We also had the tiramisu and it was very good. I would have loved to give them 5 stars but the servers seemed harried and we had to wait a bit for our check. But that may have just been the situation that evening. read more

Our first time in the area and we made a reservation at a restaurant down the street and after one drink, appetizers and looking at yelp decided to switch to Mele. So glad we did... wish we came over for appetizers here too ... Surrounded by other small cafes and restaurants Mele stands out with its cute and nice outdoor area. Inside is beautiful as well. The owner immediately approached us and told us all about their way of sourcing quality food from Europe and surrounding areas. Nothing is processed... what and how they do it listed on the front of their menu. they really took the time to ensure we have all needed information about menu and options... we ordered delicious food, cocktails and wine. Dessert and limoncello shot were also great. Atmosphere, staff and great food are main reasons you should visit this restaurant. You will love it. read more

Went here for New Year's Eve dinner and also dinner before which was the reason I booked it again. Service was ok, however I ordered an Old Fashion and the waiter got me the wrong drink. He was super nice to everyone else on the table but very rude to me when I was ordering my drink and food. The bill for 4 people with drinks apps entrees was close to $200 which wasn't super bad.. The restaurant was very nice festive and was a good feel for New Years. I will deff give this place another chance but I just wish we get another waiter who is nicer to customers read more

We came by yesterday evening for Valentine's Day and it was an absolutely delightful meal. Packed house for this holiday. Despite this, food was absolutely delicious. For starters, we ordered the french onion soup and fried calamari. Highly advise the calamari, it was fresh, perfectly fried, a delicious crunch at each bite with a burst of lemon. Yum! My fiancé ordered the north artic sea bass (THIS! Must order this!), with garlic potatoes and mixed vegetables. I ordered the hanger steak small plates. Highly advise the sea bass, probably something I would return for. It came with a side of three sauces that perfectly paired with the sea bass that was moist and buttery. Not to mention the perfect partnership with the garlic potatoes. Yum, absolutely delicious. Not to mention the adorable decor where each table received a rose and you can take home the Valentine's Day balloons with you. A very nice restaurant for date night. read more

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Came here on a spontaneous date night with my husband. A man, who I believe was the manager, greeted us, sat us, was super friendly and made us feel welcomed! Our server, unfortunately, was not as friendly. I asked a question about the menu and he was unnecessarily condescending stating that he had already told me about it when he first came over... we ended up just asking to take our food to go which was a shame because the food was actually pretty good. read more

On a positive note, I can say that the food seemed to be as fresh as they claimed it was. I had the endive salad which was good - although just a little too big to be a starter. For my main, I had seafood raviolis which were definitely fresh but disappointingly bland. Service was good, and the staff were nice, but extremely slow in the beginning. I ordered a house special cocktail, and they were out of one of the ingredients. Instead of asking me if I wanted to have it without the one ingredient, they just said they couldn't do it. I think this is because the waiter was also the bartender and was too overwhelmed to multiple tasks. I told him to make it without the one ingredient, and he begrudgingly did so. I initially wanted the seasonal squash raviolis, but they were out of it and settled for the terribly bland seafood raviolis. Overall, mediocre and unmemorable food. Good service, but for the price I definitely want go back. Main platers were around $25-$30. read more

We went here on a Friday night and made a reservation in advance (I'm glad we did since it was pretty packed on Friday). The first thing I noticed here was how friendly staff was and made us feel welcomed. They also were generous in spending a good amount of time to explain everything in detail, from the salt and olive oil on the table to different items on the menu. We sat on the patio since it was pretty nice out even in February. I also checked the inside and I can tell it's pretty cozy. For food, I tried the fresh buffalo mozzarella caprese for appetizer which was truly fresh. For the main course, I tried the traditional fettuccine Alfredo with cream sauce and it was really good (maybe next time I also try it with tomato sauce). I paired the pasta with some Pinot noir which was nice and smooth. And for dessert, we got tiramisu which was ok, I mean it was just tiramisu. Overall I liked the experience and I'll probably go back to try some more pasta dishes. read more

Delicious authentic food, cozy and romantic environment, and quick service! This restaurant is one of our favorites. The first time we visited, the owner spent time talking to us and checking in on us. read more

We came to Mele for the first time at 7 pm on a Saturday night. We had a reservation and were given the option of indoor or outdoor seating. It was a little warm out but the outside atmosphere seemed nicer/busier (in a good way) so we opted for outside. It wasn't super crowded so we probably would have been OK without a reservation. If I were rating solely based on the food, I would give this place a 5. Sadly the service knocked them down a star for me. Everyone was really friendly, including who I assume is the owner because he greeted everyone, visited every table and raved about the food and how fresh it was, etc. The (presumed) owner was one of 4 servers (2 who seemed more like managers than servers, but were running food/drinks and refilling waters). It got pretty busy as the night went on and it seemed like they couldn't keep up. We're pretty quick eaters and generally spend about an hour at a restaurant but spent over 2 hours here. Basically, if you're on a tight timeline I would not come here! To eat we had the fettuccine alfredo and spicy penne Neapolitan, both of which were fabulous and very generous portions. To start we had the fried calamari which was perfectly breaded, not too heavy with just the right amount of spices. We finished the meal with the tiramisu which I originally thought might be dry (just based on looks) but was actually very moist but not too heavy on the alcohol. Overall I would definitely come back! The environment was nice and we weren't in a rush so spending some extra time waiting wasn't a huge problem for us! read more

First of all the service was amazing. I was welcomed as a regular and treated as such. I ordered the french onion soup, blackened scallops with risotto and the cherry gelato. The risotto was a bit too chewy for me but overal everything was good. read more

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Great food and great service, very friendly and enjoyable. I will go back often. Amazing entrees.

Due to Covid restrictions and indoor dining in dc on pause I been looking around VA for some good spots. My friend recommended this place so we came here on a Sunday night. We were seated to our table and greeted by this guy I don't know if he is the owner or a manager but he went over the list and in detail about where their meats come from. Let me tell ya'll something the way he explained their salmon and how it was from Hawaii and it was best salmon i would ever have, he almost had me wanting to try every damn salmon dish lol. He was selling them dishes but it did make me want to come back to try them. But any who I was in a seafood mood so I ordered the seafood fettuccine in cream sauce. You can customize your pasta as far as I'm taking some things out. I ordered mine without clams. I give it a 10/10. The besttttt pasta, everything was perfect. They definitely wasn't stingy on the seafood parts which I loved, the sauce was so good. I highly recommend especially if you are big on shrimp, calamari, scallops and mussels. The only thing I would change is to have the waiters more attentive. The place was empty so I don't know why they weren't. Me and my friend were waiting a good 15 mins for our waiter to come over, when he finally came to us he said we missed last call due to the new restrictions that alcohol will stop being served at 10. Not to mention we barely seen him. But overall I will definitely come back, I just need the customer service to be just as good as the food. read more

Mele Bistro - Seafood Fettuccine with cream sauce. Soooo good I highly recommend - French Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

At Mele Bustro, the size of the terrace is quite big. Inside the distance between the tables is quite nice. The owner is extremely welcoming and the staff very pleasant. The menu offers a quite extensive choice with a large diverse choice of Mediterranean dishes. The bread is probably the best in the whole region and I know about bread since I am French. Every dishes we chose was delicious. I highly recommend Mele Bistro. That was my first time and I am happy that I trusted my friends' judgements who always eat there and are never disappointed. Sorry, for the color of the dish, the lighting made it difficult to take nice photos. read more

It was my first time at Mele and I really enjoyed it. We sat outside with our two dogs and the staff was very accommodating in getting us a good spot and bringing lots of water for the pups. Our waiter was extremely friendly and attentive, and had great menu suggestions! We just shared wine and charcuterie but I highly recommend coming here and trying some other menu items! Our food was delicious and the wine was great. It's definitely on the pricey side, but you can find some reasonably priced appetizers and pasta dishes as well as bottles of wine under $40. I will definitely be back! read more

Mele Bistro - Wine and cheese plate - French Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Mele is my favorite restaurant in Arlington VA! My favorite menu item is the butternut squash ravioli but we try to enjoy something new every time we dine here. The spicy Italian penne and seafood ravioli were superb! The owner always takes the time to greet his guests and lend a helping hand. The ambiance is perfect for a date night or a business meal! read more

Mele Bistro - Penne Neapolitan and seafood ravioli - French Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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This place was amazing!!!!!!!!!! Highly recommend!!! Sorry I didn't get more pictures. Me and my boyfriend went here tonight and WOW! We will be back! We started with the sautéed calamari and oh my gosh was it good!!so tender and the cream sauce that came with it I wanted to drink! The delicious warm bread that comes with dinner was perfect to soak it up! We both had a Caesar salad that was a bit disappointing it was underdressed and spicy? I had the shrimp scampi again amazing! And my bf had the squid ink ravioli that was to die for again the sauce was fantastic. We finished with a pear Tart and tiramisu absolutely divine! And on top of the amazing food the service was on point everyone was so attentive and they really worked as a team and that made the experience perfect! And the rice is not bad at all for the area and the quality you get I will have to come back to explore more of the menu!! read more

Mele Bistro - French Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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First time here - and during the pandemic. Ordered on line (easy process) for takeout. Everything was wonderful, and we cannot wait to have a proper meal sitting in their lovely dining room - and perhaps an after-dinner drink at their beautiful bar! The duck sausage (with really great mashed potatoes and lingonberry sauce) was something I would have delighted in having as a main course - great texture to the sausages and the lingonberries had just the right amount of sweetness. Did a charcuterie - LOVED the spice in the Smoked Virginia salami. For the mains - Butternut squash ravioli was rich and creamy without being heavy at all. Loved having spinach with it too! Hubby did the "Spanish Fisherman's Style" and raved about the unique seasonings and how beautifully the fish was done. He stepped up the side to the mushroom risotto, and was very happy he did so! Parking seemed to be a bit of a challenge in the front lot - a gym had set up an outdoor spinning class that ate up quite a few spots. We continue to target small independent restaurants during the pandemic - hoping to help the great ones - like Mele- survive! read more

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I've been here twice and for the most part, it's a nice restaurant. There are several things I would change -- first off, the menu. If you've seen the menu, it's literally a book with confusing entrees and small plates. The cover of the menu illustrates how fresh the ingredients are -- from the flown in fish from Hawaii to what butter they use. This is a tad unnecessary since the owner comes around and explains every little thing. Make the menu smaller and easier to read. (The food was mediocre at best - my sister ordered the scallops while I ordered the pesto pasta dish). Secondly, our table didn't have one waiter, we had at least three. One was taking the orders, the other was asking what appetizers we wanted, and the third told me the entree I ordered was not available. Confusing. The owner of the restaurant is nice and very enthusiastic, which I admire. He's playing three different roles throughout the evening - he's the host, the waiter and the food runner. Again, pick a role and stick with it. It's not that I don't recommend this restaurant, but it's stuff like the menu that make me not want to return. I wish Mele the best! read more

Would recommend this place to anyone. Their menu is full of different options. They offer gluten free pasta as well with anything. I was in love with their wine selection as well and look forward to going on my next date here. read more

Mele Bistro - French Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Everything is great in this place! Food, service and even the eclectic music selection they play in the background. The caprezza was outstanding and as main course I had he seafood squid ink ravioli and it was sensational! This is my new favorite Italian restaurant! read more

Mele Bistro - French Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Welcomed like family, meats were tender and moist, sauces absolutely heaven. We will be back.

How does an Iranian make such great Italian food? Great service, perfect atmosphere, and excellent food with LOTS of options. Had Veal Piccata and while excellent, I will try as Marsala next time. I will also bring coworkers so I can try more dishes! Everything was excellent! Nice job Frank! read more

First time at Mele Bistro and it will not be the last. The food and service were excellent all the way around. I had Rockfish which was superb and the accompanying mashed potatoes and wilted spinach were also very good. read more

If I could give this place 6 stars I would! The customer service was absolutely amazing!!! Best customer service I've had at any restaurant by far. We were greeted warmly as soon as we walked in the door. The food is so fresh! Frank was the best very kind and funny, and he made sure our dining experience was above average. The entire waiting staff was very attentive; we never wanted for anything. The food was so delicious 10/10. For appetizer I ordered the Portabella mushrooms (freakin delicious), and for my entrée I had the spicy vegetarian pasta both options were vegan friendly so that was great for me. My boyfriend ordered the lamb sausage for an appetizer, and the original salmon with garlic mashed potatoes, and whiled spinach for entrée also 10/10 according to him. We will definitely be back soon. I highly recommend! read more

Mele Bistro - Spicy vegetarian penne - French Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I walked by this place for years when going to get a quick bite at Pho 75, and always thought it looked adorable and interesting, but never actually dined there until recently. The decor is quirky, but cute and charming, with pretty paper umbrellas on the ceiling, strands of Christmas lights, and fresh flowers. They were very busy that night for dinner, and we had to wait a while even though we had a reservation. I didn't mind too much because I wasn't starving, but they were apologetic and brought us complimentary glasses of wine while we waited. Their food incorporates French and Italian influences, as well as a lot of seafood options, into a variety of dishes. The menu changes daily, depending on what is available to them, and I was particularly surprised to see that some of the seafood dishes are made with fish flown in daily from Hawaii. We both ordered seafood entrees that included scallops, shrimp, salmon, and mussels, and everything was cooked perfectly (a pet peeve of mine is overcooked or overseasoned seafood). Service was notably slow, but they were very busy, and we weren't in a hurry, so that didn't matter, and overall, the service was very welcoming and friendly throughout our meal. I'm looking forward to going back soon to try some of their other dishes, but for now I would highly recommend their seafood entrees. One thing to note: they changed their name to Mele Bistro, although the Yelp listing isn't updated yet. read more

Mele Bistro - French Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I walked in this establishment with my mother thinking it was open. It was 12pm and they were closed. There was two men rolling silver ware and they told me the place was not open and that the Chinese restaurant was next door. Me and my mother are both Asian women. This was a rude and racist remark and I hope this gets addressed. Also, the restaurant next door is Vietnamese. So this was rude and discriminatory to us as well as their neighbor restaurant. Disappointing. read more

Absolutely beautiful atmosphere that sets a very intimate mood. The service is slow getting in even with reservations. However, once inside you'll understand why. You literally just don't want to leave! The food here is next level exquisite. It's freshness with every bite, fills your mouth with flavor, and is priced exceptionally well! They definitely found the formula to quality, quantity, and hospitality! Not many restaurants compare to Mele Bistro. read more

First visit a few weeks ago...ordered the ahi tuna special - tuna just flown in from HawaiI... nothing to rave about and overpriced. I gave what was left to a homeless person. Wine overpriced. Maybe the strictly Italian food is better. Place was crowded and noisy with tables much too close together... service abrupt and spotty. The worst part, however, was when I got my credit card statement. The tip had been altered - in the restaurant's favor. It was an 80 cent difference, but annoying nevertheless. Whole experience was disappointing. I am not likely to return. read more

The ingredients, the delicious meals, warm atmosphere, and delightful owner who always greets us like old friends makes a meal at Mele Bistro a treasure. read more

I visited Mele this past weekend. I walked in around 8pm. It was very crowded with happy people and fortunately I was able to get a table for 2. I recommend getting the Lobster Ravioli. The picture doesn't do any justice but believe me this was a classy and Delicious Dish! I wanted to order another scoop....:) but didn't want to be greedy! I will defiantly return before the year is out. read more

Mele Bistro - French Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

We ordered the bolognese and the Neapolitan. The meat for the bolognese was not good at all. It tasted like hamburger helper and it didn't have that much flavor. The pasta was fine, but the things that was accompanying it was a big disappointment. The Neapolitan wasn't too bad. The sausages were pretty delicious. The pasta was also cooked pretty good. The sauce could be better, and it seemed like the parts of the sauce broke apart. The bread was pretty tasty though. Overall, would not go again, it wasn't worth the price. read more

This is our second visit here, and it was much different than the first. Last month, we had an exceptional dinner before a Thursday evening show at the Kennedy Center. The owner came over to explain the menu, specials, things unique to this restaurant (e.g., fresh, locally sourced ingredients, no artificial anything, extensive fish selection), etc. From the cocktails and wine selections, to the appetizer and dinner we had, everything was delicious and the service was spot-on. This time, however, despite coming early and avoiding the rush, service was not very good. I asked about the cocktail specials I had seen last month, and they looked at me like I was crazy. The server said he would make something up for me, and then he disappeared. After waiting 30 minutes, it was clear he forgot about me and we had to remind our server that I was still missing my drink. Likewise, we had to ask for more bread, we had to ask for water refills, and our server never came by after the first drinks were delivered to check on us or offer us a second round when our glasses were empty. Here's the worst part about the service. I ordered the spinach ravioli, and when it was brought to the table, the food runner announced "cheese ravioli?" I said, no I ordered the spinach. Our server came over and said, "Oh, I'm sorry, the kitchen ran out of the spinach." Um, couldn't you have told me that 40 minutes ago when I placed the order? Instead you just made a substitute and hoped I would be okay with it when it was brought to the table? Who does that? He offered to have the kitchen make something else, but we were heading to another show that evening, and my friend had her meal delivered to the table already, so I wasn't about to start a new order. Of course, adding insult to injury, we were charged in full for the entree that they sent in error. This was, night-and-day, a much different experience on a Friday in February, vice a Thursday in January just the month prior. It's too bad, because we were so impressed the first time we opted to come right back at our next opportunity. We won't make that mistake again. read more

Absolutely delicious hidden gem. I've passed this place every day for two years and never thought of visiting until looking at the online reviews - it did not disappoint! The owner is so friendly and gives you the full story of the sourcing of their foods and quality of the ingredients. This place is no fuss, no shortcuts, just good food - as you can tell from the lack of "fancy" marketing/website,etc. but the inside of the restaurant is cozy and pretty and the service was friendly and comfortable. I got the squid ink ravioli and it was delicioussss. Glad to have found a great spot for pasta in Arlington!! Will definitely be back. read more

Mele Bistro - Squid Ink Ravioli & Seafood Fettucine and of course an empty bread basket - French Near Me - Arlington, Virginia