Danny T.

Meli Estiatorio is a Greek gem in the heart of Forest Hills. The food is incredible, but what really sets this place apart is the service. Our waitress Victoria was an absolute delight - she was attentive, knowledgeable, and had a great sense of humor. She made our dining experience truly special. I can't wait to come back and see her again! The restaurant itself is beautiful, with a warm and inviting atmosphere. The menu is full of delicious options, from classic Greek dishes to more modern takes on Mediterranean cuisine. The portions were not the most generous. Throughout the meal, Victoria was always there when we needed her, but never intrusive. She had great recommendations for both food and wine, and her positive energy was infectious. Overall, Meli Estiatorio exceeded all of our expectations. It's clear that the staff takes pride in their work and genuinely cares about their customers' experiences. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a memorable meal in Forest Hills - especially if you're lucky enough to have Victoria as your server! SOME THINGS THAT CAN IMPROVE: We ordered two fish main courses, we requested both to be deboned. I'm sorry but for this price point there were wayyyyy too many bones in our fish. The flavor was good but not spectacular. The Potatoe appetizer I could have made at home easily...again this should not happen at this price point. I could say the same thing about the asparagus...good but not good enough for this price point. Sorry I love the atmosphere and the decor and service but the quality of food is just not there for the money. This place is relatively brand new so although some things can definitely be improved I still have five stars.

Edgar A.

If you really want to have an upscale night out you will feel very good about, you have to come to Meli. It's only been around for a few months, but every time my spouse and I drove by we were always drawn to the place. We decided to go on a whim on a Saturday night and got very lucky to have secured a spot at the bar because all the tables were spoken for. After settling in, the bartender immediately tended to us and helped us place our drink and food orders pretty easily. While we were waiting for our food, which came out pretty quickly, it felt very comfortable inside because the music wasn't too loud and lots of folks were chatting away inside. Throughout the night the bartender did a great job on checking up on us as we chowed down all the food. The food was really great! The flavors were very powerful and everything was cooked beautifully.

Eddie S.

Last night my wife and I went to Meli for the first time for our anniversary, we had heard good things about this relatively new restaurant and were very much looking foward to going and damn, Meli did not disappoint! From the moment we walked in we were impressed, bright , beautiful, large open space ..a visual representation of their food, clean , light , simple ..perfect. Our host ( who is believe was one of the owners) was attentive, friendly and engaging , as was our absolutely incredible server, I feel terrible because I went out of my way to get her name and I cant remember it, I blame old age and the excessive amount of that wonderful greek wine she recommended ..Andrea? Maybe?? Lol ..well if you are reading this and remember us , thank you so much you was as integral to the dining experience as much as the food , a true professional as are the rest of the staff from what I saw. Ok on to the food! First we were given some fresh warm grilled pita and olive bread with some olives that were in a lovely olive oil with herbs and garlic to enjoy while we decided what we wanted to eat and while we enjoyed it it didnt take us long to order since we had been scoping out the menu all week and pretty much walked in knowing what we wanted lol. We started with the crab cake, stuffed calamari, and spread sample platter..everything was perfect , let me talk about this crab cake for a minute,thiscrab cake was one of the best I've ever had, I usually pass on crab cakes , it is a staple menu item that you will find in most restaurants and for the most part the usually SUCK , all breading, cheap crab , fishy tasting , not cooked properly...fuckin mango salsa not here, huge pieces of jumbo lump with just enough egg and breading to hold it all together cooked perfectly , simple remulade, some fresh lightly dressed greens, this is the kind of crab cake that made crab cakes popular in the first place! The stuff calamari..scrumptious! , you wouldn't think squid and cheese would work, but maaaaan does it ever, the char the lemon and the cheese ...mmmm, my wife and I loved it! All the spreads were superb also. For my main I had the whole grilled bronzino, light ,flakey, moist .. nicely seasoned , simple lemon caper sauce...fresh , light, clean and perfect . My wife went with the salmon with was also divine not to mention beautifully plated , some how we still had room for dessert which were both equally impressive but I have run out of adjectives for how good this food is Finished it all off with an insanely good smoked cocktail. For those complaining about the price , its not cheap , nothing is anymore, but not out of line with the prices of restaurants in the area of similar quality and never did i feel the quality of the food and experience didnt match what we spent. Thank you all for a wonderful dining experience, you should all be proud of what you are doing there, and we cant wait to come back to try the rest of the menu. A true gem in Forest Hills.

Betty C.

We went for dinner Friday night without reservations but got seated. Some fish were not available so we tried the bronzini and Black Sea bass (price is per pound). The charred octopus appetizer was delicious. Brussels sprouts were really tasty. For dessert we shared the Ekmek which was huge! Packed half of it home. Service was top notch.

Shelley L.

I'm always open to trying new restaurants in the neighborhood and once we saw this was a seafood spot too, we knew to expect high prices compared to other eateries along Metropolitan Avenue. We dined here for Valentine's Day and they accomodated our reservation even though the party number was listed incorrectly in the system. The ambiance is incredible. The vibe is tropical with mediterrean influences. I loved being there. It felt amazing and felt like a top notch dining establishment. We ordered a few things to try and while it was good, I don't know that I could justify the prices with the food experience. There was complimentary bread (guessing this is daily) and champagne for the special occasion so that was a lovely touch. Octopus - I usually don't eat this but my husband said I had to try it and it was really good! Five dips - nice variety and large ice cream scoop size for each. Asked for pita bread multiple times so we could finish the dips. Lamb chops - was so excited to try this and expected a better both quantity and quality. $64 for three pieces and it came with fries. The flavor was there and delicious but the lamb chops were very fatty. I prefer my lamb chops lean. Salmon - good and came with a unique type of rice or something. Overall, not bad. Branzino - saw so many photos and really wanted to try this. I always love a good piece of fish. It was good and I liked it. Orange cake - delicious and great flavor. Good choice to end your meal with a slight tangy yet sweet cake. Donuts with nutella - I would pass on it. The nutella is always awesome but the donuts were a bit hard, almost stale. Also ordered a side of asparagus which was fine. Scarlet was our waitress and she was super helpful and patient. She made great recommendations to us and we mostly enjoyed our meal. The price does choke you a bit once you see the bill. It's a great choice for a celebratory meal, special occasion or just to treat yourself.

Danielle D.

My husband and I visited Meli on a Friday night a little over a week after it opened and it was an exceptional dining experience all around. The restaurant is gorgeous with high ceilings, ambient lighting and beautiful flowers and natural decor. We also really enjoyed the eclectic music mix that ranged from minimal house to traditional Greek music to Motown. There's a definite vibe for a night out. I had a whole fish that was very helpfully filleted and came with a side of horta (sautéed greens) along with a refreshing glass of Greek white wine. My husband had the veal chop. All of the food was fresh and delicious, and we were both too full for dessert. The wine, cocktail and mocktail menus offer an impressive variety, especially for Forest Hills. Everyone we encountered was exceptionally friendly and welcoming, and our server was very helpful with food and wine recommendations. I will definitely be back for a special night out. My only regret was not dressing up a little more because this is a true fine dining experience. Really happy to have such a fabulous restaurant in the neighborhood!

Chris C.

Meli in Queens is a must visit. The service is incredible, the space is brand new and gorgeous with stylish light fixtures, and there is plenty of street parking. The wine list is vast and every cocktail we tried was amazing. The food blew us away. The chicken wings, eggplant and zucchini chips, beet salad, and grilled calamari were unreal. Both the pasta and the swordfish entrées were cooked perfectly. The bathrooms were spotless which says a lot about their attention to detail. High quality, amazing flavors, and great value. I cannot wait to come back.

Rox E.

Food A+ Service A+ Ambiance ENCHANTING DJ STEVE EXCELENT !!!! I am adding photos and video Is worth the $$$ Did not have the chance to take a picture also of the Bronzino and scallops... Delicious BUT CHAIRS ARE ABSOLUTELY UNCONFIRTABLE. WE BADICALLY SIT ON THE FRAME. I wish they would do something about that

Sabrina T.

This spot fills a void on Metropolitan ave in my opinion. My boyfriend and I had the Octopus to start which was a good portion and flavorful ! I had the lobster pasta which was good and I thought the lobster was cooked good. Most places tend to overcook lobster so I was pleasantly surprised. My bf had the Branzino and he thought it was very meaty which is good. I would def go back. My only main concern was how tables are set up. I felt like everyone was right on top of each other. Not spaced out enough. I would sit at the bar next time.

We came as a group of ten to celebrate our uncle's 60th birthday. He flew in from Korea, speaks very limited English, and arrived before us. He brought a traditional sake bottle only after we confirmed with the restaurant beforehand that it was allowed. Because of the language barrier, he didn't understand when the waitress abruptly announced a $35 corkage fee the moment he opened it. We immediately asked him to put the bottle away because it was done in a very rude manner. What made the situation more frustrating is that we had already ordered a bottle of wine and nearly $200 worth of clams and oysters, which honestly weren't even that fresh, before we even started looking at the rest of the menu. Clearly, we weren't there to "drink for free," yet the waitress chose to be cold, dismissive, and completely lacking empathy for the misunderstanding. When the owner came over, we weren't even given a chance to explain what happened. He didn't ask a single question or try to understand the situation. He simply told us, in a firm tone, that we would be paying the corkage fee. That one statement reinforced the already unsettling attitude and lack of hospitality from the staff. At that point, we said that because of how we were being treated, we preferred to settle the bill for what we already ordered. Instead of attempting to make us feel welcome to stay, he responded with, "You're welcome to leave." They also attempted to add the corkage fee and gratuity until we asked for their removal. His later public response on Google was filled with inaccuracies and unnecessary sarcasm, confirming how short-sighted and unprofessional the ownership is. A little patience and basic hospitality could have kept a large celebratory table happy. Instead, we left most of our food untouched and continued our celebration somewhere that actually welcomed our business and understood what true hospitality is all about! -- UPDATE -- It's disappointing, but not surprising at this point, to see another owner copy and paste the exact same response from Google onto Yelp, especially from someone who wasn't even present that day. Instead of addressing what actually happened, management repeats the same inaccurate script, with the same condescending tone we experienced in person. It would almost be comical if it didn't reinforce the very issue we raised. (See attached photo of the actual sake bottle for clarity.) To clarify once again: 1. The "plastic bottle" claim is false. The attached photo shows the actual sealed 1.5L glass bottle of Ozeki sake. Nothing "unidentified," nothing questionable, and certainly nothing plastic. The fact that this false detail continues to appear word-for-word on multiple platforms says much more about the response strategy than about what actually happened. 2. We confirmed in advance that bringing it was allowed. We called before arriving and were told it was fine to bring the bottle. If internal communication failed, that is not on the guests. We acted in good faith based on the guidance your restaurant provided. 3. The ABC law explanation is incorrect. A corkage fee is a business policy, not a legal workaround. If something were truly illegal under ABC regulations, no restaurant can "fix" it by charging a fee. Bringing a sealed bottle is not a violation of ABC law, and your staff only objected after it was opened. Using alcohol law to justify poor hospitality is misleading at best. 4. The issue was never the fee. We had already ordered a bottle of wine and nearly $200 in oysters and clams before even looking at the rest of the menu. Suggesting we came to "drink for free" is both insulting and completely detached from the truth. 5. The owner never asked for our side of the story. When he approached, he didn't ask a single question or attempt to understand what happened. He immediately told us we would be paying the corkage fee. That single line was enough to make the entire group feel unwelcome. Your repeated copy-and-paste responses only reinforce how the situation was mishandled. And since your earlier Google response attempted to question my "leadership" background with feigned "genuine curiosity," let me clarify that too: my leadership style is built on empathy, professionalism, and accountability, qualities your management did not demonstrate in this situation, either in person or online. Ironically, the defensive and sarcastic replies only highlight exactly why the experience unfolded the way it did. For context, we continued our celebration at Haven Grill & Sushi, where the staff welcomed us warmly, handled our family professionally, and showed what genuine hospitality actually looks like. The contrast was immediate and refreshing, and a reminder that great hospitality does exist, just not here. Your team could learn a thing or two from establishments that understand how to treat guests with respect.

Teresa M.

Meli Estiatorio is an upscale Greek restaurant in a gorgeous setting, right on Metropolitan Avenue in Forest Hills. The food and service is extraordinary! The Meli chips, lamb chops and octopus are excellent. Great cocktails too! Don't wait for a special occasion, go now.

Kamal S.

Excellent Ambiance, impeccable service , Warm welcome at Meli Estiatorio. Mouth watering foods on the menu .A must try @ Meli where hospitality is top notch.