Melina

Had a wonderful time at Melina! Came here for a casual brunch/lunch and thoroughly enjoyed. Here's a breakdown of everything we got:Drinks:Cucumber Basil Martini - a light option for those who don't like strong cocktails. The housemade cucumber cordial was extremely refreshing and went well with the food options we chose. Nectar of the gods - Also another great option for those who prefer more fruity/light cocktails. It had a slight woody flavor from the masitha but the pineapple balanced it out! Food: Crab Shakshuka - I love shakshuka, so there was no doubt I would like this dish. The crab flavor is very subtle but they are generous with the amount of crab meat you get. The feta and peppers added a nice balance of salty and tangy too! The only thing I wished they did was give more bread for me to eat with !!Grilled Half Chicken: Not my favorite option, it was a bit underwhelming and I wished there was more flavor to the chicken itself. However, the crispy potatoes and rosemary aioli that the dish came with were delicious! Overall, great service and a lovely spot for brunch with friends. At night, this is also a great date spot! Servers are accommodating and friendly and I would love to come here again!

A nice casual brunch The room is large and inviting. Everything we had on the brunch menu was creative and flavorful. The house made bread with olives was particularly good.The staff was attentive.There is nearby garage parking available.

A modern upscale vibe with impeccable service.Tahini Miso Cauliflower: 4/5. The sauces and the cauliflower were a great marriage. However, the high price made no sense.Oven Roasted Carrots: 4/5. The sauces and the cheese went well with the carrots. But, again, it was overpriced. Lamb Kebab: 2/5. The flavor were good, but the texture was off.Braised Short Rib: 3/5. I think the orzo saved this dish. It was beautifully favored. The beef on the other hand was bland.Grilled 1/2 Chicken: 1/5. It was undercooked and slimy the first time they brought it out. We sent it back and they brought a fully cooked version. But it was bland.Halibut: 5/5. It was perfectly cooked and a had a delicate unctious flavor.Bougatsa: 5/5. Although, it did not look like a traditional bougatsa, it tasted divine.Greek Doughnut: 5/5. Subliminal!

It's louder than I expected in this establishment for it to be on the smaller side. Not sure if the music drove the people talking louder or not. Food was excellent. Feta frittata was enjoyable and the lamb burger was on point. I can see that in the summer the window bars would be hopping so I believe they deserve future trips when the weather is nice.

5 stars for an outstanding for an outstanding Greek restaurant in Bethesda.My wife and I played a round of golf in the area and were looking to grab a bite. I looked at my Washingtonian Top 100 list and found Melina. Located on the corner of Rose and Prose street, we parked in the nearby garage and headed inside to a beautiful venue with a partially outdoor bar, which we decided would be a great place to sit.After grabbing a couple drinks, we decided to start out with a couple appetizers. I ordered the Melina salad while my wife ordered the roasted squash. While the squash was just ok, the Melina salad was large and delicious.We then decided to order a couple entrees. I ordered the shrimp saganaki (always fun at a Greek restaurant) while my wife ordered the slow roasted lamb neck. We like the shrimp dish more than the lamb in the moment, but there were 2 other factors in play. First, the sides for the lamb came out on a massive separate trey and were all really tasty. Second, the lamb made for some great breakfast sandwiches the next day (always great when food saves well).Overall, Melina provided us with a solid upscale style Greek restaurant experience. The solid food and venue make this a spot to check out next time you are in the area.

I don't even have enough synonyms of delicious in my vocabulary to describe all these wonderful dishes that we ate here. Beef tartare - not sure what mixed in but it was amazing and the best tartare that I've ever hadCharred baby gem - a little hard to eat with a fork and knife but all the ingredients complemented each other very wellMushroom trahana - so many different outstanding flavors with each biteRigatoni lamb bolognese - super deliciousGrilled octopus - so tender that my mom had no problems eating it with her dentures Braised short rib giouvetsi - superb Shrimp cavatelli - great taste but a little saltySlow roast lamb - not often does my dad approve of lamb but this one got his stamp of approval

Do you want a stellar experience? Melina will deliver! This spot is incredible, from the decor, service and esp the food and drinks!! The bar is sleek and sexy as you come in the door!My friend and I started with the honey Bellini. It's lovely-- very light with undertones of sweetness!I had to try another drink because are all the drinks that good?! Well I was incredibly impressed with the gin and cucumber! This was soo refreshing and well balanced. THB, could have had another one!Now for the food:Cheese pie: delicious, loved the honey!French toast: one of my favorite dishes! This was perfect for my palate and my friends too... the bread is so fluffy, fruit is super fresh and it's not too sweet! The presentation alone was amazing!I had the open face lamb pita which came with coleslaw and potatoes. Everything was delicious. The lamb was tasty and easily fell apart when cutting! My friend enjoyed the braised short ribs. Everything we got was delicious, well balanced and beautifully cooked. I cannot wait to come here again to try out lunch or dinner!

A beautiful restaurant. Very kind staff. Delicious and beautifully presented food! Highly recommendAlso try to make a reservation! It's always busy. Try the beef tartare, shiitake mushroom flatbread, and chicken main.

This is a truly phenomenal upscale Greek place in Pike and Rose. I'm not sure if it's quite on par with Jose Andres's Zaytinya downtown, but it's in the same vein (complete with small dishes and cocktails) and a lot of closer to home.We started with cocktails and got the bouboulina (which was a bit too sweet for my tastes), the tea with gin and mint that really worked, the old fashioned was smoky and rich. I'm not normally a cocktail person, but I'd happily come back here for them here.We started with the octopus and cheese pie. I love octopus and this didn't disappoint. It was crispy on the outside, and not at all chewy. Also surprisingly light. The cheese pie was probably the biggest surprise of the night. We almost didn't get it, but it was phenomenal with pungent cheese (feta and others) wrapped in chewy bread topped with spicy pepper honey and basil. It all just came together in a tangy, chewy, sweet medley.We ended with the lamp neck, which was the standout of the whole meal and floored me. The lamb itself came out nestled in a wrapping of deliciously baked cheese and everything could be put together with sides of pita, tzatziki, pickled onions and crispy potatoes. The meat literally fell apart as you put it into your small sandwiches and the sides and meat just went together beautifully.We sat at the bar the whole time, which was plenty nice enough and had very attentive and helpful service from the two bartenders. That said, we might make a reservation next time. The ambiance was classy and romantic, but trendy.The only downside is that everything was incredibly salty. It didn't make anything less delicious, but did mean we were dying of thirst overnight.

Very trendy albeit loud interior. The sourdough bread was good but very pricey at $14 for if I remember correctly 6 pieces of bread. You also get 2 slices with the halibut so I was sorry I ordered it. Speaking of the halibut it was very dry, and by far the worst dish of the meal. It stuck out like a fish out of water. The grilled shrimp, tuna tartare and lamb neck (comes with 2 pitas and condiments, enough to feed two or a ravenous one) were very good. The cheese pie (like a Greek calzone) was solid. The Greek donuts were tasty but kind of heavy. You can have a nice meal here if you order appropriately.