Mela
Mela
a bowl of soup and a glass of water
Meal
Main entrance
a group of people preparing food in a restaurant
interior
Malai Kofta Sabji Jalfrazi Naan Bread
Tandoori Chicken (half)
Fried shrimp Fried Prawn Poori yummy
Okra, Lamb Saag, Garlic Naan Bread, Taj Mahal beer
drink
Inside
Thali lunch
Garlic Naan Bread, Chicken Tikka, Lamb Curry
Naan Bread
Malai Kofta
Shahi bhindi ($18), vegan by default. Not bad.
Chicken Tikka Masala
We devoured our dishes
Mutter Paneer and Gobhi Charchi
Chicken Tikka Masala
Lamb Korma, Goat Korma
Rohan D.
Jul 28, 2024
The décor is lovely, one of the nicer interiors in an South Asian restaurant that I've experienced. The feeling is a little cramped though, I don't like being this close to other diners. They clearly cater to Gora clientele, the food is a little mild for my tastes. Prices are fair for the area and the classy atmosphere, an easy bus ride from downtown hotels.
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Sophie Y.
Jul 24, 2024
First time trying this place, and overall, it was a mixed experience. The tadka daal and butter chicken were flavorful, and the goat curry was tender. However, the non-veg platter was disappointing--dried and rubbery. We mistakenly received naan, thinking it came with the entrees, but were charged $4 for it, which seemed excessive. Staff were mostly friendly and we had to ask them to refill our waters.
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Christina P.
Mar 9, 2024
Honestly, a hidden gem in Back Bay and maybe my second favorite Indian place I've been to of all time (I've been to quite a few along the east coast too)Veggie pakora (8/10): the vegetable were well seasoned and warm, pairing super well with the tamarind sauce and mint (?) chutney that was complementary. Personally, I like my pakora batter a little flakier, less heavy, so I was expecting something less heavy so I could have more room for the main entree, but it was still amazing. Eating a couple of these would make me as full as having one samosa (but I could have more of these so that's a plus)Goat korma (10/10): literally SO tender, juicy, fatty, gamey, meaty, all in the right proportions. there was a good amount of goat in my bowl, so do not be fooled when you see a ton of curry hiding it all. I love goat bone-in because those cuts are usually my favorites of goat, but Mela does a fantastic job of not skimping on portions and giving you more goat than bone itself. I asked the waitress for hot as possible, and for me, it was pretty hot, but it could be hotter. nonetheless, still amazing. probably my new korma place in boston.lamb korma (8/10): my friend is a bit of a copy and got the same curry with different protein, ordered medium; I tried it, and it was great (goat is still superior). I didn't get the taste of medium hotness to it, but the lamb was so tender and fell apart in your mouth, it's hard to deny how great this dish was.garlic naan (not pictures, 9/10): so warm and fluffy! came out just in time with our curry. comes in 4 pieces. I feel like the garlic could've been incorporated better (it tasted like it was just brushed on), but maybe that was the best way. Still, so good, a must-have staple during any dinner.masala tea (not pictured, 6/10): I wanted to like this, because I love chai and I make it at home, but I feel like it was missing a signature punch. If you like a more cardamom/clove heavy spiced chai, this one has that taste but much lighter. It also came unsweetened so you can sweeten it yourself, which I thought was neat. I think what brings this review down is the fact that it was lukewarm when brought out.Gulab jamun (10/10): by the end of the dinner my friend and I were SO full but I love Indian desserts and had to get gulab jamun. When I tell you they were so fragrant and warm and soft, soaked in a deliciously sweet cardamom-rose syrup, I almost caved and got another. I could eat 5 plates of these if I hadn't eaten dinner.Service was great! The people are young and sweet; I had a lot of requests and questions and they answered with ease and sincerity. The restaurant is beautifully decorated, large enough to handle a small dinner party and intimate enough to take friends/family you haven't seen in a while or a date there. Will definitely be making the trek back to try their other desserts.
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Winni Z.
Feb 24, 2024
I like how the plates were meant to be shared. I thought the main dish were flavorful, but the chicken was honestly pretty dried. I was able to add chicken to the Gobhi Charchi for the same price as the chicken tikka masala. The vegetarian appetizer platter was a miss...flavorless and mushy and tasted like it was straight from frozen. The space was small, servers were quick and friendly. I really did enjoy the flavor of the Gobhi Charchi, I think I try to come back and try other protein options though.
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Vanessa A.
Jun 15, 2024
We liked the location, service, and the guidance with the menu. We had chicken soup, multi lentil soup, mixed grill and both samosas. We did not care for the mixed grill but it was not a let down. The samosas are not too thick like some at other places where that dough dominates. We would come back.
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J S.
Dec 14, 2023
I was pleasantly surprised how flavorful the food was here. Delicious! I wish there were comparable places out in the 'burbs where I live.The cocktail I had was excellent too (tamarind margarita).Seems to be popular for takeout/deliver too as there was a constant stream of bags leaving.
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Natalie S.
Jun 11, 2024
This place is incredible! The service is fabulous and the food is even better! Great location and atmosphere we will be back - also great for gluten free people as they fry in chick-pea batter! A favorite of the neighborhood :)
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Lucy P.
Sep 26, 2024
I always enjoy a meal here and look forward to leftovers as well! The staff are very friendly and the restaurant itself has a cozy intimate vibe. The chicken curries andSaag paneer are tried and true favorites.
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Danielle C.
Aug 20, 2024
Food was delicious and reasonable price. Only thing is the ambiance - I felt the waiters kept trying to rush me out the door with every 15 minutes asking if they could clear my plate/glass. Usually most restaurants allow for an hour and half to dine in... by the time we left it wasn't even 1.5 hours and the restaurant was still only half packed for a Monday. It was an uncomfortable experience having them interrupt our conversations and meal and after the second time of asking to clear our plates when we were clearly not done, we got the hint that they wanted us out.
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Sam T.
Aug 4, 2024
15+ years of customer loyalty doesn't matter at Mela. We ordered 10 items, and 3 were missing. When we called, the manager made little effort to rectify the errors, and we did not receive a full refund for the missing items. Beyond the financial aspect, it was most disappointing that our long-term loyalty and generous tips, even on takeout orders, were completely disregarded.We have been loyal customers of Mela for over 15 years, even continuing to order takeout after moving further away. During COVID, we made it a point to leave generous tips, even for takeout orders, with our typical order around $100. My husband is Indian, and Mela has always been our go-to recommendation for Indian cuisine. Despite a few misses over the years, we always returned--until now.Last night experience was the tipping point. When we got home, we realized that our order was missing the poppers and the sauce that goes with the tandoori. I called, and the person I spoke with said they would refund us for the poppers and figure out something for the sauce. A few minutes later, we received a text with the updated bill, but only the poppers had been removed.As we were about to eat, my husband noticed we were also missing the raita. I called again, explained the issue, and expressed my frustration at having to call a second time for multiple missing items. Without any explanation I was put on hold. After two minutes, I hung up and called back, speaking to a third person. I explained everything again. The person could have cared less and only assured me that the manager would call us back. We then received another text stating the raita had been taken off the bill.When the manager called, my husband explained our disappointment and the recurring issues with our orders. He apologized but blamed a new kitchen staff member for the mistakes. This is not something that I would expect from the person who is in charge. He mentioned adjusting the bill, but we have yet to see a refund for the missing sauce. Not once did he acknowledge our loyalty or offer to make things right. Even when my husband mentioned we would no longer order from Mela. He showed no concern. I wish now what we had not left a $15 tip, charge that he should have at least offered to refund if our business was important.This lack of customer appreciation and failure to rectify repeated errors is deeply disappointing. The food at Mela has generally been good, but the service has let us down one too many times. Unfortunately, we will no longer be ordering from Mela or recommending it as a good Indian restaurant.
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