The Mela Restaurant Restaurant in Harborne, Birmingham

Reviews

1. Anthony Winders ★★★★★

   Excellent food, excellent service, excellent price, what more can I say, 10/10 highly recommended

   almost 9 months ago
2. Jack ★★★★★

   Great service as a late walk in with some of the best curry I’ve tasted. Highly recommend.

   1 year ago
3. The Curryholic ★★★★★

   It wasn't until I saw their business card that I realised that we had been here before. It is unusual for me to forget a place, and that I couldn't see my review. I guess it is my age. Anyway it was some rather nice adverts on FB that made me want to visit last Saturday night. However I did notice that it had received mixed reviews but these never put me off a place. Most reviews don't tell you a fat lot anyway. Parking isn't great in Harborne but we struck lucky with a space on a nearby side street. It's situated on the first floor, up a long flight and I didn't notice any provision for those with mobility issues. Once inside it has a very nice feel, although the trip to the loo let's the side down. The wife wasn't a big fan of the unisex cubicles. It's licenced and the bar is well stocked however you can take your own alcohol but they will add a corkage fee which I think is a £1 per person. It was quite busy and the atmosphere was very pleasant, relaxed and somewhat respectful which makes a change. The service was pleasant, quite a few staff but some were more engaging than others. The food was excellent, and I couldn't find fault. I noticed some reviews mentioned bland but our starter and both mains were just the opposite. The shared sheekh kebab was very nice, it could have done with a few more seconds in the microwave but it was very tasty and quite large. The chicken Chetinad and a chicken curry were hard to tell apart until you tasted them. The Chetinad although a 'thinner' curry than I would prefer had layered spicing more typical of Indian style cooking than Bangladeshi. The sides were excellent, especially the naan. None of that tricolour pilau rice either. The chips were good, could be better but I would say that for all but one 'Indian' restaurant in the Midlands. I thought the bill was surprisingly good taking everything into consideration and I would be more than happy to go back.

   1 year ago

1. Gus Flannagan ★★★★★

   The food is top notch, service is friendly and attentive. The lamb balti has plenty of nice big chunks of tender lamb. Be aware they garnish everything liberally with fresh coriander which isn't to everyone's taste so be sure to ask them not to if you don't like it.

   almost 2 years ago
2. Naveen Condati ★☆☆☆☆

   This place now deserves one-star rating; the food was nice once; I'm not sure if the chef has changed. I gave them five stars two years ago. Now the food tastes bland and the taste is like a cheap take away.

   almost 2 years ago
3. Tasha Estehu ★★★★★

   Great meal, staff very friendly . Highly recommended

   almost 3 years ago

1. Louis Galis ★★★★★

   Best curry in Birmingham. I love this place. Super friendly staff. Really reasonably priced. First place I go to when I come back to visit Birmingham

   almost 3 years ago
2. Yvonne ★★★★★

   My friends and I dine in several times a year. The food is always great and the service outstanding. We are greeted as friends. Shen knows the names and menu requirements of us all - gluten-free, veggie, vegan. This week, one of my friends left her bag behind and a few minutes after we left, I was called to let me know - this is above and beyond. Thank you for your kindness to all the staff at Mela and hopefully see you soon!

   almost 3 years ago
3. Verity Lee ★☆☆☆☆

   Great food but misogynistic style of service. We've been to Mela several times in recent years and I've always felt treated differently to the men at our table - asking if I'm sure I want something that spicy, giving me a small glass when ordering the same size beer as men who are given pint glasses. It's a shame that the food is let down by archaic service - can you catch up to 2022 please?

   almost 4 years ago

1. K Morrison ★★★☆☆

   Small portions and slow service. Salmon starter I ordered was just a dry cut up salmon fillet with little flavour - very expensive for what it was. Everything else was average apart from the onion bhajis which were very good. Overall wouldn’t recommend.

   almost 4 years ago

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