Mela @ Herne Hill

OH DEAR! I suggested this place for a family meal with my parents on Sunday 7 June. The fifteen minute wait, despite attempts to rouse the two extremely diffiident waiting staff, to get any sort of attention, let alone a drink, set the scene. The place was hardly bursting at the seams.

A request for four plain and four spicy poppadums was delivered as eight plain ones and the buffet was no better then the average in our local high street but at a £3 premium. And all the desserts apart from ice cream and sorbet were unavailable.

My Dad was treating us and I didn't want to cause an upset but I won't be going back. Very poor indeed.
Comment on this reader review

Dilip
2 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 1
Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Ate at Mela last night and it was lovely. Service was prompt and friendly the food delicious and the price good for such great food. I started off with a lychee martini which was surprisingly long but still a refreshing drink for all that. My partner and I shared squid in a very spicy sauce and some potata and date patties - both we good but we paticularly enjoyed the squid. Next we had chicken in a curry sauce and prawns wiht peppers and spring onions. The nice thing about these was it showed the skills in the kitchen as, unlike your average Indian restuarant, the sauces involved in each dish were completely different .

My only complaint would be that I found the tables a little close together, our evening marred slightly by the opinionated christian at the next table discussing children, childbirth and breastfeeding - not exactly the sound track to a romantic evening a deux!!
Comment on this reader review

Mel
7 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 6
Sunday, April 26, 2009