Authentic Indian food made from scratch with local and organic ingredients.
recommended by the New York Times and voted Best Indian Restaurant in Western North Carolina 6 years running
Located on Lexington Avenue in the heart of downtown Asheville, NC. Recommended by the New York Times and first-place winner for Best Indian Restaurant in Western North Carolina in the Mountain Xpress Readers’ Poll every year since we opened in 2005, as well as overall Favorite Restaurant two years in a row.
Come sample our lunch buffet with a range of delicious options including chicken and naan cooked in our authentic tandoor oven, raita prepared with house-made yogurt, and seasonal vegetarian specialties.
The atmosphere at dinner is warm and intimate; specials include such favorites as pistachio lamb and spinach and goat cheese naan. Mela welcomes children and offers a kids menu. We are certified by the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project for using ingredients produced by local farmers.
…Mela’s brand of authentic Indian, prepared with Krisnan and team’s attention to detail, was certainly something that Asheville wanted — and hasn’t tired of, if the crowds are any indication.
Server Megan Garrett confirms that the restaurant is pretty much always bustling and easily explains the draw.
“We have lots of local and organic ingredients, and Anoop’s just a really cool guy. The atmosphere in here and the ambiance is really amazing,” she says, adding, “It’s just good food.”
— Mackensy Lunsford
