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.
This sumptuous ethnic hideaway blends imported spices with local ingredients. The dark, wood-paneled space of the Indian restaurant draws a mixed crowd with dishes like Chowpatty ragada, potato patties topped with curried chickpeas, tamarind yogurt and mint chutney, and shrimp bhuna, cooked with ginger, tomatoes and green chilies. Wash it down with a Chimay beer, brewed by Belgian Trappist monks, or a glass of Champalou Vouvray. After 10, dining tables are cleared to make way for a salsa club.
