Wow! what a great new place for Liza. All those Mezes you loved from Ouzo and Anise are here plus great wine. BarMeli features unique vintages from all over the globe. Stop by during happy hour try some wine, take a bottle home. Everything is fresh as far as the tapas go, a mixture of Greek and Spanish favorites plus other flavors from the Mediterranean region. Great service, great music. You will love it.
(5)
Roberto S.
Great little warmly place with delicious greek "tapas" and excellent wine selection topped with the owners beautiful and radiant contagious personality which makes this place a great casual social bar. Cheers.
(5)
David R.
Great new place in Miami. We have followed Liza through all of her Restaurants and they all Rock. Very nice atmosphere created here. The beer selection is small but amazing. Great wines. All reasonably priced. Excellent retail selection. The food is really good. Great spreads, pita-do the combo platter. Saganaki-is wonderful. The grilled asparagus is perfection-Crispy outside, moist inside. Greek meatballs are very tasty. The steak is good, a tiny bit chewy-that was the only tiny disappointment of the night. The ribs are good. The deserts-Wow!!!! Coconut cake with coconut ice cream. Liza's Mother makes the cake. So delicious. The baklava is like a birds nest-with pistachio ice cream. Definitely our new favorite neighborhood place.
(5)
Jose Luis C.
Best selection of wines, the food is amazing, the music so perfect for the place and prices are super fair. If you want to have good a wine, food and music this is definitely the place.
(5)
Boni L.
BarMeli its an experience on its own. Music is great and the wines from all over the world are great. They have a saying here that goes like this: "Go ahead and WINE a little" PEOPLE THIS IS A MUSTTTTTTT DRINK!
(5)
Franci B.
This cozy little spot has tons of character and was a great date night location. I was lucky enough to have the owner serve my boyfriend and I at the bar. She could tell how indecisive we were about the meal and wine selection and was so eager to help us choose. She helped us sample a few wines since we are by no means wine connoisseur and select one before committing to one. As a vegetarian, I was really excited to see that they had an entire veggie selection on the menu and I ended up ordering the veggie casserole, flat bread with eggplant, and the feta and eggplant dips. Everything was delicious and tasty!! My only very small complaint is that the pita chips that were brought out for the dip were pretty crunchy and I prefer soft pita. Not a big deal though. Although the owner was one of the only two servers I saw there that night and had a completely packed restaurant she was incredibly helpful and didn't show any signs of stress. I loved the service, food, and ambiance here!
(5)
Lauren M.
It's hard not to really like this place, I've been here quite a few times. It's a great place to come with a few friends, go with a date, or catch the happy hour after work. Make sure to check the restaurant's hours before visiting because they are not open every day of the week and their hours change the days they are open. It's a really low key place usually, but this place gets really packed when they have live music on Friday and Saturday nights. The restaurant is on the small side. The ambiance can be really quiet and relaxed, or it can be really high energy and fun depending on when you go. Anyway, you come in and sit at the bar or one of the tables. They bring you a menu, and drink service is pretty fast. The Greek beers they serve are light and refreshing, and the sangria is really strong, but I don't mind ;) Those fruits stuck at the bottom of your glass of sangria are saturated in alcohol, so don't forget to eat them!! All the tapas I've had here are really great. You'll definitely want to try everything. Some of the highlights I remember are the prosciutto wrapped dates (delicious!), boquerones (anchovies on crostini - order if you like salty food), grilled octopus (yumm and comes with a little salad), Greek salad (delicious, classic salad), and flat breads (order if you want something filling). The service is really friendly and you'll often see the owner of the bar working there. She is a woman with curly hair and always wears a long dress. Parking wise, they have a really small parking lot in front of the restaurant. If you come here when it's busy you will definitely have to park in the street. Here you're probably gonna spend around $25 per person which includes drinks... and the only reason this restaurant doesn't get that 5th star is because I think the quality of food is better at other restaurants I've been to, but those restaurants were also more expensive. But overall, awesome and I will definitely continue to visit this restaurant!
(4)
Emily D.
This is a cute cozy place. The wine selection is very good, the host and owner is very nice and friendly. The atmosphere is nice and relaxing, I would definitely come back the music and prices are reasonable. It was four of us and we sat at the bar.
(5)
John C.
Excellent food, excellent wine, excellent service, great prices...nough said...highly recommended
(5)
Yami R.
Love the place! Very casual and friendly oriented... Food is Gread and wine fabulous!!! Great selection!
(4)
Emily H.
I love walking into a restaurant that immediately gives off a nice vibe, not because its trendy, but because its cozy and warm. The menu is composed of Mediterranean tapas. We ordered way to much, but everything was delicious. Grilled Octopus 5 stars Prosciutto wrapped dates 5 stars Sagnaki (Fried Cheese) Table side show 5 stars Ribs 4 stars (fall off the bone good) Lamb Loin Chops 4 stars Lemon Coconut cake 4 stars Food and service excellent. This a great choice to come in a group to try a little bit of everything.
(4)
Amanda T.
My bestfriend is obessed with this place and is always talking about it so yesterday we both had free time and decided to make the drive over for happy hour. The restaurant is cute and cozy and for it being a tuesday it was considerably full. The prosseco we had was wonderful and the food was excellent. As for food we went all our. We had an order of the Fetta & Hummas dip, Saganaki which was of coursemy favorite, something about fried cheese that gets me everytime. We also had an order of the bacon wrapped dated and the roma flatbread. Everything was what I expected and more. Plenty of parking and the owner was attentative and very sweet. My only complaint is that its such a far drive for me that I can't see myself coming here very often. Besides that I would recommend anyone in this area to try this spot out.
(4)
Andre G.
After moving to Surfside, I opened Yelp and decided to try all the restaurants with good reviews, Bar Melissa was up there and rightfully. It's located in a not great strip mall I'll give you that. The ambiance was fun with a guy playing the guitar and singing. And he was good so it was enjoyable. Obviously it's tapas style. Everything we tried was good. Service was very friendly. A good experience.
(4)
Martha R.
This place is just so darn cute. The owner is super friendly, the happy hour deals are great, and the location is handy. The food stuffs are great, though I feel slightly over-priced. In particular, the zucchini w/ feta and mint is a little on the high side, as well as the octopus. Though both of those dishes are amazing, I'm not sure that the price is quite right. For a glass of wine, and a small appetizer, though, this place has it! I went here on my last night in Miami - so obviously one of my favs of the area! One of my top favorite things about this place is the $5 wine options for Happy Hour. They usually have 2 red and 2 white options. That alone makes this place top my favorite places in Miami.
(4)
Johnny T.
'Discovering' gems like BarMeli is (part of) what makes Yelp so useful. For a long while, this stretch of 79th was fairly dormant. But with housing prices increasing all over the city (and people leaving the city), it looks like there's a new, northward migration and at the head of the movement is your new, favorite tapas spot. Part of why it works so well has been discussed in other reviews: this ain't Liza's first time at the rodeo and she commands a dining room with charm and precision. This begins (almost) as soon as you sit down. With a check-in offer that greets guests with a glass of wine, how can you help but to be in a good mood for the very beginning. It's a smart move, as well. Wine (especially free wine) loosens you up, gets you hungry and prepares you for a fun, adventurous evening. Come to BarMeli with a group of friends and you're guaranteed to have a good time. But, you may not be guaranteed to share your tapas. Why? Because they're delicious and you're going to want them all for yourself. The program works by dishes coming out of the kitchen when they're ready, not necessarily in the order in which they were requested. That keeps the food hot (or, cold as the case may be), the guest on his/her proverbial toes and the conversation moving ("ooh, look at that!" "May i try it?" "No!" (stabs hand with fork). Particular standouts are the 5 dip combo (5 dips served with pita: whipped feta, roe, white bean hummus, eggplant, and tzatziki), the merguez (Moroccan lamb sausage) and the St. Tropez salad (spinach, dates, walnuts, gorgonzola, and orange). But, as I distracted my tablemates and picked off their plates, there doesn't seem to be a bad choice on the menu. Do yourself a favor: get off the beach. Get out of Brickell/Wynwood. Discover food and service that will make you feel happy, appreciated and keep you coming back. You won't feel as though you're in Miami. Or, perhaps, this is how you *should* be made to feel whilst eating out in Miami. Maybe, that.
(4)
Abbey G.
Break away from the mainstream and transport yourself to Greece for the evening with this neighborhood treat. I came here for my birthday and boy does this tiny place pack a a ton of culture. The food was fresh and excellent. We danced around the restaurant to live music and broke hand painted plates with the owner/hostess with the mostest, Liza. The violinist came to the table, played me a specialized song, and then wanted a tip, I mean how much more Euro tourist can you get?! Loved it! We were truly transported to Greece for the evening, a birthday dinner I will always remember! FOOD HIGHLIGHTS: LAMB FILO ROLLS (a must! If you are familiar with Israeli meat cigars, this is its twin, we had to get a second order) FLAMING SAGANAKI (the best I've had in a long time and they will flame it in front of you!) AMALFI FLATBREAD (simple yet delicious) GREEK SALAD I can't wait to get back to really attack the menu. We were with some picky eater guests at the time. They also have a wine tasting night on Thursday's with some lite bites but we had driven for the evening or else we would've opted for getting wined down. Until next time...Opa!!
(5)
Gaby B.
I have been wanting to check out this restaurant for a while, and I am glad I finally got the chance to. I will definitely work this place into restaurants that I frequent even though it is a bit of a drive for me. The place its self is small, dark and cozy. Everything we had was outstanding. We had the spicy feta dip & hummus, saganaki, the barcelona flatbread, grilled octopus, lemony chickpea salad, meatballs, lamb sausage and bacon wrapped dates. Everything was outstanding, with my favorites being the flatbread, the saganaki (of course, I have an obsession with cheese) and the bacon wrapped dates. The free glass of wine with yelp check-in was a nice touch. I can't wait to return, definitely want to check out their happy hour specials! PS. the owner (lady) is really nice, and pretty, she said they will be opening sundays because of the world cup. So, if you're craving some delicious greek food on a sunday give them a call, they might be open.
Their prosciutto wrapped dates actually caused me to cancel my churrasco order- because I ordered said dates twice! I came to BarMeli last night for the Eat Like a Local event and a great preclubbing dinner. In addition to socializing with old Yelp friends and making new ones, we enjoyed a deep cinematological conversation about Sharknado vs Godzilla. A cozy space closer to a home than a dining room, owner Lisa made our large group feel at home by checking on our group and telling us about the different tasty plates. A wall rack of wine bottles completes the decor. The Mediterranean ambiance was enhanced by the soundtrack of flamenco and middle eastern music. My only complaint has to do with parking, since it shares a strip mall parking lot with two other businesses. However, I was still able to find a spot. Starting with my Yelp check-in complementary glass of Grecanico Chardonnay, my culinary adventure continued with samples of the cheese plate and chick pea gazpacho of my tablemates. Besides the sweet delights of the aforementioned dates, I also enjoyed the spicier deconstructed chicken skewers with more of the chickpea salad (extra points for the red peppers and citrusy base) as well as the prosciutto and the tomato flatbread.
(4)
robert e.
I've only been to Crete but I took note of certain tavernas which had a kind of neo-hippy vibe and this place seems to rock that with some seriously fresh authentic Greek dishes! Candle light, live guitar-strumming mellowness, fascinating wine list veering more towards Italian if I remember correctly, simple furnishings. Octopus is one of my favorite things on earth and BarMeli's is frighteningly massive like something from "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" but fresh as hell, fragrant, melt-in-your-mouth tender with the perfect suggestion of crunch in the outside from the grill. Loved all the fresh spreads. Have to go back to try everything.
(4)
Raul M.
Reminiscent of the little bistros or taverns along the Mediterranean coast, this establishment gives you that old world feel and ambiance that is missing from many tapas places in this town. From the mismatched tables and chairs to the chalkboards on the walls, you get the feeling you're in someone's home as opposed to a commercial establishment. The owner, Meli, takes great pride in treating her guests like friends coming for a visit. The wine selection is purposely limited to those produced in European vineyards to maintain the character and keeping with the theme of the restaurant. The various tapas and salads have all heavy Greek, Spanish, and Middle Eastern influences that compliment the laid back feel of the place. Notable appetizers are the flatbreads and the meatballs. The lamb sausage served with fava beans was delicious as was the variety of spreads (spicy feta, hummus, roast red bell pepper, taramosalata, tzatziki, etc.); all served with toasted pita bread dabbed with olive oil.... All of it amazing and fresh! If you want to have a nice evening of conversation and delicious food, this would be my number one choice. Small intimate tables for two are available as well as the larger ones so you can enjoy some wine, the plates, and the company of your friends! For more information you can visit: barmeli.com They take credit cards here, but as always....please leave the tip in cash!
(4)
Ken D.
What a surprise! Those of you who know me know that getting me to eat in a strip mall is a big deal. I'm big enough to admit that sometimes (operative word: sometimes) I'm too quick to judge. BarMeli is reason to go to a strip mall. Tasty bites, live music, energetic crowd and people being turned away at the door (while I have a table) all made for a lovely time. From the outside, you'll clutch your purse and be frightened that rats might jump out and bite your new nylons. Worry not. Once inside, all those cares will melt away.
(4)
R S.
What a wonderful surprise! We actually live on the causeway (for a year) and just tried BarMeli. I'm literally so pissed at myself for sleeping on this place. We walked through the door, with our infant, and were quickly shown a table. It's a really cute space. We noticed every single person who walked into sit at the bar for happy hour was either a regular or everyone was just really nice to each other. Everyone seemed like they knew each other. We ordered a few items and the waitress brought us an order of hummus on the house. It's delicious!! We had the grilled octopus which is huge and cooked to perfection with a little salad. You cannot go without getting the saganaki! The spinach pie was divine as well as the grape leaves! The keftedes in their tzatziki was perfection. The owner came to our table when we were waiting to pay and gave us each complimentary shots of chocolate wine. So happy we finally stopped and will make this our neighborhood go to spot!
(5)
Andrea C.
It's incredible the quality of the food and the assortment of wine and drinks... I tried the rosted octopus, the angus, others appetizers and the dessert "coconut cake" and it was the best dinner that I've ever had here in Miami... The staff made me feel like at home from the first moment and I was really happy about that because I never found something like that since I came here from Italy "they made me feel like in my favorite restaurant in Italy"... Finaly, the restaurant is very nice and romantic , the service and the staff is amazing and the food really delicious... So I decided to come there every time that I can...
(5)
Angela G.
Wow! This place has it all: attentive/ knowledgeable staff, amazing food, excellent wine selection, and beautiful atmosphere. You MUST try the octopus; it's unreal. The saganaki and eggplant dip were delicious as well. The night we went, there was live music (which typically has me heading towards the door after 15 minutes). But this was different. The volume was just right and complemented the enchanting ambiance of the restaurant. You will spot the owner as soon as a you walk in. She is beaming with pride and joy for this fabulous gem she has created. She receives every person who walks through her doors with a sincere and warm welcome. It's a beautiful thing.
(5)
Jeromy S.
Excellent lovely atmosphere great service. Come and in joy the food and atmosphere the music is exciting with a lively enjoyable entertaining playful ambience
(5)
Marjorie S.
My best friend chose BarMeli to celebrate her birthday. She contacted the owner and made reservations for a group of 18 people. For being a small place, the accommodation was made. However, for it being such a large party, some people were unable to make it on time or at all. With that said, the owner felt so compelled to confront the birthday girl in a very nasty way in front of her entire dinner table and tell her that it was not fair that she had to turn people away because of our large party. Let's face it, we cannot control everything. People ran late & people canceled last minute. And still, majority of the party showed, we were only short 4 people. I completely understand the owners frustration being that Saturday's are her busiest night and she turned away business in an effort to accommodate the reservation that was made but there is a right and wrong way to handle every situation. She went about it the wrong way. In having confronted my friend the way she did, especially that we were there celebrating her birthday was just inappropriate, unprofessional and tactless. And she did this immediately after we had already ordered our food and had opened several bottles of wine. She's lucky we even opted to stay for the remainder of the night given how nasty of an attitude she had the entire time we were there. It's unfortunate that we had such a bad experience because as soon as I walked in I thought I'd be returning in the future - it's a cute place, the food and wine was good, and they had live music. But the ambiance that the owner set over our table made it such an unwelcoming experience that not one person from our party will ever return to this place. If you plan to come to this place with a big party, don't do it. It's not large party friendly and clearly, neither is the owner.
(1)
Rebecca B.
I have so much respect for people that know their wines and Liza Meli knows what she's doing. Off the beaten path but so convenient. I can't say enough about how much I love this place.
(5)
Kati E.
Recommended!!!!! The entire place is a masterpiece from top to bottom.... Music is the perfect level.... Octopus is delicious, sauces are great... Wine never better...
(5)
Roxana E.
I can't say enough good things about this place. I always enjoy myself, food, service, atmosphere. It never disappoints. Must go at least once. Reasonably priced
(4)
Isis N.
I know exactly how Indiana Jones felt the first time he found a gem. Same way I felt after dining at BarMeli. And this gem, ladies and gentlemen, was delectable and sexy. Let's imagine you are looking for a place to have that very special and romantic first date... then, this is the place. Perfect ambiance, casual without being cheap, with the right amount of lighting, and of course, with the right Tapas as perfect companions for the night. This winner combination will make your palate and sensory experience a one of a kind... and your date extremely happy. The night started with a surprise. Once I checked-in with my Yelp app., I received a free glass of wine. Sweet. The owner personally served us, and graciously suggested some tapas, after I told her I'm vegan. Her recommendations were superb! We started with the grilled zucchini (with feta cheese on the side, for my non-vegan friend), grilled asparagus, roasted 'lemoni' potatoes, and my date had the grilled octopus with a side of chick peas. All winners. But, I must confess, my favorite were the potatoes, with that zesty termination. Their wine selection its huge, with wines from all over the world. My friend had an organic Chianti and I had a deliciously crisp Chardonnay. BarMeli was an outstanding find. Hope to be back soon.
(5)
P H.
We went to Barmeli for dinner last week and had a great experience. The sangria was really good with lots of fruit (and pretty strong for a sangria, by the way) and the food was delicious. The grilled octopus was perfect and the dip/pita platter was so good we had to get extra pita bread to get to every last bit of the dip... YUM!! the lamb was cooked somewhat unevenly but the flavor was good. The atmosphere is cute and cozy, and I think arriving early is a good idea because the parking lot is not too big and does fill up. I see there are 2 two angry reviewers below describing the same incident with a large birthday party's reservation... Yes I was not there (and no I don't know exactly what went down) but having been to the restaurant personally and having seen how small the place is, I have to say I sympathize with the restaurant because a reservation of 18-20 would nearly take up their entire place for the evening. I don't know what the negative verbal exchanges were, but this is a really small restaurant run by regular people and I think taking away 20% of their seating capacity with no-shows is not right either. Overall I liked the place and the food, and we will be going back. I would not let the 2 reviews stop you if you are interested in visiting this place. It's worth a try!
(4)
Lucy K.
The tapas were good not excelent , wine is good prices affordable . The place is small with very good service and live music mostly Latin. People stand up and dance and sing, very casual cozy place .
(4)
Ghermay W.
Tasting amazing Spanish Wines from Pyrenees with scrumptious tapas to die for. Liza is an amazing host, keeping the glasses full and the plates coming. By the time the evening is done a table for two looks like a feast for fifty. A must try for Thursdays wine tasting night at $25 per person. Cudos Liza!
(5)
Blair S.
my boyfriend and I took my parents here last Saturday for my mom's birthday. It was the perfect choice! A little noisy, because Saturday is Flamenco night, but it was a blast. By the end of the night my mom and I were up dancing with many of the other restaurant patrons. The food is absolutely delicious, but some of my favorites are the prawns, the grilled octopus, the prosciutto wrapped dates, the greek meatballs, and the flamed cheese. We had a couple bottles of wine, all of which were delicious, and our waitress never disappointed with her suggestions. We will definitely be returning soon!
(5)
Cid P.
I was here Saturday evening thanks to ELL (Eat Like a Local) on #Yelp. Our Community Manager, Johnny T., had the brilliant idea of creating this. It's a simple concept. Once a month we try-out a local business in Miami. So far it has been restaurants but I'm hoping this catches on and spreads to other businesses as well. It's a great way to meet other fellow Yelpers as well as branching-out to different areas of Our Communities one normally wouldn't venture out to. I encourage every Yelp User to check this new concept out. Had it not been for ELL, I would never have known about this fabulous restaurant. I've never been to the Mediterranean and the closest I've been to Spain is Little Havana but, I think it's fair to say, this business is pretty darn authentic. The decor is simple, cute and to the point. Its simplicity is what makes it unique. It's almost like being in someone's home. Here you can enjoy conversations with friends while having some wine and tapas in a laid back and relaxing atmosphere. I sampled several tapas and, at least in my opinion, everything was quite delicious. The flavors were something I had never experienced before. It was an unique and unexpected experience. I shall be returning here soon with friends. Or, to impress a date if I ever meet one. Their Wine Tasting Event on Thursdays is something I may do first. Check their website for more 411 on that. My stand-out Tapas were: * Stewed Giant Lima Beans - Bursting with delicious flavor and the beans are perfectly cooked. I was told this was her mother's personal recipe. VERY NICE! * White Bean Hummus - To date, the best Hummus I've had. We were taking turns sampling each other's dishes. Again, everything was delicious. These were just my personal two favorites. Lots of wine to choose from here as well. Most, if not all, are authentic to their region. I will be back... #KeepItLocal
(4)
Jerry R.
After one year in business I have to say BarMeli and its owner Liza have over preformed in the most outstanding and healthy food made with love in Miami . As my mother other said try it and you will like it. Wine is great and hand picked by liza. Cheers to a bright futura
(5)
Ralph S.
Really love this place. The proprietor and staff go out of be way to make you comfortable. Try the grilled octopus. I would have started eating octopus in my teens if it was prepared like this.
(5)
Katrina B.
BarMeli is a small, intimate restaurant tucked away in a small lot, but it is an amazing and beautiful place with big flavors and amazing customer service. After painting at Painting with a Twist across the street, my friend and I we were so hungry and we wandered into BarMeli around 9:30 and sat at the bar. We ordered a glass of wine each (reasonably priced, my well-poured pinot grigio was $9) and a plethora of small, but shareable dishes. We ordered the lamb chops, prosciutto wrapped dates, BBQ ribs and some hummus and warm pita. Every single item was delicious, but the lamb was INCREDIBLE. I highly recommend and will return. The owner poured us a little shot of baileys and gave us some chocolate covered pretzels as a little after dinner treat and it truly was the icing on the cake!
(5)
Leilani D.
I did decide to give this place another chance since I had enjoyed the food and atmosphere so much, and found the service to be greatly improved. Although it was still a little...leisurely...it was very attentive, and we were never without some sort of food on our table for too long. In addition to the tapas I tried last time, this time I ordered the cheese saganaki and the chorizo/manchego flatbread. Both of these were amazing. The cheese saganaki is set on fire right before they put it down on your table, which is a nice little show, and even though I've never had a "bad" cheese saganaki, this one was especially tasty - I could've eaten about 5 orders of them, they were so good. The flatbread was also fantastic - slightly spicy chorizo and rich salty cheese. I don't think this will ever be the type of place where you can pop in and out. If you spend a little time here you'll notice that most of the patrons are regulars and that it seems like everyone who sits down is as comfortable as they are in their own home. So if you decide to stop in make sure you can take your time to enjoy some delicious mediterranean tapas.
(4)
Joey S.
This is little hidden gem. The 79th street area east of Biscayne Blvd is definitely on the up and up. Bar Meli is tucked into a small little shopping plaza, next to the East Side Pizza place. There is parking right in front if you can find an empty spot, otherwise you'll need to park on the street. The atmosphere is very casual and welcoming. You open the door and you know that everyone is having a good time, eating and drinking wine from all around the world. There is a bar area that you can pull up to and grab a quite bite or you can get a table towards the back or the sides of the space. It is small and intimate, but very comfortable. When you go in you feel like you are a long time friend. You are greeted by the friendly staff, a lot of the times the owner is there too, greeting you with a warm smile. The food is amazing. It is all tapas style so you can order a few different dishes and get a taste of a few different things. The menu is greek influenced, but there is a bit of everything. Don't miss the prosciutto wrapped dates, spicy feta with with warm pita and an organic white wine from Israel. Yum.
(5)
Kennia R.
Exceptional ! The owner is far beyond welcoming! Must try-pinky swear promise. The meatballs will blow your balls off!
(5)
Rene U.
I am German and therefore a pain in the butt and never happy with anything. This family style restaurant deserves 10 stars instead of the possible 5. Try the prosciutto wrapped dates, quail a la plancha, flamed cheese ... Nice wines and special events. Thank you Andrea for treating us like gods. Our new favorite place!
(5)
Michael C.
My wife and I went last night and had a great experience. We ordered the grilled octopus, the white bean hummus, and the grecian flatbread. Somehow, they made a mistake and brought out a greek salad instead of the grecian flatbread; a simple miscommunication. Well, when my wife saw the greek salad, she couldn't refuse it because it looked delicious! And it defintiely was, she loved it. Honestly, everything we had was so full of flavor. You can tell all of the food is fresh. We already started picking out some things we want to try next time. As awesome as the food is, the overall experience and ambiance is great as well. We had our honeymoon in Spain many years ago, and this place dropped me right back to some of those great tapas bars we discovered in Madrid and Sevilla. It's eccentric, mixmatched, very homey, with great music and lighting. As a Miami Shores local, I cant wait to come back!
(5)
Lydia L.
This is one of my favorite restaurants. The owner Meli is a superb host, the food is absolutely delicious and the wine list has a lot of unexpected choices (i.e. a pinot grigio from Slovenia and an organic cabernet from Israel). Everything I've tried is great, but make sure to order the octopus. Best octopus I have ever had. It's grilled with the perfect amount of char served with a cold, lemony garbanzo bean salad. Scrumptious.
(5)
Allison L.
Bar Meli's quaint restaurant in heart of Miami is a breathe of fresh air. Its unique ambience sucks you in! Every tapa is filled with delishness, the food is flavorable and fairly priced! Also , super imp...Great wine selection! Will be back again for sure!!!!
(5)
Erika K.
Delectable tapas, warm and cozy atmosphere, and an extensive wine list- who could ask for more? I tried the lima beans, white bean hummus, chick peas, stuffed peppers, and potatoes. My favorite hands down were the lima beans. It is a cold dish made with dill and it is absolutely delicious. I know, I bet you never knew lima beans and delicious could be used in the same sentence. There is an extensive wine list, and you can get a bottle at a reasonable price. The tapas ran around $5 a plate and portions are generous. I ended up getting a to-go box. Service was friendly. A major plus? They have parking right out front. If you want a relaxing and enjoyable night out away from the noise and craziness of South Beach and Brickell, Bar Meli is the place for you.
(5)
Paty D.
Hidden gem. Food amazing. Ambience relaxing people kick back ...service was so kind! Def coming back
(5)
Maria B.
Where do I begin... Well we chose this place for our anniversary, boy are we glad we did, we enjoyed every minute of it. The service is slow but extremely courteous. We brought our own bottle of wine , ($15 Corkage fee) we started with the 5 dip sampler , delish, the grilled octopus best I've ever had, the lamb meatballs with yogurt sauce, the flaming cheese and to close , their homemade coconut cake with ice cream. We obviously over did it but everything was amazing. We are already planning on going next week with a group of friends, everyone should enjoy this place.
(5)
Brian A.
out of all the places we could have gone for our 17th year anniversary we chose Bar Meli and as usual Liza was Awesome !!!! we left there full and happy and of course LOTS of good wine. i still cannot beleive how great this place is and how lucky we are to have it in our neighborhood. Your review helps others learn about great local businesses. Please don't review this business if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you're connected in any way to the owner or employees.
(5)
Leeann A.
I wish I could give zero stars! The owner was just rude! We had a large and if she doesn't know how to manage a party of a large group. Although reservations were made, there was no reason for her to disrespectful and rude to the person celebrating at tour establishment! Although the food was good and the waitress was great, we will never ever go back! We didnt leave because the the birthday girl chose to stay and bottles of wine had already been opened! I'm sure that with the party of 14, our check was over 1K on tapas and several bottles of wine and beer!
(1)
Brian M.
After five excellent visits, I decided it was time to show Liza and her staff some well-deserved love on Yelp. BarMeli understands the formula for success and abides by it religiously. From the moment you enter the (extremely small) parking lot, you feel like you're coming home for dinner. The intimate space feels more like a living room than a restaurant. Liza wears many hats in the operation but she pulls it off flawlessly without sacrificing any attention on her customers. The food is delicious. The wines are varied and extremely interesting. Go check this place out. It's a guaranteed good experience.
(5)
Nikki R.
What a wonderful atmosphere! Everything about this place is delicious, the wine, the food, the service. We will definitely be coming back
(5)
Heather M.
Ok so where do I begin??? It's one of my bestfriend's bday and a reservation was made as we where expecting close to 20 ppl. Please help me understand why the manager felt the need to talk to a grown woman as if she was a child and tell her that it's disrespectful of her to show up late??? If I recall correctly, we were the customers and although it was wrong to be a little late, you are a restaurant manager, not the mother of any of the individuals in the bday party. An apology was also expected as it was the least that could have been done, and it wasn't even sent via Argentinean pigeon. I'm giving one star, however, not even one star is deserved for that kind of behavior. The bad service didn't even allow me to enjoy my meal. I cannot tell you if it was bad or good cause the attitudes were sour!
(1)
S.E. A.
Amazing tapas. Good wine specials, but I would spring for the more expensive wines to have a special glass of something. Casual, romantic atmosphere.
(4)
Alex D.
Love this place. Cozy and charming. The food is delicious and of great quality. Amazing wine selection at super reasonable prices. Service always impeccable. Servers Andrea and Angela are awesome. Owner/hostess Liza makes sure you always feel at home and that you leave happy. Instead of having to worry about how much they will overcharge you, as Miami makes a person to be, you always end up with comped goodies. Either coffee, or pastries, or an extra glass of porto. On Fridays and Saturday, an amazing Spanish guitarist and vocalist performs flamenco. Sometimes, they have salsa. It is never boring at BarMeli. Super romantic, with the music and light just at the right volume. My wife and I must have dined here 25 times and have never had a bad night. Love the fish, meat, eggplant dishes, Sagnaki (Fried Cheese), lamb and pork chops, Keftes (lamb and meat balls), and the rest. This is a real neighborhood gem with incredibly reasonable prices. I cannot say enough good words about BarMeli. If you are in the mood of making friends easy, having real fun, and having a romantic time that gets you home happy every-time, this is the place for you. It's like taking mini vacation to the old continent, without the airfare expense, and 10 hour flight.
(5)
Luciana S.
Great place, ambience and food! one of my favorite places in Miami.
(5)
Pablo M.
Excelent restaurant. Felt like dinning in a European place. Spain or Italy or south of France. That kind of quality food. We had the greek cheese, great. Awesome meatballs. Perfect octopus. Potatoes. Sardines! The dates were so great! This is my new favorite restaurant. The service was also great, very personal and relaxed. The setup was very simple. If you go on a saturday, you just have to know there's live music. It was fun, but if you want to talk, it's a bit loud. Perfect restaurant!
(5)
Carlos G.
A group of friends and I decided to give this place a try as it my was best friends birthday; we are always open to trying a new restauranst in Miami given the fact that there is such an eclectic variety here. Right off the bat, you can immediately feel a sense of urgency, fast pacing, and dysfunctional organization in the establishment. We made reservations for a group of 18 people well in advance but unfortunately in this world there are things that one cannot control. People cancel last minute, or simply don't show up...things happen. Turns out that only 4 of the expected 18 people within the party didn't show up for X reason, well, let me tell you, for some unprecedented, unnecessary reason, the owner of the restaurant which by the way was inappropriately dressed, made it a commitment to make herself heard and state her dissatisfaction at the fact that FOUR people didn't show up. She belligerently went up to the birthday girl (of all people) and expressed her disappointment of the situation speaking to her in a very unpleasant, and most assuredly in a very unprofessional manner causing everybody in the party to have a bad mood. I, myself, was disgusted by the way the situation was handled to the point where my friend wanted to cry because she felt she was being attacked for something that cannot be controlled. The worst thing is that the woman had such an incessant to express her opinion that she went up to us not only once but twice obviously causing everyone to want to leave. As a business owner I understand that money talks but the way this woman handled the situation was completely inappropriate and unprofessional. It was as though she felt the need to "step all over us" to prove her point. She even complained that she had to turn down potential customers because we had made reservations yet herself and the 2 waitresses were seen frantically running around trying to assist the other tables yet they were upset that THEY had to turn some customers down even though they were obviously not prepared to handle the amount of customers that were already there...that doesn't make sense to me but apparently according to the business owner we are so called "amateur diners". I must admit that the food and drinks were great and well prepared. The chicken was juicy and crispy, the flatbread was warm and toasty, and the wine selection is very eclectic. P.S: it's not that I wouldn't recommend this place to someone else, just don't go with a a big party because they obviously can't handle a large group of customers.
(2)
Susan D.
Amazing food even if it is a little bit off the main drag. The menu is awesome. Every Greek delicacy you can think of as well as Mediterranean Tapas. Try to come hungry because there are so many good choices! The best Grape leaves I have ever had, amazing lamp chops, Greek meatballs, Greek salad, Flat bread( we choose Amalfi) and the grilled zucchini w feta was yummy! We will be back! Only 18 min from Surfside!
(5)
Alexia T.
This place has much more to offer than its neighboring businesses would suggest. Buried in a small strip mall is this colorful, authentic piece of the Mediterranean. For anyone with any North African/ Greek/ Spanish roots, you will be right at home here. The decor is simple but sexy and inviting. The staff is pleasant and knows what they are doing. The drink selection is rich and all your basic needs will be met. The food... Simple, authentic, elegant. No Bs. Our choices: 1) Tzatziki dip- didn't disappoint. Creamy with right proportion of the cucumber/dill flavs. 2) Olives- 4 varieties, your basic mix. 3) Manchego Stuffed Peppers w Nuts- yea, get that. Won't disappoint. Nice to eat a dish I've never heard of. 4) Merguez- consistency, flavor, temp on point. Could have been a tad spicier. Nice fava bean salad on the side. And 5) the tiger prawns- simply grilled, lemon butter sauce. Solid choice. Last but not least, live music!!! Overall, very good find. Will be back.
(5)
David H.
One of the best places. I can't even begin to describe how much I enjoy the food, ambiance and family feel to this place. Really recommend.
(5)
Nemer A.
By the outside and location, you wouldn't imagine how comforting the place is on the inside. The tables and bar stools do not match and, thus, give a homely, out of the city feel. Perfect for trying their delicious hummus, fresh and crispy Greek salad and the flat breads. The octopus everyone is raving about was pretty good, i know how hard it is to find the right size and origin and cook just right. We had two bottles of wine in the nice atmosphere. Liza the owner is attentive to every detail. Hard workers in this place. Only thing I would change is maybe having a few bottles of wine in the $25-$30 range. At this time, all bottles start at $32 and I believe the wines were $10 each unless your there between happy hours. Definitely, will return to this place to try the rest of menu.
(4)
Fin D.
Only 5 months old, this could be the best restaurant in the area. I found it solely through yelp but was surprised and awed by the Mediterranean fare at this hidden little place. If you are in MiMo/ Upper East side area of Miami, please do yourself a gastronomic favor and stop by this little jewel on 79th st, near Biscayne. I tried the prosciutto wrapped dates with ricotta and wanted to immediately eat a bucket of them. Delicious. Service was quick, and hospitable. Liza, the owner, is gracious, glamorous and obviously in love with Mediterranean cuisine.
(5)
Brian G.
Barmeli Wine and Tapas Bar is a fantastic addition to the new 79th street restaurant district, west of the causeway. the food is rico! fantastic. i had the lamb sausage and also the sardines, my wife the octopus and the rustic Greek salad, all really goood! the Turkish dark beer was as good as any German beer. this is a small restaurant, casual and nicely decorated, in a small strip mall. the owner is supper friendly and has had several Greek restaurants in the past. this one also has Spanish as well as Greek tapas. they have limited parking in the mall.
(5)
John D.
We've eaten here twice, and we'll be back -- lot of variety to the tapas, and we have yet to find a bad one. We like to dine early -- before 7 you can get a glass of wine for $5, a beer for $3. Our last trip there was $70, including drinks and tip.
(5)
Aimee Y.
This place is awesome. We live in Miami shores, and found this place by driving by on 79th st. Unusual place for a wine bar, but so cool nonetheless. Their wines are from the Mediterranean area mostly....interesting places like mallorca, greece, and canary islands. We are here for happy hour, and my husband is drinking a tasty beer from Greece for $3, and me a red wine from Greece for $5 which is really good. They give a nice little plate off olives, and a few crostini with happy hour. They also have a wine tasting on Thursday nights, and a prosecco night on Wednesdays. Will be back for those. Owner used to own ouzos across the street. Everyone is very friendly, fun place. Definitely check it out! :-)
(5)
Carina L.
Absolutely excellent in every possible way!! We have been following Lisa and her fantastic chef/chefs since Ouzos. When you love what you do it definitely shows in your end product. Lisa's knolwedge and passion converge and create a welcoming ambiance that leaves your taste buds asking for more. ;)
(5)
Jeff S.
A few people told me about this place and I pass it all the time so I wanted to give it a try - well, we are glad we did. Everything was perfect! We had the dates, octopus, smoked eggplant, olives, ceviche, and spinach pie - great flavors! We will be back.
(5)
Maribel T.
I underestimated this place looking at it from the parking lot. From the moment I walked in the service was phenomenal. Food was prepared quickly and it tastes amazing. Tapas style allowed for a great experience. The food was delicious. I was impressed with the savory dishes. Prices were reasonable . Check it out!
(4)
Debbie B.
We wanted to celebrate a good friend's Birthday with a really fun evening and mission was accomplished when we went to Liza's new place Bar Meli. We loved Liza's previous restaurants Anise and Ouzo's and always had a great experience there. This one is the best yet for Interesting wines, music and delicious Mediterranean Tapas. We were magically transported to Barcelona for the evening. On Saturday evenings there's Live Flamenco music and a Flamenco dancer. We had a blast. Everyone there was having a great time and dancing all over the place. We had a delicious Barcelona Flatbread, Tzatziki Dip with Grilled Pita, Grilled Octopus and an order of Meatballs that were all outstanding. They have some unusual wines stacked on the wall which we picked to help wash down all the food and a great time was had by all. We'll be back! Looking forward to trying the Thursday wine tastings. Thanks Liza
(5)
Ken C.
Awesome food and wine! The best place in Miami for Greek food and wine. The hostess and staff are AWESOME.
(5)
Miami L.
Liza is back with her wonderful Mediterranean food. Now it is tapas, both Greek and Spanish. A warming, cozy atmosphere and a great happy hour with wine and beer specials and tapas tasting. Try it, you will not be disappointed...
(5)
Beatriz H.
I went last night for the first time w a group of friends. I must say that I was impressed, food was very good. We ordered a lot of food, a bit of everything from salads, to flatbreads, octopus, cheese, vegetables, roasted potatoes, and everything was delicious. Service was very friendly by owner herself and wine selection was very good and very good prices for everything, the food and the wine. We will be back for sure, and will bring friends for their wine tasting on Thursdays. The only constructive criticism is that it is under staffed so the food gets to the table quick, but water refills, picking up empty plates, etc took a little longer and we had to order the bill 3 times because the server was so busy we couldn't get to us. No big deal... But something to improve
(4)
Richard M B.
Go here! Order the wine blessed by the local Rabbi, it's good for your soul and also a Mitzvah... Cheers
(5)
mitchell m.
Very good everything as I could not find anything wrong with the place as all the dishes were tasty and the even have live music on Saturday night so if u want great casual greek place that's very friendly this is the spot
(5)
Christie S.
I've been here at least 3 times now and had food and wine. I really like this place. The food is excellent! The wine is great. Happy Hour is well priced and the staff is friendly. My only reason for 4 stars out of 5 is that is rarely open. So rarely, in fact, that i've gone during hours that were posted to be open and sat outside with 2 other people peering in the windows to figure out if anyone was even in there starting to open.
(4)
Fernando A.
Fantastic wine bar and tapas restaurant. This restaurant is head and shoulders better than most wine/tapas restaurants in Miami. The atmosphere is perfect and they have a great selection of wines from round the world, including overlooked places such as the Mediterranean and the Middle East. The tapas were excellent too. Finally, the service was fantastic and the ambiance, lighting and music all excellent too.
(5)
Todd H.
The owner Liza, always has a smile and is eager to make sure her customers are happy. Great food and better atmosphere. Sometimes, short staffed if it gets busy all at once but everyone that works there is great. Highly recommend supporting this local eatery!!! Her sangria is amazing, wine and beer selection very solid but her attitude is what makes this place GREAT! Very impressive for an owner that shows so much concern and care for their customers these days bc it is becoming extremely rare. GIVE BAR MELI a shot !!!
(5)
Jorge S.
Great place, try the lamb rolls and the grilled octopus. Good service too. We are definitely coming back and trying other plates. Good place for a date.
(4)
Francis S.
I often eat at this casual, inviting restaurant with excellent Mediterranean tapas and wines. It's a delightful experience with excellent food and wine, ambiance, service, and hosts.
(5)
Mona S.
Amazing food, amazing wine and an amazing atmosphere. I have been to this restaurant many times and I'm never disappointment. Love it.
(5)
Scarlett W.
I am giving this 5 stars because this is a really warm, inviting place with a great vibe due to the wonderful women that run it, Andrea and Meli. They play good music, have a lot of interesting wines, a happy hour, and the tapas are good. Being new to Miami, and most recently from a place where everyone is very nice to each other (Not Brooklyn), I am finding nice people here fewer and far between. In fact some snippy guy just called me the b word in a parking lot for apparently taking a space he wanted. Yikes! Well this place has niceness in spades. It feels like you are in Spain, at a neighborhood place, in fact it did remind me of places I have been in the Alpujarra mountains. It just has such a warm atmosphere, and seems a lot of regulars go there. Have I had better food? Yes, but it is reasonably priced and mostly very tasty. I recommend this place wholeheartedly.
(5)
Blake E.
This place is awesome. Cozy and intimate, great for a date. The owner is gracious and friendly and interacts with all the guests. The wine selection is eclectic and most taste fantastic. The food is delicious. Def make reservations especially for parties of five or more and def on Friday and Saturday.
(5)
Manu A.
Went to Barmeli with no expectations and walked out feeling like I had left a beautiful little taverna in Europe. The food was spectacular and the service wonderful. Liza made our big part of 10 feel like we were right at home. Must try: Grilled octopus, any flatbread, grilled zucchini, and the prosciutto wrapped dates. The wine and beer selection were impressive. My husband is a big Belgian beer drinker and many of his favorites were available. We'll be back!
(5)
Hog F.
This place is amazing! the owner is a cool operator runs the show like an orchestra director. the chef is amazing all the food is always to point. if you want to feel like dining at home go to BarMeli. Its very warm and has that down to earth homey feeling.... the wine tasting nights are amazing!! This is my first ever YELP review and for good reason !
(5)
Miguel O.
While on my way to my friend's James house, I stopped by Bar Meli to watch the Greece-Ivory Coast with some food, ordered the Lamb Philo rolls, and again, incredible flavors, so honest and heartwarming. One more time, cascades of love and flavor in that food.
(5)
Mario D.
Excellent food, great ambiance and awesome staff. Best experience you feel like you are in the Mediterranean. A must place to go!
(5)
Stephen G.
Amazing. The grilled octopus was marinated and fork tender and delicious. The Marquez sausage was accompanied by bean salad. Both superb. The lamb in filo had just the right spice. We found it driving by Biscayne on yelp and will make it a destination. Worth a journey. So quaint and warm ambiance.
(5)
Sheldon S.
Best grilled octopus ever! Great wines. Friendly spot with food & wine that is special.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dessert Parking : Street, Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Happy Hour : Yes Best Nights : Thu, Fri, Sat Coat Check : No Smoking : Outdoor Area/ Patio Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Dogs Allowed : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Dave P.
Wow! what a great new place for Liza. All those Mezes you loved from Ouzo and Anise are here plus great wine. BarMeli features unique vintages from all over the globe. Stop by during happy hour try some wine, take a bottle home. Everything is fresh as far as the tapas go, a mixture of Greek and Spanish favorites plus other flavors from the Mediterranean region. Great service, great music. You will love it.
(5)Roberto S.
Great little warmly place with delicious greek "tapas" and excellent wine selection topped with the owners beautiful and radiant contagious personality which makes this place a great casual social bar. Cheers.
(5)David R.
Great new place in Miami. We have followed Liza through all of her Restaurants and they all Rock. Very nice atmosphere created here. The beer selection is small but amazing. Great wines. All reasonably priced. Excellent retail selection. The food is really good. Great spreads, pita-do the combo platter. Saganaki-is wonderful. The grilled asparagus is perfection-Crispy outside, moist inside. Greek meatballs are very tasty. The steak is good, a tiny bit chewy-that was the only tiny disappointment of the night. The ribs are good. The deserts-Wow!!!! Coconut cake with coconut ice cream. Liza's Mother makes the cake. So delicious. The baklava is like a birds nest-with pistachio ice cream. Definitely our new favorite neighborhood place.
(5)Jose Luis C.
Best selection of wines, the food is amazing, the music so perfect for the place and prices are super fair. If you want to have good a wine, food and music this is definitely the place.
(5)Boni L.
BarMeli its an experience on its own. Music is great and the wines from all over the world are great. They have a saying here that goes like this: "Go ahead and WINE a little" PEOPLE THIS IS A MUSTTTTTTT DRINK!
(5)Franci B.
This cozy little spot has tons of character and was a great date night location. I was lucky enough to have the owner serve my boyfriend and I at the bar. She could tell how indecisive we were about the meal and wine selection and was so eager to help us choose. She helped us sample a few wines since we are by no means wine connoisseur and select one before committing to one. As a vegetarian, I was really excited to see that they had an entire veggie selection on the menu and I ended up ordering the veggie casserole, flat bread with eggplant, and the feta and eggplant dips. Everything was delicious and tasty!! My only very small complaint is that the pita chips that were brought out for the dip were pretty crunchy and I prefer soft pita. Not a big deal though. Although the owner was one of the only two servers I saw there that night and had a completely packed restaurant she was incredibly helpful and didn't show any signs of stress. I loved the service, food, and ambiance here!
(5)Lauren M.
It's hard not to really like this place, I've been here quite a few times. It's a great place to come with a few friends, go with a date, or catch the happy hour after work. Make sure to check the restaurant's hours before visiting because they are not open every day of the week and their hours change the days they are open. It's a really low key place usually, but this place gets really packed when they have live music on Friday and Saturday nights. The restaurant is on the small side. The ambiance can be really quiet and relaxed, or it can be really high energy and fun depending on when you go. Anyway, you come in and sit at the bar or one of the tables. They bring you a menu, and drink service is pretty fast. The Greek beers they serve are light and refreshing, and the sangria is really strong, but I don't mind ;) Those fruits stuck at the bottom of your glass of sangria are saturated in alcohol, so don't forget to eat them!! All the tapas I've had here are really great. You'll definitely want to try everything. Some of the highlights I remember are the prosciutto wrapped dates (delicious!), boquerones (anchovies on crostini - order if you like salty food), grilled octopus (yumm and comes with a little salad), Greek salad (delicious, classic salad), and flat breads (order if you want something filling). The service is really friendly and you'll often see the owner of the bar working there. She is a woman with curly hair and always wears a long dress. Parking wise, they have a really small parking lot in front of the restaurant. If you come here when it's busy you will definitely have to park in the street. Here you're probably gonna spend around $25 per person which includes drinks... and the only reason this restaurant doesn't get that 5th star is because I think the quality of food is better at other restaurants I've been to, but those restaurants were also more expensive. But overall, awesome and I will definitely continue to visit this restaurant!
(4)Emily D.
This is a cute cozy place. The wine selection is very good, the host and owner is very nice and friendly. The atmosphere is nice and relaxing, I would definitely come back the music and prices are reasonable. It was four of us and we sat at the bar.
(5)John C.
Excellent food, excellent wine, excellent service, great prices...nough said...highly recommended
(5)Yami R.
Love the place! Very casual and friendly oriented... Food is Gread and wine fabulous!!! Great selection!
(4)Emily H.
I love walking into a restaurant that immediately gives off a nice vibe, not because its trendy, but because its cozy and warm. The menu is composed of Mediterranean tapas. We ordered way to much, but everything was delicious. Grilled Octopus 5 stars Prosciutto wrapped dates 5 stars Sagnaki (Fried Cheese) Table side show 5 stars Ribs 4 stars (fall off the bone good) Lamb Loin Chops 4 stars Lemon Coconut cake 4 stars Food and service excellent. This a great choice to come in a group to try a little bit of everything.
(4)Amanda T.
My bestfriend is obessed with this place and is always talking about it so yesterday we both had free time and decided to make the drive over for happy hour. The restaurant is cute and cozy and for it being a tuesday it was considerably full. The prosseco we had was wonderful and the food was excellent. As for food we went all our. We had an order of the Fetta & Hummas dip, Saganaki which was of coursemy favorite, something about fried cheese that gets me everytime. We also had an order of the bacon wrapped dated and the roma flatbread. Everything was what I expected and more. Plenty of parking and the owner was attentative and very sweet. My only complaint is that its such a far drive for me that I can't see myself coming here very often. Besides that I would recommend anyone in this area to try this spot out.
(4)Andre G.
After moving to Surfside, I opened Yelp and decided to try all the restaurants with good reviews, Bar Melissa was up there and rightfully. It's located in a not great strip mall I'll give you that. The ambiance was fun with a guy playing the guitar and singing. And he was good so it was enjoyable. Obviously it's tapas style. Everything we tried was good. Service was very friendly. A good experience.
(4)Martha R.
This place is just so darn cute. The owner is super friendly, the happy hour deals are great, and the location is handy. The food stuffs are great, though I feel slightly over-priced. In particular, the zucchini w/ feta and mint is a little on the high side, as well as the octopus. Though both of those dishes are amazing, I'm not sure that the price is quite right. For a glass of wine, and a small appetizer, though, this place has it! I went here on my last night in Miami - so obviously one of my favs of the area! One of my top favorite things about this place is the $5 wine options for Happy Hour. They usually have 2 red and 2 white options. That alone makes this place top my favorite places in Miami.
(4)Johnny T.
'Discovering' gems like BarMeli is (part of) what makes Yelp so useful. For a long while, this stretch of 79th was fairly dormant. But with housing prices increasing all over the city (and people leaving the city), it looks like there's a new, northward migration and at the head of the movement is your new, favorite tapas spot. Part of why it works so well has been discussed in other reviews: this ain't Liza's first time at the rodeo and she commands a dining room with charm and precision. This begins (almost) as soon as you sit down. With a check-in offer that greets guests with a glass of wine, how can you help but to be in a good mood for the very beginning. It's a smart move, as well. Wine (especially free wine) loosens you up, gets you hungry and prepares you for a fun, adventurous evening. Come to BarMeli with a group of friends and you're guaranteed to have a good time. But, you may not be guaranteed to share your tapas. Why? Because they're delicious and you're going to want them all for yourself. The program works by dishes coming out of the kitchen when they're ready, not necessarily in the order in which they were requested. That keeps the food hot (or, cold as the case may be), the guest on his/her proverbial toes and the conversation moving ("ooh, look at that!" "May i try it?" "No!" (stabs hand with fork). Particular standouts are the 5 dip combo (5 dips served with pita: whipped feta, roe, white bean hummus, eggplant, and tzatziki), the merguez (Moroccan lamb sausage) and the St. Tropez salad (spinach, dates, walnuts, gorgonzola, and orange). But, as I distracted my tablemates and picked off their plates, there doesn't seem to be a bad choice on the menu. Do yourself a favor: get off the beach. Get out of Brickell/Wynwood. Discover food and service that will make you feel happy, appreciated and keep you coming back. You won't feel as though you're in Miami. Or, perhaps, this is how you *should* be made to feel whilst eating out in Miami. Maybe, that.
(4)Abbey G.
Break away from the mainstream and transport yourself to Greece for the evening with this neighborhood treat. I came here for my birthday and boy does this tiny place pack a a ton of culture. The food was fresh and excellent. We danced around the restaurant to live music and broke hand painted plates with the owner/hostess with the mostest, Liza. The violinist came to the table, played me a specialized song, and then wanted a tip, I mean how much more Euro tourist can you get?! Loved it! We were truly transported to Greece for the evening, a birthday dinner I will always remember! FOOD HIGHLIGHTS: LAMB FILO ROLLS (a must! If you are familiar with Israeli meat cigars, this is its twin, we had to get a second order) FLAMING SAGANAKI (the best I've had in a long time and they will flame it in front of you!) AMALFI FLATBREAD (simple yet delicious) GREEK SALAD I can't wait to get back to really attack the menu. We were with some picky eater guests at the time. They also have a wine tasting night on Thursday's with some lite bites but we had driven for the evening or else we would've opted for getting wined down. Until next time...Opa!!
(5)Gaby B.
I have been wanting to check out this restaurant for a while, and I am glad I finally got the chance to. I will definitely work this place into restaurants that I frequent even though it is a bit of a drive for me. The place its self is small, dark and cozy. Everything we had was outstanding. We had the spicy feta dip & hummus, saganaki, the barcelona flatbread, grilled octopus, lemony chickpea salad, meatballs, lamb sausage and bacon wrapped dates. Everything was outstanding, with my favorites being the flatbread, the saganaki (of course, I have an obsession with cheese) and the bacon wrapped dates. The free glass of wine with yelp check-in was a nice touch. I can't wait to return, definitely want to check out their happy hour specials! PS. the owner (lady) is really nice, and pretty, she said they will be opening sundays because of the world cup. So, if you're craving some delicious greek food on a sunday give them a call, they might be open.
(4)Ian T.
When you first enter this delightful bar-café, you are met with wonderfully savory and aromatic scents. The cuisine is a sort of Mediterranean fusion with heavy Greek accents. The lovely and delightful hostess, the eponymous "Meli" told us that her previous restaurants (she is a serial restauranteur here in Miami) were purely Greek cuisine - but that she felt that was too restrictive. However, the tasty tapas and larger dishes are heavily Greek influenced, with notes and choices from Sicily, Spain, Sardinia et. all. The food itself is beautifully executed, and the small plate format allows you to sample a variety of flavors. The lamb chops were savory, oily and moist without being gamey or greasy. The dates wrapped in various feta and goat cheeses were great. The stew was likewise excellent. The various flatbread plates are definitely worth a try. As Meli seems to have a passion for her work, she informed me that she changes the menu frequently based on seasonal availability of fresh ingredients. Her executive chef apparently also used to work at the well-known Kouzina restaurant. If you go, and have enough friends to share it with, I also highly recommend a bottle of Ouzo, the traditional Greek after-dinner digestiv liquor that tastes of licorice. All in all it was a wonderful experiences, and one which I intend to repeat as often as I can make my way up there.
(5)Sergio F.
Their prosciutto wrapped dates actually caused me to cancel my churrasco order- because I ordered said dates twice! I came to BarMeli last night for the Eat Like a Local event and a great preclubbing dinner. In addition to socializing with old Yelp friends and making new ones, we enjoyed a deep cinematological conversation about Sharknado vs Godzilla. A cozy space closer to a home than a dining room, owner Lisa made our large group feel at home by checking on our group and telling us about the different tasty plates. A wall rack of wine bottles completes the decor. The Mediterranean ambiance was enhanced by the soundtrack of flamenco and middle eastern music. My only complaint has to do with parking, since it shares a strip mall parking lot with two other businesses. However, I was still able to find a spot. Starting with my Yelp check-in complementary glass of Grecanico Chardonnay, my culinary adventure continued with samples of the cheese plate and chick pea gazpacho of my tablemates. Besides the sweet delights of the aforementioned dates, I also enjoyed the spicier deconstructed chicken skewers with more of the chickpea salad (extra points for the red peppers and citrusy base) as well as the prosciutto and the tomato flatbread.
(4)robert e.
I've only been to Crete but I took note of certain tavernas which had a kind of neo-hippy vibe and this place seems to rock that with some seriously fresh authentic Greek dishes! Candle light, live guitar-strumming mellowness, fascinating wine list veering more towards Italian if I remember correctly, simple furnishings. Octopus is one of my favorite things on earth and BarMeli's is frighteningly massive like something from "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" but fresh as hell, fragrant, melt-in-your-mouth tender with the perfect suggestion of crunch in the outside from the grill. Loved all the fresh spreads. Have to go back to try everything.
(4)Raul M.
Reminiscent of the little bistros or taverns along the Mediterranean coast, this establishment gives you that old world feel and ambiance that is missing from many tapas places in this town. From the mismatched tables and chairs to the chalkboards on the walls, you get the feeling you're in someone's home as opposed to a commercial establishment. The owner, Meli, takes great pride in treating her guests like friends coming for a visit. The wine selection is purposely limited to those produced in European vineyards to maintain the character and keeping with the theme of the restaurant. The various tapas and salads have all heavy Greek, Spanish, and Middle Eastern influences that compliment the laid back feel of the place. Notable appetizers are the flatbreads and the meatballs. The lamb sausage served with fava beans was delicious as was the variety of spreads (spicy feta, hummus, roast red bell pepper, taramosalata, tzatziki, etc.); all served with toasted pita bread dabbed with olive oil.... All of it amazing and fresh! If you want to have a nice evening of conversation and delicious food, this would be my number one choice. Small intimate tables for two are available as well as the larger ones so you can enjoy some wine, the plates, and the company of your friends! For more information you can visit: barmeli.com They take credit cards here, but as always....please leave the tip in cash!
(4)Ken D.
What a surprise! Those of you who know me know that getting me to eat in a strip mall is a big deal. I'm big enough to admit that sometimes (operative word: sometimes) I'm too quick to judge. BarMeli is reason to go to a strip mall. Tasty bites, live music, energetic crowd and people being turned away at the door (while I have a table) all made for a lovely time. From the outside, you'll clutch your purse and be frightened that rats might jump out and bite your new nylons. Worry not. Once inside, all those cares will melt away.
(4)R S.
What a wonderful surprise! We actually live on the causeway (for a year) and just tried BarMeli. I'm literally so pissed at myself for sleeping on this place. We walked through the door, with our infant, and were quickly shown a table. It's a really cute space. We noticed every single person who walked into sit at the bar for happy hour was either a regular or everyone was just really nice to each other. Everyone seemed like they knew each other. We ordered a few items and the waitress brought us an order of hummus on the house. It's delicious!! We had the grilled octopus which is huge and cooked to perfection with a little salad. You cannot go without getting the saganaki! The spinach pie was divine as well as the grape leaves! The keftedes in their tzatziki was perfection. The owner came to our table when we were waiting to pay and gave us each complimentary shots of chocolate wine. So happy we finally stopped and will make this our neighborhood go to spot!
(5)Andrea C.
It's incredible the quality of the food and the assortment of wine and drinks... I tried the rosted octopus, the angus, others appetizers and the dessert "coconut cake" and it was the best dinner that I've ever had here in Miami... The staff made me feel like at home from the first moment and I was really happy about that because I never found something like that since I came here from Italy "they made me feel like in my favorite restaurant in Italy"... Finaly, the restaurant is very nice and romantic , the service and the staff is amazing and the food really delicious... So I decided to come there every time that I can...
(5)Angela G.
Wow! This place has it all: attentive/ knowledgeable staff, amazing food, excellent wine selection, and beautiful atmosphere. You MUST try the octopus; it's unreal. The saganaki and eggplant dip were delicious as well. The night we went, there was live music (which typically has me heading towards the door after 15 minutes). But this was different. The volume was just right and complemented the enchanting ambiance of the restaurant. You will spot the owner as soon as a you walk in. She is beaming with pride and joy for this fabulous gem she has created. She receives every person who walks through her doors with a sincere and warm welcome. It's a beautiful thing.
(5)Jeromy S.
Excellent lovely atmosphere great service. Come and in joy the food and atmosphere the music is exciting with a lively enjoyable entertaining playful ambience
(5)Marjorie S.
My best friend chose BarMeli to celebrate her birthday. She contacted the owner and made reservations for a group of 18 people. For being a small place, the accommodation was made. However, for it being such a large party, some people were unable to make it on time or at all. With that said, the owner felt so compelled to confront the birthday girl in a very nasty way in front of her entire dinner table and tell her that it was not fair that she had to turn people away because of our large party. Let's face it, we cannot control everything. People ran late & people canceled last minute. And still, majority of the party showed, we were only short 4 people. I completely understand the owners frustration being that Saturday's are her busiest night and she turned away business in an effort to accommodate the reservation that was made but there is a right and wrong way to handle every situation. She went about it the wrong way. In having confronted my friend the way she did, especially that we were there celebrating her birthday was just inappropriate, unprofessional and tactless. And she did this immediately after we had already ordered our food and had opened several bottles of wine. She's lucky we even opted to stay for the remainder of the night given how nasty of an attitude she had the entire time we were there. It's unfortunate that we had such a bad experience because as soon as I walked in I thought I'd be returning in the future - it's a cute place, the food and wine was good, and they had live music. But the ambiance that the owner set over our table made it such an unwelcoming experience that not one person from our party will ever return to this place. If you plan to come to this place with a big party, don't do it. It's not large party friendly and clearly, neither is the owner.
(1)Rebecca B.
I have so much respect for people that know their wines and Liza Meli knows what she's doing. Off the beaten path but so convenient. I can't say enough about how much I love this place.
(5)Kati E.
Recommended!!!!! The entire place is a masterpiece from top to bottom.... Music is the perfect level.... Octopus is delicious, sauces are great... Wine never better...
(5)Roxana E.
I can't say enough good things about this place. I always enjoy myself, food, service, atmosphere. It never disappoints. Must go at least once. Reasonably priced
(4)Isis N.
I know exactly how Indiana Jones felt the first time he found a gem. Same way I felt after dining at BarMeli. And this gem, ladies and gentlemen, was delectable and sexy. Let's imagine you are looking for a place to have that very special and romantic first date... then, this is the place. Perfect ambiance, casual without being cheap, with the right amount of lighting, and of course, with the right Tapas as perfect companions for the night. This winner combination will make your palate and sensory experience a one of a kind... and your date extremely happy. The night started with a surprise. Once I checked-in with my Yelp app., I received a free glass of wine. Sweet. The owner personally served us, and graciously suggested some tapas, after I told her I'm vegan. Her recommendations were superb! We started with the grilled zucchini (with feta cheese on the side, for my non-vegan friend), grilled asparagus, roasted 'lemoni' potatoes, and my date had the grilled octopus with a side of chick peas. All winners. But, I must confess, my favorite were the potatoes, with that zesty termination. Their wine selection its huge, with wines from all over the world. My friend had an organic Chianti and I had a deliciously crisp Chardonnay. BarMeli was an outstanding find. Hope to be back soon.
(5)P H.
We went to Barmeli for dinner last week and had a great experience. The sangria was really good with lots of fruit (and pretty strong for a sangria, by the way) and the food was delicious. The grilled octopus was perfect and the dip/pita platter was so good we had to get extra pita bread to get to every last bit of the dip... YUM!! the lamb was cooked somewhat unevenly but the flavor was good. The atmosphere is cute and cozy, and I think arriving early is a good idea because the parking lot is not too big and does fill up. I see there are 2 two angry reviewers below describing the same incident with a large birthday party's reservation... Yes I was not there (and no I don't know exactly what went down) but having been to the restaurant personally and having seen how small the place is, I have to say I sympathize with the restaurant because a reservation of 18-20 would nearly take up their entire place for the evening. I don't know what the negative verbal exchanges were, but this is a really small restaurant run by regular people and I think taking away 20% of their seating capacity with no-shows is not right either. Overall I liked the place and the food, and we will be going back. I would not let the 2 reviews stop you if you are interested in visiting this place. It's worth a try!
(4)Lucy K.
The tapas were good not excelent , wine is good prices affordable . The place is small with very good service and live music mostly Latin. People stand up and dance and sing, very casual cozy place .
(4)Ghermay W.
Tasting amazing Spanish Wines from Pyrenees with scrumptious tapas to die for. Liza is an amazing host, keeping the glasses full and the plates coming. By the time the evening is done a table for two looks like a feast for fifty. A must try for Thursdays wine tasting night at $25 per person. Cudos Liza!
(5)Blair S.
my boyfriend and I took my parents here last Saturday for my mom's birthday. It was the perfect choice! A little noisy, because Saturday is Flamenco night, but it was a blast. By the end of the night my mom and I were up dancing with many of the other restaurant patrons. The food is absolutely delicious, but some of my favorites are the prawns, the grilled octopus, the prosciutto wrapped dates, the greek meatballs, and the flamed cheese. We had a couple bottles of wine, all of which were delicious, and our waitress never disappointed with her suggestions. We will definitely be returning soon!
(5)Cid P.
I was here Saturday evening thanks to ELL (Eat Like a Local) on #Yelp. Our Community Manager, Johnny T., had the brilliant idea of creating this. It's a simple concept. Once a month we try-out a local business in Miami. So far it has been restaurants but I'm hoping this catches on and spreads to other businesses as well. It's a great way to meet other fellow Yelpers as well as branching-out to different areas of Our Communities one normally wouldn't venture out to. I encourage every Yelp User to check this new concept out. Had it not been for ELL, I would never have known about this fabulous restaurant. I've never been to the Mediterranean and the closest I've been to Spain is Little Havana but, I think it's fair to say, this business is pretty darn authentic. The decor is simple, cute and to the point. Its simplicity is what makes it unique. It's almost like being in someone's home. Here you can enjoy conversations with friends while having some wine and tapas in a laid back and relaxing atmosphere. I sampled several tapas and, at least in my opinion, everything was quite delicious. The flavors were something I had never experienced before. It was an unique and unexpected experience. I shall be returning here soon with friends. Or, to impress a date if I ever meet one. Their Wine Tasting Event on Thursdays is something I may do first. Check their website for more 411 on that. My stand-out Tapas were: * Stewed Giant Lima Beans - Bursting with delicious flavor and the beans are perfectly cooked. I was told this was her mother's personal recipe. VERY NICE! * White Bean Hummus - To date, the best Hummus I've had. We were taking turns sampling each other's dishes. Again, everything was delicious. These were just my personal two favorites. Lots of wine to choose from here as well. Most, if not all, are authentic to their region. I will be back... #KeepItLocal
(4)Jerry R.
After one year in business I have to say BarMeli and its owner Liza have over preformed in the most outstanding and healthy food made with love in Miami . As my mother other said try it and you will like it. Wine is great and hand picked by liza. Cheers to a bright futura
(5)Ralph S.
Really love this place. The proprietor and staff go out of be way to make you comfortable. Try the grilled octopus. I would have started eating octopus in my teens if it was prepared like this.
(5)Katrina B.
BarMeli is a small, intimate restaurant tucked away in a small lot, but it is an amazing and beautiful place with big flavors and amazing customer service. After painting at Painting with a Twist across the street, my friend and I we were so hungry and we wandered into BarMeli around 9:30 and sat at the bar. We ordered a glass of wine each (reasonably priced, my well-poured pinot grigio was $9) and a plethora of small, but shareable dishes. We ordered the lamb chops, prosciutto wrapped dates, BBQ ribs and some hummus and warm pita. Every single item was delicious, but the lamb was INCREDIBLE. I highly recommend and will return. The owner poured us a little shot of baileys and gave us some chocolate covered pretzels as a little after dinner treat and it truly was the icing on the cake!
(5)Leilani D.
I did decide to give this place another chance since I had enjoyed the food and atmosphere so much, and found the service to be greatly improved. Although it was still a little...leisurely...it was very attentive, and we were never without some sort of food on our table for too long. In addition to the tapas I tried last time, this time I ordered the cheese saganaki and the chorizo/manchego flatbread. Both of these were amazing. The cheese saganaki is set on fire right before they put it down on your table, which is a nice little show, and even though I've never had a "bad" cheese saganaki, this one was especially tasty - I could've eaten about 5 orders of them, they were so good. The flatbread was also fantastic - slightly spicy chorizo and rich salty cheese. I don't think this will ever be the type of place where you can pop in and out. If you spend a little time here you'll notice that most of the patrons are regulars and that it seems like everyone who sits down is as comfortable as they are in their own home. So if you decide to stop in make sure you can take your time to enjoy some delicious mediterranean tapas.
(4)Joey S.
This is little hidden gem. The 79th street area east of Biscayne Blvd is definitely on the up and up. Bar Meli is tucked into a small little shopping plaza, next to the East Side Pizza place. There is parking right in front if you can find an empty spot, otherwise you'll need to park on the street. The atmosphere is very casual and welcoming. You open the door and you know that everyone is having a good time, eating and drinking wine from all around the world. There is a bar area that you can pull up to and grab a quite bite or you can get a table towards the back or the sides of the space. It is small and intimate, but very comfortable. When you go in you feel like you are a long time friend. You are greeted by the friendly staff, a lot of the times the owner is there too, greeting you with a warm smile. The food is amazing. It is all tapas style so you can order a few different dishes and get a taste of a few different things. The menu is greek influenced, but there is a bit of everything. Don't miss the prosciutto wrapped dates, spicy feta with with warm pita and an organic white wine from Israel. Yum.
(5)Kennia R.
Exceptional ! The owner is far beyond welcoming! Must try-pinky swear promise. The meatballs will blow your balls off!
(5)Rene U.
I am German and therefore a pain in the butt and never happy with anything. This family style restaurant deserves 10 stars instead of the possible 5. Try the prosciutto wrapped dates, quail a la plancha, flamed cheese ... Nice wines and special events. Thank you Andrea for treating us like gods. Our new favorite place!
(5)Michael C.
My wife and I went last night and had a great experience. We ordered the grilled octopus, the white bean hummus, and the grecian flatbread. Somehow, they made a mistake and brought out a greek salad instead of the grecian flatbread; a simple miscommunication. Well, when my wife saw the greek salad, she couldn't refuse it because it looked delicious! And it defintiely was, she loved it. Honestly, everything we had was so full of flavor. You can tell all of the food is fresh. We already started picking out some things we want to try next time. As awesome as the food is, the overall experience and ambiance is great as well. We had our honeymoon in Spain many years ago, and this place dropped me right back to some of those great tapas bars we discovered in Madrid and Sevilla. It's eccentric, mixmatched, very homey, with great music and lighting. As a Miami Shores local, I cant wait to come back!
(5)Lydia L.
This is one of my favorite restaurants. The owner Meli is a superb host, the food is absolutely delicious and the wine list has a lot of unexpected choices (i.e. a pinot grigio from Slovenia and an organic cabernet from Israel). Everything I've tried is great, but make sure to order the octopus. Best octopus I have ever had. It's grilled with the perfect amount of char served with a cold, lemony garbanzo bean salad. Scrumptious.
(5)Allison L.
Bar Meli's quaint restaurant in heart of Miami is a breathe of fresh air. Its unique ambience sucks you in! Every tapa is filled with delishness, the food is flavorable and fairly priced! Also , super imp...Great wine selection! Will be back again for sure!!!!
(5)Erika K.
Delectable tapas, warm and cozy atmosphere, and an extensive wine list- who could ask for more? I tried the lima beans, white bean hummus, chick peas, stuffed peppers, and potatoes. My favorite hands down were the lima beans. It is a cold dish made with dill and it is absolutely delicious. I know, I bet you never knew lima beans and delicious could be used in the same sentence. There is an extensive wine list, and you can get a bottle at a reasonable price. The tapas ran around $5 a plate and portions are generous. I ended up getting a to-go box. Service was friendly. A major plus? They have parking right out front. If you want a relaxing and enjoyable night out away from the noise and craziness of South Beach and Brickell, Bar Meli is the place for you.
(5)Paty D.
Hidden gem. Food amazing. Ambience relaxing people kick back ...service was so kind! Def coming back
(5)Maria B.
Where do I begin... Well we chose this place for our anniversary, boy are we glad we did, we enjoyed every minute of it. The service is slow but extremely courteous. We brought our own bottle of wine , ($15 Corkage fee) we started with the 5 dip sampler , delish, the grilled octopus best I've ever had, the lamb meatballs with yogurt sauce, the flaming cheese and to close , their homemade coconut cake with ice cream. We obviously over did it but everything was amazing. We are already planning on going next week with a group of friends, everyone should enjoy this place.
(5)Brian A.
out of all the places we could have gone for our 17th year anniversary we chose Bar Meli and as usual Liza was Awesome !!!! we left there full and happy and of course LOTS of good wine. i still cannot beleive how great this place is and how lucky we are to have it in our neighborhood. Your review helps others learn about great local businesses. Please don't review this business if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you're connected in any way to the owner or employees.
(5)Leeann A.
I wish I could give zero stars! The owner was just rude! We had a large and if she doesn't know how to manage a party of a large group. Although reservations were made, there was no reason for her to disrespectful and rude to the person celebrating at tour establishment! Although the food was good and the waitress was great, we will never ever go back! We didnt leave because the the birthday girl chose to stay and bottles of wine had already been opened! I'm sure that with the party of 14, our check was over 1K on tapas and several bottles of wine and beer!
(1)Brian M.
After five excellent visits, I decided it was time to show Liza and her staff some well-deserved love on Yelp. BarMeli understands the formula for success and abides by it religiously. From the moment you enter the (extremely small) parking lot, you feel like you're coming home for dinner. The intimate space feels more like a living room than a restaurant. Liza wears many hats in the operation but she pulls it off flawlessly without sacrificing any attention on her customers. The food is delicious. The wines are varied and extremely interesting. Go check this place out. It's a guaranteed good experience.
(5)Nikki R.
What a wonderful atmosphere! Everything about this place is delicious, the wine, the food, the service. We will definitely be coming back
(5)Heather M.
Ok so where do I begin??? It's one of my bestfriend's bday and a reservation was made as we where expecting close to 20 ppl. Please help me understand why the manager felt the need to talk to a grown woman as if she was a child and tell her that it's disrespectful of her to show up late??? If I recall correctly, we were the customers and although it was wrong to be a little late, you are a restaurant manager, not the mother of any of the individuals in the bday party. An apology was also expected as it was the least that could have been done, and it wasn't even sent via Argentinean pigeon. I'm giving one star, however, not even one star is deserved for that kind of behavior. The bad service didn't even allow me to enjoy my meal. I cannot tell you if it was bad or good cause the attitudes were sour!
(1)S.E. A.
Amazing tapas. Good wine specials, but I would spring for the more expensive wines to have a special glass of something. Casual, romantic atmosphere.
(4)Alex D.
Love this place. Cozy and charming. The food is delicious and of great quality. Amazing wine selection at super reasonable prices. Service always impeccable. Servers Andrea and Angela are awesome. Owner/hostess Liza makes sure you always feel at home and that you leave happy. Instead of having to worry about how much they will overcharge you, as Miami makes a person to be, you always end up with comped goodies. Either coffee, or pastries, or an extra glass of porto. On Fridays and Saturday, an amazing Spanish guitarist and vocalist performs flamenco. Sometimes, they have salsa. It is never boring at BarMeli. Super romantic, with the music and light just at the right volume. My wife and I must have dined here 25 times and have never had a bad night. Love the fish, meat, eggplant dishes, Sagnaki (Fried Cheese), lamb and pork chops, Keftes (lamb and meat balls), and the rest. This is a real neighborhood gem with incredibly reasonable prices. I cannot say enough good words about BarMeli. If you are in the mood of making friends easy, having real fun, and having a romantic time that gets you home happy every-time, this is the place for you. It's like taking mini vacation to the old continent, without the airfare expense, and 10 hour flight.
(5)Luciana S.
Great place, ambience and food! one of my favorite places in Miami.
(5)Pablo M.
Excelent restaurant. Felt like dinning in a European place. Spain or Italy or south of France. That kind of quality food. We had the greek cheese, great. Awesome meatballs. Perfect octopus. Potatoes. Sardines! The dates were so great! This is my new favorite restaurant. The service was also great, very personal and relaxed. The setup was very simple. If you go on a saturday, you just have to know there's live music. It was fun, but if you want to talk, it's a bit loud. Perfect restaurant!
(5)Carlos G.
A group of friends and I decided to give this place a try as it my was best friends birthday; we are always open to trying a new restauranst in Miami given the fact that there is such an eclectic variety here. Right off the bat, you can immediately feel a sense of urgency, fast pacing, and dysfunctional organization in the establishment. We made reservations for a group of 18 people well in advance but unfortunately in this world there are things that one cannot control. People cancel last minute, or simply don't show up...things happen. Turns out that only 4 of the expected 18 people within the party didn't show up for X reason, well, let me tell you, for some unprecedented, unnecessary reason, the owner of the restaurant which by the way was inappropriately dressed, made it a commitment to make herself heard and state her dissatisfaction at the fact that FOUR people didn't show up. She belligerently went up to the birthday girl (of all people) and expressed her disappointment of the situation speaking to her in a very unpleasant, and most assuredly in a very unprofessional manner causing everybody in the party to have a bad mood. I, myself, was disgusted by the way the situation was handled to the point where my friend wanted to cry because she felt she was being attacked for something that cannot be controlled. The worst thing is that the woman had such an incessant to express her opinion that she went up to us not only once but twice obviously causing everyone to want to leave. As a business owner I understand that money talks but the way this woman handled the situation was completely inappropriate and unprofessional. It was as though she felt the need to "step all over us" to prove her point. She even complained that she had to turn down potential customers because we had made reservations yet herself and the 2 waitresses were seen frantically running around trying to assist the other tables yet they were upset that THEY had to turn some customers down even though they were obviously not prepared to handle the amount of customers that were already there...that doesn't make sense to me but apparently according to the business owner we are so called "amateur diners". I must admit that the food and drinks were great and well prepared. The chicken was juicy and crispy, the flatbread was warm and toasty, and the wine selection is very eclectic. P.S: it's not that I wouldn't recommend this place to someone else, just don't go with a a big party because they obviously can't handle a large group of customers.
(2)Susan D.
Amazing food even if it is a little bit off the main drag. The menu is awesome. Every Greek delicacy you can think of as well as Mediterranean Tapas. Try to come hungry because there are so many good choices! The best Grape leaves I have ever had, amazing lamp chops, Greek meatballs, Greek salad, Flat bread( we choose Amalfi) and the grilled zucchini w feta was yummy! We will be back! Only 18 min from Surfside!
(5)Alexia T.
This place has much more to offer than its neighboring businesses would suggest. Buried in a small strip mall is this colorful, authentic piece of the Mediterranean. For anyone with any North African/ Greek/ Spanish roots, you will be right at home here. The decor is simple but sexy and inviting. The staff is pleasant and knows what they are doing. The drink selection is rich and all your basic needs will be met. The food... Simple, authentic, elegant. No Bs. Our choices: 1) Tzatziki dip- didn't disappoint. Creamy with right proportion of the cucumber/dill flavs. 2) Olives- 4 varieties, your basic mix. 3) Manchego Stuffed Peppers w Nuts- yea, get that. Won't disappoint. Nice to eat a dish I've never heard of. 4) Merguez- consistency, flavor, temp on point. Could have been a tad spicier. Nice fava bean salad on the side. And 5) the tiger prawns- simply grilled, lemon butter sauce. Solid choice. Last but not least, live music!!! Overall, very good find. Will be back.
(5)David H.
One of the best places. I can't even begin to describe how much I enjoy the food, ambiance and family feel to this place. Really recommend.
(5)Nemer A.
By the outside and location, you wouldn't imagine how comforting the place is on the inside. The tables and bar stools do not match and, thus, give a homely, out of the city feel. Perfect for trying their delicious hummus, fresh and crispy Greek salad and the flat breads. The octopus everyone is raving about was pretty good, i know how hard it is to find the right size and origin and cook just right. We had two bottles of wine in the nice atmosphere. Liza the owner is attentive to every detail. Hard workers in this place. Only thing I would change is maybe having a few bottles of wine in the $25-$30 range. At this time, all bottles start at $32 and I believe the wines were $10 each unless your there between happy hours. Definitely, will return to this place to try the rest of menu.
(4)Fin D.
Only 5 months old, this could be the best restaurant in the area. I found it solely through yelp but was surprised and awed by the Mediterranean fare at this hidden little place. If you are in MiMo/ Upper East side area of Miami, please do yourself a gastronomic favor and stop by this little jewel on 79th st, near Biscayne. I tried the prosciutto wrapped dates with ricotta and wanted to immediately eat a bucket of them. Delicious. Service was quick, and hospitable. Liza, the owner, is gracious, glamorous and obviously in love with Mediterranean cuisine.
(5)Brian G.
Barmeli Wine and Tapas Bar is a fantastic addition to the new 79th street restaurant district, west of the causeway. the food is rico! fantastic. i had the lamb sausage and also the sardines, my wife the octopus and the rustic Greek salad, all really goood! the Turkish dark beer was as good as any German beer. this is a small restaurant, casual and nicely decorated, in a small strip mall. the owner is supper friendly and has had several Greek restaurants in the past. this one also has Spanish as well as Greek tapas. they have limited parking in the mall.
(5)John D.
We've eaten here twice, and we'll be back -- lot of variety to the tapas, and we have yet to find a bad one. We like to dine early -- before 7 you can get a glass of wine for $5, a beer for $3. Our last trip there was $70, including drinks and tip.
(5)Aimee Y.
This place is awesome. We live in Miami shores, and found this place by driving by on 79th st. Unusual place for a wine bar, but so cool nonetheless. Their wines are from the Mediterranean area mostly....interesting places like mallorca, greece, and canary islands. We are here for happy hour, and my husband is drinking a tasty beer from Greece for $3, and me a red wine from Greece for $5 which is really good. They give a nice little plate off olives, and a few crostini with happy hour. They also have a wine tasting on Thursday nights, and a prosecco night on Wednesdays. Will be back for those. Owner used to own ouzos across the street. Everyone is very friendly, fun place. Definitely check it out! :-)
(5)Carina L.
Absolutely excellent in every possible way!! We have been following Lisa and her fantastic chef/chefs since Ouzos. When you love what you do it definitely shows in your end product. Lisa's knolwedge and passion converge and create a welcoming ambiance that leaves your taste buds asking for more. ;)
(5)Jeff S.
A few people told me about this place and I pass it all the time so I wanted to give it a try - well, we are glad we did. Everything was perfect! We had the dates, octopus, smoked eggplant, olives, ceviche, and spinach pie - great flavors! We will be back.
(5)Maribel T.
I underestimated this place looking at it from the parking lot. From the moment I walked in the service was phenomenal. Food was prepared quickly and it tastes amazing. Tapas style allowed for a great experience. The food was delicious. I was impressed with the savory dishes. Prices were reasonable . Check it out!
(4)Debbie B.
We wanted to celebrate a good friend's Birthday with a really fun evening and mission was accomplished when we went to Liza's new place Bar Meli. We loved Liza's previous restaurants Anise and Ouzo's and always had a great experience there. This one is the best yet for Interesting wines, music and delicious Mediterranean Tapas. We were magically transported to Barcelona for the evening. On Saturday evenings there's Live Flamenco music and a Flamenco dancer. We had a blast. Everyone there was having a great time and dancing all over the place. We had a delicious Barcelona Flatbread, Tzatziki Dip with Grilled Pita, Grilled Octopus and an order of Meatballs that were all outstanding. They have some unusual wines stacked on the wall which we picked to help wash down all the food and a great time was had by all. We'll be back! Looking forward to trying the Thursday wine tastings. Thanks Liza
(5)Ken C.
Awesome food and wine! The best place in Miami for Greek food and wine. The hostess and staff are AWESOME.
(5)Miami L.
Liza is back with her wonderful Mediterranean food. Now it is tapas, both Greek and Spanish. A warming, cozy atmosphere and a great happy hour with wine and beer specials and tapas tasting. Try it, you will not be disappointed...
(5)Beatriz H.
I went last night for the first time w a group of friends. I must say that I was impressed, food was very good. We ordered a lot of food, a bit of everything from salads, to flatbreads, octopus, cheese, vegetables, roasted potatoes, and everything was delicious. Service was very friendly by owner herself and wine selection was very good and very good prices for everything, the food and the wine. We will be back for sure, and will bring friends for their wine tasting on Thursdays. The only constructive criticism is that it is under staffed so the food gets to the table quick, but water refills, picking up empty plates, etc took a little longer and we had to order the bill 3 times because the server was so busy we couldn't get to us. No big deal... But something to improve
(4)Richard M B.
Go here! Order the wine blessed by the local Rabbi, it's good for your soul and also a Mitzvah... Cheers
(5)mitchell m.
Very good everything as I could not find anything wrong with the place as all the dishes were tasty and the even have live music on Saturday night so if u want great casual greek place that's very friendly this is the spot
(5)Christie S.
I've been here at least 3 times now and had food and wine. I really like this place. The food is excellent! The wine is great. Happy Hour is well priced and the staff is friendly. My only reason for 4 stars out of 5 is that is rarely open. So rarely, in fact, that i've gone during hours that were posted to be open and sat outside with 2 other people peering in the windows to figure out if anyone was even in there starting to open.
(4)Fernando A.
Fantastic wine bar and tapas restaurant. This restaurant is head and shoulders better than most wine/tapas restaurants in Miami. The atmosphere is perfect and they have a great selection of wines from round the world, including overlooked places such as the Mediterranean and the Middle East. The tapas were excellent too. Finally, the service was fantastic and the ambiance, lighting and music all excellent too.
(5)Todd H.
The owner Liza, always has a smile and is eager to make sure her customers are happy. Great food and better atmosphere. Sometimes, short staffed if it gets busy all at once but everyone that works there is great. Highly recommend supporting this local eatery!!! Her sangria is amazing, wine and beer selection very solid but her attitude is what makes this place GREAT! Very impressive for an owner that shows so much concern and care for their customers these days bc it is becoming extremely rare. GIVE BAR MELI a shot !!!
(5)Jorge S.
Great place, try the lamb rolls and the grilled octopus. Good service too. We are definitely coming back and trying other plates. Good place for a date.
(4)Francis S.
I often eat at this casual, inviting restaurant with excellent Mediterranean tapas and wines. It's a delightful experience with excellent food and wine, ambiance, service, and hosts.
(5)Mona S.
Amazing food, amazing wine and an amazing atmosphere. I have been to this restaurant many times and I'm never disappointment. Love it.
(5)Scarlett W.
I am giving this 5 stars because this is a really warm, inviting place with a great vibe due to the wonderful women that run it, Andrea and Meli. They play good music, have a lot of interesting wines, a happy hour, and the tapas are good. Being new to Miami, and most recently from a place where everyone is very nice to each other (Not Brooklyn), I am finding nice people here fewer and far between. In fact some snippy guy just called me the b word in a parking lot for apparently taking a space he wanted. Yikes! Well this place has niceness in spades. It feels like you are in Spain, at a neighborhood place, in fact it did remind me of places I have been in the Alpujarra mountains. It just has such a warm atmosphere, and seems a lot of regulars go there. Have I had better food? Yes, but it is reasonably priced and mostly very tasty. I recommend this place wholeheartedly.
(5)Blake E.
This place is awesome. Cozy and intimate, great for a date. The owner is gracious and friendly and interacts with all the guests. The wine selection is eclectic and most taste fantastic. The food is delicious. Def make reservations especially for parties of five or more and def on Friday and Saturday.
(5)Manu A.
Went to Barmeli with no expectations and walked out feeling like I had left a beautiful little taverna in Europe. The food was spectacular and the service wonderful. Liza made our big part of 10 feel like we were right at home. Must try: Grilled octopus, any flatbread, grilled zucchini, and the prosciutto wrapped dates. The wine and beer selection were impressive. My husband is a big Belgian beer drinker and many of his favorites were available. We'll be back!
(5)Hog F.
This place is amazing! the owner is a cool operator runs the show like an orchestra director. the chef is amazing all the food is always to point. if you want to feel like dining at home go to BarMeli. Its very warm and has that down to earth homey feeling.... the wine tasting nights are amazing!! This is my first ever YELP review and for good reason !
(5)Miguel O.
While on my way to my friend's James house, I stopped by Bar Meli to watch the Greece-Ivory Coast with some food, ordered the Lamb Philo rolls, and again, incredible flavors, so honest and heartwarming. One more time, cascades of love and flavor in that food.
(5)Mario D.
Excellent food, great ambiance and awesome staff. Best experience you feel like you are in the Mediterranean. A must place to go!
(5)Stephen G.
Amazing. The grilled octopus was marinated and fork tender and delicious. The Marquez sausage was accompanied by bean salad. Both superb. The lamb in filo had just the right spice. We found it driving by Biscayne on yelp and will make it a destination. Worth a journey. So quaint and warm ambiance.
(5)Sheldon S.
Best grilled octopus ever! Great wines. Friendly spot with food & wine that is special.
(5)