MELI-MELO by Florent Fabulas — Restaurant in London

There's a reason why this place has a 5.0 rating here. The food is amazing.

If you like restaurants with a vibe, amazing decor and quality service.. Then this is not it. However, if you are a true foodie this place is must visit.

Meli melo is restaurant that offers a wide range of unique dishes with elite presentation. From brunches, roasts, burgers and steaks there's plenty to use from.

Lamb rack Sunday roast £20 Beef cheek canneloni £14 Lamb quesadillas £9 Baboon fries £6.50 Crispy cauilflower £6 Vanilla Sky Dessert £8

The signature Sunday roast that's available everyday is a work of culinary mastery. It's available as Beef, Lamb, chicken. Every element on the plate was a delight, its easy to see the love, passion and energy that's gone into this dish. It's easily the best halal Roast you can get. The lamb rack was cooked perfectly with the tasty fat left on for that extra flavour. All the vegetables were ellite and the secret orange mash is like crack, so good. Its worth going here just for this dish alone.

The Beef cheek canneloni was something similar to what I had once at The Great Chase, what I loved about this dish was the leak croquette.

We finished off the meal with an elite dessert, another dish made up of loads of separate elements that came together in harmony. The croffle, the chef's unique invention of mixing a waffle and a croissant. The freshly made vanilla and pistachio creams were a pleasure to eat.

I decided to try some other dishes off the menu, Lamb quesadillas, Baboon fries, Crispy cauilflower. While these dishes didn't have any faults with them cooking wise, I just wasn't impressed with the overall flavours and taste and thought the sauces on most of these dishes overpowered everything.

Old school foodies might remember a burger joint called Brioche Burger, who leveled up the halal burger scene, the owner and chef worked there and current foodies will know about The Great Chase where he was the Head chef.

There isn't a halal restaurant like this in London, the place is small and intimate and only offers space for 16 guests at maximum capacity. It's like one man band, the chef takes the orders, cooks and serves the food! So don't expect top service here or a vibe, just really good food.

I'd strongly suggest making a booking if you go as seating is limited. All food is halal. No alcohol served. No music, Quran and nasheds played. I paid...

Visited Meli Melo today and was genuinely impressed by the creativity, quality, and care put into the dishes. As someone who appreciates both flavour and finesse, this was a standout experience with only a couple of small misses.

We ordered the tacos, sirloin roast, beef short rib, and tiger fries—each one executed with precision.

The beef short rib was fall-apart tender, with a rich depth of flavour. The accompanying sticky rice was delicate and fragrant, elevating the dish beyond expectation.

The sirloin roast was a refined take on a classic—each element carried bold, distinct seasoning, coming together into a tantalising, flavour-filled mouthful.

The tiger fries were not just indulgent, but artistically presented—topped with tender lamb, gooey melted cheese, and finished with eye-catching tiger stripe patterns in sauce. A fun, messy, and satisfying dish that delivered both in taste and visuals.

The tacos were light, fresh, and very enjoyable—solid flavours and good balance.

Drinks were mixed: the strawberry daiquiri was pleasant but unremarkable, while the semifredo margarita was vibrant, fruity, and refreshing—a palate-cleansing highlight.

For dessert, we tried the chocolate tart and Bakewell crumble. The “tart” was more of a deconstructed molten cake, with rich, oozing chocolate and some crisp textures, though I personally missed the presence of a proper crunchy tart base. Still, the depth of chocolate flavour was excellent. The Bakewell crumble was generous and delicious, with all elements complementing one another, though served only warm-ish. The ice cream on the side lacked richness and felt a little underwhelming in comparison.

Service was outstanding—polite, friendly, and attentive throughout. We dined just after opening, so the setting was peaceful. Pricing is well-structured and reflects the quality and presentation of the food.

Only drawback was the washroom facilities, which didn’t quite match the high standards elsewhere. It's the only reason this isn’t a full five-star review.

Still, Meli Melo has something special going on. I’ll definitely be returning to explore more of the menu. A sincere thank you to the team for a...

Disappointing Experience – Doesn’t Live Up to the Hype

Unfortunately, our visit here did not meet expectations, and I wouldn’t recommend being swayed by the curated social media posts or polished pictures. It ended up being an expensive let down.

From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere felt off. The floor was messy and sticky, which left a poor first impression. We were greeted by a young woman at the bar who seemed unsure of her role—there was no smile, no welcoming demeanour, and her service felt rushed and awkward. At one point, she even knocked over someone’s coat while manoeuvring around the chairs. A bit more attention to service etiquette would go a long way—especially when leaning over guests to serve drinks, which is never ideal.

The seating didn’t help the experience either. The upholstered chairs looked like they hadn’t been properly cleaned in a while, and under brighter lighting, I imagine they’d look worse. The two male staff members present were casually dressed and not particularly engaged—one was yawning openly by the kitchen.

As for the food, we ordered the tiger chips and Caesar salad to start. The presentation on long, narrow platters was impractical and felt like a tactic to make the portions seem more generous than they were. At nearly £10 each, they simply didn’t deliver—especially the chips, which tasted overcooked and likely refried in old oil.

The mains were, sadly, no better. My lamb rack was cold, flavorless, and came with just a few vegetables and two small potatoes. When you're the only table in the restaurant, it’s baffling to receive food that isn’t even hot. The accompanying gravy had an overpoweringly fatty smell, making it inedible for me. My friend ordered the lamb shank but didn’t finish it—the taste and smell were too off-putting.

Overall, this place seems to rely heavily on aesthetics and online presence rather than genuine quality and service. My intention isn’t to be harsh, but honest. I hope management takes this feedback seriously—there’s potential here, but significant improvements are needed to make it worth a...