Mezze Bistro + Bar — Restaurant in Williamstown

There were some high highs, and some low lows, during our Mezze dining experience.

On the high highs side, two of the three main courses on the current winter prix fixe menu were excellent. The salmon and chicken entrees were competently prepared and nicely presented, with interesting flavor combinations and ingredients. Both dishes were a little heavy-handed in conception and execution to our tastes -- there was nothing subtle about them -- but we enjoyed them and would order them again.

On the low lows side, the Iberico pork "flank steak" seemed to consist of thin, overcooked trimmings off of better cuts of pig -- mostly strips of inedible gristle. These were served on a bed of similarly overcooked cabbage and potatoes, a sort of chunky lukewarm mash whose flavors were completely overwhelmed by a potent sherry vinegar and mustard sauce. There was really nothing redeeming about this dish...an epic fail and I sent it back.

Back on the high highs side of the menu, our starters (cold beet soup and chickpea stew) were solid, if a little uninteresting in their flavors and presentation. On the low lows side the premixed drinks off the cocktail menu ranged from basic to bad -- here again one of these had to be sent back.

What managed to land right in the middle in terms of quality and flavor were the desserts -- in our case the apple crisp and chocolate-hazelnut budino. They were just okay, and we wouldn't order either one of them again, but they were fun to try.

I will say the service was competent, our orders came up quickly, and although our server tended to overexplain things in answer to our questions about the menu, she did know the menu well...which was a breath of fresh air. We felt attended to by all of the staff, which was also a refreshing change to the Berkshires standard.

The one really odd thing about Mezze is the seating layout. There are tiny two-tops crammed into high traffic spaces (like ours was), and much larger two-tops set off to the side that looked much quieter and more appealing for a romantic dinner. So I would definitely recommend asking for "a spacious, quiet table" when you make your reservation, so you don't end up listening to clanking silverware at the bussing station and having every order leaving the kitchen marched past your head.

One other important note is that there are TWO parking lots -- an upper and a lower. If you drive up the hill there is one next to the main entrance. We parked at the lower lot and it's a bit of a slog to walk up the hill in the rain.

All-in-all it was $220 meal that was better than many $260 meals we've had in the Berkshires, but not as compelling or skillful as some meals we've experienced for half the price. Ever since the closing of the Old Mill, we've been searching for a fine dining experience that could replace it. Unfortunately, what we encountered at Mezze doesn't come close, but we might try it again when the menu changes in the...

Mezze was a lovely surprise for us as we went out to western mass with no expectations. We love pretentious food, we love cheap fast food, we love bar food, but we did not expect delicious interesting novel food in western mass. Mezze was a lovely cherry on top for the day. It wasn’t hard to get a table and the pricing was gorgeous.

Mezze comes off as a farm to table esque restaurant where the servers know where ingredients are sourced, the ingredients are fresh and seasonal, and a bunch of herbs are just growing outside.

I had their fish while my partner had their steak. Both were super well seasoned and have novel flavour pairings that weren’t classic or dated. The bread and olive oil was super delicious. Across the menu it felt like the perfect portion sizing and balance. The techniques used weren’t crazy. It was just simple yummy food that highlighted the fresh ingredients.

There’s also a lovely pond outside that just adds to the quaint ambiance.

My time at Mezze was memorable and frankly outshined expensive steakhouses I’ve been to in the city. Definitely would recommend...

I usually will pass on a restaurant that offers prix fixe for it's menu. No particular reason it is just not my preference. However, I am glad I did not let that predeliction keep me from dining at Mezze! My wife and I had a fantastic dinner and found the restaurant to have a lot to offer. Our salad course was interesting and inventive. I had a Kale-Caesar salad generously dressed while Chris had an apple and radish salad sprinkled with hazel nuts. For the main she had the Bolognese - and raved about it- while I have the Steak Fries. A perfect med-rare with the best shoe string fried potatoes I have ever had. They added a portion of bib lettuce with a bit of vinegar that added the perfect pop of freshness and acid. Delicious. The finish for me was a strawberry crumble with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. Very well balanced and not too sweet - superb. Chris had the sundae and the empty bowl was her praise. So why 4 stars? It was but one visit so we will have to return and try the bar and other dishes and see about that...