MEILI 沉香

5 stars - Great Food, Great Vibe! I had a fantastic experience at this restaurant! I was pleasantly surprised by how well the cocktails paired with the traditional Chinese food. The cocktails were expertly crafted, and they perfectly complemented the delicious dishes, especially the fried rice – it was some of the best I've ever had. Beyond the food and drinks, the service was top-notch. The staff was attentive and friendly, and the bartenders were clearly skilled and passionate about their craft. The atmosphere was also great, making for a truly enjoyable dining experience. I highly recommend this place for anyone looking for a unique and delicious meal!

The atmosphere there exudes warmth, intimacy, and sophistication. The dim lighting, elegant table settings, and earthy tones create a space that feels both inviting and refined. The soft glow from the candles and lamps enhances the cozy ambiance, plus the authentic Sichuan food there making it perfect for an intimate dining experience.

Meili is an absolute gem for anyone craving authentic Sichuan cuisine with a touch of elegance. From the moment you step inside, you’re transported to a beautifully curated space—warm lighting, intricate decor, and an ambiance that sets the stage for an unforgettable dining experience. But let’s talk about the food—because Meili delivers. The Mala Mushroom Appetizer is the perfect way to start your meal: earthy mushrooms infused with that signature Sichuan numbing heat, but balanced so well that the spice never overpowers. The Braised Fish Stew is a showstopper—deep, rich, and spicy, with silky vermicelli noodles that soak up every bit of the fiery, flavorful broth. And the Spicy Cumin Lamb? Perfectly cooked, tender, and packed with bold, aromatic spices that will have you savoring every bite. And whatever you do, do not sleep on the dessert. We had the Lemon Sorbet, which was bright, refreshing, and the perfect palate cleanser, and the Tiramisu, which was delightfully creamy and just the right amount of sweet—a flawless ending to an incredible meal. To top it all off, the service at Meili is impeccable—thoughtful, attentive, and genuinely warm. Whether you’re a Sichuan spice enthusiast or a first-timer, this is a place that will leave a lasting impression. Five stars all the way!

If you like Spicy food this is tha place to be. Great selection of Sichuan style food that will leave your taste buds jumping with joy. Their cocktail menu paired awesome together with the food selection. Not to metion if your driving in, parking was a breeze. Drop by if you are around Williamsburg coz it surely did not disappoint! Many thanks to the staff for their great service.

Excellent soft opening of MeiLi. Tremendous potential here and the food was absolutely delicious. I especially loved the spicy dish, soft shell crab, and the pork. The pork was extremely unique and tasteful without being overly spicy. Good quality tofu - I’d spice it up for next time. The noodles and small dishes were perfect. Bean sprouts weren’t overly oiled. I suggest as a must get: the pork and soft shell crab. They are going to rock Williamsburg and the vibes are super fun and high class.

Great authentic Chinese food with a spicy kick on some dishes. The atmosphere is great for a weekend night out with drinks for those for not looking for a club vibe. Great cocktail drinks as well. Lots of options for vegans and gluten free. It’s next to the hotel and a bit hidden as it’s downstairs.

Fantastic new Chinese place in Williamsburg. The food is real Chinese food from Sichuan and Guangdong. Try the drinks too. Ming River goes so well with the spicy Sichuan dishes.

I recently dined at MEILI and was thoroughly impressed. The restaurant's soft lighting and elegant decor created a romantic ambiance, making it the perfect spot for a special evening

Loved this place! Beautiful, spacious interior with great food. With both a private-ish room and buyout options, it would be great for a party. I loved the menu options - tons of really great choices. Highlights were the Mr. And Mrs. smith appetizer (sliced beef and tripe, usually called husband and wife at other restaurants), the braised beef tendon (omg must get this), and the dry pot cabbage (simple but so delicious and packed with flavor). The ginger and scallion lobster was also cooked very well. The celery shoots and savory tofu was pretty average but glad we got it as it helped offset the spice from the other dishes. Our least favorite dish was the golden garlic tofu - it wasn't bad and was honestly fried well but needed more flavor - maybe a dipping sauce (also see my photos compared to the website photo a do not look similar at all). Overall, a great place for Chinese food!

Came here for dinner the other night, and was able to get seated right away. We had hoped to be able to check out the rooftop, but it was closed for a private event. The menu is quite extensive with options for meat eaters and vegetarians/vegans alike. The service was very good and the items we ordered were pretty good and came quickly, The space itself is pretty, but the bathroom was not clean at all and it really threw off the space for me. I don't know that I would go out of my way to come here again (unless I'm able to check out the rooftop).

Came here with my girls for her birthday. Had some kind of expectation coming here based on the fancy interior. Did not expect the restaurant to be underground of an apt/hotel. Once you sit down, it kind of reminded me of being in cancun. You get that smell of damp wood mixed with an artificial hotel fragrance trying to mask the smell. Everything we had there was very mediocre and everyone thought the flavor profile was not very authentic and was very catered to non Asian customers. We ordered 2 types of noodles the Dan Dan and the Sichuan cold noodle and when it came, it was served in a small what could have been a rice bowl. With sauce sitting on the bottom it was impossible to mix, I would recommend they reevaluate their plating because never have I ordered a Dan Dan noodle anywhere else and have it served to me in a small bowl. The cold chicken appetizer was SOOO salty we could barely eat it and chicken was so dry. Waiters never came to ask us how was the food. We ordered the overly priced Lobster tofu dish and lobster did not taste fresh at all. We're Asian, we know! For the price it was ridiculous. The only decent thing we ate was the pork belly appetizer. Everything else was not even worthy of a picture. We had another Asian couple sit behind us and we realized they barely touched any of the food they ordered too and mostly took everything to go and they looked like they didn't enjoy the food either. For a better and more authentic alternative in the area, Antidote is way better.

The interior is beautiful! Feels very premium and seating is plush. I'm all for another upscale Sichuan restaurant in the area. It's quite similar to Antidote, but the portions are a bit smaller/ more pricey. I enjoyed the dry pot cabbage and truffle beef (though this was very expensive). The crab tofu had a bit too much corn starch for my liking. They have a really nice bar in the back of the space. However, the drinks menu looked pretty normal so I didn't get any.

A newly opened Szechuan restaurant in Williamsburg with beautiful interior design. The food came out fairly quickly and the price wasn't overly expensive either. Dan Dan noodles: Very flavorful. A little different from the peanutty Dan Dan noodles I'm used to but it was still very good. If you like your Dan Dan noodles with more hint of soy sauce than peanut butter, then you'd like this one. Cumin lamb: One of the better cumin lamb that I've had from Szechuan restaurants in NYC. It had the perfect mix of spicy and salty with just the right amount of cumin. The lamb was also tender without tasting like it had been soaked in baking soda beforehand. Tea smoked duck fried rice: I'm usually a huge duck lover, but I didn't feel anything special about this duck. The fried rice was good but nothing amazing. Still for only $16, I would say it was worth ordering. Dry pot cabbage: Yummy and flavorful. Can't go wrong with cabbage! Steamed bass: I like how the meat just slid off the bones because I've had steamed fish from other restaurants where I had to pick the bones off the fish. The ginger, scallion, and soy sauce blended very well with the fish. I also appreciated how much meat was on the fish - we had 7 of us and there was plenty of meat for all of us to share! Overall, I would give this place a 4.5/5. Next time I'm in Williamsburg, I'd definitely come back to try their other dishes on the menu!

The interior decor is beautiful! The menu has a wide selection and now serving brunch. Also have happy hour deals! Must try their food! All is very good! My favorite are the chili crab tofu, truffle beef tenderloin, shrimp sui mai, oolong Tini, dan dan noodles, the pickled stewed fish, and more !

Meili just opened in Williamsburg, and wow--it's a must-visit! The flavors are bold, the vibes are modern, and the dishes are amazing. We had the Truffle Beef, and it was so tender. The mapo lobsters is also so yummy. For our plant-based friends, the Kung Pao Vegan Chicken is a winner-- flavorful, and seriously addictive. Lots of vegan menu available. The dining room is gorgeous, and the bar is perfect for a cocktail (or two). If you love Szechuan food with a twist, Meili is the spot. Who's coming with me? Featuring Ma Po Lobsters Truffle Beef Tenderloin Fish Blossom Tea smoked Duck Fried Rice KungPao Vegan Chicken

Solid Sichuan focused restaurant with one of the largest vegan menus in the city. Contrary to what you might expect based on how the ambiance appears in photos and the location in the heart of N. Williamsburg's cluster of hotel clubsteraunts, in reality Meili feels more like a neighborhood eatery, and the prices are reasonable. We tried a sampling of classic entrees, including a very solid eggplant dish and crispy tofu, which was similar to hong-shau tofu. Our favorite was the cumin mushroom, which had some Xinjiang-influenced flavors and was very spicy. Skip the dan dan noodles - they were fairly bland.

They opened their rooftop and it's beautiful!! Highly recommend checking it out. Drinks are unique and so good. Really loved the oolong one!

I stayed at the Coda Hotel and I stopped here for a bite before I left and I was pleasantly surprised. The atmosphere was gorgeous and it made me forget where I was for a moment. I love the dark interior and the bold yet subtle tableware. The service was fast paced and friendly and the food was delicious and felt very authentic. I really enjoyed the Beef Pancake Wrap, the tender beef wrapped in a flaky scallion pancake was delightful and the sauce makes it a perfect bite. I'll definitely be back to order that again. The martini was very refreshing and I loved the fresh lychee garnish and the chicken dumplings were well cooked and tasty. I really liked this place, I would come for a solo date a date night, a bday or a girls night. It feels like a Manhattan vibe in Williamsburg. Highly recommend.

The restaurant immediately impresses with its elevated ambiance - high ceilings and contemporary decor. The space feels more upscale and comfortable than typical Sichuan spots, with thoughtfully designed seating arrangements. Service was attentive and friendly throughout our visit. We ordered 5 dishes: Mapo Tofu, cabbage dry pot, pickled fish soup, spicy chili fried chicken, Mr. and Mrs. Smith (husband and wife sliced beef), and fried rice with preserved vegetables. The pickled fish soup was a standout, with a complex flavor profile that distinguished it from similar offerings at other Williamsburg Sichuan restaurants. However, while the food was generally well-executed, it didn't quite justify the premium pricing, especially given the smaller portion sizes compared to nearby competitors like Birds of a Feather and Antidote. Pros: - Elegant, spacious interior - Excellent pickled fish soup - Comprehensive menu including vegetarian options Cons: - Smaller portions - Pricing on the higher side for similar quality Bottom line: MEILI is a solid choice if you're looking for Sichuan cuisine in a more refined setting, but be prepared to pay more for the ambiance rather than standout culinary innovation.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Sunday afternoon 3-6pm they have live jazz and bottomless mimosa! Pair with Chinese dim sum! So fun!

Came here on Valentine's Day with a reservation and we loved it! The ambiance is beautiful and the food is really good. I got the vegetarian dan dan noodles to start which were excellent and the Mapo Tofu as my main which was also really good. My BF also enjoyed the stir fry dish he got. Overall there's a ton of options here for everyone! If you're looking for a more upscale feel date night/girls night this is the place to go!

The food was pretty flavorful and yummy! Really liked the cold sesame noodles, eggplant dish and the truffle beef tenderloin. We got the tea smoked sticky rice dish but the rice wasn't really sticky. Unfortunately the portions were kinda small. A few of us were still hungry after. We came as a party of 7 and the bill came out to be about $320 (4 people got beers). I wouldn't recommend coming as a big group but def recommend trying as a date!

Restaurant has a cool vibe, when I went they had live music. The service is attentive and friendly. The food was decent. The noodles were great the dumplings excellent and the beef pancake delicious. The drinks were great also, had a Negroni and cross pacific. The let down was the entree. I ordered the duck with crispy rice and the duck was overcooked. Definitely do not recommend that dish at all.

This restaurant makes me wish I could eat here every day. This shows what quality guest attention looks like. I found the portion size appropriate. Your companions will enhance the meal here. This place won't let you down!

This beautiful new Szechuan restaurant is located downstairs of the Coda Hotel. The space is gorgeous - warm wooden tones, soft gold and emerald green accents - with super high ceilings. It feels very chic and trendy, but also very zen. I dined at Meili with a large group and got to try a bunch of different dishes. Everything was delicious and while I'm not an expert of the cuisine, it tasted authentic but also innovative at the same time. Of the appetizers, the group really enjoyed the Cucumber Salad and got multiple orders of it, but I particularly liked the Tiger Salad which had green chili peppers, scallion, onion, cilantro with a sesame vinaigrette. Other favorites for the group were the Mung Bean Jelly and the Dandan noodles. For the entrees, anytime I see Chungking Spicy Chicken, I need to get it. Meili does a great rendition of it. However, I especially loved the Spicy Soft Shell Crab and Braised Beef Tendon - the flavors, the textures... so good. We also got the Fish Blossom and Shredded Beef with Green Chili, both of which were solid. The service was very kind and accommodating. We had a toddler with us, and they provided a high chair as well as a plastic spoon, bowl and a covered cup of water with a straw without us even asking for it. It's these little details that elevate a dining experience.

Run don't walk to Meili!! My friends and I were so appreciative of how well they accommodated us last minute pretty late on a sunday. The food was amazing, no misses. It's hard to choose a favorite. Will definitely be coming back. Thank you Mark and co. for an amazing experience!

Excellent soft opening of MeiLi. Tremendous potential here and the food was absolutely delicious. I especially loved the spicy dish, soft shell crab, and the pork. The pork was extremely unique and tasteful without being overly spicy. Good quality tofu - I'd spice it up for next time. The noodles and small dishes were perfect. Bean sprouts weren't overly oiled. I suggest as a must get: the pork and soft shell crab. They are going to rock Williamsburg and the vibes are super fun and high class.

My family and I had an awesome experience at Meili. Stepping into Meili feels like entering a stylish, modern Sichuan dining lounge. The ambiance is upscale but not pretentious, perfect for date night or a chic group gathering. We had Braised Tofu with Crab Meat , Fish Blossom, Smoked Duck Fried Rice, Lobster, Garlic Shrimp, Kung bao chicken... Every dish was delicious!! The cocktail Jasmine Crush was refreshing and paired really well with food. The staffs were warm and attentive. My niece lost her tiny little Bobbie doll comb, and they were trying hard to help us look for it under the table near our seats. :)) Highly recommend this Sichuan restaurant!

Went there with group of friends on a Saturday, the food there were amazing! I feel like the food taste like I'm back to China! All my friends love it! They also have a bar that serves all different drinks, from cocktails, to bottles. The atmosphere there gives us the high end restaurant feel. We will sure go back again! Love everything there!

The food was exceptional--bold, flavorful, and true to authentic Sichuan cuisine. The Dan Dan Noodles had the perfect balance of spice and nuttiness, and the Chongqing Spicy Chicken was crispy, fiery, and addictive. Every dish was well-prepared, and the spice levels were just right. Service was attentive but not overbearing. Our server was knowledgeable about the menu and gave great recommendations based on our spice tolerance. The cocktails were also a pleasant surprise--thoughtfully crafted and paired beautifully with the bold flavors of the dishes. Also, the restaurant has a modern yet cozy ambiance, with warm lighting, sleek decor, and a welcoming vibe that makes it perfect for both casual dinners and special occasions.

Great food, no waiting, goes the extra mile. Fresh ingredients and takes the time to do it right. Good service. Will be back.

Last week, I was invited to a drag show that was taking place at this restaurant for pride month. I was mainly there to support the dancers, but when I arrived, the place was absolutely gorgeous with plush seats, high ceilings, and a warm, cozy ambience despite the large space. The waiters were so incredibly kind, attentive, and accommodating. And when the food came out, it was actually a bit hard to concentrate on the show (and it was the best drag show I'd ever seen!!) because it was DELICIOUS. We went with a big group and ordered just about everything, and there was truly nothing to complain. I have to say though: the buns with egg yolk stole the show. The dan dan noodles were also delicious as well as the soup dumplings, which were massive AND yummy!! I don't have enough good things to say about this place, and I'm already looking up reservations to go again tonight.

The taste experience parallels the service experience in quality. This spot offers a comfortable feel. Excellent staff and the environment was impressive as well. The kitchen obviously chooses fresh ingredients at their peak. Extremely tasty!

Newly opened restaurant, big and beautiful environment, love their cocktails and foods

We ordered pick up and everything was delicious. We got the Kung Pao chicken and Dan Dan noodles. The space is beautiful

This place is going to blow up by the summer so we are so happy we got to go during their opening weeks! Mickey, the owner was so lovely and the food was awesome. A full regular AND full vegan menu offers options for everyone! We got the cucumber salad which was so refreshing and the cold noodles that had so much flavor. Chicken dumplings we spot on. The general tso beyond chicken was perfectly cooked and the recommended cheng du mixed mushrooms were the perfect garlicky flavor! The lemon sorbet presented in the lemon was an awesome touch! 10/10 recommend and will be encouraging everyone to try it out!

Really amazing food, service and atmosphere! This place is a must visit when in Williamsburg! 10/10

1 word describes this place and it's "WOW". From the moment you go down the stairs you are greeted by 20' high ceilings and modern contemporary design. The host was very kind and sweet. The server was very knowledgeable of the food and drink menu and recommended many declious apps , entrees, and cocktails for our meals. I would highly recommend the Mr & Mrs Smith, tiger vegatables and beef soup for apps. For entrees everything was so fragrant and tasty that I can't narrow it down. We were a party of 8 so we pretty much ordered the entire menu. Not 1 dish disappointed us. The cocktails were refreshing and bold. This place is a MUST TRY.