Meso Modern Mediterranean is a restaurant and bar on Santana Row in San Jose. It serves shareable small plates drawn from across the Mediterranean Basin, under Chef/Partner Roland Passot, the veteran San Francisco chef behind La Folie. Diners come for a seasonal, 100% halal menu and a polished room that works equally well for date night, a business lunch, or weekend brunch.
The name means “middle,” a nod to the sea that links the cuisines on the menu. The kitchen rewrites its offerings regularly around produce from local farms and fish from regional seafood purveyors (source: Meso). Plates arrive sized for passing around the table, so groups tend to order several and graze. A full bar and wine list round out the meal. The menu remains rooted in the Mediterranean diet, with every ingredient halal-certified (source: Yelp). Tripadvisor reviewers rate it 4.5 out of 5 (source: Tripadvisor).
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
Meso serves dinner daily, plus lunch and weekend brunch from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM. OpenTable lists hours of 10 AM to 10 PM, so confirm before you go (source: OpenTable). Reserve ahead for Friday and Saturday dinners and weekend brunch. Weekday lunch is the calmest window. Holidays such as Valentine’s Day and Thanksgiving may bring prix-fixe menus. Santana Row’s garages offer easy parking, and Westfield Valley Fair sits directly across Stevens Creek Boulevard.
