No Reservations Wine Bar & Bistro: Taste of the Town

MIAMI — Liza Meli opened her first restaurant 20 years ago in Miami called Ouzo Greek Taverna with her former husband.

After their divorce, she opened up a small Greek spot called BarMeli off 79th Street. It became so successful, she had to close up shop there and move it to a bigger space which became BarMeli 69, located on 69th Street and Biscayne Boulevard. 

Thriving and then surviving through the ups and downs of the business during COVID, Liza decided to go smaller again and opened up her newest charming eatery No Reservations Wine Bar and Bistro a few months ago. It’s nestled discreetly in a strip mall off 109th Street and Biscayne Boulevard, right near Miami Shores. She says she has found her happiness here. 

“I love it. Every minute of it,” Meli said. “Someone the other day asked me when are you gonna retire, and I said why? I’m tasting wines all day, I’m meeting people with smiles on their faces because that’s another thing about this business. Nobody’s grumpy or sick. They’re just walking in, ready to have a good time.”

The menu is largely tapas style, sharing plates with worldly cuisine including some of her favorite Greek dishes as well.

“Wine is a big program here at No Reservations Wine Bar and Bistro. “It’s very big,” she said. “I try to really encourage people to try it. The food just tastes better with wine.”

Liza carries mostly small production, afordable organic wines mainly from the Mediterranean, Australia and California with no sulfers added.

For more information on No Reservations: https://noreservationsmiami.com/