Sam Dean | The Roanoke Times

The gyro platter at Meze World Cafe.

The Roanoke Times | File March

Meze World Cafe in Roanoke serves small plates, or "mezes," which are fun to share when dining with a group.

Pear and goat cheese salad.

In recent years, it seems that tapas restaurants have become increasingly popular in Southwest Virginia. Tapas is a Spanish word for small dishes of food, often finger-friendly, that are eaten as a snack, grouped to make a meal or shared among several diners at the same table.

One of downtown Roanoke's newest restaurants, Meze World Cafe, takes its name from the Greek word for appetizer and offers Roanokers a variety of Mediterranean-inspired dishes in a comfortable location at the end of the city market.

The vibe

My first visit to Meze was on an incredibly hot evening, and because the front door of the restaurant leads straight into the bar, my immediate thought was to grab a cocktail, pronto. But my wife and our friends were hungry, so we moved to the dining room where we were seated at a nice, linen-draped corner table by the window.

Except for the tacky, battery-operated tea lights that flickered on the table, the slightly upscale decor makes Meze nice enough for a date yet casual enough for an everyday visit.

The food

Over the course of two visits, I sampled a number of mezes and a few entrees, many of which hit the mark.

The Muhamarra wings, lathered in a mildly spicy sauce made of hot and sweet red peppers, walnuts, pomegranate molasses and spices, were a table favorite: not too hot and with a touch of sweetness.

Whole grain mustard made my wife's cheese plate with gouda and white cheddar (you can choose two or four cheeses), sliced apples and mango-ginger chutney unique and flavorful.

Numerous pieces of prosciutto dotted the delectable pear and goat cheese salad, which was topped with a balsamic soy vinaigrette.

The eggplant and gouda roll was one of my personal favorites. Perfectly grilled eggplant surrounded warm, slightly melted gouda, tomato and basil, while a drizzle of sweet balsamic vinegar brought the dish together.

A healthy, high-protein quinoa grain salad could have been bland, but the acidity of a red wine vinaigrette combined with roasted red peppers, kalamata olives, carrots and feta cheese added a flavorful punch.

Some of the dishes at Meze mirror those available at its sister restaurant, The Isaacs Mediterranean Restaurant on Memorial Avenue, which I previously reviewed. Although I tried to eat dishes unique to Meze, I couldn't resist making sure some of the classics held up downtown.

Fortunately, the gyro remained the "exuberantly fresh mixture of spiced beef and lamb, red onions, lettuce, tomatoes and tzatziki" that I described in my previous review.

Unfortunately, the usually delicious kale was, as I noted in my review of The Isaacs, again lukewarm.

There were a few other misses.

I could not detect the slightest hint of ouzo, an anise-flavored liqueur, in my bland, under-seasoned entree of Cyprian ouzo shrimp and sausage. In fact, the andouille sausage was so mellow that I mistakenly thought it was turkey sausage.

The mahi-mahi croquettes were perfect in appearance and texture, but the use of toasted pita crumbs, tarragon and lemon juice was not enough to spice up their mild flavor, even with the horseradish-dill sauce served on the side.

I did not expect Meze, which is focused on Mediterranean flavors, to offer white chocolate bread pudding for dessert. But this concoction, made with croissants, was outstanding. Only a drizzle of honey just prior to serving could improve upon the large portion of traditional baklava, a rich layering of phyllo dough, spices and chopped nuts.

While I enjoyed coffee and dessert, my wife chose to finish the meal with a side order of golden brown, crispy pita fries. I found these crunchy bits of fried pita preferable to most french fries. They were exceptional.

The service

Our affable servers at dinner were prompt and polite. They kept our glasses full and delivered our dishes in a timely manner, though on one occasion a friend's entree arrived several minutes after the rest. My only other complaint was one waiter's spirited defense of the virgin Bloody Mary my tablemate found undrinkable. Although the waiter ultimately replaced it and removed the charge from the bill, I thought less defensiveness was in order.

The bottom line

Meze offers many very good dishes and a few mediocre ones. But for me, the social aspects of dining with friends almost always trumps the food itself, and this is where Meze excels.

The menu offers a wide variety of dishes that are meant to be shared. Meze is the perfect place to truly experience a meal with friends or family.