Mercat (CLOSED)

Wow! I had high expectations and they were met! From the moment I met my friend at the bar while waiting for our 3rd person, we were given water without having to ask. This was a Thursday night just before our 7pm RSVP. We were seated back by the open kitchen and our server, Lina, was knowledgeable and went above and beyond -- she wrote down cheese names at my very gracious request and was on top of everything. Food was stellar -- seared scallop special with super baby asparagus, cheese plate, pork belly with cherries (wow!), sweetbreads with fennel and salad (wow!), razor clams with bacon vinaigrette, monkfish, and churros w/ chocolate dipping sauce (a MUST have for dessert)! I can't go back soon enough! Only drawback, it gets VERY loud in there just from people talking!! I'm hoarse today!

I lived in and around Barcelona for nearly 20 years, and have been back in NYC for 5 years. In my time back I have tried to find a place that captures both the quality of food and the spirit of dining that I found in the Catalan region, and finally Mercat has come along and is able to do just that. I have had some delicious, fun meals at Tia Pol, Boqueria, and Casa Mono, but none of them showed the assuredness and panache of the Mercat kitchen. And the place is simply a lot of fun. I'll definitely go back, again and again.

I went to a birthday party here last week and the experience was delightful. The service was good and the employees were friendly. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the food (and believe me we had everything on the menu in my party of 11). My least favorite dish was the Hanger steak which was just okay. Someone in my party ordered two more orders of it though, so that is just my opinion. The pork belly is one of the tastiest pork dishes I have had outside of my own home. I'm a southern girl and I know PORK! It is absolutely delicious. The portions on the entree plates are a bit small because they are so tasty and you will want a bit more. Everyone in the party was pleased that the bill was about $200 less than we had predicted. Best Spanish restaurant in the area!

The place is disjointed and the food is way too salty. The owner is doing this as a trust fund vanity project. Lame!

After Tia Pol this is the best Spanish food I have tried in NYC. The food here has nothing to do with most NY Spanish restaurants where they offer you "Nachos with Salsa" as a dish from Spain. If you want to test the real Spain, Mercat is your place. The only problem with Mercat are their wine prices. Have they gone mad or what? I think they should reconsider their wine policy.

When first entering Mercat with my husband we had reminisces of being back in Spain on our honeymoon . From the food to the wine, to the quaint Bond St. location, our dinner felt more like a mini vacation than just another night out. The selection of Spanish wine was the largest I've seen in a New York restaurant and so beautifully displayed on a upper level. The way the staff would compliment a glass with a plate made me feel like I was very well taken care of. I never felted rushed to give up our table, instead the staff and atmosphere of Mercat made us feel like part of the family. We tried a little of everything: loved the hanger steak and cod fritters, the omelets and artichokes were amazing, cheese and meat was cut fresh right in the open "market style", and our deserts were a perfect way to end the evening. Everything was wonderfully delicious and authentic. This will be our new little romantic hideout when we want to get away from the harshness of the trendy city restaurants and back to the romance of dinning together.

the only reason to go to this place is to hang out and wait for a table somewhere else in the neighborhood, like il buco or bond st. in fact, that's the only way i would go here again -- if i couldn't get a table somewhere else. i would settle, sorta like what i think what they did with their food. only saving grace is the wine, which is probably intentionally good and constantly flowing -- it's where the money's at and it numbs your taste buds.