Reviews for Mercato Bar & Kitchen in Ithaca, NY
I've dined there at least 10 times in the last year since moving to Ithaca.The owner/manager that sometimes works behind the bar... and a waitress that used to work there are both very nice people. Walked in last night asking for a table for 2, a waiter toldus it's an hour wait, fine with us. Before I left, I asked if we could sit at the bar, pointing to 2 empty bar stools, he saidthey could only seat 1 there. So out of curiosity, i simply asked "why"? He was triggered. He asked us what we do for work.Confused, we told him what we do. Then he went on to ask if we make decisions at work... (Unnecessarily long conversation to getto his point that it's his decision to make.) It was a funny conversation, but I thought the passive aggressiveness wasuncalled for for a simple question. Hopefully he was just having a bad day. I certainly won't be going back there. Read more
Very quaint and inviting. The atmosphere in this restaurant is very relaxed and offers dinning as well as a great bar. Our... waiter was excellent. He was very cordial and personable and never skipped a beat. The food was very good. The place is smalland gets filled up very quickly so I would suggest getting there when they open at 5:30 pm to guarantee a table. Read more
We ate here last summer when we dropped our son at college. It was an incredible meal and the memory of it lingered so when we... scheduled this summer's trip we knew we had to go again. The food is excellent. We spent most of July in Italy. If you'vebeen to Italy, you know that the Italians are serious about food. Therefore, our Italian food quality threshold was high as wecame back to the States for August. Mercato delivered with well prepared dishes that could have been served at the bestrestaurants in Italy. The wait staff here is passionate about food and about their restaurant. They know what they are doingand it comes across with every bite. In the heart of Central New York is a little oasis of Italy. Mercato is the spot. Read more
I have lived in Ithaca for 7 yrs and the very limited menu here has not changed. What has changed is how rude the staff is and... the quality of the restaurant. Besides being impossible to plan for.. since they don't take reservations and turn away customerseven with empty tables.. the food is average at best with NYC prices, all topped by unhappy and unhelpful wait staff. Read more
I grew up in Buffalo, NY with so many incredible restaurants: Just Pasta, Siena, Fanny?s, San Marco and Left Bank just to name a... few. Relocated our family to Raleigh, NC in 2006 and haven?t found a single restaurant to call ?our own?. Dropped our youngestoff at Cornell University today and stumbled upon Mercato for dinner. Only took one evening back in NY to discover an incrediblespot. Lindsay and Gary have ?it? in Ithaca. This is what you envision when you go out to eat, an experience. Thank you for anincredible meal. Love the passion! See y?all soon and cheers Grappa TR Read more
Went for my birthday dinner and feel so blessed to have been able to eat here! Our food was absolutely delicious and our server,... Yxi, was so attentive and sweet. The house made bread was to die for. Would recommend this restaurant in a heartbeat to anyonevisiting the area. Make sure to get there early because there will be a wait time but it is so worth it. Read more
If I could give 8 stars out of 5 I would. I'm taken away how great the food is from such a small kitchen. I really wished I... lived closer to enjoy this food minimal 4x a month. The service at the bar was great and very involved. The food was out of thisworld. The soup was full of flavor. The main dish was also full of great flavor, the sides were great. The beer selection was abit low but made up in drink availability. If any one reads this, yes it's worth every penny!! Read more
Definitely the best restaurant in the Commons ???? All the employees here are super friendly and knowledgble! The lamb and... mint pasta is to die for. I know I'll be upset if it ends up getting switched out, but I'll also be excited to try something new???? Read more