Went for a birthday celebration and were treated exceptionally well. Our server let us pick a table that met the physical needs of one of our guests, and he was attentive and gave us excellent recommendations. Café Mercato was able to take our last-minute reservation for a larger group when we experienced a frustrating issue with another "trendy" Italian restaurant that messed up our reservations despite our confirmation a week earlier. Café Mercato offers a great HH menu with small bites and beverages from 4:30 to 6:30pm. One of my favorite appetizers to share is their frito misto--a platter of lightly breaded calamari, shrimp, zucchini, and artichokes with their delicious spicy marinara. When our server shared that one of his favorite dishes was the spaghettoni, my friend and I decided to split it. Delicious dish with roasted eggplant, fresh mozzarella, and tomato sauce, Alla Norma. read more

Café Mercato - Frito misto - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Well, I have work across the street for a year and a half now and didn't even know this place existed. I came here because I was looking for eggplant Parmesan and I was pleasantly surprised by the great quality that this place had for an Italian restaurant in Colorado. I am from Florida. It is hard to find a good Italian restaurant this side of town when I'm so used to good quality Italian food in Florida. We also have a great outdoor seating area, which would be very very nice during the summertime as it is very open and inviting. They also have a covered patio area for the winter time that you can see through the top part of the ceiling so it doesn't feel claustrophobic. You have a great selection of wine, ice cream, and coffee, choices as well. The service was very attentive and the ambience was great. I will definitely come back to this gym of a restaurant when I am here anyone looking for good time food should definitely look at this place because it is definitely better than quality Italian!! That's for sure read more

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I am so sad to give this review because I love this restaurant for the location, atmosphere, and service. I have eaten here for many years and the food had been good. Lately, I feel that things are slipping. The first time my dining party noticed it we thought it was a bad night but the decline in the flavor of the food has happened repeatedly. We have encountered dishes, for example, being too salty, salad dressing too sweet on the pear salad, bread is no longer served with your meal. I understand the higher prices due to today's economy, but the quality must be a priority. I feel that even small improvements would be helpful. The Aperol Spritz is still perfect! read more

We had a great experience at Cafe Mercato! First, our service was top notch. We were checked on numerous times and our waiter was very knowledgeable. The food was very fresh and tasted very good. I had the tagliatelle. It was very flavorful and I'd eat it again. Cafe Mercato is a pretty elegant spot and there were many items on the chefs daily list. The happy hour specials seemed to be very good. read more

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Is it possible to give 8 stars?! I recently had the pleasure of dining at Cafè Mercato and it exceeded all my expectations. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with hospitality. The space was inviting and it was a cozy atmosphere. Our server was friendly and attentive. He knowledgeable of menu items and dinner specials. We also had a lovely conversation with Giancarlo (the owner) and he is incredibly kind and warm. The menu offered a great selection of Italian dishes. I ordered the Three Fish Trio and it was absolutely delicious -- beautifully presented, perfectly seasoned, and cooked to perfection. My husband enjoyed the Three Meat Trio and it was quite tasty as well. We also enjoyed the Molten Cake and gelato (made in house) and this ended our visit on a high note. I highly recommend Cafè Mercato to anyone looking for a wonderful dining experience. We will be coming back and sharing with others to support this fantastic restaurant. read more

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My two star review is because of how overly priced the food was compared to how small the portion sizes are. Our waiter was super nice and the food tasted fine but $56 for two items and one of them being a salad is absolutely ridiculous. If I had known my small plate of salad was going to be $26 with shrimp I would have just had another plate of pasta! If I am going to pay almost $30 for a salad at least add some more lettuce... I would give this place 1 star but did not want to disregard the good attitude of the waiter. The food was not great just standard but did not taste bad or bland so the 2 star rating fits. read more

Café Mercato - Expensive a** Caesar salad with some shrimp bathed in pristine bottled water and fed gold nuggets for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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We came here with a large group for a prom dinner. When we called ahead with questions about our reservation, we were told that checks could be split as many ways as needed, and there was no mention of a time limit for our table. However, when we arrived on time for our 6 PM reservation, we were told we had to leave by 7 PM and could only split the check into two bills (which wasn't a huge issue, but still different from what we were told). The restaurant also seemed understaffed, and our server was dismissive and rude throughout the experience. While I understand having a time limit for large parties, the restaurant wasn't busy at all, and one hour is simply not enough time to order drinks, appetizers, entrees, and actually enjoy the meal. On top of that, the food was mediocre. Overall, I would not recommend this place. read more

Best Italian food we've had outside of Italy. Recommend the pizza and spaghettoni. Service was impeccable, nice quiet ambiance. Perfect for families. These guys don't mess around, shocked to see so many low reviews. This place is legit! Can't wait to come back. read more

Café Mercato - Arancini - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

We eat here often. The food and drink are consistently very good. Pleasant atmosphere, not too noisy.

Really good pizza Blanca, with goat cheese and mushrooms. My gelato was great too. I like this place with its modern vibe. read more

Café Mercato - Pizza Blanca - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Food was tasty, we got some classic pizzas and the dinner special Peach Palisade salad which had fresh peaches throughout. Gelato had an interesting flavor base but the lava cake saved it for sure read more

Good food. Horrible service. Went on a Fri night. Was seated (three of us) and given no menus or water. Waited 10 mins for a server to even acknowledge us. They grill and have a wood burning oven. Nice, but there is smoke everywhere in the restaurant. No air or ventilation on during a 90 degree day. Maybe Mussolini, the owner is too cheap to hire more people or turn the AC on. read more

Whenever I'm in Denver and craving Italian food, this place is my top choice. The pasta is consistently fantastic, cooked perfectly al dente, and the appetizers are always delicious. Even though I've been coming here for eight years, I've never been able to bring myself to try the pizza because the pasta is just too irresistible. And let's not forget about the gelato ... it's absolutely amazing! read more

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We stopped here to try out the food and split an appetizer, entree and dessert. Sadly the fish was over cooked (the tuna) my husband loved it this way, however the ahi should be a bit rare. The salmon was done just right and the two medium size shrimp were a bit dry, I feel they had been prepared in advance and reheated on the grill and that was not a good way to prepare them. The restaurant is charming and the service was good and attentive, we loved the burrata prepared appetizers with lovely peppers and herbed dressing. The crème brûlée was just the edge of being over crisp!! It tasted fine, but next time I would do something more traditional like tiramisu. They have a nice patio though we did eat inside. My husband had a lovely martini made correctly. I gave 4 stars but probably would put food at just 3 1/2. Enjoyable for a quick hit of Italian in the neighborhood. read more

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Ambiance is ok, crowded in bar area. Prices were through the roof for quality of food. Pizza is ok. I won't be back. read more

The quality of the food is great, and it's actually EXCEEDED by the imagination and innovation of the menu and the creations. We're always looking for 'creativity' when we go out to eat and this place delivers. Great place ! read more

We have been going to this restaurant for years. It used to be a neighborhood gem. Last night was disgraceful. It was a Sunday night after a holiday weekend and they obviously didn't staff appropriately and got a bigger rush than expected. I am a reasonable and patient person and understanding, but the server had a major attitude and was so rude. My 13 year old son ordered bread before his meal. We politely asked the server 3 times for the bread in a 45 minute period of time since we didn't get our food. He kept abruptly saying "It will come with your meal." There was no attempt to try to ask the kitchen for the bread and no apologies. The server was actually cursing up a storm every time he passed our table because of how stressed he was. Again, I can be understanding but not when you place blame on the customer. We also watched him be rude to another table who asked him not to pour all their wine into the glass and he said "I need the carafe" and kept pouring. Another table of 3 waited close to an hour for their food. It was my first time walking out of a restaurant before the food came and the manager watched me tell the hostess we were leaving and chose not to say a word or apologize. I am definitely not going to pay premium prices for mediocre food and terrible service. Sad to see this place go majorly downhill. read more

This place was the only place that was open around the area on Halloween night so we were forced to eat here. We only had 30 minutes to eat so we had to order very quickly. My two other friends shared a pizza and I ahead the clams and mussels, but they ran out of clams. The mussels were $18, but the serving was tiny and came with two tiny pieces of bread (it said piadina on the menu). The sauce was a marinara sauce and it was very salty. The mussels were quite small and very overcooked. The menus were also extremely dirty, very gross in the age of covid. I know this is a small family owned place, but the prices are way too high for the quality of food being served. read more

Café Mercato - The check... $60 for an appetizer，pizza, one drink, and a martini - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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It's a very nice location with a decent wine list. I had to visit it twice to make sure of my verdict. The food is very heavy on the salt. I understand that there are customers that prefer saliter foods than others but this was just tok salty for me. Their dishes have a very bold and heavy flavor which was a disadvantage since I tried the restaurant in the middle of Colorado summer. The salt aside, I am very delighted to see the chef's menu and would like to go again to give it another try. read more

This is a tough restaurant to review. It has the potential of being a fine dining restaurant. Unfortunately, is it has its pluses and minuses. For example, they make a beautifully prepared pear salad with an excellent dressing but they use too much dressing on the salad. They make a wood fired "Italian" pizza which has a terrific crust and base but they use canned mushrooms and canned artichokes as part of their toppings rather than using fresh ingredients. They make a beautiful cioppino with a thin pasta under base but it is less than satisfying because they use a minimal amount of shellfish with a whole lot of fin and scales fish. You get the picture. They have the potential to be a terrific dining experience, but instead they miss the mark because they don't take the extra step to reach the next level. On the plus side, the waiter who took care of us was excellent and was an asset for the restaurant and the restaurant has a good vibe and is well maintained. I hope they make the effort to become a 4 or 5 star fine dining establishment. read more

5 of us ate there for lunch last Monday. No one was satisfied with their meals and the group will make no plans to return. 3 people had the grilled ham and cheese sandwich. The bread was dry and not toasted well using olive oil. There was a scant amount of cheese on any of the sandwiches. One person sent hers back and asked for more cheese. The others did not like their entrees as well. Sad to see a nice restaurant in a good location unable to make lunches that appeal. Not worth the bother. (We have eaten here in the past especially before Covid and were always satisfied. ) read more

Loved it!!!! It's quaint, not too big, reservations are recommended and the food was amazing! The wait staff was so nice and friendly! We will go back soon!!! read more

Great place. I hear what others are saying but frankly, I think the drinks are reasonably priced and compared to LA, these are bargain prices. The food is good, it's not like the best Italian food I have had in my life, but it is good and certainly for Lowery. The service is generally good, at times a bit on the slow side but the staff are very friendly. It is also a nice atmosphere and it is right by my house so, what's not to like? read more

Café Mercato - My GF enjoying her vice of choice (chocolate lava cake), me enjoying mine (liquor) - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Been coming here for years since they opened. The owner is from Italy and uses his mom's recipe in a lot of dishes, incredible food. Just wish they would bring back the 3 large scampi. But all around, their specials are always good, the quality of their food is at the top, and their staff is fantastic. This restaurant is always my recommendation, up there with Venice and barolo. read more

Unbelievable... I am a loss of words on how rude the manager or one of the front door greeters who personally asked our table, in the middle of dessert & tea, to leave because another party of 7 needed our table in the next 15mins. read more

I occasionally eat here because it's right around the corner from me and there aren't any great Italian places in the area (or seemingly in all of Denver, for that matter). Moving here from Boston, maybe I just have high expectations for Italian food, but I just think this place is flat out overpriced. The food isn't bad, but if I (for example) am paying $32 for a chicken marsala, it better be really good. It's not. I'm pretty sure they cheap out and just flatten chicken tenderloins instead of using real breasts, and the potato you get with it is essentially cubed up breakfast home fries. Last time I got it, the home fries were burnt black and barely edible. Not to mention, the broccolini that also comes with it was over cooked, soggy, and tasted old. Every time I come in here I leave underwhelmed and am reminded why I need to find something better in the area. read more

Had lunch for the first time here and was shocked that a small salad with grilled chicken was $28!! They charged $10 to add 5oz of chicken to an already $18 salad. (And it certainly didn't look like 5oz!) I won't be back. It's just too expensive for the quality. read more

Lovely food, very friendly staff, and a surprisingly nice outdoor atmosphere considering it's overlooking a parking lot (good people watching and sunset views). While there were many dishes and wines that looked nice, I think overall the restaurant is just slightly overpriced for the overall experience. read more

Café Mercato - Outdoor view. - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Café Mercato is THE place to go if: ++ You crave some tasty Italian eats (without breaking the bank)! For a mere $10 you get a half sandwich and either soup or salad. Yum! I opted for the Meatball Panino and a bowl of tomato soup. For an extra dollar (or was it two) you can get a whole sandwich versus a half (if you're feeling hungry). ++ Happy Hour is your thing! Café Mercato features happy hour Monday through Friday from 4:30 pm to 6 pm; which includes house wine, beer, and well drinks with several choices of appetizers!! ++ You're seeking a place with a large selection of vino! ++ Kind and attentive servers are what you desire! Everyone was super helpful and friendly. Def nice to see during a quick lunch! I find myself in Lowry frequently these days - so I know I'll be back to Café Mercato to sample more of their delish Italian fare! read more

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It's been sad to watch a neighborhood favorite go downhill so fast. This past weekend we went and I've never seen it so bad. They have added so many tables to the dining room that you are basically on top of other guests. There wasn't even room for wait staff to walk between tables. Anyone sitting on the walk path would be bumped. They have gotten rid of so many menu items and what they do have left on the menu has become low quality. I ordered the short rib ravioli and I was told they were out of short rib. Mind you it was 6pm on a Friday.. We ordered the lasagna instead and it was frozen in the middle. The waiter walked away and someone else came and abruptly took the plate and it came back a few minutes later and it was reheated, on the same plate, same piece of lasagna. The manager never came to check on us or offer any sort of make up for the frozen food and they still charged us for it! Safe to safe we won't be coming back after being customers for years. read more

What a great place ! Food is excellent, service was great and its a nice atmosphere Raul is a great server! read more

It's been almost a month since I was here and I'm about to start planning my next Denver trip SOLELY for these little Brussels sprouts crostinis. Seriously so good!! The portions were really good for the pricing. The fettuccini pictured below is a side size, but it filled me up along with the appetizers! Great food and the employees were very attentive. read more

Café Mercato - Crostini with Brussels sprouts - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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I really enjoy the ambiance and the menu at this restaurant, so it pains me to write this. The food used to be darn good. Tonight, not so great. Cold soggy frito misto. Seafood salad that sat unserved until the meager greens wept. Cioppino fit for the Tin Man. The service was friendly, but admitted taxed. I'll give them another shot in a year because dog friendly patios are hard to find. But i hope for revitalization. read more

Wonderful dinner! We had a large family dinner here tonight and loved it!!! The service was attentive and the food was delicious! Fettuccine Alfredo, grilled vegetables, salmon, 3 types of daily fish, risotto, pizza, eggplant Parmesan, salads all DELICIOUS!!! Highly recommend! read more

Great quality food, the favorite are the meatballs. The service is great too. Great for date nights or special occasions, only offers takeout but that works being so close by for good night in eats. If you order takeout be sure to review your order with the host as they have a tendency to mix things up... but the food is so good you really don't care too much and just eat it all! read more

The best Italian food in Denver. They whipped up this fettuccine for me and it was divine. Host and server were incredibly kind and prompt. 5 stars for their gelato in the fridge. read more

Café Mercato - Fettuccine - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Have been going here since it opened and has gone downhill. Ravioli so thick (and salty) I had to use a knife to cut it and threw it out. On top of this, they did not honor a gift card I had been given, saying it was "expired". I'm not sure I've ever had someone tell me a gift card (which is essentially cash) is expired. There was no way to contact you all via email to discuss, and calling during service time is too loud and and busy. You have lost a loyal customer and I will be telling other in Lowry about my experience. read more

We are local to Cafe Mercato, and love coming here to sit at the bar and enjoy a nice dinner. I am a huge fan of their daily specials, but I haven't had one bad thing on the menu! read more

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Average food and a bit overpriced. I didn't think it was bad, but it wasn't anything special.

I started by having a LOVELY dinner at the bar with Danni. Then, as dinner was winding down, the owner, Giancarlo Macchiarella, decided to have a loud, public berating conversation with Danni in front of the guests in the dining area about how she is "costing me money" and such and so. It was embarrassing (for him!) and it ruined an otherwise delightful evening of service, food and ambience. It is so ironic that this man accused his employee (in front of his own guests!) of "costing him money", when he himself is the one who is driving guests away. IF I return to this restaurant, it will ONLY be due to the wonderful service of the bartender, Danni. I was looking for an escape from the stress of the day, and Mr. Giancarlo Macchiarella only added to it. Thank you for nothing, sir. If you know what is good for your business, you will stop berating your employees. Period. Start praising them for doing the great work that they do for you, and stop driving guests away with your attitude. YOU are costing yourself money. I suggest you start being grateful and showing it. You stressed me out and made me feel guilty for your employees. Please do better. You have a great team there, doing great things for the guests. -Arlene read more