What Lovely late-night bite tapas. Service seems a little rude at first but I think it's just cultural differences. Everything is shareable. I was full with just the appetizer planche des pirates. read more

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We were visiting Nice for the first time with another couple. As we were touring the old town center, we decided to stop here for a snack and some cocktails. We had a nice table for 4 outside. We ordered two of their cheese boards and some local red wine. The cheese board and local red wine was spectacular. There was lots of cheese to eat. We could not eat all the cheese. We should have ordered only one cheese board for the four of us. Service here was very good for us Americans who could barely speak French. Our total bill for both of us was 58 euro. I would return here for another cheese board. See my pics. read more

El Merkado - Tapas Bars Near Me - Nice, 06

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Terribly rude. Asked for a pizza, was given a recommendation to order and modify a different pizza. The result was a cheese pizza with a handful of scattered olives with pitts. Are we supposed to eat olives with pitts? Are we supposed to accept the rude waiter "explaining" what a pizza includes in the most condescending tone "for the next time you order a pizza - I'm Italian" as a satisfactory answer? Told that the pizza was ordered, correct in his eyes and had to be paid. All of this could have been avoided without the attitude and condescension - but he wouldn't even give us the bill bc he was so annoyed we wouldn't agree with him, that he told us to ask someone else for it. He also said we were, "incredible" which I'm choosing to take as the one nice thing that came out of his tasteless mouth. Avoid. read more

Absolutely horrible place - beyond overpriced frozen pizzas and Jose Cuervo, they brought the wrong drink and refused to take it off the bill. We exchanged the drink, but they still said they would need to charge us for it and called us names. Disgusting food, disgusting service, and I hope a new restaurant opens in their place very soon. Save your time and money and go somewhere else read more

Go anywhere but here. Lousy service. 1) Despite the server writing out each item, half the food items never came because he never put them into the system. The food we ordered arrived in about 30 min. So did the drinks. 30 more minites later, we asked about the rest of our order and the server wanted us to point out what was missing. Dude, where did your order notes from earlier go? 2) We were forced to accept and pay for a drink we didn't order. The drinks arrived one by one and the third that arrived was wrong. We sent it back with the runner who brought it out. He comes back again with the same drink but this time we tell him it should be a smoky negroni. The third time, he's accompanied by our server and AGAIN we tell him that's not ours and that it should be a negroni. He insists we take it so we do. 3) Time to check out because we're not looking to wait another 30 minutes for the rest of our missing food. The itemized receipt lists the erroneous drink and a drink they said was unavailable when we initially ordered it. Pointing these out to the man who seemed "in charge" was met with him pointing at the empty glass saying "but you drank it".... we sent it back TWICE and we were forced to take it. Server came and said the same thing. Ok whatever, we'll pay for the drink you forced on us. What about the drink that wasn't avaialable? Man in charge looks at the table as if another empty glass would be there. I insist we never received that drink. That gets taken off the tab. Terrible service and business practice. The food we receieved mostly tasted fine. Nothing to write home about. The pan tomaca (large bruschetta) was very soggy and the tiny shrimp skewers were only grilled on one side. read more

Lovely place with outdoor seating, reasonably priced tapas (for this touristy area) and creative drinks. We made a lunch out of ordering Tapas and trying various drinks and we were not disappointed. Not going to lie, some of the other tourist sitting around us kept looking at us as if we were crazy for ordering so much food. Whatever. Their loss. We had the sliced peppers and they were packed with flavor. Their ham and cheese sandwich was ok. Their chicken meatballs in the red sauce were to die for and we ordered seconds. Mussels also delivered on flavor and the white wine sauce they were in insured they felt fresh and juicy. The prawns were definitely fresh. The gazpacho was ok. The Serrano Ham was above average. We tried the rustic bread with avocado and egg for the hell of it and it was certainly delicious (something tells me we would have been more impressed if we weren't from California and that wasn't our daily breakfast). Overall, the small plates all packed a punch of flavor that activated one's taste buds and made them tingle. Their drinks were creative and for the warm weather, their fruity flavor both cooled us down and let us enjoy some quality liquor. I'd highly recommend this place! It's not amazing but for a random restaurant with outside seating, it certainly delivers. read more

El Merkado - Tapas Bars Near Me - Nice, 06

- nasty food (likely frozen foods) - bad drinks (low quality liquor) - bad service (incredibly rude wait staff, uses swear words) Don't waste your time here. We had an awful experience. read more

Hit or miss food options but in a great location with some nice drinks. Large tapas menu but lots of things ended up being fried and it was all quite heavy. Stand outs were the lamb shoulder confit and the falafel. Chips and guacamole were OK, fried chicken wings were very greasy but had some nice spices in the breading. A few nice cheeses on the cheese platters as well. Overall it felt like the menu was a bit confused with some clearly non local options that weren't that great, and a few more local items like the cheese that were excellent. Drinks especially the wines had a nice selection. Great outdoor seating right along the outdoor market and near the water and a park. Servers could have been a bit nicer. They seemed to be in quite the rush, which was different than what we experienced elsewhere on our trip. Overall its OK, but I would probably go else where, especially if you're looking for a lighter meal or more french cuisine. read more

Thank you to Yelp for the find. Really good drinks, mediocre food. Mostly 4 stars for atmosphere and drinks. FOOD Croquettes (3.5 stars): at least this was warm. Not amazing but the best thing we had here. Avocado toast (3 stars): the egg was cooked well. If toast was warm it would be better. Tortilla de Patatas (2 stars): edible I guess, but this was the only thing we couldn't finish. Tastes like a cold egg pancake. Just don't order it. DRINKS Kissel Collins (5 stars): I think this was the name of it. I just asked the waiter for a yummy vodka fruity drink and he said this was off menu. Basically vodka with fresh strawberries. It was so good! My friend had something with Jameson that was really good too but I forgot the name :/ ATMOSPHERE The patio out front gets busy but it's fun to people watch and feel like you live here. We met people who told us this is more of a local spot so I'm glad we found it. Great location in old town and near more bars to continue your night. SERVICE So if you're from the states you know service is different in Europe since they actually like to take their time and not be rushed to make room. You'll have to call your server over sometimes for attention but they were really nice and even spoke English! I'd eat dinner elsewhere and come here for drinks after. Definitely recommended for drinks. read more

El Merkado - Tapas Bars Near Me - Nice, 06

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4.5 stars Stopped in here as we had a hard time finding a decently revised place that served lunch after 2:00. They were moderately busy which I took as a good sign. The service was lovely and even though we both speak enough Spanish to get through the menu the server offered English menus. We ordered: The potatoes = great The avocado toast = awesome The carrot in citrus = good Serrano croquette = okay The service was warm and attentive. read more

Really solid place to stop in Nice! We couldn't get s table outside Cus it was so busy but still so worth it. Probably one of the best burgers I've had. Meat was a little dry but cooked perfectly (med rare), and really just the flavors and toppings made the burger. Really fucking good and highly recommended! The drinks were good too but the service but a bit slow, not terrible though! read more

The YAY * Great interoir, * Awesome menu for drinks; coffees, good wines, good cocktails, good-good-good. * Atmosphere, space, service, option to host events there; good. The NAY * The food.... Je suis très, très désolée but from all the tapas we ordered, I actually only liked the mussels and patatas bravas, but let's be honest, it's not thát hard of a dish. The quality of the L'assiette mixte is just not up to par. The beef had no flavour, cleary overcooked (hello grey friend). Hence, as this is a tapasbar, I'd say.... OK...! Stick with drinks! read more

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I only tried one item on the menu. The guacamole toast with egg. It was ok! It would have been delicious if the bread were toasted. Sounds silly, but the flavors were amazing. But the bread was a little soft. I was craving avocado toast with egg, and since that's a number one meal in the states... this one fell a little short. I should have tried another dish as well since it's tapas.. everything other people were ordering looked amazing. read more

El Merkado - Avocado toast with egg. - Tapas Bars Near Me - Nice, 06

Awesome. Great cocktail makers here. No joke. Tapas are also legit. Great music. Playing New Orleans funk tonight. They speak french. Nice scene. Let's Geaux! Highly recommend this spot. It's on the main drag. read more

El Merkado - Tapas and a mojito. Let's party. - Tapas Bars Near Me - Nice, 06

Such a good find! Luckily it was right under where we were staying and we actually made three trips here in the 4 days we stayed. Happy hour is absolutely fantastic! We had lunch here the first day, drinks another night and lunch on our last day. With this many trips we were able to try every single thing on the menu and not a single disappointment. One cool tip: sitting here in the middle of the day allows you to have the best people watching experience! It's right next to where couples get married so the wedding parties all exit and wait for the new couple to take pictures and celebrate! They all move out in about 15-20 minutes and the next party emerges. Such a sight and quite lovely. read more

If you don't want to whisper don't go here. The owner and waitress talking shit about us in French, not knowing we understood every word. He told the waitress to bring him a "dolipran" which is essentially a painkiller drug for his headache because we were talking loudly. At a bar. Got in a screaming fight with us, extremely inappropriate, and effectively ruined our night. AVOID this place, especially if not French, don't be fooled by the blasting US pop music read more

Loved this place. Their gin and tonic menu was extraordinary and the food I had was nice. It was a little bite with my cocktail, which was perfect. I appreciated the prompt attention and kind service. Just came from Spain and the French dining experience is quite different so this was a bit nostalgic. read more

Fast service, good food and friendly wait staff. Nicely located near the opera house, fountain de soleil and old town nice.

We went late at night and it was very crowded. It seems that people love this place. They were so busy that it was hard for them to be as attentive as this needy American likes, but over all, the service was good. No one was lazy, the waiters were working very hard and they all smiled. We ordered a handful of tapas. The fried calamari was disappointing. For an area that specializes in Calamari, it was very small pieces of squid. You could only taste the coating. The Calamari sucked. The bruschetta, paella, potatoes and the bacon chorizo hamburger were awesome. I asked the host or owner? To see the menu again so I could order more tapas. He was too busy and he told me "no" and motioned to another waiter to get me a menu. After 30 minutes, it never arrived. They were too busy for their own good. So, we skipped out on more food and dessert. In any case, the food here was very good. read more

Awesome staff and cocktails! This place is the first I went to when I arrived in Nice and it was totally worth it! It then became my go to place every weekend for predrinks and dinner! The food is made of various tapas which are all super delicious! The burger is yummy and the patatas Bravas with their special spicy sauce are super tasty as well! The staff is adorable and the music is a bit electro. It tends to be a bit busy on the weekends tho. read more

I really wanted to have a cocktail that evening and found this cocktail/ tapas bar through Yelp. For a Thursday night, the place was packed! We got seated indoors and after looking at the menu, though we were tempted to try their tapas we just weren't hungry for food. So we ended up ordering a cocktail and a mocktail. Both were really good. Service is friendly. I'd definitely try to come again for their tapas. read more

We stopped by El Merkado based on the stellar Yelp reviews and the meal was okay. The restaurant is huge and decorated rather strangely- the wall decor ranged from prints to old records to children's finger paintings, so it kind of felt like being in someone's poorly decorated house. Moving on, the service was pleasant and our tapas were served extremely quickly, but I didn't find them to be particularly fantastic. We tried the croquettes, beet salad, mussels, and one of the 'specialty' dishes of sliced roast beef. Everything tasted fine but nothing really blew me away, and the mussels were in fact quite sandy and the roast beef could have been made from grocery store beef. The prices were reasonable and the sangria was tasty, but the food was not that impressive. read more

El Merkado - Tapas Bars Near Me - Nice, 06

This review is not about Spanish tapas. On 31st August they had a Vietnamese night. Cocktails - Hanoi Hanna and Saigon Sally were spot on. Dishes were ok - la little westernised, but tasty all the same. read more

Graphic interior, hipster-designed menu and new-vintage furniture, with delicious tapas and great cocktails. Fabulously friendly (international) staff (they smile so much!) (maybe because tonight was the restaurant's first month anniversary they told us). Wish you all the best El Merkado! read more

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Good food. Good ambiance. Good staff. Good prices. Hip, fun, and trendy! A solid choice for a decent meal! My vote is check it out! read more

El Merkado - Good food. Good ambiance. Good prices. Good quality. Good staff. - Tapas Bars Near Me - Nice, 06

One of the place to be in Nice :) Grand bar à l'accueil chaleureux. Très bien situé . read more

lamb was really good. The chicken was super dry-like eating sandpaper. Don't order the chicken. The charcuterie and cheese was a large portion. The tomatoes were very refreshing. Highly recommend this place as an alternative to all the brasseries. read more

El Merkado - Tapas Bars Near Me - Nice, 06

Great place, great staff. Good music, fantastic tapas. I would go every night in Nice. If / when I ever open a bar, their style and food will have an influence. Well done! read more

Overall, the tapas here are not that great because they are way too salty. The only think I really liked were the mussels because the sauce was light and flavored perfectly. The marinated red peppers were OK, after I stirred them up a bit to mix in the abundance of salt sprinkled on top. The potatoes bravas and calamari were heavily salted, as were the sauces served alongside, the Spanish omlette was decent, and the pan con tomate was a bit soggy and just not that good. I usually love sangria but their's is pretty bland. On a positive note, my partner's brother ordered some kind of ice cream for dessert and it was quite good. We sat outside on the patio, but I noticed that the interior is fun and it seems like a cool place to go for a drink, so I'll give 3 stars, but if you have high blood pressure you should probably head somewhere else. read more

We tried most of the menu and it was all delicious and reasonably priced. Wine was also very well priced with a great selection.

Good food! First place we ate in Nice after landing there. No reservations needed- just walked it! Had a vibe of a night club- good music. Had a pitcher of Sangria,croquettes- both cheese and meat ones- really good. Also had their bruschetta and patata bravas while family had the chicken dish. All decent. Good service! Enjoyed it! read more

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This place is amazing We went early in the evening to be sure to get a table as obviously very popular. The outdoor seating was already packed with people, but don't let that discourage you- the inside is great and food just wonderful. Ham croquettes and duck to die for. Great drinks and Sangria. What a nice evening. Wait staff lovely. They also have live music. read more

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This restaurant had some older reviews that were great. The place is still great. Old review indicated it was loud. Not really. Had background music but was easy to carry on a conversation. Lots of locals so a little French language knowledge goes a long way. Service is very European they do not want to intrude so sometimes you need to go ask. Staff very helpful and all spoke English if you need it. The menu (Carre) is in French so you may need a little help if you do not have a phone app to help. We had a liter of Sangria 19 euro and it was great and just right for 2. We had 2 tapas dishes one was like cheese corn fritters and the other was a quiche. Both were quite tasty. 4.5 euro each. To finish the meal we had the fondue chicolat and it was superb. Served with cream it was dark and rich. Also had cups of cafe laite . Total was 42 euro and well worth the 2.5 hours of pleasure. Well worth the stop and was selected with good Yelp reviews. 5 stars to Yelp also. read more

El Merkado - Light meal of tapas and Sangria. - Tapas Bars Near Me - Nice, 06

The food was amazing but the service was terrible. They missed my order and were not well staffed. All the tapas are extremely delicious and the cheese plates as well. The drinks are very strong. Quirky and chill environment. read more

The perfect choice for the Nicoise-weary traveler. Abundant options for shareable plates and a great wine and victim selection, buttressed by a modest tap and decent bottle selection for beer drinkers. Try the mussels, the beets and for God's sake get the churros. read more

Best tapas in Nice. The servers are very friendly. To be honest they were the friendliest servers I've ever encountered during my stay in Nice. Not to forget that the food and ambience were was great. read more

This place is really awesome. I looked at the reviews before heading here and as my husband and I were strolling through downtown, we decided tapas was our choice for the night. Glad we stopped by because this place is just amazing and Mary was so great to us. The ambiance is great. The DJ is also rockin! The tapas are to die for. We started off with the Mejillones a la Catalana and the Calamares Fritos. Our favorite dishes from the six we got (yes, we couldn't stop eating here lol). We also got the Croquetas de Serrano, Buey, Patatas y Chorizo Frito and of course the Paëlla de Carne. And both the white and red sangrias (pitchers) are amazing! We are ordering our third one :). Very highly recommend this place. Loved it! read more

Do not go here. Tapas are not that good and overpriced. Cocktails are good but over priced. Service is not existent. Waiters and waitresses just hang out among themselves and don't approach any tables unless u get there attention which was very difficult. If your here go to old nice. We ended up paying $80 euro for two people for a few drinks and enough food for dinner when we had a 3 course meal with wine for $50 euro in old nice. read more

Excellent food with better service. The owner/founder waiter on us himself and you can tell he truly cares about the food/drinks/atmosphere that his restaurant provides. The food is well prepared and the drinks are excellently crafted. Highly recommend this place! read more

Great selection of reasonably priced drinks! I also had an excellent Spanish cheese sharing plate that was 9€ total, and there were some very good deals (that I didn't try this time) for group sharing platters that included drinks and tapas. Good sized patio and fast service, on a busy street that is good for people watching. read more