Wow! So good!!! The food is impeccable, the service is so friendly and welcoming! Great wine selection, delicious chicken, halloumi... and the broccolini had the perfect sauce! Thank you, Ben! read more

I had an amazing meal this evening at Mercado on my last night in Sydney. Big fan of Spanish Cuisine and this time a year ago I was in Madrid and Granada. I can honestly say that the octopus I had here was as good if not better than similar dishes in Spain. Great service from Paola and a young gentleman who had wonderful revommendaions and a friendly inviting attitude. Highly recommended! read more

The best meal we had in sydney!! We did the $65 menu based on the other reviews saying the $80 one was so much food. The $65 was perfect. We were full but not so full. We loved every single course - olives were unique and different sizes and flavors. The bread and hummus was great. My husband loved the hummus because it had a smoke flavor to it. One of my favorites was the polenta and cabbage mousse- so rich and slightly sweet. The cold cuts were fresh and amazing- my favorite was the salami. Great strong flavor! The chorizo with white beans was different but yummy and the perfect amount since it was quite rich. The chef meat selection was so great.. the crisp on the pork was delicious. It was cooked perfectly and the sauce with it was light and complimented the flavor nicely. Lastly, the dessert was one of the best I have ever had- the chocolate with the raspberry and pistachio was the perfect combination. I could eat it every day! Service was good and helpful with our wine selections, brought me a taster so I could be sure to decide on the right one. The restaurant is hidden in an alley so might be hard to find. They were also closed on Anzac Day so we missed dining with them on the first night we tried, so just know they may be closed on all holidays. For the price and amount of food, I think it was one of the best deals we had and like I said, best tasting of anything we had so a great choice! Don't miss dining here! read more

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I made a reservation for Saturday night dinner at Mercado over a week in advance. It turned out to be a great choice - the restaurant was only a 3 minute walk from our hotel and adjacent to the club we wanted to go to that evening. There were many tapas options on the a la carte menu and also two set menus to choose from (A$65 and A$80). My eyes were hungrier than my stomach and we ended up going up with the A$80 menu. My tip would be to go with the A$65 menu instead. In terms of quantity, we really did not need the Roasted Prawns, extra veggie side with the meat, and a second dessert. Everything from start to finish was delicious. I like that Mercado groups dishes to serve several at a time. The Fish 'n Chips is a fish based dip served with potato chips, which is of course, total different than what I expected. The Jersey Milk Ricotta appetizers served with Truffle Honey was divine. This is the one item not on the A$65 menu that I would've really missed. The Truffle Mortadella was expertly made and the slices were beautiful. The next set were larger "appetizers" including the famous Pumpkin Ravioli (as excellent as everyone claims), BBQ Chorizo (I was already starting to feel full at this point), and the Roasted Prawns (perhaps one of the weakest dishes of the evening). At this point, our meat course came out. You can choose anything in the meat portion of the regular menu and we chose Spit Roasted Wagyu Beef Short Rib. It was a bit on the fatty side but fat is flavor and I really liked it. The spices and texture of the Roasted Carrots paired well with the short rib. We were so stuffed but we're not quitters and still had two desserts to go. Both desserts were on the rich side. The Bread Pudding was beautifully presented in a small cast iron skillet and a vanilla sauce was poured on at the table. This is one of the best bread puddings I've ever had. The other dessert was Dulce De Leche Ice Cream with butterscotch. The dinner lasted two hours and we were one of the last tables still dining at the end of the evening. The food was really spectacular! read more

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It was A-OK overall, though my expectations were definitely set a bit higher. My partner and I had the $65 set menu which seemed to be great value for money compared to choosing individual dishes for $25 - $50 a dish. And it was... I'm sure I was stuffed already by the time the mains came around! To start off with we had the bread with hummus, pickles, olives and cured meats. I am sure my partner was sick of me saying how great the bread was, but it was delicious (I could be wrong but possibly pita bread?) and it was so nice and warm, like sitting in front of a warm fireplace. The prosciutto was also amazing but that might just be because of how rarely I have prosciutto that it always bring back nostalgic memories of being in Europe. The let down was probably the next set of dishes - the chorizo and the pumpkin ravioli which were both fairly average. The ravioli was a pretty dish but a little too creamy for my tastes and the chorizo was a little on the salty side. Thankfully, the main courses made up for it. It was a pleasant surprise also when the waitress told us at the start that instead of the rotisserie chicken on the set menu, we could opt for the fish in a bag with pippies (pippies, yippee!) instead which we did go for. The fish was so soft and moist being cooked in that bag and the pippies were the sweetest pippies I've ever tasted. So worth the switch from the chicken, particularly as we were getting full by that stage and it was the less rich / heavy option. Well accompanied by a salad to cut through everything and home made fries which were delicious but we just didn't have room to finish them. The dessert was a chocolate mousse with a truffle inside and was a nice way to finish off the meal. One word on the service - they were very attentive until the end when the restaurant was packing up and we took the hint that they were waiting for us to leave as they stopped refiling our water. But aside from that, it was very efficient service for the majority of the night. Worth a try but having tried, there are plenty of other places I can think of to try next to spend $150+ a night including drinks, without returning here again. read more

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Some really good food here. Surprisingly, the chicken large plate was one of my favourites! The pumpkin ravioli was really good too. Cocktails were great - had to go for the "mercado negroni" Only reason why it wasn't four stars is that our bill had come to 400 but I was still a bit hungry!! read more

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Most Spanish cuisine in Sydney is cheap and pretty tasty but also pretty simple. Mercado is high-end and shows what's possible with great skill in Spanish cuisine. We had beef empanadas that were the best I've ever had, perfectly cooked smoky king prawns and an amazing spinner crab ceviche but the highlight was the most wonderful tender beef tenderloin with fresh shaved black truffle. Good ambience, great attentive staff. A great night out. read more

Mercado - Wonderfully soft and tender beef steak with mushroom and jus, with fresh black truffle shavings. - International Near Me - Sydney, NSW

My first time to Mecado.... We had a business lunch for 3 recently. Well decked out restaurant with attentive and professional staff. But its all about the food and wine. We had 3 small tapas - scallops, grilled sardines and smoked kingfish. All delicately tinged with virgin olive oil, herbs and beautifully plated. Two larger tapas - Porchetta and Chorizo with kipfler potatoes and a grilled bean and peas side dish. Just perfect. A bottle of chilled Albarino wine - 5 choices from which to choose. All price points. Pale ales to start and finish. Desserts looked very good but beyond our waistlines.... Highly recommended. Will be returning soon. read more

Fan frigging tactic. Threw caution to the wind and let the chef send a selection of dishes our way. In short, each was on point with some creative touches here and there. The Turkish Ravioli with wood fired pumpkin was a standout, and I appreciated that I could actually taste the pumpkin. The Brussels sprouts were delightful, with great smokey notes. And the pork bellies. Amazing. Crispy skin with melt-in-your mouth smoothness just beneath. Their house pepper hot sauce added some nice heat if you're looking for some heat. And dessert. The rosewater trifle was surprisingly good -- something I would not have selected on my own. But the rose tastes were subtle (no soap-sucking taste) and the pastry layers flaky. My favourite was the dulce de leche ice cream with maple bacon "candle" and warm butterscotch sauce. Salty sweet goodness that harkened back to the chef's other passion -- the Good Times ice cream shop down the road. read more

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This place is in the little Ash St alleyway just behind Martin place and I absolutely love it! We came here looking for a quick bite to eat before our dance class and had been meaning to try it for months since it is just behind our office building. It was so good and I absolutely cannot wait to go back! The menu is Spanish-style tapas but with a modern twist. They have a great wine list and have a cool vibe, which actually reminded me a bit of Firedoor (big open kitchen). We had a number of dishes and will have to go back to try more but to summarise: Roasted Cauliflower with Pomegranate - So delicious! This had cauliflower, pomegranate, mint and beet leaves, and was served with a yogurt sauce. Cauliflower and yogurt just goes together and I would highly recommend this! Piquollo peppers stuffed with goat cheese - These come out looking like fried donuts, with a side of olive dipping sauce. They were delicious, but I don't think the olive sauce was necessary. They don't dip very well so just proved to be a somewhat awkward dip, but overall yum! Wagyu beef tongue sandwich - Simple and not all at the same time. This looked liked a glorified grilled cheese and meat sandwich but tasted great! It comes out on white bread and is just cut right in half, so nothing fancy, but the flavours go well together. Pumpkin ravioli - OMG this was one of the top 5 things I've had in Sydney. Light and doughy homemade raviolis filled with a sweet pumpkin filling, sauteed in a delicious buttery sauce covered in spices, sage, and yogurt. I could eat this everyday for the rest of my life. Eat this. Now. And thank me after. Brick Pastry - We ordered this because we didn't think we ordered enough food before the ravioli came and to be honest I wish we had ordered more ravioli. It was a chicory and cheese pastry and don't get me wrong it was delicious, but definitely not as good as the ravioli All of the above and 3 glasses of wine for $153. Not cheap, but also not overly expensive. Will definitely eat here again!! read more

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This is the 2nd time I've been here and have not been disappointed either time. The amazing Lulu looked after us on both occasions. She actually remembered us from our first visit from at least 6 months ago. If you're stuck with choosing either food or drink go with the selection by the staff. Foods is amazing. I loved the ravioli, the eggplant, cauliflower etc..... List goes on.... Menu is for sharing but they can do half servings so you can choose more options if you want. We're vegetarian but eat fish and there are so many great options. Totally go and check it out if you've not been!! read more

What a wonderful place. Located on Ash Street and near the Ivy, it is a hidden gem which is well worth seeking out. Stepping down in the restaurant, the interior is very inviting with warm woods, a lovely bar area where you can dine, and an open kitchen. First impressions were very positive. Service is top notch here. Very friendly staff where nothing is too much hassle, they are attentive but not fawning. When we wanted the sourdough, the waitress serving us suggested we didn't need it as other dishes had bread accompaniment which is always nice rather finding out later that we have too much bread. With great company, all I needed was great food and that is what we received. To start we had Buffalo Milk Ricotta, Truffle Honey & Oregano, Foie Gras Parfait, Cornichons, Toast, and BBQ Chorizo, Salsa Mojo Verde. After reading that they cure their own meats and make their own cheese in the basement we definitely had to try some of these. The ricotta was smooth and creamy and went well with the bread. Foie gras was so smooth and went down a treat. Chorizo had a little spicy kick but the salsa verde tempered some of the heat. We continued on with Spit Roasted Whole Cooked Pork & Salsa Romesco. We could see all the meats coming out of ovens and all looked and smelt great so could not wait to try it for ourselves. The pork was cooked well and cracking was delicious. The salsa had a great taste to it. We had Green Leaves, House Made 'Everything' Vinegar, Potato & Truffle Mas With Chicken & Truffle Gravy, and Roasted Carrots, Almond Dukkah, Tea Soaked Currants. The salad was lovely and fresh and the dressing was nice and light and didn't overwhelm the salad. The mash was awesome with great truffle flavour and the chicken gravy added a heartiness to it. Carrots were amazing and a definite must try. The dukkah worked so well and they were cooked really nicely. After eating all this you would think we were full but since we didn't want to skimp on the highlight of the meal, we had to try their cheeses. To conclude our meal we had Holy Goat 'La Luna' and Delice De Bourgone. Both had a delicious taste to it and went well with the bread and crackers. We also wanted to try a couple of their desserts so went with Pedro Ximenez Bread Pudding, Vanilla Sauce, and Dulce De Leche Ice Cream, Butterscotch & Candied Bacon. The bread pudding was more brioche style bread so heavier than usual but the delicious sauce made it nice and moist. The ice cream was so creamy and wasn't overly sweet which was lovely. The sauce was nice and bacon was a nice touch. Overall left a very happy diner! read more

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Wow wow wow. I absolutely love this place. So glad we came as a group as we tried the $80 set menu. Definitely recommend it as you get to try a bit of everything and be prepared to be very very full. My favourite dishes was the prawns (done so beautifully), the ravioli (the butter, yoghurt combination is something else!), the slow cooked lamb was delicious and the ice cream dessert to end the menu. The service was impeccable and attentive by a fantastic guy even though they were chockers. I would say this is a place for groups and parties, not for any deep and meaning conversations...hahah. It's a little hard to hear and can be quite loud as everyone is talking around you. I will be back for the ravioli.......drool read more

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This is a must go in Sydney. My party of three came in around 9 on a Friday, and the waitstaff could not have been more impressive. They were incredibly friendly, and a group I would 100% want to hang out with after dinner! And what a great space! From the drinks to the food, it was hard to stop eating everything that came out. I would definitely recommend the buffalo milk ricotta and the whole cooked pork. Make sure to recommend a seat by the kitchen, so you can what them prepare what you are about to eat! read more

Really great spanish style restaurant in the centre of Sydney. Our group of 8 was stuffed full of high quality food and outstanding wine by the time we stumbled out. Highlights were the freshly baked flat bread and hommus, the pork (omg...the pork) and the delectable chicken - all tasty and cooked to perfection despite the full house rush. Recommend the $65 banquet - great value and more food than you can eat. read more

Yelp classifies this as a deli when in reality it's tapas. Tapas done really well with stone & wood on tap and a global wine list to boot. Go with friends share all the plates and have a grand time in a heritage space. Looking forward to returning to try the roast pig or lamb. Warm, authentic and timely service too. Which is not always on offer in Sydney. Excellent addition to the Martin place dining quarter. read more

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One of those eye-closingly good meals that I won't forget for a long time. I stopped in for a drink and a "snack" at the bar. Service was spot-on friendly. The food...oh, the food. I had the octopus, which came out first. Crispy potato rounds, rocket, tender octopus rounds, perfect. I also ordered the duck pastille (gilding the lily), which came with a perfect salad of fennel, figs and goat cheese. Incredibly simple, ridiculously good. Portions even for the small plates are quite generous, but I managed to eat every bite. Thank you Mercado, great dinner. read more

Exceptional absolutely delicious food. Friendly wait staff. We don't eat at fancy restaurants too often and so relied on the waiters recommendations and they were spot on. And even though we went home full, it wasn't a horrible sickly full like other places. I'm not sure if it was to do with the freshness of the ingredients or something. Also tried two of their Spanish beers which were super complex flavoursome beers for beer connoisseur. Could not recommend this restaurant any more highly if you're looking to have your taste buds tantalized! Look out for the wagyu beef dish. (A lil exxy but worth it), their broccolini and anchovy dish. And their fresh cold meats and aranchini balls stuffed with olives. read more

Great idea, exciting menu and choices of wines and cocktails. It's new, v busy and hot! Went on a Friday night so not the best idea as its jammed and very noisy so not the place for a first date! But it has a buzz. The downside is a) service . Slow , very slow. Slow to order, 20 mins to clear tables. We got fed up and didn't wait for dessert . Couldn't get the bill so walked to the front. b) biggest problem is Smoke , it's very smokey, they haven't got their extraction right from the wood fired ovens in the open kitchen. Really unpleasant!and is probably worse when it's so busy . Wouldn't go again till they fix it! They are very apologetic but frankly wouldn't go back at this point which is a shame because the food is good. read more

Visited midweek for lunch. When it was empty staff were attentive but when they were full, staff ignored customers. We tried asking for dessert but staff were busy (full restaurant and only 2 staff) so we ended up going to the counter to get the bill. We ordered the $65 banquet which was nice but involved a lot of food wastage. They could probably go easy on the olives - it is a bit wasteful serving a huge serving when they just get discarded anyway. The fish and chips was interesting - at first looks like a handful of kettle chips plus dip but it actually tastes like fish and chips - not sure it is good value though. The sourdough with cured meat was average - the green peppers are worth trying - slightly spicy but also sweet. Zucchini flowers were a highlight but again I'm not sure the serving size was appropriate - such a large portion of fried food is not always appetizing. The pumpkin ravioli was amazing - really melted in your mouth and should be consumed when hot. Chorizo with salsa was fairly average but the salsa created an interesting balance of flavour. By the time we reached the assorted roast we were stuffed. The sauce was really nice and went well with the chicken. The roasted carrot looked amazing but tasted average. It was a shame we did not get dessert (pudding bread) as we ran out of time and there was no option to takeaway. The waiter said 1 hour was more than enough time for the banquet but I would disagree as the tapas were rushed and we still had to sacrifice the dessert included in the banquet. I will not be returning but if you're a foodie you might be tempted to give it a shot. I would advise 90 minutes for two people if you want the banquet. To be honest 4 tapas is more than enough for two people. Book in advance especially for large groups. 1.65% surcharge for card - sigh and only opens fot lunch at 12pm. The place is cosy and about 5 minutes walk from the train station. read more

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The quality of the food and service at Mercado is on par with the top restaurants in the country! Awesome experience every time.