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    Mercat a la Planxa

    3.8 (1.6k reviews)
    Open 4:00 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated 1 month ago

    Mercat a la Planxa Photos

    MERCAT A LA PLANXA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Trendy
    Good for groups
    Happy hour specials

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    albóndigas (Meatballs)
    Reese S.

    We were staying inside The Blackstone Hotel and thought we'd try the restaurant. We did not have a reservation; however, they had space for us and sat us at a table. Staff was very helpful and kind when guiding us through the menu. We ordered 5 tapas total (2 people) and were full by the end of the meal. The best dishes in my opinion were the fresh ham: they sliced it right there near our table, the croquettes with a delicious sauce, and last but not least the Gambas Al Ajillo (Shrimp Scampi). These were delicious, great texture, and we prob would have ordered more of them. These only negative thing was the croquettes weren't hot (temp wise) but great flavor. The meatballs I was not a fan of because they had like a bbq smoky flavor but had I think Cotija cheese and chives on top, the combination did not taste well. The Patatas Bravas (spicy potatoes) the cream on them was too heavy and lacked flavor to balance the spicy sauce. Overall a great meal to have in our hotel and the service was wonderful.

    Croquetes de Jamon
    Nicki C.

    Popped in for a quick bite and drink before heading to solider field for a show. The tuna tartare was a hefty serving for two! It was fresh and tasty, kinda had a mild kick in it. The croquettes were tasty and crispy. The short rib empanadas were soooo good! Filled with a lot of meat and cheese and the chimichurri was fresh and a bit tangy, which I love. The red sangria was really good, not overly sweet or dry, it was perfect to wash everything down! The only downside was this tomato flatbread special, I didn't take a pic as we returned it after two bites. Something was off on it, idk if the tomato's weren't ripe or maybe too ripe but it wasnt good enough to keep eating. We told our server and asked for potatas bravas instead (those were good) and our server seemed kind of offended. He was friendly at first but after we asked to swap out the flatbread for potatoes his attitude changed. It's not like we chewed him out for it or were nasty about it we just didn't care for it and wanted to try something else instead. It was a bit weird at the end lol

    Food menu
    Nelson T.

    The plates are shareable. The service is likable. The food is TASTY. I think the focus is on the portions and quality of the food. 3 adult men shared each order. We had about 7 plates including the paella and other seafood oriented dishes. Being inside the Blackstone hotel, we get safe to walk over and enjoy dinner. The wine list is in Spanish, so be prepared to know your drinks. Enjoy!

    German R.

    Stayed at the Blackstone and found myself hungry without reservations anywhere. Decided to eat at the restaurant in the hotel lobby, and I'm glad I did. The food and service were great! The tapas hit the spot, and the wine washed it all down smoothly. I'll say the bar tender is not a people person, and he made the experience kinda weird. Once we were seated, the service was much better. Love the hotel, so I'm sure we'll eat and drink here again. Just won't sit at the bar, didn't like the bartender.

    Matthew M.

    An amazing 3 course meal with plenty of delicious vegetarian options / service was amazing and so was the atmosphere

    NaywriChi W.

    This is part of Mercat a la Planxa and it's on the first floor. Pequeño means "small" in Spanish. This has a few table tops and several seating. I had a Chai Tea. The staff and service is pequeñoriffic.

    Paella de Verduras
    Kamakshi K.

    Loved this cute little tapas spot in south loop! I enjoyed the ambience even though it's inside a hotel, and the drinks were very strong and good. I especially loved the vegetarian paella. The server was super helpful in choosing drinks and tapas, and I look forward to stopping by here again!

    Charcuteria Del Mercat
    Josie W.

    Mercat always has delicious food! Great place for tapas. They recommend 3-4 plates per person; however, we definitely over ordered!! My favorites I recommend is the charcuterie board, the bread, the shrimp, patatas bravas and the ribeye (although you can't go wrong with the other choices either). The ambiance is a cool vibe and the drinks are delicious. Overall, good wine choices at a fair price. I am not a fan of the white sangria (but I think it is because of the mango liquor they use). Service is great and the waiters are knowledgeable regarding the menu. Overall I would recommend this restaurant for some great tapas!

    croquettes
    Jenny T.

    My friend and I came here for a Saturday brunch. We had a reservation for 11am and were seated upon arrival. The restaurant is located within a hotel, but the signage to get to the restaurant were clear. Food: We both had a mimosa to start, and they were tasty! I ordered the eggs & potatoes for breakfast along with the croquettes. I asked if I could upgrade my potatoes to the patatas bravas, but that was unavailable. The eggs and potatoes were still good. The croquettes were small, but really good. I would order them again. My friend ordered the eggs benedict and a side of bacon. She enjoyed her food. Service: Service was friendly and quick. We were given the mimosas on the house because we were celebrating a birthday. That was nice of them! When our food came out, the kitchen put my friend's bacon on my plate for some reason. Since I am vegetarian, I had to send it back. They were happy to remake my breakfast. They remade my friend's bacon as well, but they asked if she still wanted the bacon from the plate, so double bacon! TL;DR - Good food with some miscommunication for food, but overall good service

    Paquillo rellenos
    Amanda M.

    Really liked the vibe of this restaurant. Low lighting and cozy, friendly, fast service, and flavorful dishes. My favorites were the shrimp, potatoes, and chickpeas. It was tempting not to get one of each of the tapas but we wanted to try the paella which was also good and very filling! Sangria was a little on the sweet side for me, but we didn't have any trouble finishing that off. Would definitely come back.

    Shrimp
    Darci W.

    The restaurant is gorgeous and impressive-looking. Unfortunately, the food doesn't quite live up to the expectations created by the decor. The kids loved their chocolate banana French toast, but my husband and I decided to share a few of the tapas, which were for the most part very underwhelming. The bacon-wrapped dates with blue cheese sauce were delicious. Everything else was lacking in flavor. If they had even just salted the food a bit more, it would've been so much better. Somehow even the garlic butter that came with the shrimp was nearly flavorless. I was dunking my bread in it at first, but then I realized it was probably adding a good amount of calories and adding almost no flavor to the bread, so I just ate the rest of the bread plain. The drinks I had were very good (bellini & red sangria). A lot of times, sangria is so weak and bombarded with fruit that you might as well just be drinking fruit juice, but you could still taste the wine in this one. It was really well done. Our server was fantastic. No complaints there, but there was another server who grumbled, "This sucks," as he was walking past our table to set silverware on a nearby table. It definitely took away from the otherwise classy feel of the place. If you can't even contain your hatred for your job while in the middle of the dining room, then it's probably time to find a new job.

    Menu
    Mike B.

    Excellent tapas at this hotel restaurant along Michigan Avenue in the Blackstone Hotel. Don't let the fact that this is a hotel restaurant deter you- the food is top notch. Opted for the Chef's Tasting Menu. Pro tip - they serve much more food in each course than what's needed, so if you are a party of four, order for 3. By the time we got to the final courses, we were too stuffed to enjoy them. Standouts are the pan con tomate: slices of crusty crispy toasted bread brushed with olive oil and topped with tomato. Bruscetta-like, but a whole new level. Practice moderation, though, because you don't want to fill up on bread with all of the goodies still to come. Pulpo a la Planxa is grilled octopus. It's wonderfully flavorful and tender, not chewy. The spices from the olive escabeche and capers, combined with the soft starchiness of the potato puree made for a great taste. We substituted mussels with garlic shrimp. Gorgeous, plump fresh shrimp sauteed in garlic butter are served tails-on. Crisp crunch to every bite. Delicious. Secreto (grilled pork) is also excellent. Pork loin is grilled to medium rare perfection, and served in a shallow pool of romesco sauce. The chili peppers and roasted red peppers in the sauce add a wonderful earthy flavor to the tender juicy pork. A slice of house-made cheesecake missed the mark for me only because it was not creamy NY-style, but instead Italian-style, made with ricotta. It was good, but I'm not a fan of this type of cheesecake. It was tasty, just not my favorite. All things considered, this place is a MUST TRY if you're a tapas fan. Every course was delicious, service was friendly and efficient. Recommended!

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    9 months ago

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    7 months ago

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    David M.

    Mathew so happy you enjoyed your private event with us!

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    Food was very good and authentic. We had one of everything on the tapas menu and it was more than enough for 4 people.

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    David F.

    Thank you for the great review! We hope to see you back soon!

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    2 years ago

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    11 months ago

    Their food is fantastically wonderful it is awesome tasting. It's homemade handmade for Mexican cooks. It's awesome.

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    4 years ago

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    David F.

    Thank you for the 5 stars!

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    Page 1 of 41

    Mercat a la Planxa Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Mercat a la Planxa

    How long does it take to finish one of the tasting menus?

    It took us about 1.5 hours to get all of the food!

    Is the restaurant kid friendly? For lunch? I understand dinner is prob more of date night

    Agree with previous poster. Bar on one side of dining room, folks dressed up for fine dining, higher prices, no high chairs in sight. This is for couples or groups of business people visiting town, not kids, imo.… Read more

    How are the vegan options at this place?

    They have some really good options including tomato bread, this mushroom dish and the veggie paella which I think is vegan as well.

    View All 4 Questions

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - Seafood Paella

    Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!

    (5.2k reviews)

    $$

    Lincoln Park, DePaul

    First time coming to Chicago and all my friends told me I had to check this place out! Located in…read moreLincoln Park, it is away from the hub-bub of downtown Chicago. The menu features a variety of Spanish tapas, pintxos, small plates, and Paella. You are meant to order plates to share with table. Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba really prides themselves in serving authentic Spanish food and providing guests with a unique experience. The restaurant itself is very cute and has a fun vibe about it. There are plenty of seating options and a gorgeous bar as well. Service was wonderful! Our server did an excellent job checking in on us, refilling waters, and just making sure we were satisfied with everything. We did get a reservation via OpenTable, this is always necessary, but I would recommend doing this, especially on the weekends. We ordered a couple plates to start and the ended up ordering more throughout our meal. I really love that you can do this, it paces the food and allows you to enjoy the experience more. We put in orders for 2 of the goat cheese baked in tomato sauce, a patatas bravas, Spanish olives, and Spanish meatballs (Al Jerez). The food came out in a timely manner and was served made to order. We dove right in! The goat cheese was luscious and perfect on that cold afternoon. It's baked in their old world Spanish oven and served with house garlic bread. This dish was super creamy, with a nice tang from the tomatoes, and just phenomenal. The patatas bravas were just divine! The spicy potato's were cooked to perfection, crispy on the outside and yet soft on the inside. They paired perfectly with sun-dried tomato aioli they were served with as well. The Spanish Meatball were decent as well. They had great texture and I really enjoyed the sherry tomato sauce they were served in. For our next round, we had to order more patatas bravas because they were just that good! We also got some calamari and extra bread for the remaining baked goat cheese. The fried calamari comes with tomato crudo and a jalapeño aioli. It was nice and crispy, nothing too special but still hit the spot nonetheless. Overall, I was so happy my friends and I came here! The food was amazing all around, no complaints at all. The service was great as well. They are very accommodating and do a great job taking care of guests. Loved the interior of the restaurant, it was super cozy! I will definitely have to return next time I'm in the area to try more tapas. Highly recommend!

    V wanted to come here, so of course, here we are. We've dined here before, once together, and each…read morewith our respective work-groups in the distant past. Parking is sort of a pain, you have to find street parking, might have to pay, or you can use their $20 vallet parking. V made me drive, and I misjudged how far we'd have to walk. Not a good start. We arrived at 8:20pm on a Sunday, while they close at 9pm, they serve until 9pm, and the place doesn't clear out until 10pm, so we were good. We were greeted and seated quickly in a fairly crowded dining room. My aging eyes found the menu difficult to read with small print on yellowish paper, so I used the light on my phone. It's not pretty, but neither is ordering food when you can't see what it is LOL. Our waiter greeted us promptly, and took our drink order, and offered up a specials menu. As I'm driving, I just got iced tea, V ordered a pitcher of passion fruit Sangria. He said the Sangria wasn't great, I tried some, and I thought is was drinkable. It definitely has a kick as V got a bit giddy as the night progressed. V ordered the Seafood Paella (takes 45 minutes), so as a starter, we ordered the Fried Calamari, which was sadly overcooked. It was half crumbs, though the sauce was tasty. With time to kill, we followed that with Lamb Brouccetta (no seasoning, just lamb), on a bed of French Fries (star of the night), grilled potatoes (yummy dipping sauce), and grilled peppers, which were quite tasty and unique. The Seafood Paella arrived, and it was massive. Food for two and then some. We didn't need all the appetizers except for killing time, so we ended up with a lot of Paella to go. I don't like Paella; it always tastes fishy, although this Paella was at least edible, unlike what I had in Barcelona. The waiter was attentive and had a spark of personality. Vigilio thought the bar area where we were seated was loud, but I didn't have any issues talking.

    Lil Ba-Ba-Reeba! - Spanish Meatballs in Sherry Tomato Sauce

    Lil Ba-Ba-Reeba!

    (331 reviews)

    $$$

    Near North Side

    Walked in on a Sunday night to plenty of seating options at the bar and tables but the restaurant…read morewas not dead by any means. Ryan was prompt in delivering water and a menu at the bar, as well as explaining the tapas concept. I chatted with him a fair amount as I ate, which was nice for being out alone. The bar stools are also quite comfortable. 2-3 items is the recommendation to fill you up but I went with the large steak skewer for just myself. It came with 4 medallions and 4 shishito peppers along with mashed potatoes and a horseradish sauce that I loved. I'm a hungry guy and was satisfied but not stuffed so I went for the chocolate truffle bite. It seems small but is actually a great size for one person having dessert and feels good to get it for $5. Red sangria was also a great compliment to the steak. I would definitely try the white or special of the day on my next visit. There is a 3.5% charge to "offset rising costs" which can be removed by asking. I did so and wasn't met with any objection or derision. A flyer about the Lettuce Eats app was also included so I downloaded the app and was able to register and earn points immediately. You can get $10 for every $150 spent to effectively save 6.67%. Overall, a great experience solo and I think it would also be fun with a group to capitalize on the tapas style and share a bunch of small plates.

    Absolutely Outstanding Tapas Experience!…read more I recently dined at Lil' Ba-Ba-Reeba! on 441 N Clark St in Chicago's vibrant River North neighborhood, and it was nothing short of phenomenal. This cozy spot, the little sister to the iconic Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!, perfectly captures the essence of Spanish tapas with its lively atmosphere, warm decor, and incredible food. From the moment we walked in, the energy was infectious - dim lighting, Spanish-inspired artwork, and a bustling open kitchen that made everything feel authentic and inviting. Our server was attentive, knowledgeable, and made great recommendations without rushing us. The highlight of the meal was hands-down the Spanish meatballs (beef & pork in that rich sherry tomato sauce) - they were fantastic! Tender, juicy, and bursting with flavor, the sauce was perfectly balanced with a subtle sweetness from the sherry that had us mopping up every last bit with bread. We also loved the classic patatas bravas (crispy and spicy just right), bacon-wrapped dates (sweet-salty perfection), and the baked goat cheese in tomato sauce. No tapas night is complete without sangria, and theirs is legendary - we went with the red, pitcher-style, and it was refreshingly fruity and potent. Everything arrived hot and timed perfectly for sharing. Lil' Ba-Ba-Reeba! is ideal for date nights, group gatherings, or just a fun evening out. The portions are generous for tapas, prices are reasonable for the quality, and the vibes transport you straight to Spain. I'll be back soon - this has quickly become one of my top spots in Chicago! Highly recommend!

    Arbella - Whipped feta was sooooo good!

    Arbella

    (695 reviews)

    $$

    River North, Near North Side

    We love Arbella!! Atmosphere inside was great, really large space! We sat at the bar, the…read morebartenders were super friendly and attentive easy to talk to and order from. LOVE the $6 cocktail of the day happy hour (M-F 4-6pm) . Our cocktail of the day was a watermelon lemon drop which was delicious!! Will be coming back next time in Chicago! My local friends new favorite staple bar.

    Months after visiting, Arbella still ranks among the best cocktail bars in the city for me!…read more One thing that really makes Arbella unique is their globally inspired old fashioned menu- whether you're an old-fashioned fan or not, these are a must! They've upped their happy hour game by including a rotating global cocktail with previous menu drinks and a daily kitchen special. This time, I ordered the oldest old fashioned and the Oaxaca old fashioned to drink. I thought the first was the best old fashioned I had ever had, but the second was even better! I loved the subtle yet not overpowering smokiness of the mezcal in the Oaxaca. Neither were too sweet and you could really taste the high quality bourbon. We ordered the Korean fried chicken and coconut shrimp to eat from the happy hour menu. The shrimp was super crispy with a delicious ginger-orange compote and rice vinegar pickled onions. Highly recommend! I did think the chicken was a bit tough, but the flavor was good. Another great experience of many to come! If you haven't stopped by Arbella yet, add this to your bucket list asap!

    Ema - Salmon bab.

    Ema

    (1.9k reviews)

    $$

    Near North Side

    I've come here with my boyfriend a handful of times and we love it. We like to try different…read morecocktails every time. The mimosa on a nice summer day on the patio is my happy place. The entrees are amazing too. The rice with the chicken skewer is my favorite so far and my boyfriend loves the beef and lamb skewer. The service has always been great as well. We've had the same server a couple times now and she's friendly and gets the job done. (Wish I could remember her name!) The ambience is great. With natural light coming in and the soft lamps, it's calming. Truly a beautiful restaurant.

    So disappointed. I…read morecame about 5 years ago and loved my meal, especially the sticky date cake, which lingered in my memory as my favorite all time dessert. This year I was so excited to bring my family and Ema was the only restaurant in Chicago I couldn't wait for them to try. I booked it as our final meal in Chicago and lay awake at 4am being so disappointed in my choice. Our server's greeting was monotone and emotionless, which I realize now, would be foreshadowing the meal to come. Ordered the following 1) Smoky eggplant- arrived appearing as an unappetizing curdled purple grey mush. This was the worst tasting baba ghanouj I have ever eaten. It was acidic and had the texture of cottage cheese. The only redeeming thing about this appetizer was the warm naan. 2) house made stratciatella with side of green falafels- The stratciatella was bland and stringy. I would not order this dish expecting the creamy interior of typical burrata. However, if you like string cheese mixed with heavy cream- you may enjoy this dish. The tomatoes and basil were good. 3) chicken kefta- kefta was bland, rice even blander . 4) short rib with polenta- bland and the meat and polenta had the same texture, which seems impossible but somehow the plating was over complicated by the addition of mushy dates and grapes. 5) buttered noodles- my 8 year old ordered this. It was decent with a good amount of Parmesan and cooked perfectly al dente. By the end of the meal, I was so shocked by how terrible the food was I didn't even want to order the sticky date cake that was my main purpose for returning to this restaurant. Ema, what happened to you?!

    Bar Mar

    Bar Mar

    (627 reviews)

    $$$

    The Loop

    Bar Mar is a solid spot in Downtown Chicago. The interior decor and atmosphere was great for a nice…read moredinner. Most of the food was tremendous. My favorites were the crab cake, Cobb salad, and short rib. The crab cake was very soft and had a nice texture to it. It was one of the best crab cakes I've eaten. The Cobb salad was also very light and shareable. The short rib main course was very tender, and it came with crispy potatoes as well. Some of the other items such as the Philly cheesesteak and Asian tacos were just ok. They were also both very small in quantity relative to their price. The desserts were magnificent as well, especially the deconstructed key lime pie and sticky toffee pudding. Both of them were phenomenal. The service throughout my meal was excellent. My waitress gave us some nice recommendations, and the staff came by often. I would definitely recommend to visit Bar Mar, and I look forward to coming back myself when I am in Chicago.

    Our second time eating at a Jose Andres restaurant in Chicago and again it was disappointing. Last…read moretime we ate at Jaleo and found it underwhelming but put it down to the fact that we had just returned from an amazing culinary trip to San Sebastian. We really admire Jose's philanthropic work and want to love his restaurants but truth be told, if you forget about the glitzy decor, the food is just average. We tried several appetizers; the Hamachi Cone, Caviar Cone, Asian Taco, Neptune's Pillows, Shrimp Cocktail and Iberico Jamon. We also shared a bottle of Cava. Everything was fine but to be frank the Shrimp Cocktail was the best thing we ate, simple and perfectly fresh. The service was pushy, when a server wants to take you order less than 3 minutes after sitting down, it feels like you're on a conveyor belt. We felt the prices were way out of line, with tip I spent almost $500 for a bottle of cava and appetizers for two people, for that, the food should have been more memorable. We spent the same amount for two off us to have the 12 course tasting menu at Atsumeru a couple of weeks ago and Bar Mar's food isn't in the same league. We will continue to financially support Jose's World Kitchen but not his restaurants.

    Mercat a la Planxa - tapas - Updated May 2026

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