I suggested this not so casual spot for a casual catch-up with my girlfriend and a friend, mostly because I'd tried their sister restaurant next door. We were seated right away. The layout and vibe were nearly identical to the other location: cozy, softly lit, and upscale. Deciding what to eat was the hardest part. I went with my gut and got their Lamb Ragu Pasta - rich, herby, and the pasta had this firm bite. My girlfriend had the Porchetta, which she found a bit too fatty, though she polished off the potatoes with zero hesitation. My friend ordered the Chicken Piccata. I tried it, nodded, and moved on - good, but not groundbreaking. We ended with an affogato (fancy words for vanilla ice cream drowned in espresso). Simple, classy, and somehow the star of the night. If nothing else, I'd come back just for that. read more

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Super cozy restaurant with phenomenal food and service! We ordered a few starters: the chicken liver crostini, beet salad, and mixed green salad--all of which were fantastic. The chicken saltimbocca and bucatini were delicious, but the star of the meal was the hanger steak. Not only juicy and tender, but so so flavorful! I don't order steak often, but I wouldn't hesitate to get it again. They also have a solid selection of cocktails and wine to pair with your meal. The staff are really friendly and helpful with menu suggestions and wine pairings. I believe it's run by a family, and it certainly provides the comfort and care of one. We enjoyed a fabulous dinner and will be back! read more

Space was tight at this very popular restaurant but fortunately, our table for two walk-ins was quickly seated. I would honestly go back every night to order the duck ragu served over pappardelle. In America, the portion at a glance seems small but it is so velvety and rich that I was honestly stuffed! Despite being full, after a couple of nibbles graciously shared dessert, I wish I had also ordered the panna cotta! Yum! This is my new Ithaca go-to destination! read more

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This was my second time frequenting Mercato's and it was just as great as the first time. Unfortunately, this visit was in January and the menu has changed and I'm unable to remember the name of the dish. I can tell you it was delicious! The pasta is made in house. Our server was pleasant and attentive. I love that the restaurant is small and cozy. The menu has a great variety and I can't wait for my next visit to see what's new on the menu. The dessert is always my favorite! read more

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Honestly, not too blown away by Mercato. For starters we ordered the crostini sampler. I would not recommend. Texturally, these were were all just mush and flavor wise did not taste like much. For mains we split the ravioli and pasta with clams. The pasta itself was nice and al dente, but the broth needed more flavor and was rather oily. I liked the ravioli. More of the tomato sauce would've been nice though. The dessert was great! We got the caramel espresso pot de creme. It was like coffee-flavored creme brulee without the sugared top. I loved the house made graham crackers it came with. Besides the dessert, I did not particularly love the dishes I tried. I may return, I may not. read more

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Mercato was incredible. Great ambiance. Great service. Amazing food. We started off with the olives and almonds for an appetizer. I'm not exactly sure what sorcery they did here, but these were the best olives I've ever had in my life, to be honest... I've been searching for something to hit the spot ever since and I haven't found it yet! I got their Butternut Squash Mezzelune and it was just perfect. Great texture, good balance of savory and sweet. It was a delight from start to finish. My husband went for the fresh fish in parchment, which was cooked perfectly and melted in your mouth. We ended the meal with tea, espresso, and biscotti. It was a lovely date night evening. I can't wait to come back again! read more

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Phenomenal service and fresh seafood (actually shipped same day as caught, never frozen, a rarity in Ithaca). A Cornellian and former Cornell professor (hotel school) owns this place and the place next door. He is so down to earth, kind, and truly loves hospitality. He stayed after closing and had a drink with my group, and chatted about Cornell! Cannot recommend this place enough! read more

Mercato Bar & Kitchen - Scallops - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

The food continues to be 5/5. I think this has to be our favorite place in Ithaca!! Everything we get is cooked to perfection and so tasty. The pastas are made in house and I don't know how they do it, but the sauces are never oily and always the perfect amount. The flavors are always perfect too. This time we got the black peppered fettuccine and short rib ragu gnocchi-can't go wrong with either! Small side note is that some of the prices did go up just a few dollars in the new year :/ read more

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Amazing everything. Start to finish. Italian Chardonnay excellent. Had the Rockfish En Papillote and guilty pleasure shoestring fries. Service unparalleled. Reservations a must. Or wait 1 hour read more

I love Italian food!! This place is a long restaurant, and the food is uniquely, well made and fulfilling. You also have some hard workers in the past, I highly appreciate! It's cozy in here too. read more

I was initially turned off because of the very small menu, but what Mercato lacked in quantity they made up for in quality (and vibes)! I was expecting to have more of a classic / red sauce Italian moment, but the menu wasn't like that at all. The chicken picatta was out of this world good. I make this dish at home so I'm hesitant to order out, but my version could never compare. Order it here, and don't look back. My husband really enjoyed his spaghetti and clams. It's a small, dark and intimate restaurant. Perfect for a date night. Only knocking off a star because our server was a little snarky. Otherwise, it was a top notch dining experience. read more

Mercato Bar & Kitchen - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Awful experience! We had a group of 8 on a Tuesday night at 6pm. There was only one table seated. The staff said that they could not seat the party. We then ask if we can have 2 tables of 4 and they said no even when there was only one couple seated in the entire restaurant. Rude staff and poor customer service! Will never return there! read more

When we discovered from a hastily scrawled sign on the door, that our first choice restaurant had suddenly shuttered its doors for good without any notice on web or socials; we then drove right back downtown -- and, early in the evening as it was, were fortunate enough to sail right in here & get seated ... I was craving steak but had some mild trepidation about choosing it as I'd heard a rumor that the ownership was the same as for the immediately adjoining French restaurant ... On a visit there some months back I'd found the steak passably good but by no means great ... However, I was pleasantly surprised at getting quite excellent (pre-cut) steak here, not a vast quantity but for myself it really hit the spot! ... Our cocktails were very nice indeed & I was glad I'd been adventurous and gone with the mezcal base ... My only quibble -- an all too common one -- would be shoestring fries ... I noticed that consumers of other entrees had an option for a la carte real potatos ... Why not allow this as a $2 or $3 upgrade option for the steak customers I wonder? ... But the dessert was also superlative, as was the coffee ... So all in all, well played! read more

This is it! Old school... No reservations... First come, first serve. Definitely worth the wait. We ate at Mahogany and Antlers and this was our last night. Others were good, but this is definitely the winner! Recommended! The complainers definitely have not eaten in Ithica lately as there was not a close second! read more

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This place is just perfection. We sat at the bar at around 5:40. The restaurant opens at 5:30 and all the table were already full but the time we got there, which excited me. We had the pleasure of being served by Shawn. He was attentive, hilarious and made a mean drink. He spoke about the menu like he was a chef himself and you could tell he was passionate about his work. My friends and I enjoyed our banter with him. Once we ordered we were given bread and butter. I'm a bread lover and this was some good bread. Airy and fresh. My drink selection was the Hemingway Daiquiri, that Shawn recommended, it was sweetish and had a nice acidic kick. 10/10. My entree was the black pepper fettuccine which featured guanciale, carmelized parsnips and pecorino romano. The pasta was perfectly cooked and delicious. The parsnips were sweet and paired nicely with the guanciales saltiness and the peppery spice from the pasta. My friends got the mushroom & goat cheese cappelletti and the gnocchi with short rib ragu. Both were delicious, seasoned perfectly and pasta was cooked perfectly. They also got an Old News cocktail and Shawn made an amazing lemon drop inspired drink for them. Both were delicious. We finished our meal with the vanilla panna cotta with blood orange. It was light and sweet! Wish there was some more blood orange so each bite could have a bit of it, but it was delicious none the less. Cannot wait to come back on my next visit to NY to enjoy this beautiful restaurant again! read more

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I'll be honest, I generally don't go for Italian because I think it's overrated, but it was date night and the original place I wanted us to go to was closed, so we went into Mercato because the ambiance looked so cozy from the outside. The menu is small. This is always a good thing! Small menus mean that an establishment knows what they do well and really hone the dishes that they do. I ended up ordering three courses (unusual for me) but I just HAD to try their dill clam chowder (soup of the day). My main was their duck pappardelle (btw, they make all their pastas in-house except for the mezzelune one), and for dessert I had ginger panna cotta. Didn't take photos because it was my first date with this guy and it would've been rude to spend five minutes trying to get those perfect food shots. Their menu rotates based on season and the food is locally sourced. read more

Very delicious food and great value for price. Bartender is very efficient and attentive. The ambiance is classy and you don't even feel like you're in Ithaca, you feel like you're somewhere very nice in NYC. Probably one of my top 3 restaurants in Ithaca, will definitely go again! read more

I'm always teetering between a 3 and a 4 star review. If I could, it would really be a 3.5, given how hit or miss this place sometimes is. I've been here so many times for work that I've memorized parts of the menu. It does change or alter depending on the season, so it's nice to get a little variety. Main things I've liked were the fish in parchment and the chicken marsala. The fish cooked in parchment makes the fish very soft and buttery, though I always feel like it needs more salt. The chicken is always done well - because the chicken slices are often thinner than the slabs of grilled chicken you get at other places, the sauce coats the meat very well and you never feel like the meat is too dry. The gnocchi was way overdone though, and when I raised this, our server said that it's supposed to be like that - "pillowy."I've had gnocchi before, and it was definitely mushy and not pillowy. Still, he offered to change it for something else, which I appreciate. The crostini are also okay, though not my favorite. I wish they would do reservations though, and for the servers to be a little bit more friendly. Multiple times, we have had a server who seemed to (sometimes physically did so) turn their noses up at us, or talked to us like we didn't understand a sophisticated menu. Not all of them are like that, but it only takes one to temper the experience. read more

I have been to this restaurant three times and have not been disappointed! This time I had the hanger steak done to perfection with the shoe string fries that are SO good! The service was prompt and friendly. Located in the commons where all the liveliness happens it's a great location. read more

Incredible menu, authentic food, attentive service and cozy, comfortable vibe. A perfect choice in downtown Ithaca.

Lovely experience in Ithaca. It's great. I enjoyed it. The ricotta cheese cake is smooth and creamy. read more

Mercato Bar & Kitchen - Ricotta cheese cake - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Chef has some guts to make fish en papillote, an extremely technically difficult dish. Result? Not bad. The fish has a good texture, and the broth and herbs impart some subtle flavors. I wish the flavors were more pronounced, but the dish is still executed pretty well and is comforting to eat. Their crostinis are fantastic, and if you wanna try all of them, treat yourself to a platter. A lot of people have talked about the Sparkling Blue Moon, but I thought the Crespo was a more refined and balanced drink. The fruit flavor is more natural than the Blue Moon, which tastes a bit artificial, the St. Germain elderflower essence is fantastic, and the herbal touches to the drink make it a pleasure to drink. read more

Excellent restaurant. Food was delicious, dessert was delicious, and they had a really nice drink menu. Service was excellent. The food was timed just right between appetizer, salad and entree. Didn't feel rushed. I would definitely go back. read more

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Service was great, food was amazing! The experience, however, was marred by a very rude bartender. We put our name on a waiting list and was told it would be 30-45 minutes. We--two couples--walked around the corner where our friends had wine at a sidewalk restaurant. Mercato phoned within twenty minutes. The other restaurant graciously told our friends to take the wine with them and return the glasses after our meal at Mercato. We went into Mercato and the bartender said they could not bring an outside drink into the restaurant. That is probably due to liquor laws, so our friends went back to the sidewalk to gulp their wine. Returning inside to Mercato, the hostess offered to rinse the empty wine glasses and keep them till we finished our meal. Our friend simply said she would keep them beside her on the banquette. Soon, the bartender came over and gruffly asked for the glasses. He took them and put them behind the bar, near our table. At a slight lull in food service, our friend went to get the glasses so she could quickly run them back to the other restaurant. There ensued an intense encounter with the Mercato bartender who said he had thrown them away because she should not have brought them in. They were empty! What liquor law prevents a patron from bringing in two empty glasses into an establishment? This bartender was beyond rude, argumentative, and almost caused Mercato to lose an over-$200 tab. We almost left without ordering, and I don't think I would ever return there despite the fine food and friendly server and hostess. This bartender's actions were totally uncalled for. When told they could not bring the glasses of wine in, they, without argument, went immediately outside to finish. The only thing they then brought into the place were two empty glasses. Someone needs to do a presentation on proper customer service to this guy. In short, he was a total jerk! read more

I love Mercato for an Italian option in Ithaca. The vibe is wonderful and it's perfect for date night. Food is always delicious and service is good. All of the appetizers we've tried are wonderful and the pastas are amazing. Only complaint here is that it is a pretty small menu, so not a lot of options. Very small restaurant so can be long waits! read more

Absolutely loved this place, even though the food was a little pricier. The restaurant gives a probation era vibe, with interesting posters on the wall. Our waiters were so great, even offering to just refill our bread basket. The gnocchi was incredibly soft. The pork leg was so tender and large. We expected way smaller portions but this was just enough, in addition to eating two bread baskets and the today soho, which was also delicious. Would def recommend if you want to come here with a date!! read more

Mercato Bar & Kitchen - Pork leg - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Owners cussed at me and my young son when we tried to provide constructive feedback. (I never write these reviews- this was an awful experience). We waited over 20 min for our drinks when we were the first people to enter at 5:30pm on a Thursday night. Our son asked for fettuccine Alfredo and was told not possible. OK sure, so then we asked for just pasta with chicken- again not allowed - even with paying any amount extra. The two owners were visibly upset at me for providing feedback. They said, "why would I listen to this "f'ing woman and her son?" We will tell everyone we know to never go here! read more

Quite literally the worst Italian food I have ever had. Literally worse than canned ravioli. We ordered the pappardelle with duck ragu and the bucatini. The pappardelle was the blandest dish I have ever had. I'm by no means a connoisseur of Italian food, but food at least needs to be seasoned. In addition, the homemade pasta was a joke. Usually, when a restaurant advertises homemade pasta, it's better than store bought. In the case of Mercato, the pasta was unbelievably thin, leading to it being over cooked and flimsy. The only redeeming quality... there was none. For nearly 30 dollars, this was an abomination. The bucatini was slightly better since they bought the pasta from a store. It was probably on par with canned pasta or microwaveable meals you can get from Wal-mart. But for 26 dollars this level of quality is unacceptable. Perhaps the chef wasn't there the night we went and they found a random Italian looking dude to substitute from the street. God knows how it turned out this way. read more

Mercato Bar & Kitchen - Pappardelle - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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This place earned all 5 stars!!! From the moment we walked in the door Yxi took great care of us. She recommended their best dishes, which I actually now think may be everything on the menu. Ambiance.... check Service.........check Food............ check Presentation..check Please do yourself a favor and check out this intimate Italian spots located in The Commons! I promise you won't regret it. Thank me later by liking this review. read more

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The best scallops I have ever had. It's not cheap... but if you're a foodie, you won't want to miss trying out Mercato!

If your question is, "Where is the best spot to have a really splendid dinner in Ithaca?" Mercato B&K is your answer. The online photos do not do justice to the thoughtful, expertly-designed and delivered dishes. Flavors are integrated. Quality is A+. Wine list is intentional and Italian. Service is personable and professional - caring people who take good care. We started w arugula salad which was bright and fresh. Clam chowder was the best I've ever had - light and buttery with no heaviness. Filled with fresh clams and dill. For the main the Ricotta and spinach ravioli was delicious and light. Pasta is homemade. My husbands fish en pappillion was delicious and not too soupy. Dessert was a delightful ice cream sandwich with house made graham cracker which paired perfectly w a select LBV port. We didn't have cocktails but it looks like they take them seriously. Next trip will include that cocktail journey w a hanger steak. Soon I hope. read more

Mercato is a small restaurant - arrive early to get one of the booths. The food is fine, pricey, but the portions were good sized. I had the arugula salad (was very good) and the chicken piccata (average taste, large portion). They have a nice wine list and cocktails. read more

Years in business and they know what to do! Perfect every time! Can't think of a better place in Ithaca! But to topic is off, the staff is quick witted and fun! Highly recommend! read more

Great service. Attentive, with good recommendations. Excellent food. The steak was cooked perfectly. The fettuccine and clams were very fresh. Lots of people. read more

Absolutely perfect spot for dinner. Amazingly fresh pasta, wonderfully cooked steak, and fun crostinis. You can also ask for a custom made drink based off your favorite spirit. read more

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Delicious. We started with the crostini's which are so good we had a sweet onion crostini tonight. The frisee salad was great really tasty greens as was the mixed green salad. Entree's tonight were a butternut squash ravioli, a pollock in parchment and a hangar steak. All were really great. There are some great wines and a really good finger lakes dry and I mean dry reisling !! Our server was ok and I had to remind her a few times to get our wines, and eventually had to ask another server for our wine. Not sure why? But all was good nonetheless! A pumpkin sponge cake was a great dessert to end our meal. read more

Our pasta entrees were amazing! Favorite was Paccheri with white bolognese, filling and perfectly cooked. Second favorite was asparagus, ricotta and goat cheese cappelletti which was light and beautifully presented. Was not a huge fan of the sweet onion and pecorino crostini, it was very onion heavy. read more

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This is a very easy restaurant to rate 5 stars and based on my overall experience here last month, I would probably give them a (rare for me) 6 if I could. They hit a grand slam home run in all respcts.  And they hit a home run in my nieces eyes.  She loved it!  They exceeded all my expectations.  I have not had a better food and service combo anywhere. Our first times here, I researched out this place to take my niece for a graduation celebration dinner as soon as I got off my jet at Tompkins Airport.  We were here on a Weds night for over 2.5 hours.  They did not rush us.  The atmosphere was perfect for catching up, celebrating,  laughing, and just enjoying life. Service was the best I have ever encountered.  The wait staff had great communicstion, worked as a team, and were able to sense our pace and adjust to it and accomodate and answer questions as experts on the dishes. The food was best in class.  Here is the roundup: Martini:  She said it was excellent. My Ithaca Beer Co beer: Great Table bread: 5 of 5 Soup: Perfect. Parchment Fish with Fingerling Potatoes and Spinach: Easy 5--I could eat this every day. Scallops: 7 of 5.  You read it right.  These are the best Scallops you will ever have, naturally sweet, tender, fresh.  If you order scallops in restaurants, they will only taste as great as these 1 out of 15 times. For desert we had the house favorite, also very good. Total bill without tax and tip for drinks, appetizer, dinners, desert: $90.00 If this fits in your budget, check this place out. I will again next time in town.  Wish there was one in Cali near me. Restaurants in Beverly Hills would have a hard time competing with Mercato. read more

Mercato Bar & Kitchen - Reality Check: Great Meal. - Italian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

I'm SO glad we managed to make it to this restaurant on our trip to Watkins Glen, it was worth the 40 min drive to Ithaca to experience this place. The food was excellent ( although I learned that I do NOT like goronzola after trying the crostini sampler). The trout in parchment was cooked to perfection and I pretty much sopped all the juices up with leftover table bread. The scallops (my husband ordered) were very good 4/5. The panna cotta desert was good and the caramel pot de creme was heavenly. Also, the server was attentive and knowledgeable. 10/10 would return. read more

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Lovely restaurant. Space is cozy and subdued. Nice bar. Staff are friendly and helpful. Quick service. They split our order in advance to make it easier to share on the table. We had the ravioli and a chicken piccata dish. Both were very good with nice sauces and added touches of garnish, veg and potato (chicken). Great wine list. Went big for the large glass of wine and it was great. Very yummy. A nice meal and a very relaxed vibe. Wait list started before 645 so remember to come early for dinner when in town. Ithaca closes shop early -830/9. Get your beauty sleep after a good meal. read more