We enjoyed our dinner at Mercato Italian Kitchen and Bar in Southbury, CT before heading back to San Diego, CA. Mercato Restaurant is a popular modern Italian restaurant known for its authentic, chef-driven dishes, vibrant atmosphere, and distinctive twin wood-burning pizza ovens. The restaurant has beautiful decor with indoor and outdoor seating. We really enjoyed the following: * Gnocchi Short Rib Ragú * Chicken Parmesan with pasta * wood fire pizza * house bread *Wood fire 100 layer Lasagna *Red sangria We had good service. Check it out when in the area be sure to visit Southford Falls State Park for pictures of the waterfall and covered bridge especially, during the foliage for nice pictures. The state park is also in Southbury, CT. Happy Yelping :) read more

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If you love Italian food, this place is wonderful. Not gluten gf /df friendly. Heads up for gf/df friends. The staff was friendly and they attempted to accommodate my allergies as best as possible. I got the fish and my husband got the pizza. Everything was good. The fish was def made differently than any other place I've ever had it, but the skin was so nice and crispy that it gave it such wonderful flavor. It was very packed in there, I'm glad I made a reservation. It's an open ambiance, semi-dark, handicap friendly since everything is on first floor and they have enough spacing between all tables, and they have outside eating as well. Drinks were wonderful. Great place read more

Mercato - Italian Near Me - Southbury, Connecticut

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Service was excellent. Seated immediately (2pm on a Monday) and brought water and bread. Drink order was placed and arrived quickly. Ordered the wood fired steak tips. Not bad but nothing exceptional for the price. Still hungry so I ordered the garlic parm wood fired wings. Definitely could have been under the fire longer. The skin was loose with no crisp. Overall seems overpriced for what you get. But I would give it another try in case I'm wrong. read more

Second time coming here, Excellent excellent happy hour! Stopped in for a quick snack and drink with my boyfriend. Love the garlic parm wings- it's a delicious Alfredo like sauce on wings. Amazing gooey mozzarella, wonderful light marinara, eggplant appetizers was very good, Brussels were good but I think they forgot the glaze, needed sweetness. Drinks were great and good prices, Paloma was my fav! We sat at a high top booth in the bar, very comfortable. The regular seats are horribly uncomfortable so I was thrilled we could enjoy happy hour in a bar booth. They get really busy on the weekends so definitely make a reservation. read more

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Came here again another 2 times this year with friends because we liked the vibe. We always had lots of fun here. The food and drinks are good and they have nice happy hour specials. read more

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Pretty good experience but we wouldn't consider it our favorite spot in town nor would it be in our regular rotation. Our server was pretty attentive with a full section. The food came out fast but I wouldn't say it was"hot". The mozzarella sticks had a great cheese pull (3 to the order), the eggplant stack was two bites, the pizza a great size but did lack flavor, the wings were the best and we tried two different variations. It wasHOT temperature wise, legit couldn't drink the water fast enough. We skipped ordering dessert because it was just too warm to stay longer. Nice dinner atmosphere, the staff definitely moves. read more

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Pretty restaurant, very quick service. Food was great, especially the steak. The tables were a bit small and close together, however it was still very nice. Overall would definitely go again. read more

Mercato - New Prime NY Strip - Italian Near Me - Southbury, Connecticut

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We were excited to finally find out what the hype was about at Mercato in Southbury! We decided to take advantage of the happy hour menu and particularly enjoyed the Eggplant Napoleon. We thought that the wings, brussel sprouts, and mozzarella sticks were average. In our opinion, the pricing for happy hour was very fair. We really loved the roasted garlic on the burrata pizza, but thought that the pizza was lacking in the nduja sausage. What stole the show for us was the affogato martini - it was the perfect dessert drink! Service was very kind and attentive. We loved the rustic but modern interior. Overall, we would probably chose other Italian restaurants with more of an authentic vibe, but we can understand how the convenience and location of this restaurant makes it an easy choice for people to go to in this area. read more

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ORIGIN: Mercato (Italian word for Market) opened as first extension of the collection of Market Place restaurants associated with Market Hospitality Group. Here the focus is on Italian food. LOCATION: The location is ideal, an easy swing off of two highway exits with ample parking, a movie theater next door, and a patio overlooking trees. AMBIANCE: The restaurant is attractively decorated with tall wood-lined ceilings, brick-lined walls, and different dining areas separated by banquets. The setting is best experienced when you can dine outside or during non-peak hours as the dining room gets unusually loud due to both the absence of any effort to muffle via sound absorbing surfaces and blasting of popular music. EXPERIENCE: The food can be expected to be satisfying, with a few dishes being very good. SERVICE: I give the restaurant a try around twice a year because of its proximity to a movie theater. In recent years I find service to range from careless to absent, all together just not congruent with what you would expect given the menu prices. TIP: If you would like to be in a quieter place, the dining area furthest from the bar, and along the windows, is your best bet. read more

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Every time my wife and I come here we are very happy with the service, food and pricing. Usually we get pasta dishes, my wife has gotten a sandwich. We have never tried the Pizza here but woulf give it a try as well. The inside is always clean and nicely decorated. I enjoy this over many italian options in the area. As my wife says "andiamo" read more

Went at lunchtime, tried pizza for first time here. Crust seemed like boboly premade soft crust, not crispy, was only lukewarm. This was disappointing. Given the huge kitchen they have, pizza should have been primo! Staff was accommodating and polite. One star. read more

Just a Decent place. Went with a 10+ ppl group, they filed our water cups once and then brought warm bottles and never bothered to do anymore fills. Food was expensive for what I got. I had the filet panini there were like 3 small pieces of meat in each half, still had half the bread left when all the inners were gone. Asked for medium rare and got brown meat. The bread and olive oil was good. Bathroom was ok, small only 1 toilet, 1 urinal not enough for the size of the place. Only saw 2 tvs at the bar right next to each other both on the same channel college softball when Stanley cup and nba finals both on, pointless. Nothing bad just over rated in my opinion. read more

First time here, came after seeing a movie at the theater next door. Walking in, I really liked the atmosphere and the bar area was real nice. I'm originally from the area so it was nice to see this kind of set up. Felt like I was in the city. I ordered the white sangria to drink. The menu said something about peaches however it was more of a cranberry winter sangria so not sure if they ran out or didn't change the menu. For dinner I had the gluten free pasta with bolognese sauce. Pasta had a good texture. I was a bit disappointed in the sauce. Honestly, it didn't have that much flavor. Looked good but slightly let down. Then we also ordered the 3 pigs pizza with gluten free crust. I felt the pizza was a bit under cooked. The crust was a little too soft also flavorless and the sauce on the pizza was also pretty flavorless. I would say if I had to choose the gluten free pasta dish was better than the pizza. But they really gotta adjust and add flavor to the sauces. I really wanted to come back another day to try the short rib but I'm concerned about the taste. Not sure if I'll be back. read more

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After our order was taken some beautiful bread was brought to our table. Nice and crunchy on the outside but super soft on the inside. Butter was not provided but olive oil, a splash of balsamic and one clove of garlic for dipping. For my personal taste I could of used alot more garlic . For an appetizer we chose one of our favorites fried calamari. There was more peppers than calamari. We are hoping that was just a one time situation. Our dinner - mine a classic chicken parm and spaghetti. My go to when trying a new Italian restaurant. The pasta tasted homemade, and the chicken had a nice layer of cheese on top. My husband ordered wood fired salmon. It had a nice crisp outside. The piece could have been just a bit bigger. The accompanying side a creamy risotto with chunky bits of asparagus. If we had not gone to a movie next door before dinner I would have loved to try Mercato's dessert. read more

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The Service was great, Food was good. I will definitely go again! Drinks were awesome as well.

Enjoyable meal with grandson before leaving for college.. a Margherita pizza , followed by peanut butter brownie/vanilla ice cream was his choice! I had a really tasty Burrata Burger preceded by lollypop lamb chops .. great choices tonite.. very lively atmosphere.. great service by Virginia ... one of our 'go to ' dining venues in the Southbury area!!! read more

I've been to mercato in Shelton many times and my cousin frequently goes to the Canton one and we were all very let down by the experience here. It took about 15 minutes for us to get water, napkins , or any silverware and we had a reservation. The mussels tasted great but the portion was very skimpy for a pot of mussels. The entrees were lacking the usual quality expected of Mercato. All in all I wouldn't go back to this location. Drinks were 10/10 though. read more

So this is a nice place. Staff is pleasant professional. I like how they treat you. Places decorated nicely It's very clean. Seems very busy The Parm fries were very good , The figgy pizza was cooked appropriately. That was tasty. I'd like that they don't burn the prosciutto. Prosciutto dry enough. But my big disappointment tonight was the pasta . We asked for penne Albaca as a substitute for the rigatoni and they just didn't substitute the rigatoni. And the pasta was hard hard enough where we couldn't get a fork through it. Now I'm a big fan of al dente pasta and we ordered out all the time and we cook at home all time we'd like our pasta firm as a family But this was hard pasta. The pasta was so hard that the vodka sauce couldn't hang onto the pasta, you could see inside the rigatoni. It was pure, white, smooth, hard pasta we couldn't get a fork through it. You had a force the fork. We tried to eat what we could, but we didn't Took it to go and when we reheat it, it'll soften up. But it's disappointing that nice Italian restaurant, out w the family.. you spend $50 on two plates of pasta , no proteins just pasta and sla vodka sauce and the pasta so is so hsrd you can't even eat the dish I'm sure we'll try again, but just disappointed read more

Been here multiple times. Very consistent restaurant. Always great service and delicious food. Their Rigatoni Alla Vodka is superb, always a fan favorite. Thin crust wood fired pizza, both the plain cheese & margarita are excellent. The sauce to cheese ratio is perfect. Their complementary pre-meal bread & dipping oil pairs very well together. Fettuccini Limone is tasty and lemony. I have had both the red & white sangria. Personally I prefer the white because it is a tad sweater, but they are both tasty. The outside patio is beautiful in the summertime. Perfect for date night or drinks with the ladies. Also an easy stop if you're just looking for a quick dessert. Their cannoli is easy to split between multiple people. Nothing but good things to say about the Espresso Martini. read more

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I placed an order on the road with some exceptions such as gluten free pasta and dishes. The food was hot and ready when I arrived (in the time they promised), everything was correct and the salads were packed separately so they didn't get steamed up. I love dining in the restaurant, but this takeout experience was also very appreciated after a long drive home. I didn't use the app, but the hostess did a great job of taking my order. Thank you!!! read more

Edited to add that management contacted me and gave me a refund. I look forward to giving them another try in the future. I am so disappointed in our dinner last night. It was delivery but this didn't have anything to do with that; this was a food quality issue. They used to have my favorite rigatoni alla vodka, full of crunchy pancetta bits and full of spice. Last night there wasn't any pancetta. None. My husband ordered the same and his was void of pancetta as well. And it was bland. No spice. And everything tasted musty, like old garlic and oil. I can't believe I paid $66 for 2 orders of crummy jar sauce pasta. Unfortunately we will not be patronizing this establishment in the future. read more

Literally come here any time I can All the food is amazing Perfect service Clean restaurant read more

Met up with high school friends here the last 2 times I visited CT. I love the vibe of this place and the service is excellent. Feels warm and inviting, open concept and lively bar scene around happy hour. The menu has options for everyone including vegetarians. Food is tasty and they make great espresso martinis. read more

Very nice atmosphere and great decor. We went for a late lunch to celebrate my husband's birthday and we're not impressed. The drinks from the bar were very good. For appetizer we had the wood fired hot wings. The wings were less than crispy and not one ounce of heat one them. My husband ordered the tomato bisque soup and sadly the soup tasted the exact same as the pizza sauce on the pizza pie we ordered. For my main dish I ordered clams and linguine. The clams had nice flavor after adding salt and pepper however the linguine tasted almost like nothing. My husband had the special pizza of shisito pepper and pepperoni and the pizza was very good. Nice and crispy and tasty crust. Perfect size for a personal pizza. The service was good the staff kept an eye on eyes and touched base frequently. They do take credit card and there is plenty of parking read more

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On another thread I gave Mercato of Southbury 5 stars because the pizza was outstanding. Unfortunately, they decided to change the way they prepare their pizza and it missed the mark. Now, they drizzle the sauce on top of the pizza; and having dabs of sauce on top of the cheese hits me the wrong way, plus the crust wasn't crispy which was a disappointment. I hope someday they'll go back to making pizzas the way they used to. Anyway, the service was great and the waitress was attentive and cute as a button; A real sweetheart. So, Mercato's gets three starts for the pizza and 5 stars for the service. read more

This was second time at Mercado. First time I just had appetizers. This time I ordered the Get Figgy with It pizza (with a gluten free crust of course!!) OMG!! First off, this was the absolute BEST gluten free crust I've had since Brick and Wood closed. It was perfectly cooked and the combo of the salty prosciutto and the creamy ricotta, spicy arugula and balsamic drizzle was an absolute blast for my tastebuds! The service was impeccable and our waiter delightful and engaging. Definitely will be back!! read more

Mercato - Get Figgy with it pizza (gluten free) - Italian Near Me - Southbury, Connecticut

A+ for ambiance and service by Dianne. Filet tips were out of this world! Could offer better selection of martinis. Pistachio cake was also excellent Would definitely recommend and will return. read more

Had a delightful evening here and I could find very few areas of opportunity here. I came here because of my Yelp friend and mentor, Alex P.T. I have to say the place is enormous and the maybe the height of the ceiling and the very large cavernous atmosphere was both cool but not very cozy. I think that and the partially toasted Italian, almost stale tasting bread were my only two gripes. I prefer a cozy environment and bread that doesn't break any teeth When I try to eat it. It wasn't particularly enjoyable experience. Service was solid, our server was Katie, and she was not only personable and friendly, she knew every dish when I asked for recommendations, and was able to to describe each dish using all the right technical terms. Kudos for a great staff. I started with the Italicus Pear Martini ($13) which was just excellent. The cocktails here are truly masterful. Mercato seems to take their drinks seriously. Our appetizer was a Margherita pizza ($17). The dough was probably some of the best I've ever tasted. Stiff on the bottom, doughy and chewy and sweet, just the perfect char, and delicious sweet sauce and fresh mozzarella. This runs neck and check with the quality I get at Savoy in West Hartford, which is my favorite pizza in all of Connecticut. Then it was on to my entree which was the Zuppa Di Pesce ($38). All I could say is "wow!" The abundance of clams and mussels, calamari, and all types of fish, and a perfectly cooked pasta was impressive. I love that it had this delicious saffron color, and just the right amount of salt and savory, with fresh bites of parsley throughout. It was exceptionally good, and I probably shouldn't have eaten 80% of it, but when something is that good you just go for it. My husband enjoyed an appetizer and a small plate as his entree. One was a roasted cauliflower and Romesco, which was absolutely delicious, and Octopus which was also to his liking and super fresh--again not overly done and rubbery. At last we had the cannoli. Shell was fresh and delicious but I didn't love the cinnamon infused Ricotta filling. I don't like the cream messed with. So, there was that little disappointment. Overall, it was a solid ($145.00 tip included ) dinner with a much more evolved menu than their other properties like Marketplace. I have found the Marketplace experience to be hit or miss. The location in Litchfield thrives and is always busy, but I have found the food there to be inconsistent and sometimes bland. I'm a little bored with the menu, to be honest and am hoping for a change soon. The location in Avon, which we've been to several times, feels like something is off, but that's for another review! Thanks to Alex P.T for recommending Mercato. It was pretty darn good. And we'll go again and hopefully get seated on the fun bar side the next time! read more

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This place has been on my radar pretty much all summer! With so many choices and new places opening up, I just ever made my way! I finally did! This place is busy even for 7pm. The hostess was so nice and welcoming which is a plus considering how busy the place was. I ordered the ricotta toast with fig. The waitress recommended to add more bread because you will be stuck with a lot of dip. I'm glad I listened to her suggestion because she was right. The ricotta and fig combo was delicious! It made me want to recreate this dish at home. For my main dish I ordered the steak filet sandwich. It was so good! No complaints here. My friends ordered pasta dishes and their food was hot till the last bite! I didn't try their dishes but they enjoyed it. I learned there is a closer one to me. I really look forward to coming back and trying more items on their menu. read more

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Nice place. Not real Italian. Linguine and clams, MEH. Lots of clams but little flavor. Calamari was ok, but you need to serve with a spoon for the marinara. read more

My husband and I went to this restaurant for dinner earlier this week. We did not know what to expect. Well, we were pleasantly surprised. The restaurant is big and the rustic decor is impressive. The bar area seemed to be very busy. We asked to be seated away from the bar because we preferred a quiet area, where we could have a conversation without yelling. Instead of ordering entrees, we ordered only appetizers. It was a good idea. The charred Spanish octopus with chickpeas and potatoes was cooked to perfection. It was very tender.My husband loved the grilled lamb chop lollipops. The cauliflower was good and the prosciutto di Parma platter was abundant and nicely presented. The desserts we ordered - olive oil cake and cheesecake - were very tasty. Our server, Jacklyn, was excellent. She was very welcoming, friendly and attentive. We were not familiar with the menu and she answered our questions in a patient, polite manner. We really liked this restaurant and plan to go there again as soon as we can. read more

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This place is great. We sat at the bar tonight and I wasn't sure what to expect as I walked into the Shelton location other night and saw it was beyond packed. Didn't stay. Just wanted to see it. Very beautiful though. Tonight decided to give one of their locations a go. Excited to have one in Cheshire as I live there but wondering how it will do considering Viron Rondo is in town. Let me tell you. Viron is going to have some competition. Viron has the vibes but this place might take some customers for the quality of their food is much better. Viron's food is meh and they don't seem to change their menu. We just came from a birthday party with food so decided to just split the chicken panini. Holy crap. One of the best paninis I've ever had. They use pizza dough for their bread. So different. Light and airy. Delicious light flavors in the panini. Great fries on the side. Side note. They give you the cutest blue and white plates with your napkin. Reminded me of my mother's China growing up. Very nice Mercato. Excited to come back and try other locations too. read more

New Yeares eve. Early 5:30. Party of 4 1 person ordered their favorite salad It was not the same as last time we ordered. That is the same outcome we have had with other dishs eapecially the pizza. Different day, different presentation. Entirely different. I ordered linguine and clams. Got 6 clams and the dish was warm at best. Other dished were ok but as a whole almost worth theNew York Pricing. read more

Mercato is a great Italian place to meet up with friends over a good meal! It's located at the tail end of the plaza, with a good amount of parking and extra parking on the side. You can see the outdoor space for warmer weather, with lights still overhead. Inside, I arrived about six and it was still pretty quiet. There's lots of space - by the bar, in the main dining area, and a smaller room in back. There are tablecloths and water glasses set out without feeling overly stuffy. The meal starts with two types of bread and olive oil to dip them in. That's a way to go, but if you're getting pasta, you may want to save them for the sauce. The star of the meal for me was the beet salad. It came beautifully plates with greens on top of the ricotta, and hidden beneath - BEETS! The best taste was when you could get all the elements in on bite. My main dish of Alla vodka was good, although a little thin in the sauce. I did get a chocolate cake to go, and in a move of brilliance, they included the ice cream in a soup cup! No spilling, no soaking into the cake (which was already moist), and honestly, by the time I arrived at my destination I could drink it from the container like a milkshake. Delightful! Our waitress was very nice, although did tend to hover a bit. We were checked on multiple times to where it did feel like we were being pushed out. By the time we left, the restaurant was packed and the noise reverberated off the high ceiling. Definitely go for a reservation! read more

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I've been to Mercato twice now and both times had a great experience! First off, I'd recommend making a reservation on weekend nights- the place tends to get pretty packed. The restaurant is located in a shopping plaza, so the parking lot is pretty large with plenty of spaces. This most recent time I tried the Housemade Mozzarella Sticks and Ricotta Toast appetizers, which were both excellent! The mozzarella sticks were crispy on the outside, and hot/melty on the inside. The ricotta toast included whipped ricotta cheese with fig jam, olive oil, and vino cotto on top, served with pieces of thin, crispy bread. It was very good, though the ricotta was a little more bland than I had expected. I still enjoyed it though. For dinner I ordered Veal Milanese, which came with an arugula salad on the side dressed with lemon vinaigrette. The veal was cooked well, though again I expected it to have a little more flavor than it did. Definitely not bad by any means, but it just didn't quite meet my expectations. For dessert I had the special, which was a blueberry crisp served with vanilla ice cream. It was so good! From the bar, I ordered the seasonal sangria which was a "summer" sangria, and it was fruity and delicious! The server was extremely attentive, and the service overall was fast considering how busy it was. I would go back again! read more

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Okay, to start with, the food is good, no qualms about that. Bit today, I brought my parents there and ordered a couple glasses of wine from the special drinks menu. Ordered two Pinot Grigio's ($9/glass). No problem. So the waitress came back and said that they were out of that wine and she gave me the drink menu. So I ordered two other glasses of wine, little more expensive, no big deal. But then I asked if they were substituting the wine that cost more with the wine that they were offering that was not available. She sent the manager over - he said "is there a problem here", and I said no, what kind of problem? And I asked him if this was something that he was substituting for the wine that was no longer available on the list - and he said well with the price Can't be changed. He said they were out of that wine and that they don't change the prices. He was a bit rude and condescending. Don't know that I'll be back - not because of the wine, but his attitude. read more

My in-laws were all in town and wanted to go out for a nice family dinner on the last night. Unfortunately it was a Monday night so there weren't a ton of options. That being said it was the perfect opportunity to finally try this place. We had a big group so got a bunch of different things from all over the menu. Everything was pretty good. By far the best thing we had was the pizza. My father in law was surprisingly impressed with the bbq chicken. I got cacio e pepe with shrimp. Instead of the spaghetti, I got gnocchi. It was ok but the gnocchi was cut oddly shaped and small, but seemed a little undercooked in the middle. I wouldn't order it again. Glad we went and I'd totally go back just to try other pizzas (though the burger sounded great too). read more

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Great atmosphere and great food. Staff is always friendly. Love their Pasta and Pizza. The only dull moment was when we told them about our kids birthday and asked them to bring cake and candles which they did but it was only one person who brought it just like its just another food item. There was no celebration, celebratory emotions or anything such that would give my kid's excitement. Usually Birthday celebrations in restaurants are very exciting and celebratory. I think they just need to work on that. Other than that we always have a great experience. read more

Really enjoyed a late lunch here today. The inside of the restaurant is very nicely decorated and has a modern comfortable feel to it. We sat at one of the booths in the bar area that was roomy and quite comfortable. Our waiter was extremely attentive, friendly, and efficient. He was helpful with beer recommendations and even made our boys' day with extra chocolately milk. We all really enjoyed our food- and tried quite a few things on the menu. Our kids got pizza and chicken Parmesan. The pizzas are a good size for 1-2 people and the chicken Parmesan was a larger portion, great marinara sauce! We also tried the fried calamari which was extremely fresh and perfectly fried. I love when a restaurant offers red sauce and an aioli.... it was perfection! The beet salad was fresh and presented so nicely. We also tried the fried mozzarella which was good too. They have an extensive cocktail, beer, and wine menu. My husband tried two beers, one based on our waiter's recommendation that he enjoyed. I tried the specialty mojito which was fresh and well balanced. Overall, happy we got a chance to try this restaurant. It is comfortable with nice service and food/drinks were great. We will be back to try other menu options! read more

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I was really pleasantly surprised by Mercato! I wasn't expecting it to be so good, maybe because it is in the same building as the movie theater. I'd go back if I was in southbury again! First, I ate here at 4:00 PM, and I really appreciate that they were open at that time. It was pretty easy to get a table at 4:00 on a Monday, but there were other people there. I also really liked our server. I think her name was Alissa and she did a really good job!! When I was ordering, I accidentally said "charred Spanish appetizer" instead of "charred Spanish octopus" but she still understood what I meant! Very impressive. She seemed like she knew the menu pretty well. I also think the timing was really good. The food was also pleasantly surprising. The free bread was really good and the dipping oil was too. The bread was warm and crispy and the oil had some garlic cloves in it. My only criticism is that I wanted more oil. We got a figgy pizza as an appetizer and that was good too. I personally don't love figs or too much cheese, but I liked the pizza. I also really liked my octopus! I love that it came with a little chickpea salad and I thought the portion was fine for the price. They also had some good cocktails that I'm sure I would have liked if I had been drinking. My friends liked their food too. read more

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