Deliciously Overpriced Lunch. The food at Mercatto is always fantastic. But $19 is a bit much to pay for a piece of swordfish and a few veggies that were more garnish than side. My birthday lunch with Dave "Hamilton's FTR King" R., Mike "Who Da Man?" S. and a few Non-yelper "Not Cool Enough for Nicknames" Friends kicked off an epic three days of celebration never before seen on Guy Fawkes Day (at least not outside of the UK and almost never on my behalf, if one must qualify such remarks). I arrived a few minutes after everyone else, and was shown to the table for ten set aside for six of us during the busy lunch hour (this turned out to be poor strategy on their part). Our server eventually* swung by, told us about the specials and grabbed our orders. I went for the swordfish special, others opted for pasta. About the same time as the food came up, our server came back to the table to ask a small favour. Could a couple of additional diners be seated at our table? This was a strange request but as nobody in our group wanted to be the jerk who said no, we obliged. Next thing I know, two of my colleagues are seated at the far end of our table, at which point I realized just how much had been asked of us.** I found the intrusion a bit unprofessional for an establishment like this. Maybe at Taco Bell, but not here. The swordfish was delicious. Most were pleased with their food, although the browned-butter ravioli drew one thumbs-up and one thumbs-down, which by my calculation averages to thumbs-sideways. My swordfish was delightful with the first bite bordering on foodgasmic (though not quite), and the few pieces of vegetable matter underneath it were equally yummy (kale, I think, though I don't know my veggies very well). While I have no direct complaint about the food, I'm a bit dissatisfied on value - they could have given me a bit more to eat for $19. At least a side of rice? It also took a while to get our bill and get the hell outta there. Again, this is lunch, folks! Maybe if you were serving your tables more effectively (hire more servers if that's what it takes) you wouldn't have to seat two parties at one table! The company was great - thanks Dave R. for putting it together and thanks all of you for coming. Three-star experience***, five-star friends! * I wasn't timing, but she seemed to take a while to show up considering it was lunch and their clientele likely has places to be in the afternoon. ** To be clear, I like both of the colleagues who were joined our table. Still, their presence placed some limitations on the conversations I could engage in with my friends and had me minding my P's and Q's a bit more than I would have preferred while celebrating my birthday and away from the office. *** Five-star food. Deduct one point for really poor value, and another for service unbecoming of a mid-pricey restaurant. read more

Nice, quiet, classy, shaded spot for a work lunch on the patio! Pizzas, salads, and pastas, are good and they have a nice wine list. The patio is out front with a bunch of trees so it's very peaceful. Wait staff are nice and helpful. read more

I went there for a recent lunch and was impressed. It's a great place to meet for lunch and though packed, less busy than the location on Bay and Queen where there always seems to be a wait a lunchtime. Here, we were able to get a table for two at noon with no problem The food was excellent. We ordered the specials of the day--the boconcini heirloom tomato salad, and cucumber yogurt soup which were fantastic and perfect for a summer afternoon. The tagliatele almond pesto with sun dried tomato was fine, although rather tasteless. read more

This is basically Terroni: basically same concept, basically same menu, basically same ambiance. I really loved the flavours in my soup of the day (sweet pepper and chicken), but the temperature was inconsistent. I thought my duck confit pizza was really good, but somehow the portion seemed small for a pizza? Especially a $20 pizza. The highlight of the meal was the caramel dessert with marshmallow and salted caramel topping, served in a mason jar -- I don't usually order desserts in restaurants, but this was outstanding and a "not to miss" for sure. Service was friendly but amateurish, especially for the price point. Great wine list. read more

This is the only quality restaurant to have a business meeting in this area. Food is usual good quality offerings from Mercatto, service is good. Highest value is the fantastic reservation function right off their website, really helpful for setting up meetings. I even tweeted them asking about lunch specials at 9am and got a response. Saved me time in my meeting, more time to talk business. It's also located right near the Mars parking area. Just a gem for a meeting. My new go-to in this area. read more

This restaurant has everything going for me. I came here a few hours early for a meeting and ended up working on my laptop while sipping on their lattes. I really like the layout of the restaurant. It certainly isn't as glam as their sister store Taverna Mercatto on York Street, but it is still really cozy and comfortable, especially during dinner time. The vibe you get here is really different from Bay or York St as well. Most patrons work at the MaRS building or U of T, so many have notebooks or laptops out for meetings. I personally find that this Mercatto is a lot more laid back than its counterparts. Unfortunately, for some odd reason the couches seemed kind of worn out, with the fabric flaying on the ends. It was kind of uncomfortable to look at. I became way too hungry viewing other people's dishes, so ended up ordering their seafood linguini, which I am happy to say is extremely delicious. This is the first time I've had spicey pescatore linguini. Despite having a low tolerance for spice, I thoroughly enjoyed the dish. It was so appetizing. I also tried their frutti di mare dish, which was very fresh and seasoned perfectly. After this dining experience, I vote Mercatto on college as the best of the sister stores. Bay St is way too sassy, the crowd is annoying and the layout is not as nice. York St is great if you live downtown but it's always packed with obnoxious tourists from the games. College St has an amazing atmosphere, laid back crowd, extremely friendly manager (shout out to Jordan, if you are reading this) and excellent food. read more

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Came here last night for dinner on the patio. As usual, everything was pretty good, though the meals skewed toward the saline side. I ordered the arancini to start (deep fried risotto balls), and salsiccia (sausage and potatoes). I REALLY dug the sausage and the sauce was key. The escarole on the side was a nice touch, but the potatoes didn't do anything for me. Still not quite "I'm a fan" status for me. I wouldn't mind a few more beer options. read more

Quite enjoyed the food, ambience, music, & service. I went on a Saturday evening & was surprised by how few people were there; however, there was a snowstorm that may have affected attendance. I began with a plate of 3 salumi meats. They were freshly shaved and yummy. Came with aniseed pretzels. Then, for mains, I had pasta with chunks of unsmoked bacon, with a gorgeous tomato-based sauce. Pasta was delightfully al dente. Bread was served, with delish olive oil for dipping. An order of olives came toasty-warm and melt-in-your-mouth. I didn't bother with dessert or drinks. Total bill, $36 I'll be back. read more

Nice Shaded Patio My husband and I decided to check out Mercatto for dinner since we live very close by. We sat on the nice shaded patio and commented on how it was hard to believe we were on busy College Street. It seemed quieter and more relaxed because there is a lovely treed area which separates the street from the patio. The cocktails were excellent! Great flavours and very refreshing. To start, we shared the Carciofi and Grilled Calamari. The Carciofi was better than expected - fried marinated artichokes and sweet bell peppers with a pesto cream. Sometimes Calamari can be overcooked and too rubbery, but Mercatto cooked it perfectly with tomatoes, potato, olives, and a red pepper sauce. We also shared the Margherita pizza as the main. I've always said that you can judge an Italian restaurant by how well they make their Margherita pizza and I can say that I was very impressed by the flavours of Mercatto's. Overall, we were pleasantly surprised by how well everything tasted and will definitely come back to enjoy the patio again soon. read more

I've been to Mercatto a number of times and, while I am usually a big fan of their beautiful homemade pasta, their food fell a bit flat for me tonight. To make the most of Mercatto, I suggest staying basic. They have wonderful local meats and cheeses that you can pair up with fresh bread, a salad or two, and a glass of wine, and make a night of it. Their pasta is wonderful, especially their fennel sausage orecchiette ("little ears") with rapini and a little spice. Or go for a simple, but delicious, margherita pizza. The place where Mercatto falls a little short is with the more "interesting" dishes that require more finesse. Tonight I had a veggie pasta with zucchini, peas, fava beans and baby tomatoes. It should have been fresh and beautiful, but it was disappointing. The peas did not taste fresh and yet they were undercooked. The fava beans were overcooked and mealy. The tomatoes were hot, but didn't have the caramelized concentration that roasting them first would have provided. (Note to self: stop watching so many food shows that make it seem okay to used terms like "caramelized concentration"!) Then, again, the chef at Mercatto is currently on Top Chef Canada, so let's all give ourselves full reign to pretend we're Mark McEwan. Vegetarian Score: 6/10. There are some nice veggie options, you'll have no problem finding something, but the menu unapologetically favours meat. read more

The food is average. The pizza had a crust that was super thin and soggy. The toppings were scarce. The flavour was there but barely since they appeared to skimp on the unevenly distributed toppings. I asked the server to recommend a wine and he picked one out. I said i would get that. It was a $10 glass. It turns out they charged me for a $17 glass of wine and unfortunately I only realized this on the drive home. I looked it up on their menu online and indeed the wine is on their (outdated but comparable) wine list online and it's $10. The feeling of being ripped off after consuming soggy mediocre pizza left a bad impression. Maybe if the wine and pizza were amazing I wouldn't feel so gypped. It's too bad because this is a nice-looking restaurant. If only they didn't make costly errors like that. It left a bad impression. I can't say I am in any hurry to return. I will definitely be more careful to review the itemized receipts at restaurants from now on... read more

Very happy every time I visit. It's a great place for a note formal setting in the area which can suffice for business meetings, work lunches etc. My usual is the pappardelle but I have now taken a looking to the thin crust pizzas. Very generous portions for the pizza without a doubt. Coffee is also quite spectacular. I would definitely recommend. read more

Mercatto - Agnello - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I really like this loacation. We had no issues getting a table at 8pm on Saturday and got a great table on the patio. The staff was super friendly and let us linger for hours. The wine list was pretty solid and I loved my Sauvignon Blanc. I had the special - fresh salmon with fennel and polenta which was really nice. My SO had a pasta with lamb ragou and friends had Gnocchi and ravioli - tasted everything and the gnocchi was outstanding. Their dark chocolate sorbet is to die for. Definitely going back - soon. read more

Good food, no complaints. Main fish was overcooked and dry though. Cons: Outside seating has atrocious lighting at night (very cold blue lightning, maybe the hospital crowd is a fan...), otherwise the ambience is great, as is the setting for indoors and outdoors. read more

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Great "working lunch" spot. By the way, Mercatto is located in the Mars building (and what a nice building to boot!). Lunch resos DEFINITELY required as it was packed. I came here as a group of 12 (business lunch) and service was fast and efficient. Our waitress was great and initially offered wine/beer (no one took the offer) so we just stuck with waters. Around the table ordered pizza's and pasta's. We had some Ottawa peeps and they thoroughly enjoyed their meals, saying it was delish. I can agree - I opted for the artic char with cauliflower and it was just right. Portions are great for lunch and you won't go hungry. Highly recommend this place for business lunches. Great food. Great service. read more

Excellent food and wine. The atmosphere on the patio was great too. Just far enough away from the street, but not too far. I'd go back there anytime, but it's especially nice at dusk... read more

Always a good meal. Great ambience. Never gets too loud. Book ahead and if the weather is good... you'll want to be on the patio.

Awesome! Sat out on the patio on a hot evening, under the trees - no bugs, perfect skies, A+ service & delicious food! My 1 & only suggestion would be to increase the portion of the cheese board & if there are 5 people ordering, just throw in a fifth crostini (a matter of cents) - or tell us it's just for 4 to share. Anyway - not a big deal but I'm a cheese lover so...... I got prosciutto pizza which was spot on - sidekick got the duck pappardelle, omg awesome & everyone else was happy too. Mostly it's top points for atmosphere & service - food gets a solid 8. Will most definitely return! read more

Came here for a large group lunch before and tonight for a more intimate dinner. It is located within the MaRS building with an entrance on the inside, so it's super convenient for researchers to come by for a more formal/business meeting kind of meal. They have the same menu options and prices as the Mercatto on Toronto St. The salads at both sites tend to be small (appetizer size), but you could ask them to double the size. The pizzas are fairly large and impressive looking, so would recommend! The vegetarian risotto is also very creamy, flavorful, and yummy - would also recommend! If you're vegan you can ask them to remove the cheese from almost any of the salad options. Soft, fresh complimentary bread + EVOO/BV comes with the meal. They also have a pretty decent dessert menu (try the tiramisu - comes in a small mason jar and the mascarpone actually tastes like mascarpone). The venue is spacious; though I've never had to eat here when it's super packed, aka peak lunchtime hours. Make sure to make a reservation if you are coming with a big group during lunchtime. There is also outdoors seating in the summer. Service is friendly, but can be too slow. Had to remind the servers multiple times to take our orders, fill our water glasses, please bring the bread, etc. A large drink selection and bar are also available. read more

We came in here late one night during the week. I think we ended up here because I had a craving for arancini, and I really couldn't get it out of my head (weird...I know). So we went here. So we shared arancini and a margherita pizza. Foodwise, I think it's OK, but nothing super memorable. Price wise it could be a little cheaper, but I guess it's reasonable given what other places charge. read more

Was kind of nervous when (on a Saturday night) it looked like the only people in here were staff, but had a great time. Service throughout the night was great, and it was a large enough place that you felt like you were the only people in there. Could use touching up here and there (some of the seat cushions were taped together), but overall was very clean and classy atmosphere. The food was where this place shined though! Our salad appetizer and pizza were delicious. Dessert was especially amazing, I had the tiramisu and was thoroughly impressed (if you like the taste of coffee/espresso, you'll definitely love it). Also was pleasantly surprised at the bill too, very reasonable. Beautiful looking patio seating/area, but unfortunately it was raining when we went. read more

Mixed feelings - sometimes the service is great, sometimes they treat you like they're doing you a massive favour, which granted, yes, thank you for the food, but also, what did you sign up for? Location is amazing and the food is alright read more

Out of all the Mercatto's, this is the one that you want to bring a larger group to. It's nice as being part of the Mars building, but other than that, the food is just ok. read more

I've been here for birthday parties, and they definitely have the room to accommodate large groups. This place serves good, competent Italian food--lots of pizzas and pastas. The crust on the pizzas is very thin (toppings soak through really easily), but the toppings are generous and well balanced (had the prosciutto pizza last night, and the salty fattiness of the prosciutto was nicely complemented by the liberal heaping of arugula on top). Desserts were a mixed bag--they've got the usual chocolate tart and tiramisu, but they also offer something called a caramel copetta (a mason jar with caramel ice cream topped with salted peanuts and marshmallow cream) that was truly incredible. It's definitely rich, but as a once-in-a-while treat it's a wonderful indulgence. read more

Very good standard Italian... I was starving and they delivered - good beer on tap. The place was empty on Canada day long weekend saturday night, but there was a group of ridiculously loud people (thankfully they left) - being empty the though service could have been a little snappier. The scallops were delicious and the appetizer was well rounded out with some potatoes. I think it's more of a lunch time hot spot. read more

Love their chocolate pudding. I have tried their pastas twice now and they do a really good job. I got a fettuccini with basil cream, asparagus and beans and it was delicious. I like the ambience of this place as well. Went there on a Friday and surprisingly there weren't a lot of people there. Would still love to go back and this time try their pizzas read more

Mercatto - Fettuccini with basil cream, asparagus and beans - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Mercatto is one of my favourite Italian restaurants in Toronto because it satisfies very specific cravings. I have always found this location a little better in with regards to the service and the food itself. My favourite dish is the Orecciette (5 stars) and I get it approximately 90% of the time I go there (some call it an addiction, I call it satisfaction). I am not a fan of creamy/saucey pastas because when it comes to pasta, I value simplicity. The Orecciette pasta is cooked to perfection and seasoned to a simple peppery taste that offers that little kick of spice which takes the dish to the next level. The addition of the fennel sausage and chopped greens adds a nice balance to the texture/taste of the dish. The dish comes in a pretty decent size and is a pretty good value at modest cost of $15. Mercatto also offers a nice selection of cured meats which can be coupled with fresh bread to start off your meal. I highly recommend the the spicy salami and the proschiutto which just melts in your mouth. The risotto balls (3.5 stars) are also quite tasty but is a little hearty for one person to have, especially if you're going to get the Orecciette which comes in a pretty decent portion. It's a great dish to share. The pizzas are also a great addition to the menu. The Maialina pizza (3.5 stars) is good if you like a little meat on your pizza but the Margherita pizza (4 stars) offers a simple, yet elegant alternative that has a crunch to every bite. The atmosphere makes for a pretty decent place to go on a date during dinner time or for business meetings during lunch hours. However, the service can be pretty hit-or-miss and the other entrees are relatively mediocre for such a steep price. But if you are looking for a nice place to go for some delicious pasta or traditional Italian Pizza, definitely check it out. read more

I dropped in here for a meeting and had one glass of wine. I believe it was an 8 or 9 oz portion. With tax and tip it came to just shy of $20. That's insane. $20 for a glass of 8oz wine is bonkers. No, just no. The wine itself was good, but not the best thing I've ever had. And no, it was not a reserve wine. It was a standard white wine that they served by the glass. And I know this is a somewhat fancy Italian restaurant in the MaRS building, but I still think it's way overpriced. Go somewhere else unless you had oodles of cash to blow. Their patio is nice though so I gave it an extra star for that. read more

I have already reviewed the Mercatto at the Bay Street location and stopped for lunch at this location last week. The atmosphere and menu are identical. The College location, however, has a very inviting patio that is covered in shade at lunchtime. It was great to enjoy the last bit of outdoor dining in the city. Ordered pizza again, as did the co-workers with whom I was dining. The pizzas are large, thin crust and cooked in a wood burning oven. I enjoyed the Norma - with eggplant, ricotta cheese, mozzarella and tomatoes. I would go back to this location and order pizza again - it is a nice lunch size and you can take some away with you if you can't finish it. read more

Came here for lunch with former lab. We sat on the patio. This place is attached to the MarS building which houses many research labs from U of T. My friend and I shared arancini (rice cheese balls) and prosciutto pizza. I liked the rice ball you could see the cheese separate from the rice. It came with tomatoes in tomato sauce. The pizza was alright. It's a little bit bigger than normal personalized pizza and it has a thin crust. It was difficult to cut so we ended up eating it with our hands. The prosciutto on top of pizza was also hard to cut so I ended up eating it in one piece. The pizza got cold quickly so need to eat fast. It was okay I'm not a pizza person. Our waiter was attentive. It was a bit chilly to sit on the patio today but it was a nice day out and noisy inside. It's a bit pricey for students but maybe ok for people who work. read more

Mercatto - 1/2 of prosciutto - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Great spot - always busy so good to reserve in advance. Wanted to try it out so decided to go there for a business lunch. Today I ordered the Seafood linguini in red sauce. Portions are good and the pasta was done right. I asked them to sub more scallops for mussels and they happily did that. My colleague ordered the special of the day - salmon with veggies and she liked it too. We ended with their famous tiramisu, which we shared, and loved that! Only downside is it's a bit on the expensive side - we paid ~75 without any drinks. And they charge for water!! Like what? :| Reserve for special occasions. read more

Working downtown in the MaRS district, this was my go to place for lunch. They have a sidebar which is fast, good, and affordable. I've sat down before at the restaurant too for a team lunch, and their service was preety good. I wouls recommend their sidebar tho! read more

Friendly staff, good service and great place to take a client. We got the eggplant parmegiano which tasted great. Only drawback: The tables are a little close so probably not a good idea to discuss anything confidential. read more

Went here for lunch yesterday. Terrible wine selection, no sangrias and glasses are not chilled. We had a very arrogant male waiter . He was going and fair complexion definitely in the wrong profession. I paid for drinks and went somewhere else for lunch. read more

I came here around 11:30 and the place looked very pretty empty but apparently it was all booked so the waitress sat us outside. The waitress was very friendly and she took our orders in a timely manner. I got the funghi pizza with honey and cremini mushrooms, baby kale, taleggio, and truffle. The pizza was okay- it tasted a little bland. read more

Mercatto - Italian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Came here for lunch and was SO pleasantly surprised. I've been here before and didn't have a good experience but they have totally redeemed themselves. Shared a pizza (proscuitto - arugula, fior di latte, san marzano) and pasta (Garganelli -beef short rib, honey mushrooms, green onion, lemon panna fresca ) and the waiter asked if we wanted to have the portions split for us. Um yes thank you! The pasta was really delicious. A very light lemony sauce and the beef was super tender. The pizza was so good! I normally don't like prosucitto but it was perfect on the pizza with the arugula. Though I have to say I wasn't impressed with the crust. Ample toppings and great portion sizes all around. I could have used a bit more cheese on everything, but who doesn't haha. read more

Mercatto has pretty much plummeted in my eyes. I considered a 2 star, but it's not quite that bad. I've had a couple of dinners there since my previous reviews and my usual feeling leaving is one of disappointment. The most recent visit was for a friend's birthday. I had the half Cornish hen which was served with cauliflower and spinach. It basically tasted like chicken in gravy with a measly portion of veg. I was still hungry after it and it was not in any way special. The friend across from me got butternut squash pizza which was tasty but cold. The still lovely staff presented the birthday girl with a chocolate mousse thing as a cake substitute at the end which was OK. The desserts in general were underwhelming. In general people I talked to afterwards were not impressed and thought it was overpriced with mediocre food. I don't know if some of this relates to Rob Rossi's departure as executive chef, but I think it will be reserved for wine and cheese nights for me from now on. read more

Great lunch scene to meet for pleasure or business. I am a huge fan of Chef Emily! Her inventive gourmet salad/pizza/pasta/panini confections rivals the world's top-rated five star restaurants. Amazing creativity using farm fresh ingredients daily! I'd follow Chef Emily wherever she goes! Chef Emily is an absolute ROCK STAR and a keeper Mercatto at MaRS! read more

The MaRS building is lovely, and with million dollar rents, it should be. The building houses geeks of all scientific sorts. You can see their pale complexions, unshaven neck hair and slightly too short pants coming a mile away. So, be forwarned, if you are looking for Bay-street types who make millions, instead of write grants for millions of funds, this is not the Mercatto for you. However, if you value brains over braun, saddle up to the bar with a glass of red and order yourself a pasta special and wait. The wine bar is fantastic. They have the machine that spits out the perfect taste, 3 oz or 5 oz pour. It keeps the wine fresh and if you don't know your Italian wines, ask for a taste. I've been here several times now, and the food keeps getting better, or I've learned enough to make the best choices! The margarita pizza is bland. The bread is OK, but tastes better with a scoop of the Italian hot peppers that they can bring over for you. The freshmade pasta specials are your best bet. Get it topped with anchovies, olives and basil and a light tomato sauce, if they've got it. The wine list is extensive by the bottle, too. Antipasti appetizer platter that can be shared among 4-5 people are swell. Service has been great for a big group, and OK for a small group. Outside patio faces North and gets the sun at the peak of the work-day, but after work, it gets cold, windy and dark. read more

Lovely spot for a business lunch. Service is prompt and they get your food fast. The food offerings are fresh and well made but they have not completely blown me over except for the delicious olive oil they serve with the bread. Wicked good that I always walk away with a bottle. So glad that they sell the bottles. read more