Review Mercato - Calgary

Pros: Wonderful and Attentive staff. food is savoury and with fresh fresh ingredients. The decor is wonderful and you get a the full view of the kitchen and chef if you sit at the second bar. Cons: you are going to be here for a while. Two Mains took about 46 minutes to come. Also the food is a little pricy but the quality makes up for it. The high chairs are a bit uncomfortable after you sit on time for a long time.

10/10 food, atmosphere and service was great. We had: Burrata Mushroom Risotto Chicken with caramelized fennel and olives Asparagus wrapped in prosciutto Potatoes with n'duja aioli (my favorite)

Amazing night out at this wonderful restaurant in Mission. We sat at a table instead of the bar and the atmosphere was charming. Recommend making reservations a week before at least. We ordered 3 different half size pasta dishes between the two of us to share and it was just the right amount of food. We liked the Pappardelle pasta dish the most! Service was excellent as well. Very high class and high end service. The staff seems to work well together as a team, always making sure we had what we needed at all times. We got the Italian Cookies for dessert, but they were cold and hard... so maybe not the style cookies I like most. Would suggest trying one of the other desserts instead. All the food was high quality and authentic, made to order. None of the sauces were pre-prepared, which made the food even fresher. They only carry Italian brands, so I had amaretto with my coffee. This was really tasty! This place is a definite go to for any one who is a fan of Italian!

Had an amazing Dinner last night for my sister birthday. We got the Bistecca, Caprese, The feature Nduja pasta with zucchini, tiramisu and lemon drops 😍 The Steak was beautiful and melted in your mouth and the caprese was super fresh and light tasting with a pistachio pesto that rocked, the pasta was really nice and had a bit of a kick. Everything tasted so good and perfect portions. The waiter was also very lovely, he was able to guide the whole meal for us super well and answers our questions before we even needed to ask them. Can’t believe I waited so long to have a meal here ❤️

Amazing! I came here with coworkers and it was one of the best dinners. It's very Southern Italy influenced, very favourable and spice. Love it. A must visit when in Calgary.

It was definitely a pleasant experience dining in. Service is wonderful. And omg the steak was super delicious!!! The rib was a bit overcooked for our liking but the problem was solved immediately after we talked to our server. We also had their tiramisu, love it! Will come back for sure.

Came to the Mercato Market which is part of the restaurant for an iced coffee on a hot summer day. The staff was very friendly and made us really good iced Americanos. The quality of coffee was very impressive and superior to all the coffee shops in the vicinity. Recommend also getting one of their donuts which has the perfect balance of sweetness and chew. It's a delight. Highly recommended

First time being here for Mother's day! It was such a nice experience. Service was great and food was very tasty!! 5 stars!!!

Stopped in for lunch and ordered the pasta Tagliatelle. The pasta was delicious and fresh. This is a restaurant in Calgary that never disappoints.

Casual dining with a bakery and restaurant available. There is open kitchen. Good food but not extraordinary taste as per the price. Ravioli not available :(

It is so hard to write about food as everyone has its personal taste buds, however, I am tempted to share our discovery of delicious Italian food from “Pizza Mercatos”, at 4th Street Calgary. <br/>This Father’s day, our son ordered Italian food from “Mercatos Pizza” for a party of about 15. The food has about 6 or 7 choices of Pizza, Pasta, Contorni and dips.  <br/>Pizza:  Soonest, we all sat down with our meals, instantly everyone commented on the quality of the pizza crest. Perhaps, an above average pizza is because of its bread flavor. Definitely a unique taste of crest because of fresh ingredient but my take is that bread tasted so good because we did not taste the usual table salt.  The base sauce and toppings were all exclusive for each pizza. My favorite from the menu were Isola, Pomodoro, Sal sicca and the Carne.  The best part is after eating so many different types of Pizza, I did not feel stuffed…. The bread is very light.  <br/>CONTORNI:  What a great “Prawns & Fogioli” recipe of Prawns with beans and capicola ham.  Another very special “Arancini” saffron ball. One can have this ball even as an appetizer. Must to have. <br/>PASSATA: I was so full and could not handle too much of Pasta, but I heard from everyone else nothing but praises of Linguine, and Rigatoni.  <br/>Dips: special dipping sauces and my facilitate were Chili Honey, and Spicy Tomato Dip  <br/> If vesting Calgary or any occasion, for a wonderful Italian food I recommend Mercatos at 4th or order from their web “Pizzamercatos.ca”

Have not been in a few years. Had a late night light dinner with a friend last night. Chicken Liver Pate, carpaccio, and Gnocchi. All were amazing as was the suggested wine. I won’t make it that long before I return

We wanted to celebrate a birthday here and guests normally have an early dinner but because of this special occasion, we only had an 8pm reservation. That's fine. What's not fine was waiting an hour to get our steak and tuna without an explanation or an apology- we didn't finish eating until around 11. The worst part was that we had the menu planned out prior to the night, so it shouldn't have taken that long. The food tasted great (how could it not when you're starving?). Too bad about the service.

I would have rated 3.5 if I could. Good bread, should be focaccia bread. Good olive oil, haha, olive oil is important! What a pity that Risotto was too salty, parmigiano cheese is already salty, plus salty risotto, just not pleasant. They cook risotto quite well instead of authentic al dente way.

Another favorite restaurant ❤️ Best seats are at the bar around the kitchen. The chef (Yeng Sreng) tastes every dish to make sure it’s made to perfection. He’s so fast and efficient, we counted how many plates he was making and it was 3 every two minutes! I don’t know how we had time to meet him and have a little chat! The food and ambiance are PERFECT! I hope to go back soon!

Had high hopes for this place. Love the ambience and level of service here. The food, however, did not quite live up to that standard. <br/><br/>The pastas were quite bland and the steak we got was mostly charred fat. I think the most enjoyable part of our meal was the asparagus.<br/><br/>Hoping that was just an “off” day for the kitchen.

If you are looking for a nice restaurant to impress a date or just to treat yourself, this is a perfect place. All I can say is ahhhhmazing!! This is by far my favorite place for great Italian cuisine (and an excuse to dress up)!  I have been a handful of times over the past few years and the food is consistently excellent! Here is my review of my last visit.<br/>Food:<br/>As the menu is a la carte you get to pick just what you want, so whether you are paleo, keto or you eat everything, you will be able to find something to suit your taste.<br/>Every time I go I get the steak. It is large rib steak that comes sliced on a large butcher block drizzled with olive oil and served with grilled lemon, arugula and rock salt. Don't let it's simplicity fool you, this is a carnivore's dream! So flavorful with the salt & citrus and bite from the peppery arugula and incredibly tender.For accompaniments, I chose the cauliflower and tagliatelle for sides and they did NOT disappoint! The cauliflower was pan roasted with loads of chunky prosciutto macinata (ground) and super tasty fried jalapenos. It was made even more amazing with a drizzle of their chili oil! The pasta and pomodoro sauce and was surprisingly light and refreshing and not at all heavy. But that sauce.... oh the tomato sauce.... I could have drank it! Sooo tangy and good!My only regret was ordering the small version of both of the sides as the next day I pan fried the left over cauliflower and slices of steak to reheat, topped with two fried eggs, a drizzle of truffle oil and the remaining arugula and made quite possibly the best breakfast skillet! Service:<br/>I have never made a reservation, therefore I've only sat at the center bar or the bar around the live kitchen which, has always been fun. The service was very pleasant, prompt and their wine selection on point. For this meal we started with prosecco then switched to a beautiful Sangiovese.Ambiance:The room is beautiful and an open concept but surprisingly it isn't too loud. There is a live kitchen as mentioned that you can enjoy dinner watching or there are plenty of tables around the room, with extra seating at night time in the market area which is quite charming. You can also purchase fresh pasta/sauce or frozen items to take home! The lighting on my most recent visit was a lot brighter than I remember from past visits and if they were dimmer could have added a touch more to the ambiance but all in all that was minor.Dinner for 2 that included the steak, 2 sides, 2 glasses of processo and 3 glasses of wine came to less than $150 (plus tip)m I was expecting it to be more so was pleasantly surprised when the check came and I will happily pay it again! If you want a table, make sure to make a reservation. But either way, just do yourself a favor and GO!:)

Great family-style Italian restaurant for a celebratory night out (or a regular evening if you're not short on $$$). We shared three dishes between the three of us: Tagliatelle, Risotto, and the Pollo. The portions were a good size and everything was delicious. Our server was knowledgeable and was able to answer any questions and provide wine recommendations. The interior was warm and we got a great view of the kitchen to boot.

The wine and lamb were amazing 10/10. I misread the menu and ordered extremely over-salted green beans for $17, but that was mostly my bad. The pasta I got was also over-salted, to the point of being inedible. We sat at the bar and noticed the chef's basically dumping salt left right & center. We didn't order the steak but it looked amazing and huge. Overall, this place is quite expensive but some of the food was incredible. Maybe ask for less salt?

This place is phenomenal. We'd been meaning to go for so long and finally did it and we regret not having gone sooner. Our server was a very friendly guy and was super helpful with the menu (if you have questions just ask them). The food we got was outrageously good. We also ate a ton and left feeling so full. While the prices are a little on the higher side you won't leave feeling hungry and the food is definitely worth it. We can't wait to go back!

It is a Italian restaurant in mission with live kitchen and little Italian market. <br/><br/>Pro: food<br/>Con: service <br/><br/>I loved food in Mercato. I tried their seafood tomato soup and pasta. Both were delicious!<br/><br/>I think potion there mostly supposed to be sharing size(some menu like pasta have two sizes). I shared two dish with my husband and I was pretty full after. <br/><br/>This time, I didn't get to try but their grilled beef menu looked really good, I'd like to try that and also bone mallow plate next time. <br/><br/>They have table seats and counter seats. We say on counter which you can see live kitchen. It was amazing and I liked how clean they keep the kitchen and food! Table seats are good for family, too. I saw some babies there when I visited. <br/><br/>As for menu, they only have one menu which is common menu through day and night. They do not have lunch menu or weekend brunch menu. Which is a little sad because I want to visit there more often but sometimes their menu is too big and heavy for lunch time. <br/><br/>Disappointing thing was, the server lady was such rude to us. My husband was on the phone while we were looking at menu. Since it is sharing size meal, I was waiting for him to finish the call. But the server came to take order twice while he was on the phone. At the third time she came, she was irritated and asked us is there anything we could not understand about menu. Even after we ordered, she did not say a word when she serve or did not even look at us or of course she did not smile at all. It was very disappointing because I like food there very much. <br/><br/>Overall, mercato is still one of my favorite place for Italian food in Yyc, service could be improved a little more.

I went on a double date and the bill came put out to around 200 which wasn't too bad for 4 people.<br/><br/>I thought the risotto (with shrimp) was really good. The gnocchi was ok in my opinion. I didn't like the caprese as much because it was just a salad but if you like salads, this might be your dish. I like the atmosphere and their coffee machine was really cool. Also it's an open kitchen and really interesting to watch. <br/><br/>The food was good, service was good but the most impressive thing and the reason why I'm giving this place such a high rating is because of their tiramisu. I love tiramisu cake and this place has got to have the best one I've tasted thus far.

Came for another Birthday Celebration and it delivered in spades, as per usual.  Very happy with everything from the service to the food and drinks.  Always recommend to order more pasta and less mains as I think those are the true stars here.... that tagliatelle is easily one of the best dishes in the entire city.

Great place to host a birthday dinner if it is within your budget. The portion of the food is huge at this location. It is a little too much for 2 people to finish if they plan on getting other dishes as well. Some of the dishes are sprinkled with salt, it get's a little overwhelming. Just ask them to out the salt in the side

had the pleasure of going to Mercato West for dinner on Saturday night...great ambience...but the food was unacceptable<br/><br/>First off the glass of wine barely filled the bottom of the glass...but the real problem was the the main course<br/><br/>Ordered the seafood pasta to start with which was ok....but the Bistecca was BRUTAL...very cheap and poor cut of meat....all grizzle<br/><br/>For the amount we paid...no thanks...we won't be back

Came here for lunch yesterday, and got to sit at the "bar" facing the kitchen.  I really got to appreciate the hardwork that gets put into the food.  Everything is made fresh and amazingly tasty.  Definitely will be going back.

Been here 4 plus times as my lady loves the atmosphere.<br/><br/>It's definitely a cool scene with a good energy, but that doesn't cut it for me due to the high cost to taste ratio.<br/><br/>Not the best place for me, but I think the experience would be better for a non -Vegetarian as the meat options seem more robust.

I had my birthday here, table of 12, and worked with their coordinator to design a custom menu. Service is always impeccable and food was amazing. You don't go here to watch your calorie and wine in-take. You go here for an amazing time. We spent 4 hours there that night and everyone was in a food coma. I now work a block away, and go there for lunch every once in a while. It has never let me down. Legit worth it.

I don’t know why but Mercato reminds me so much of Vivo Ristorante in Edmonton. They could be brother restaurants. Same high end, expensive concept. Same family style dishes. Heck, even the menu design/layout looks identical. Hours. Better make a reso if you want a spot here on Friday and the weekends. We came here Sunday evening and it was pretty packed.

This was one of the best dinner experiences I have ever had!  Service and ambience were incredible but the food..... the food was amazing!!!  We started with the Caprese salad which was to die for, followed by gnochi in the most delicious sauce ever.  Pork back ribs while although very tasty, were a bit of work to eat off of the bone, but no complaints here. The bill for two people was over $200 which was a bit higher than we had planned, but I will definitely be going back.

Never had a bad meal! Love the bistecca, tagliatelle, prosciutto wrapped asparagus...to name a few highlights! Love the overall ambiance. Great for small intimate dinner date. Can be a bit noisy, but provides a great opportunity to lean in while talking.

Mediocre. Ordered the tortellini. So bland. A few bland tortellini floating in watery, bland broth. Mentioned to the server. She didn't seem interested. The risotto was better but still so bland. So $75 lunch and very disappointing. Took home some lasagna from the market to try for dinner. Very bland. All noodles. Hardly any sauce and trace elements of cheese. Won't be returning.

This place is fabulous! Difficult to find a place that pleases both my husband & I. Me, the vegetarian and he the big time meataterian. The gnocchi is amazingly flavourful. Now he does not like salad but said the vegetables "came alive" in that caprese salad. (Say what?). The string beans was really good - I wouldn't have ordered that but did on suggestion - tasty! My husband ordered the small steak (small - 26/30 ounce are you kidding me?)<br/><br/>The style is family so the dishes come and you share. So dinner for 4 with leftovers. Caprese salad, gnocchi, Fagiolini (string beans), tagliatelle (ok but a bit plain), Bistecca (according to everyone it was tender, juicy, flavourful and "you wouldn't want to change a thing". <br/><br/>Italian pomegranate soda for me, peach ice tea (I don't like ice tea but tasted my husband's very good!) <br/><br/>Our waiters were wonderful. Oh dear - He had glasses (Andrew?). We sat at the bar. Busy busy place! <br/><br/>Make a reservation but if not chance a walk in, even at the bar was great! <br/><br/>Recommend!!!

My boyfriend and I went here for dinner on a Saturday night. We had reservations for 8:30 pm and were promptly seated upon arrival. The restaurant itself has a very lively ambience on weekends. This can make it a bit loud at times, so you may want to request a table off to the side if your looking for a quieter setting. Personally, I loved the bustling vibe. <br/><br/>For dinner, we shared the Bruschetta, Tagliatelle and Angello. All the dishes were prepared perfectly, with beautiful presentation. The Bruschetta was presented in three different variations. Each one exhibiting a distinct and delicious flavour. The Tagliatelle (similar to fettuccine) came with a light but flavourful tomato sauce, absolutely delicious. However, the Angello was definitely the highlight of our meal. The lamb was cooked a perfect medium rare- the meat was tender, juicy and flavourful. I can be particularly picky with lamb, as I'm not fond of gamy meat. But I found this dish spectacular.<br/><br/>The service was always on point. Our waiter was kind, attentive and knowledgable. He was able to thoroughly answer all our questions about the menu. In addition, the meal was perfectly timed. <br/><br/>I would definitely recommend Mercato!

The place is ridiculously loud for a restaurant. I understand that atmosphere at a pub, but it’s a little weird that I have to yell for the person sitting right across to hear me. The food was way too salty, and the portions are enormous. We did like the bucatini pasta, but that was about it. Everything else was drenched in salt and lacked flavour otherwise. I can think of at least three better Italian places in Calgary, so I’m quite surprised that this place is so popular and has lasted for that long.

One of my favorite places to go for a special occasion. The location is accessible by transit by taking bus #3 sandstone. The surrounding communities and establishments feels safe and quiet. We came in for lunch for valentines day 2016 and my overall experience was superb. <br/><br/>The waitress was attentive to needs, knowledgeable of the menu, fast service and always smile. The food was also superb, we ordered the valentines day special risotto with red wine reduction to give a nice pink rose like color. The flavor was intensely good, soft and gooey texture. Next we ordered the pappardelle which was also amazing using lamb meat, sweet peas and wild buffalo cheese on top. Pasta sauce tasted fresh, not too sour and generous offers for the meat. I highly recommend both of them. For the finale, we ordered Bistecca and it was glorious. Soft, high quality meat and lots of fat, it is worth it. <br/><br/>I would definitely come back for more.

I love the one in the west, so gave it a try. Portions big, pasta and steak were all good, but to me they were extremely salty… We will go back for sure, but will ask to reduce the salt.

We ordered the Caprese Salad ($23), Gnocchi ($17), and Bistecca ($49). The portions were big enough that we took home some of the steak and gnocchi for my husband. Of the bunch, my favourite dish was the gnocchi.

I took my girlfriend there for her birthday, and Mercato did not disappoint in helping to make it a special occasion. The food is delicious and obviously prepared with great skill. It was a little pricy, for ultimately it was worth it.<br/>The service was outstanding, the wine selection was fabulous. We will come back, and would recommend this to anyone.

I found the upscale restaurant a little overpriced for the food we received. The restaurant boasts high quality, housemade ingredients that reflect in its prices; however, the food was hit or miss. The cone-shaped, ruffled-edge gigli was

I found the restaurant a little overpriced for the food we received. The restaurant boasts high quality, housemade ingredients that reflect in its prices; however, the food was hit or miss. We went there for lunch. The gigli alla carbonara was plain and dull, but the pappardelle with lamb bolognese was delicious!

The lamb dish and linguini was awesome. My girlfriends and I all really liked it. The risotto was okay, nothing too special about it. We also ordered the eggplant veggie dish, it was however overpriced. Half of an eggplant cost 16 dollars, all it had was just some minced meat and little bit mozoralla cheest on it. The style of kitchen was open kitchen, and our table was placed right next to it. So after 3 hours of dinner all of our hair and cloths smelt like grease and oil.

Amazing.<br/>I took my friend here last night for a minor celebration. I came a bit too early but was able to be seated with a cappucino while I waited for my friend, the cappuccino was very good BTW.<br/>The bread they start you off with had so much flavor and amazing texture.<br/>For our apetizer, we had the caprese salad, the ingredients were very fresh and presentation/plating was beautiful.<br/>For entrees I had the pasta with bone marrow, and my friend just had the pasta with tomato sauce and parmasan.<br/>Although his entrée was simple, it tasted wonderful.<br/>Mine seemed to have a bit more complexity to it, it had a bit of a spicy kick, very minor but you do notice it. It was a very rich and slightly oily dish, amazing.<br/><br/>The only bad thing I can say about this restaurant is they didn't have any alcohol free wine/beer; but with the great service, wonderful food, and fun atmosphere you can't complain.<br/><br/>Great job, Mercato!<br/>You're officially my favorite Italian restaurant.

Not bad but nothing to really rave about. Mostly over priced paste. The venue and the location are good but that's around it. Having eaten in Italy a lot this is not authentic.

Great experience here. They have a sharing menu and there was three of us. Big portions and had no problem sharing. Would definitely return.

Had yet another amazing experience at Mercato....the food was beyond amazing and the service was superb. My GF and I sat along kitchen. Was really interesting to watch the chefs prep food but heat from broiler and sauté section was hot. We were sweating. Was our only bad thought of the night. The lamb was succulent and delicate. The first dish of seared scallops and pasta was a meal in itself. If you want old school Italian food in a cozy atmosphere this is the place to go. Mercato is an institution....just like the Grand Budapest.

The food is delicious and authentic to what I see as their most important point of difference-quality ingredients, simply prepared with attention to detail. Our server was a true pleasure-helping us understand the art behind the food and it's preparation and guided us through through four perfectly balanced courses. Caprese salad, gnocchi, steak and mushrooms left us with a new appreciation for dining in Calgary, which now see's Mercato top our list. The front row view of the chef's preparing our meal was just splendid-learning technique and craft - we loved the environment you've created with such a lively experience. Thank you for a wonderful evening helping us celebrate our anniversary, we are new 'regular's' and can't wait to return.

I love Mercato. I can always count on a great evening. The place attracts interesting people, and we find ourselves having great conversations with fellow diners. The owners are great people. Spencer, the head chef is a rock star  Nikki, the manager is a sweetheart, and she misses NOTHING! The food is always made with the finest ingredients. You'll love it.<br/> Calgary without Mercato wouldn't be the same. (By the way, try the carpaccio of golden beets, made with gorgonzola, walnuts, etc. Really good.)

This is one of my favourite restaurants in Calgary. Everything is perfectly cooked, with the best ingredients, which results in every meal (and wine!) being amazing.

Good flavours and fun atmosphere but way over salted!!! They could reduce the salt by half and it would taste much better. Otherwise the pasta is fresh and textures are great. They never overcook anything.

I only ever go to Mercato on the hill but tonight we came to the mission location. I had a pleasant evening, our waitress was very kind. Atmosphere is also nice. We usually order a caprese salad, tagliatelle, and the steak. Everything was good except the fact that they were very stingy with the cheese on the caprese salad. We were out of mozzarella before we even finished 1/3 of the tomatoes and arugula. For the price, I think we should have gotten a little bit more.

When I imagine cooked to perfection, I imagine Mercato. One of Calgary's best restaurants, I've never been disappointed and each time I visit I'm always impressed.<br/><br/>Things like the Tonno (tuna) is the perfect texture of softness and composition. Grilled and heated to the right consistency, it's an amazing soft tuna steak covered in flavourful peppers. There was also a foccacia-like bread soaked in a pepper sauce providing incredibly strong flavours. Almost too powerful to handle on its own.<br/><br/>The Bistecca (Fiorentine rib steak) was another perfect dish, with a perfectly timed grill and heated so it was a crisp exterior with a soft medium-rare interior. Add the salt, lemon and oil on the sides and you enhance the already flavourful dish.<br/><br/>The Gnocchi was a creamy dream composed of a cauliflower crema. It was so smooth that it mixed perfectly with the soft pasta. Small slices of asparagus gave a nice colour to the dish and contrasting crunch for texture.<br/><br/>While every dish was flavourful, they're great because of the liberal uses of salt on the savoury meat. It's something I enjoy, but know could be a bit much for others. Especially if you're eating a dish on your own. Most of the dishes are meant to be family-style shared, so they're nice to take portions from the large dishes, but to eat an entire dish to yourself is overwhelming and exhausting of having the same strong flavours.<br/><br/>For atmosphere and service, I can't fault them anywhere. It's all business throughout the restaurant. Servers are really friendly and talkative if they have a moment. If you're lucky enough, get a bar seat for the entertainment of watching the chefs at work cranking out their meals.<br/><br/>The only thing that keeps me from visiting Mercato often is the intimidating prices. They're not bad if you go as a large group and share, but alone, you could really tally up a high bill. However, I think the price is worth it. Mercato sets a standard. Not just for good Italian food, but for good food in Calgary.

We arrived towards the end of lunch service and I was pleased to see the place was still full of diners; the chatter was inviting. Our server was friendly and he made us feel comfortable with the menu, explaining the family style servings. We started with the liver pate, bruschetta and caprese salad. The flavours were fresh and bright. <br/><br/>We sat as a group overlooking the kitchen activity (I am told this was a cooking school in the day) and the chefs were friendly although focussed. The gigli pasta was brilliant and the carrot discs and meatballs gave great hearty texture to the dish. <br/><br/>The balsamic ribs and florentine steak were served together on a large cutting board with grilled lemon wedges, mushrooms and wrapped asparagus. What a great presentation! I was also impressed with the wine selections and the offering of higher end wines by the glass. <br/><br/>We ordered one of each dessert and found the tiramisu and cheesecake to be our favourites. These items are also available in the market section along with a myriad of other products imported for use in the kitchen. <br/><br/>The espresso machine is a beast of polished brass and bronze that delivers a proper cup. There is something here to please everyone and we had a great lazy lunch. <br/>

In my humble opinion, Mercato is THE best Italian restaurant in Calgary... granted, it is a bit pricey. But you get what you pay for here, the food is really really good!<br/>Appies, mains, desserts... there is nothing I've not been thoroughly satisfied with.<br/>I usually start with either the Polpo (Octopus/potatoes/celery/onion) or the Caprese (Mozzarella di bufala/tomatoes/golden beets), and then follow whatever main I feel like and just replace the pasta that comes with it with Gnocchis: they make no fuss at all about it!<br/>Of course, the Tiramisu will blow your mind... so if need be, know that mains come in 2 sizes and just get the smaller one.

Delicious. Big enough portions that you can share with another person. Everything was good but I wasn't real happy with the drink selection. But overall would definitely go back again and try the steak. This time we had pasta. Would recommend to reserve a table. They get booked up fast.

The gnocchi (just a tad too salty), the halibut, the squid ink risotto, the bistecca, all were superb. The restaurant is a nice space; the open kitchen is cool. The price is okay for this level of execution.

Mercato never ceases to disappoint me. Since the first time i have been here i have enjoyed coming back to try more of their dishes. The steak, truffle linguine, ribs, & other pasta dishes are soo tasty. It is on the pricier side, but the dishes are meant to be shared, which makes the cost reasonable. for dessert, the tiramisu with a glass of moscato is a delight.  This place does get busy and fills up fast, so reservations is a must. I like that they have a patio too and an open kitchen, where you can sit at the bar and watch them cook the food :)<br/>love this place

Caprese salad is amazing.  I used to like the asparagus wrapped in prosciutto but it now comes crumbled on the top.  Always had great food but find it on the pricey side.

Mercato is one of my favourite spots for nights when I feel like pigging out at home, but I don’t necessarily feel like cooking. They have an excellent market with salads, soups, appetizers, meats, cheese, and of course, homemade pastas. Everything is pretty reasonably priced, flavourful, and just straight up authentically Italian.

good Italian restaurant. service was great even though it was busy. we had the carppacio and caprese salad to start. pasta for main! also great wine list

Wonderful Italian experience. We love this restaurant for lunch, dinner and special occasions. The food is consistently great and it has a wonderful atmosphere. Our favorite for certain when in the mood for great Italian or just good food.

A mouse ran over my foot while I was there and I heard one of the male owners tell one of the female staff not to scream and alert the customers

Bistecca Florentina with Green Beans and Proscuitto Wrapped Asparagus. Best steak meal in Calgary

Great Experience Every Time. It is a pleasure every time going down to Mercato (no matter which location).<br/><br/>Environment is super cozy and warm, with a romantic feeling. Great for special occasion.<br/><br/>Server is highly profession with great cares of the customers. With all the wine list they provide and great knowledge the server has, it will be a great pairing every time when goes with their recommendation.<br/><br/>Sharing food among the table is a great environment providing more friendly environment and for sure could get romantic.

I really love Mercato, I can't leave here without having the caprese salad it is amazing. We also had the carpaccio which was delicious and of course the bistecca. I will say that the mussel dish was a little strange, mussels in a bag with some dry potatoes. Felt like that dish didn't work so well. Service is always fantastic

Great service not so great food. We were both busy Valentine's Day so we went out last night to celebrate. I was taken to Mercato for dinner. We did the sharing thing, ordered the bruschetta, the bucatini, and the bistecca with a side of cavolini.<br/><br/>The bruschetta came as 3 seperate types of appetizer, a traditional bruschetta of tomatoes and spices, and two other specialty bruschetta. The traditional tomato bruschetta was good, the other two were different.. one was a chickpea type hummus with speck and the other a walnut pesto. The walnut pesto left a bitter after taste on the pallet the hummus with speck was bland but not inedible.<br/>The Bucatini was done All’ amatriciana with guanciale, roma tomatoes, onion and Pecorino Romano. I would have again enjoyed more flavor, and the sauce was really salty. The flavors of the amatriciana just were not well developed. It was very pretty and bright but could have used a little more flavor and development.<br/>The Bistecca was the downfall of the meal for me. A ribsteak, cooked to just above rare, would have preferred it be cooked closer to a medium rare or medium, was very tender but very fatty. A nice marble, but due to the underdoness came out oily and unappetizing, and again no flavor to the meat. There was a lack of salt or garlic or even pepper throughout the meal, and was missed greatly on the Bistecca.<br/>The Cavolini saved the meal. The brussel sprouts were well seasoned and charred and had great flavor.<br/><br/>The service throughout the meal was very good though and our waiter was very good.<br/><br/>Overall not worth the money we paid for the meal, and not worth recommending.. If you are going to spend an evening out, I'd suggest picking a different Italian restaurant in Calgary, and staying away from Mercato on 4th.

Salty Food. After my second time at Mercato, I can honestly say it is just too salty! I appreciate their ability to accommodate to my gluten allergy. Most of the menu is gluten free which is nice but it becomes ruined with salt. The mussels were fishy tasting, the risotto was barely edible and the meat is fine until you bite into the sea salt. The food was disappointing, but the service is great, as well as the atmosphere. I just do not think it is worth the amount of money for extremely salty food.

Cant accommodate allergies. The first time i went the place was packed and was able to accommodate my tomato allergies for the gnookie. They made a cream sauce instead. This time I was told it was impossible to accommodate and told to pick a different dish. The majority of the items in the pasta section have tomatoes.<br/><br/>The first time I went the place was packed, this time it was not. All other restaurants have been able to make a sauce that doesn't have tomatoes. For them not to be able to is disappointing at the price point. You would think at an Italian restaurant the chefs would know how to make a pasta sauce from scratch...

BEST DINNER EVER. We booked a reservation on Opentable for a Saturday night - we had a great experience! The server suggested how many plates to order and she was bang on - we had the best amount of food and every bite was delicious. The BISTECCA was the BEST! As was the homemade cheesecake at the end of our meal. I would highly recommend this restaurant - service was awesome and the food truly amazing!

Dinner. Disappointed, portions are small and prices are high.

Lovely. I honestly haven't had a bad experience at Mercato and have always left very happy with my choice. We always sit up around the bar and ask for the same bartender if he's not too busy. I've forgotten his name but will remember to grab it next time I'm in. Although the food is a bit pricey and the food takes longer to get to you, it is SO worth it. I've had the bruschetta, gnocchi, asparagi and tagliatelli. The gnocchi is the closest I've ever had to what I ate in Italy and crave it every time I'm looking for pasta of some sort. The tagliatelli has a good kick to it but it has enough other flavours in it to balance it out. I've heard others around the bar saying 'why is my food taking so long' or 'why did they get their food and i haven't gotten mine' I totally understand that making FRESH food from scratch takes longer than having it already prepped or frozen and I'm more than willing to wait a bit longer to get the quality of food I'm paying for.

Never disappoints. Love this place! Consistently fresh food and an energetic ambience-Bistecca is always cooked bang on and their fresh pastas melt in your mouth. Its definitely a go to at least once a month for a great dinner!

NOT GREAT. Food is good. The cook knows what they are doing.<br/>The service is pretty bad.

Amazing Food... worst service. Nothing on this menu has ever disappointed me. LOVE LOVE LOVE.<br/><br/>However, the worst service I have EVER had. The last time I went was probably the worst time it has ever been. In fact, I had a gift card that I was using that was given to me by the manager because of how horrible I was treated the time I was there before. The server hardly came to check on us, when I asked to sample one of the wines to see if I wanted to the bottle she asked if I would be paying for the taster, the Bartender ended up bringing out our food and tending to us. Did I mention this was at 5 pm and we were one of the only two tables in the restaurant. When we were paying, the server made sure to mention that I need to tip on the total amount, not just the amount remaining after the gift card was used. I left a minimal tip because of how disgusted I was with our server. She then asked me why I was leaving such a little amount and I made sure to tell her why. I have never been back. <br/><br/>My recommendation, sit at the bar and you will have good service there. The food is great... but worst service I have ever encountered.

Snobby service good food. The hostess and waiter were abrupt and borderline rude. Spent over 300 bucks and despite good food won't return for a long time.

Steak. Perfect

Okay. I had heard about this restaurant from friends so i checked it out.. i am a bit of a foodie so i was looking forward to the meal perhaps it was my expectations that got the better of me but i was not impressed with the food.. it was uninteresting and without much flavor..

Dinner. Had an outstanding dinner at Mercato while visiting Calgary for earlier this week.<br/>Food, service and atmosphere were top rate. The place hopping and the servers<br/>did a terrific job of handling the crowd. I would definitely return on another trip West.

Wonderful staff and atmosphere. Sat at front bar and witnessed the amazing chefs cook. Menu changes so go often to try everything. It is family style so great for sharing.

Had lunch there today with an old friend. It was a very pleasant experience. We were not rushed by the server, the food was prompt and delicious. Not a single complaint.

Went to Mercato for lunch. The service was good, food was amazing, great wines! Overall awesome experience. A tad pricey for lunch, but was very good.

I've loved it since day one. My boyfriend wasn't a fan the first time but to be fair, he wasn't very hungry. We have been back a several times since and it never disappoints. Best starter: Caprese salad (beets are mouth watering) - Best pasta: Taglieatelle or Gnocci - Best Meat: Bistecca - Best dessert: anything! The tiramisu is heavy so best if shared but the cheesecake is absolutely divine. I would have it every night if I could. I can't stop telling people about it. Make reservations early in the week if you're looking to book a group. We have been lucky and been able to walk in on weekends but I don't know if I'd bank on that - you'd have to be okay with high tables and/or bar seats (not what you'd expect, the servers are very friendly and knowledgeable).

I finally figured out................. Well let me tell you my little experience with this place , I was seated at the bar facing the prep area seated beside a cougar who eventually striked up a conversation with me and I managed to divert the conversation towards the food we were eating , my pasta was so salty in fact it was pure salt , I had to send it back , I asked her what dish she was eating & she did not remember what she ordered at which point she laughed , then we talked about the food and we both agreed that it was not good. So if the food is simply not good why is the place full, well full of insecure people who dont know who they are , they dont undrstand good food and they are there to be seen and show that yes I have an LV bag, it's so sad in there . Go for drinks skip the food if you need to be seen .

Just had an awesome meal at Mercato. It's not true purist Italian food, but a wonderful modern update. The gnocchi and pappardelle were some of the best I've had, with the pappardelle being spicy. Service was great for the level of restaurant, attentive but not over bearing. We sat at the kitchen table, which is cool to see the chefs prepare the food. Overall a great experience.

Coming back for sure. We enjoyed a couple of different kinds of beer with tasty mussels & very good french fries. Beautiful set up. Rather fancy! Dinner was also great, pasta was al dente! Will be back!

Mercato experience. Best mussels yet. well seasoned and a fresh catch! crunchy circlular small roasted grains in the sauce. hands down, my fav dish there!<br/><br/>scallops were also seasoned well. unique flavours in the sauce, good balance of flavours so that you can taste the freshness of the scallopp. love the texture of the wide pasta! <br/><br/>steak was Quite fatty, would probably not order this dish again ! Ive certainly had better.<br/><br/>ordering was complicated. Best suited to dîné at this restaurant with larger parties as the food is served family-style. Service is top notch, quick to refill and clear dishes, however, atmosphere is loud and smelly from the wide open kitchen. you will definitely not smell sexy after a date at this resto

If you're not Italian or don't dress like you have money, avoid this place. Owner is a grumpy old man who has no clue how to run a business.<br/>Full of snooty rich people who like the idea of paying $200 for a bottle of Olive Oil. Lol. <br/>Food is very poor. Do not buy their meat. Horrible.

Great option. I recently came to Calgary on a business trip, and many of my colleagues suggested I try Mercato for good Italian food. So I did this weekend. The steak was well prepared and the pasta was fresh, light and very tasty. The desert was fantastic. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for an authentic Italian meal. Good atmosphere. The only problem, we had to wait 20 minutes for our table even though we had a reservation.

The food was ok and the atmosphere Is nice, but it is all not worth the price you are paying. If you have never had a real deal Italian food experience, don't make Mercatto your first.

Pricey but good. This restaurant is pricey but we have always had great service and the food was fantastic. Best Caprese salad that I have ever had. Bistecca Florentina with green beans and proscuitto wrapped asparagus was great.

Favorite restaurant when we come to Calgary!. My hubs and I do a lot of travelling within the province, and bar none, this is the best restaurant to visit in Calgary. The pricing is NOT for the faint of heart though, so be prepared for a higher tag on your meal. Also, don't try to walk up for a table. You'll get sat at the bar (the food is the same, so if you aren't picky, go for it). Set up a reso in advance, and you'll get a table in advance!

Good food! great service. Our server was great. explained the menu and gave us gluten free options. the food was also very good. had a great dining experience. i recomend the antipasta platter

EXCELLENT AS ALWAYS. I have been to il Mercato many times and it never disappoints. My guest, it was her first time at il Mercato, and she was very impressed. I know that my experience as well as my Guest's experience would of not been the same without the excellent service that our waiter "LESTER" provided for us. Lester was very welcoming and hospitable. Thank-you Lester!

What a disappointment!. Been to Mercato some years ago and loved it. Went back this weekend and was extremely disappointed. Service was not there. Quality was not there. Dessert was not fresh. Not going to go back. Sorry Mercato!

Bought some items in the market including a eggplant Parmesan. Rather disappointed when it tasted like fish. Maybe use separate fryers.

Just okay. Lunched at Mercato twice recently. The service was excellent both times. Asparagus wrapped in prosciutto is very good and easily shared by two people.<br/>Tomatoes stuffed with a sausage mixture are good although heavy on the salt - there are two, so they can also be shared. Cannelloni - nothing special. Kale, apple and chickpea salad might have been a good idea but the way it was served was irritating. A small tall bowl full to the top with kale, topped with a few julienned slivers of apple and a few roasted chickpeas. No dressing - if you want any, you use the oil and balsamic on the table. I could not figure out how to add dressing or even how to mix in the meagre additions to the kale without everything spilling onto the table. In the end I pulled leaves out by hand and ate them dry until there was enough room in the bowl - i.e. almost finished - to add some dressing. Coffee is good. I don't know that I'll be heading back there for lunch anytime soon unless I'm craving the asparagus dish, as the rest was not all that great and the menu is very Italian - mostly pasta and meat. It appears that the market part of Mercato makes all sorts of yummy-looking deli sandwiches, but those are not offered in the restaurant. Too bad.

Great spot!. Great concept, excellent service, unique and delicious menu. At the very least you should check this place out once. I'll be back for sure.

Was apprehensive about trying this place last night due to the recent reviews on here but now have found one my favourite dinning spots. We went to the aspen location, was running late and upon arrival were greeted by hostess that could be a bit more friendlier. I loved the open concept of the kitchen but the we didn't like facing the wall and the other couple. Our server was excellent recommended wine that was superb, but it took us a good 20min to figure out the menu. Although she was helpful it was hard to order if this is your first time. We ordered an appe the ganoche and steak. Wish we skipped the appe (not worth the price) had we listened to the server we would have had enough food for 4. The ganoche was amazing and the steak just melted in your mouth. I agree that there is heavy salt but if you didn't touch the extra salt on the side it was amazing. I'm not a big pasta fan, but craved the pasta dish the next morning. Well worth the hype!

Underwhelming and terrible hosting. We were really looking forward to dinner last week at Mercato. My boyfriend made the reservation 4 days in advance and called to confirm 2x. When we got there, they said we didn't have a reservation and could only get us seated at the bar. Fine, no fuss I guess. BUT, when we go home, we had a voicemail from staff at Mercato 20 minutes after our booked reservation asking where we were?!<br/><br/>Aside from that confusion - the food was ok. Considering the price, there are WAY better places to eat in Calgary. The caprese salad was bland and hard to serve. The gnocci was over-powering and spoiled by the sauce. The lamb, by far the best part, was good but not good enough to make up for the rest of the evening. <br/><br/>We won't be back and won't recommend it.

Great Food. We (2) went there for a quick lunch while in the restaurant district of Calgary. (4th Street S.W. , South of 17 Avenue SW in case your from out of town) The restaurant was very clean, tidy and busy for lunch time. The hostess immediately seated up and the waiter was promptly there with the menu. He was very friendly and took the time to go over the menu with us so we could have the full dining experience. The food arrived in a reasonable amount of time and was the best pasta that I have eaten since visiting Little Italy in Toronto.<br/>I must admit that I do feel that the pricing is a little high, but I suppose you have to pay for quality service and great tasting food.<br/><br/>You should give it a try at least once before you make a pro or con decision

4 out of 5. Great place. Awesome steak/lamb

An Overdose of Salt. We took the family to Mercato's for the first time for a holiday meal after hearing about how good they were. We were extremley disappointed. We had a reservation for 7:30 but wasn't seated until 8:10. We orderd a couple appetizers, a pasta, a couple entrees and side dishes. The appetizers were salty but we overlooked it thinking it was a one-off mistake however EVERYTHING ended up being VERY salty.The dishes would've been delicious if it were not for the overdose of salt and for the fact that we were biting into clumps of sea salt at every course. They even had a small pile of rock salt on the serving board in case we wanted to add more (such an overkill!). Based on this experience, the quality of ingredents is supberb however their chefs don't live up to the prices or hype because of the salt overload. The restaurant was nice enough to compensate our appetizers due to the long wait for our table, but when we told them about the salty food, they laughed about it and said their chef loves to add lots of salt. That's not a good thing, Mercato. Live up to your prices, and live up to your reputation!

Action and Fun and Outstanding Food. Love to sit at the counter in front of the open Kitchen concept and watch the masters at work. One of the best in the city. Ensure the visit the market when you leave.

Relaxing Atmosphere and Good Food. I was surprised by the ambience of the place after we walked in the door. I expected a more formal dinning room but was pleasantly taken aback but the casual atmosphere. Our waiter, Jay, expertly explained the menu and ingredients. It was difficult to decide so we chose a number of dishes and shared. We began with the Caprese salad, it was lovely. My husband followed up with their signature spicy seafood soup and I had their signature pasta. Our final dish was the breaded haddock. It was a huge portion and very well cooked. There was more than enough food for the two of us. I would recommend this if you were looking for an authentic meal from the Florence area of Italy. We are looking forward to returning and trying their steak meal - but we need 6 to 8 friends join us.

Disappointed. My friend was here from Australia and we wanted her to try Alberta beef. I mad a reservation at the Mercato knowing we'd be ordering their mouth watering steak. We ended up ordering pasta also. After a long wait, the food arrives and the steak is medium well instead of medium rare. We send it back and every 5 min the waiter comes to re-assure us the steak will be coming soon. The whole table is done with their food and we are still waiting for the steak. Finally after 40 min, I asked the waiter about the steak, he checks the kitchen and they have not even put it on the grill. I was MAD! I could have had chosen another place. We only went there for their steak. Kitchen and Service both failed big time! It was the waoter's job to make sure our steak goes on the grill right away!