The food was good, and the service was great. There was an awkward moment, when getting off the elevator, because there wasn't a clear indication of where we should go from there, nor was anyone there to greet guests. The cocktails are imaginative and well made, the tasting menu option (restaurant week or their standard versions) are absolutely the way to go.
Had the Serrano ham and fig salad with the scallops a la llauna tapas, and they were a perfect combo. With a glass of sangria, of course.
Great atmosphere, the room itself is a sight. The bar is inviting. Food was great, interesting eclectic menu, tapas style food. I would go again!!
The wonderful Spanish restaurant in the Blackstone Hotel on Michigan, Mercat is masterful creation of Iron Chef Jose Garces. The lunch tapas deal is great. The truffle mushroom soup is so smooth and creamy, its of this world. The shrimp and serano ham flat bread was bursting with tons of flavors. Service was a little slow but the wait was well worth it!
The bar tender when we first got here was terrible... He didn't greet us, he didn't introduce him self, he plopped down a drink menu and moved along. When I asked for drink recommendations he said, "How about Gin and tonic?" When I said I was looking for something like a signature drink, he said it is. He was fast and the drinks were good but he was lacking any personality and engagement what so ever. I am not kidding when I say he said no more than 10 words in the hour we sat at the bar waiting for a table drinking almost $100 dollars in drinks. Now the waiter was phenomenal! Great knowledge of the food and helped with our table of 3's decisions. We had the Octopus, Calamari, Sardines, Bacalao, Bacon wrapped figs, Short rib ravioli, wine and desert. I did find a pea sized piece or foil in one dish, but being culinarian's we understood these things happen and didn't demand a discount. They sent out a free Tapas and a round of desert ! Half the food was phenomenal the other I thought was missing some salt, and the beef short rib ravioli was flat... Needed acid and salt. All in all, I would go here again if I had the same waiter but would substitute some other dishes in.
As a party of 14 we booked a month in advance and was seated ( was told 2 tables would be pushed together) in 2 large booths that had high backs and we couldn't even see other half of our table. We a only had a few hours to be together it we couldn't socialize with our party.
Then we thought the Mercat tasting menu was $55.00 for 2, surprise when we got our table of 6 a bill for $498.00. So we won't be going back to this place.
Delightful Catalan cuisine! Cocktails expertly mixed!!!
Excellent. Food was exceptional !! Such a great dining experience. All of our servers were wonderful especially Samuel! Our view out to the park was great!
We have a monthly catered lunch at our company, and this month we ordered from Helmand Palace (1/24/2019). Based on the glowing Yelp reviews we all were excited to try out the menu. The expectations we had were met and exceeded. Everyone loved the food -- in particular the Aushak. We'd definitely recommend Helmand Palace to others.
Amazing experience. Very knowledgeable and friendly server who graciously accommodated some dietary restrictions at the table by recommending specific dishes and allowing sauces on the side, etc. Everything was awesome, but if you can't decide, go with the chef's tasting menu. You won't be disappointed.
The service was prompt and friendly. We ordered the tasting menu which gave us different tastes of different things. I always love the shrimp in garlic and the shishito peppers. The ginger beer has a nice bite to it!
It s nice to have a great restaurant in the same hotel that your staying in. This place is located in The Blackstone Hotel. If you like Tapas you will love this place. The small plates were big on favor and the service was paced just right. I haven t had Paella in years so that was a treat! The Paella is served in family style plate so save room.
Loved it. Service was excellent all around. Food did not disappoint. Fantastic Sangria
everything was good, fresh and high quality. A little pricey, but worth it.
Terrible service, mediocre food, expensive, miserable portions
Everything was top notched! Food, drinks and service! We will be back!
I give this review with regret. Was hear a few years ago and it was great. This time... Service was horrible. Kept waiting, giving benefit of the doubt. Wanted food so bad, but by the time we actually got drinks and service, we left... Very disappointed.
Great food and drinks all day long, from classics like eggs Benedict or burgers, to tapas and paella, with creative cocktails, sangria, and good beers.
Unless your taste buds have died and gone to heaven, you will not like most of their food. Over hyped, over reviewed, and I challenge anyone to taste it differently. Great location, excellent wait staff, good drink menu, food was just okay. Allot of dishes were missing true flavor. Without diving into every dish, the scallops were mushey and the rabbit croquets completely bland. If it wasn't for the cheese and meat plate, this was a mem restaurant. For the price, please Chicago, tell me you have something better.
This is the one spot we eat at every year when we visit Chicago for the Blues Festival.
Friendly, efficient, professional service complements exquisite tapas selections that are beyond good.
Roasted peppers, white anchovies, cheese and meat platters paired with excellent wine choices make for authentic meal.
Desserts should be given consideration also.
Is tapas the Spanish word for expensive? In all seriousness, the food was pretty good. Small portions though.
I expected something better the food it's not good.
Subpar - much better resturants at half the price. Went there with my wife hoping to try something different on New Years. Paid for the New Years meal rather then ordering seperate dishes. First, they brought out the wrong dishes, our waitress did a great job covering, then as the meal progressed, they kept bring out dishes that were rather cheap and unispired. Portions were tiny, which would have been fine had most of topas actually tasted good, however, only 1/3 of dishes were worth eating. (who the hell wants to eat raw beets that taste and looked liked they came out of a can?!) Clearly, the pre-made menue was designed to make money rather the entice repeat customers. Often we would get dishes late or in some cases not at all. Finally, desert arrived, unfortunately someone decided that we could share a desert rather then give us each a desert. Granted, at this point I was looking forward to leaving and head to another resturant to actually eat, but when the bill is 250.00 and the resturant is in financial difficulties where they are that cheap, well, there are much better resturants with far better service in chicago at a more reasonable price. The staff were very nice and did a wonderful job covering for managementn however, the constant appologies became annoying after the third one. A resturant of this self-described caliber should have been much better then what they offer.
I m spoiled for life by this visit to a tapas restaurant in the historic Blackstone Hotel in Chicago. The service is impeccable; they have a very decent wine list, and you can eat early (6.15 pm) without raising any eyebrows. Highlands of a huge dinner were the cannelloni with short rib filling, the beef and chicken paella, and the hanger steak. Everything else was very nice too.
Atmosphere and service were great. Food was ok. We would go back to try the paella. I recommend not getting the octopus, I have had much better.
Within 3 days in Chicago we arrived twice. One night for a drink and the other for dinner. Food was delicious. Service was excellent.
Excellent breakfast option. Try the roasted carrot and couscous
Tasting Menu was Fantastic. Luckily it was Sunday so we got to try the suckling pig without the 72 hour advance notice. I was afraid the tapas style would not be filling but I was stuffed by the end. Highly recommend for anyone staying at the Blackstone or in the area.
! Everything was simply exceptional! Pride at work.
The best tapas restaurant in Chicago. The food is outstanding, service is wonderful and ambiance is a plus. The perfect spot for a special occasion.
The goat meatballs are not lile regular simple meatballs. Are excellent!!!! From the chesse i have a complaint: they describe it as sheep chese and blah blah blah. Dont fall on that. Is just manchego with mermelade. Skip it and try the meats or the lobster tapas. Better choise. A little overpriced but service was good. Quality too!
Vc
Great evening! Food was exquisite, ambiance was perfect; lively and fun! Definitely worth our walk in the cold Chicago wind! Birthday dessert was on the house!
One of our favorites for some incredible tapas. One huge reason is their ability to provide gluten free options for my wife (celiac). Food and service are top notch!
The food here was delicious and our server was great.
Spot on Tapas! The menu is Rich with opportunities to explore fine cured meats, Rich cheese, dried fruit, and cheese selections. The staff - kind and first rate.
Food is good but overpriced for portion and the esthetic of presentation. Wait staff has quite a bit of attitude and we felt pressured to leave when they turned out the lights at 10:30 despite being open until 11.
Beautifully decorated. We came in to have some drinks and snacks from the bar area since dinner service hadn't started yet. Staff was unhelpful, and borderline rude, so we ended up leaving. A shame since we were looking forward to trying a lot of dishes when dinner started.
Had a great time at dinner! I stumbled into Mercat because I was attending the Alvin Alley show. Actually it was drinks, turned into apps which turned into dinner and more then more drinks. The food and drinks were impeccable. Fresh, hot food. Drinks were tasty. Strong but not overbearing. My favorite interaction was with the host. Think his name was Tyrone. Very polite and smiling. I ll definitely be back
Great place for tapas in the loop. I would highly recommend the fig and prosciutto salad.
Fabulous tapas & drinks! Service is friendly and thoughtful, dining room has a nice, modern ambience, sangria is delicious, tapas timed properly so that food is always rotating, and the food is always so tasty! I only eat the fish and vegetarian dishes, but highly recommend the restaurant--it's outstanding!
LOVE the ambiance & the service was on par, but personally for me, the food was underwhelming & overpriced. The patatas bravas are described as spicy and flavorful, but I found them quite bland and mostly just salty. The traditional artisanal cheese platter had great cheese, but the accompanying condiments were subpar (mostly sour). My boyfriend loved his calamari though so maybe the meat dishes are better! Overall, we got two drinks and three tapas plates with a total of $80+ including tip, which is quite pricey in comparison to taste and service. Worth checking out at least once for the ambiance though!
What an absolutely amazing dining experience. Everything was just perfect from the staff to the food. I will definitely be going back
I loved Mercat a la Planxa! Its really nice Spanish tapas and actually from Spain (I know that seems normal for that but a lot of restaurants have Latin America food)! I would highly recommend the tasting menu, its really good! The staff here were super accommodating and we even got to meet the chef! Overall, I wish we had more days in Chicago so we could come again!
So far it is the only tapas restaurant outside of Spain that I liked. Very good anchovies and tomaca bread. Good decoration
My husband and I went here while visiting on our babymoon (vacation before baby is born) last year in 2017. This place is fantastic! It is so good, we talk about it frequently and will visit Chicago again... even if it's just to go back to this restaurant. The staff was friendly and the atmosphere was great.
Wonderful retro surroundings. Every dish had amazing presentation. Portions seemed small, but it is tapas after all, so drinks and dinner for two was about right at $100. They were not that busy the Tuesday we visited, but the bar tender was slow. The waiter became more attentive after I complained about a protracted wait for a simple glass of wine. I would go again to give them a second chance.
Innovative food in a vibrant environment are a definite win. The food is authentically Spanish which was a very welcome surprise. Because tapas are small plates, if you are in a group, you will have the ability to try several of the creative dishes without feeling over stuffed. The atmosphere here is definitely lively and not the place to have a quiet conversation. At least not for dinner. But in my opinion that just adds to the fun!
Beautiful restaurant with beautiful views of the park across the street and delicious food.
Great tapas and good drinks. It's outside my normal area for dinners but if I'm in the area I'll be back
Best tapas that I've ever had. Make sure you can afford it before you make reservations.
We arrived between services so ordered from a small selection of choices. We got the patatas bravas and the pan con tomaquet. The paprika sauce on the patatas bravas was excellent but the potatoes themselves were unexceptional.
The bread with tomato was just that. The bread was good but the tomato topping was unremarkable.
Amazing brunch options! We were staying at The Blackstone and didn't feel like venturing out in the snow, so we went here for brunch. The brunch burger was one of the best burgers I've ever had. We also got the brioche french toast, which was absolutely delicious. Food came out very quickly and was served hot. Great experience!
Selected a number of small plates and our group of 4 people enjoyed everything. The plates arrive as they are ready so you don't feel like your table is getting crowded. Also ordered pitchers of Sangria which was was a perfect accompaniment to our tapas. Loved that it was connected to our hotel so we didn't have to put on coats to enjoy a midday meal. The service was very good as we never had to ask for a thing and our Sangria glasses were kept full, and the plates disappeared as we finished our selections.
Fun, bright and full of flavor. We tried many different tapas dishes that were delicious. The cannollies were awesome and so were the croquettes. Service was great and our busboy was the most attentive I have ever seen. Highly recommend this place.
Food has gone downhill. Too many dishes were overly salty.
Good food , nice decoration, comfortable place and lovely staff.
Nice atmosphere but the food needed a little more flavor.
As good as it gets in every respect, food was innovative and well prepared!
I had "arroz caldoso". Very different from what I used to. To begin with, Spanish dishes (at least in Spain, what I am used to) do not have chorizo everywhere, and the use of spices is limited. This was a hybrid between Spanish and Mexican food, adapted for the local demand, maybe, but not what I expected.
To make matters worse, I think that it was the cause for terrible food poisoning that night, but that is hard to prove...
Not coming back, for sure, and I do not recommend it.
At the first moment you enter this restaurant the waiters give you a comfortable feeling. Very congenial stuff, it is a nice place to enjoy with your friends or with your date. yummy food, qualified chef de cuisine, comfortable cost and nice service. Warmly recommended.
Food was delicious and coffee was excellent and strong.
The bacon wrapped dates were the bet thing I've ever had!.
Fantastic food and wine choices and fabulous service. Located inside the iconic Blackstone hotel and beautifully appointed. Great atmosphere.
A real treasure in Chicago dining, a must after the ballet located in a beautifully renovated old Chicago Hotel.
I love this restaurant and have visited 3 times over the last 5 years. Food is fun and the service and ambiance is outstanding. Good for those that like to share notes not big eaters.
Food is quite good, but the service is anyone's guess... Again quite good for being a hotel restaurant.
We had 4 tapas for 2 people and it was just right (maybe even a little more food than we needed). The very simple but very delicious Pan con Tomate was perhaps my favorite, we also had a salad with serrano ham (it was great), the Coca de escalivada (it was ok), and the Couscous with vegetables (highly recommend). The drinks were expensive and a little too sweet for my taste. I'd come back..
Waiter brought my wife out birthday cake on the house. It was unexpected and very kind. A little pricey, but still neat.
Best pizza taste ever! May take long, but totally worth it. They give you the option to order your food while you are waiting, which could save you about half an hour if you are in a rush. Very friendly and helpful staff, plus a warm and enjoyable environment. The suggested servings are real BTW! If it's your first time, do not miss the classic and Lou deep dish.
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