The Blackstone Renaissance Hotel & Mercat a la Planxa Reviews

Outstanding soup, chicken, not busy, and quite kid-friendly for a break from museums, plus they gave us the online discount on sangria from downstairs.

One of the hidden gems of the city! If you are visiting Chicago and find yourself around millennium/grant park, stop in and grab a margarita and some grub. You will not be be disappointed. Our bartender Luis was full of insight and really mde our visit special! 10/10 will come back again!

Went for brunch. The food was okay, but the eggs were over poached. Giving it three stars as I expected more from a place that is connected to Jose Garces. I also thought that the restaurant could've been better maintained as there was a lot of food on the ground and many tables had yet to be wiped down even though it was a slower time.

The food is OK. I had the Arroz a la cazuela to start. This is full of proteins and great broth - the favorite of my meal. La truita de patata was a little on the cold side, like colder than room temp, which was not favorable. The ropa de cabra was robust, hot and savory. The restaurant has a great view. The staff was OK. I expected a little bit more from a place like this, being located at the Blackstone and all. I don't think i would come back here unless i had to.

Great representation of the creativity and execution of my favorite Iron Chef. For larger parties (up to ~20), there is "balcony" that overlooks the restaurant. It's private but close to the action!

Mercat might mean market in Catalan, but to me it means tasty. EVERY small plate we had was delicious. Even if you ve had plenty of bacon-wrapped dates, you need to try these.

I have heard about this place so many times and finally this one cold winter night we went there to celebrate special occasion. It was a wonderful experience. They kept bringing food... more and more (we ordered tasting menu with wine). But every bite was simply delicious. I was surprized that desert was not included in the tasting menu but we ordered separately. the cheesecake with some fancy sauce and berries was melting in my mouse. Definitely would love to go back one day again.

The food here is amazing, but the prices are extremely steep and the plates are tiny. If you want enough food for 5 people, you have to end up getting two of the same dish. The lambchops were delicious, but it was $46 for 5 chops and they were gone in 30 seconds.

No booze sangria's, mediocre plates at quite high price ($10+/plate), wait staff didn't guide or provide suggestions save for the chef's tasting. Must miss.

Oh boy, if you re in the town, it s one of the must visit restaurants. Very nice place with delicious food and professional service. Very much enjoyed my birthday dinner there. Definitely coming back!

Located in the classic Blackstone hotel, the airy dining room has relatively decent views of Grant Park. My wife and I did the tasting menu and it delivered enough food for four people. The paella dish alone could feed four people and there were four courses before that! The service was impeccable to boot.

Good food but over priced and the service is a little lacking.

I had a reservation for christmas eve at 9 pm. I arrived at 9:15, they didn't let me eat there because they said that the Last reservation they had was at 8:45. we had to go back to our hotel and have dinner there.

Great service and excellent food !Good ambiance and really nice view.

Excellent scotch shots and a great compliment to the Spanish Meat trio app. Great bartender!

Best Spanish tapas in Chicago with a really classy atmosphere. I am from Barcelona and I feel at home here.

Food was delicious and, from what i heard, authentic.

The foods they serve here are so overwhelming and mouthwatering. They are very delicious and prepared very nice in a very timely manner. The one I ate most was the scallops and even ordered for 2 of that same dish for myself but the over dishes are also delicious it's just that I surely love scallops. You lots should give this restaurant a try and for sure you'll love it too.

Good service, terrible decor and table presentation. Food is not great
Sangria was watery
Pulpito was burned
CALAMARI was ok
Mixto Croquetas was ok
Patatas bravas were good
CROQUETES DE XOCOLATA were good

I am a spanish food lover and lived in Spain

1st, it's located in a historic like hotel. Renaissance Blackstone on Michigan ave. I made the mistake of entering on the lower level and I thought...is th is it? The bartender was kind enough to let me know the main dining was upstairs main area. Went up the spiral stair aside the front of bar. Going upstairs was a whole different view. Needless to say Dante, our waiter, was the main reason for the enjoyable evening. He was well versed on the entire menu and the whole Catalonia experienxe. He even spoke some as well. He explained everything in detail. We tried so many things, and actually lingered on the Mesa a la Mercat charcuterie and cheese boards. Wow, they were so good. Then afterwards, so many things cane out including the gambas, which were so juicy. It was a smorgasbord of flavors and textures. I would be remiss if I did not mention the host. I don't know his name but he came back a few times to check on us. What a great guy and he is a connoisseur of Bourbons!!! Almost the last people to exit, Dante had us try the Catalonia dessert. We thought we were so full, but in the end, nothing was left of the dessert! What a great experience dining at Mercat!

I LOVE TAPAS.

Not only do I love tapas but I love GOOD, QUALITY, and ORIGINAL tapas.

I just wanted to get that out of the way first so you know where my review on this place is coming from. Also as my wife has me addicted to Iron Chef knowing that it was owned by Jose Garces made me want to come here even more and wow does the quality of his originality show.

Every dish we tasted was good.

Truita De Patata (Spanish omelette), Pimientos se padron (flash fried peppers), Gambas al aillo (garlic shrimp), mixto croquetas (chorizo!) datiles con almendras (bacon wrapped dates!) and finally the albondigas de cordero (lamb meatballs) are what we've tried so far and WOW are they all good.

We've also mixed in with that the 'mixto' (3 cheese selected by the chef) two of the times we've been there and it's been a great mix. We've tried a few other things as well though so far every single thing on the menu stands out as being fantastic. I have a few favorite tapas places in the area though I do have to say I think Mercat stands out as my favorite.

Writing this is making me think I need to come up with an excuse to head over here again. Thankfully I have a couple reasons to spoil my wife coming up!

The lunch specials are amazing and include an abundance of food. Everything tasted delicious!

The service was mediocre, although the bartender was super friendly. Cocktails were ok enough. Food was ok, but not mind blowing. Although the little tuna tacos made from a root veggie were creative. Was hoping for a bit more.

Some of the best tapas this side of Catalonia, from wildly exotic specials to wonderful traditional tapas like truita de patata. Don't miss the quesos and charcuteria either.

Every dish we ordered was nicely presented and rich with flavor. The cocktails and coffee were very enjoyable and the friendly service rounded out a great dinner.

My wife and I went here for a late lunch while on a weekend trip to Chicago. We had the Catalonian brunch, and everything was fantastic. Favorites were the bacon-wrapped dates, bread pudding, and the hanger steak. Service was outstanding as well. Will definitely visit again!

Twelve of us came here for a team dinner and everyone was beyond impressed by the food. With a menu designed by Jose Garces, I wasn't surprised. We did the baseline tasting menu and there was more than enough food for everyone. Plates were well-paced and the variety was exceptional. Better yet, the waiter made sure to provide vegetarian specific dishes for the one person at the table who keeps kosher. The overall cost isn't cheap and the ambiance is a little lacking but the food is excellent and if you're at a nearby hotel, this is the best option in the area. #Chicago #JoseGarces #BusinessDinner

Very average food that has the most tenuous of connections to Spain. The staff while efficient are in different to the customer and what the interior designers have done to this once grand room is beyond forgivable. The wine list is however rather good.

This place was a good time. Food is delivered when ready and the menu offers a variety of Spanish flavors. The sangria was strong which I liked and the desserts were perfect!

The new menu looks great & the new remodeled restaurant makes it feel different also the views are fantastic just like food ... Only minor its a bit expensive but worth it.

The deal is very impolite and not pleasant, the two women who are at the entrance do not encourage the permanence of one in that place. I do not recommend it!!

The tapas was good, but the portions were tiny. The paella was extremely salty and took some work to finish eating. The service was good and the staff is very attentive. Probably a good spot to get a drink or two, but wouldn't recommend for their food.

One of the best things about the United States welcoming the avian cannelloni still my daughter reminds me of a hug I'm in Catalonia to Chicago

We came here to celebrate our anniversary. We could not have picked a better spot. We had reservations for a month and I was so looking forward to this. Our entire experience here was excellent. The cheese appetizers were wonderful, drizzling honey on top of cheese -- I will do that at home now! My diver scallops were cooked perfectly so they cut like air. My husband raved about his ham and fig salad. Oh my what a wonderful evening. Hats off to our waitress who made the perfect wine suggestion for us.

Gorgeous views, excellent service, great food, good wine list, pricey but enjoyed our evening and would do it again!

STAY AWAY FROM BRUNCH

Before I even get into that, earlier that day I called and asked if they offered bottomless mimosas and the girl that answered the phone said yes. We got to the restaurant sat down and when I asked about the bottomless mimosas they told us they didn't offer it anymore. I walked out the restaurant to call again thinking I miss heard but the girl that answered the phone AGAIN said that they offered it so I'm assuming that they just want your business and they will tell you what you want to hear.

The brunch

So the brunch was $28 they told us they will bring out 3 courses ranging from pancakes to lamb chops, my friend and I decided to order that at the $28 price each of us. They brought a plate with 2 pancakes on it and we were told that we had to split the plate so we each ate 1 pancake, the lamb chops are small more for children again we had to split each eating 1 chop and the other portions of food were small as well more like a sample platter. So if you enjoy quality of small portions then this place is for you.

When it was time to pay my friend was charged for a salad that she never received, I complained about the mimosa issue and the manager took off the 2 dollar soda I ordered. My friend paid cash when he received his change he only got his dollar bills he was owed the manager forgot to also give his coins.

Mercat a la Planxa is a bit of a tourist trap. The paella ($50 for meat and $75 for seafood) was supposed to be for 4-6 people. My 105 lb. girlfriend and I easily finished it, The food was too salty and unremarkable with the exception that I almost cracked a tooth on an uncooked piece of rice. I ordered whisky on the rocks (like I've been doing for ~ 40 years) and received the skimpiest "rocks pour" that I have ever seen in my life. The waiter said that they measure out exactly 1.5 oz. of whisky. Everyone eating looked like they were from out of town. I won't be back.

AWESOME service. The sangria was tasty and food perfect

Came here for a birthday lunch and the guest of honor was pleasantly surprised by the decor and food. They offer a nice prix fixe menu that includes two courses and a non-alcoholic beverage perfect for work lunches with that one guy who never throws in enough cash!