We called a couple of hours in advance to see what our best chance was to get a table since we knew that they don’t take reservations. We were told our best chance was to get there at opening since it’s first come first serve. We got there ten minutes after opening, there was no line and only one table seated. We were told they would not be able to sit two people at a table that early on a Friday night so we had to leave.
Leslie Miller
Excellent food and service, but seating was too close, making it difficult for conversation.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Courtney K.
We finally made it to Mercato, and wish we would have gone earlier! The restaurant is very small and quaint, which can make it feel a little crowded, but it made it more quiet and romantic too. The service was great, and our server was very knowledgeable about the wines, and helped out pick out a great one. The bread was delicious to start. I ordered the chicken Marsala and it was the perfect light sauce but flavorful, I thought it was simply delicious. My husband got the black pepper fettuccine and really enjoyed it as well. We finished dinner with coffee and limoncello, and thought both were super delicious. One thing to note is that they open at 5:30 and (to my understanding) don't take reservations so if you'd like to eat later, it can get tricky with timing. We will definitely be back!
RENIA K.
The food was well cooked but so overpriced and the recipes was more than simple for example we ate fresh pasta with fresh tomato sauce for 26 dollars.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Vanessa M.
I love Mercato for an Italian option in Ithaca. The vibe is wonderful and it's perfect for date night. Food is always delicious and service is good. All of the appetizers we've tried are wonderful and the pastas are amazing. Only complaint here is that it is a pretty small menu, so not a lot of options. Very small restaurant so can be long waits!
Andreas Mayr
Top-notch food and drinks, you won't be disappointed. Best in
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Buckwheat Pappardelle with Duck Ragu, Scallops, Crostini Sampled and Clam Casino
Raquel Medina
Terrible service, bad attitude overall.
Service: 1
Veronica Beatriz Laitano
Unpleasant experience, they could accommodate 6 in a table but the simply don't want to..
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Eugenio Souto
Worst place ever. Racists to Latin
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
David Coronado
Worst service and attitude. They feel like if the customer us making them a favor. We had to stand up and leave the table.
Mercato is clearly popular and with good reason -- wonderful food and drink. We started with two very well made cocktails, Cidecar (twist on traditional Sidecar with apple liqueur) and the Corpse Reviver. Appetizer was the mushroom and goat cheese crostini which was quite good but a rather small portion. Main courses -- Pappardelle with duck ragu and Butternut mezzalune were both delicious with the Pappardelle especially nice with surprisingly light pasta. Dessert was GInger Panna Cotta, easily one of thebest desserts I've ever had, and some fun biscotti with a couple of nice dessert wines. Food came out a little fast for us to completely enjoy our drinks, so a request to slow things down would be wise if you like a little more time up front to sip.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Susan E
Even though they had open booths, they would only seat a party of two at the tables in the entry way which are about 6 inches apart. You are literally sitting closer to your neighbor than your partner. If that’s your idea of an “intimate” restaurant this place is for you.
Rose D
scallops are a little bit salty but still good. Desserts are
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Kate J
What a pleasant surprise. My boyfriend and I were driving through Ithaca on our way to the finger lakes and needed a spot for dinner. He texted an old friend who lives there and his immediate response was Mercato. We were hesitant as we usually are with Italian restaurants but went with it and wow am I glad we did. What a fantastic meal from start to finish. We have the bruschetta trio which they so nicely split in half so it was easy to share. My boyfriend had the steak and it was cooked perfectly. Also the shoestring fries were a thing of beauty. My pork Milanese was thin, crispy and juicy. We had a side of the broccolini which was garlicky and cooked just how I like it, with a little crunch. The bartender helped us select a bottle of wine and it was exactly what we wanted. If you are in Ithaca make sure you stop here for dinner, it’s worth it.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Roman Rabinovich
This place is a great little Italian spot with steak and homemade pasta. Go for the entre but skip the desert. Drinks a re pretty good as well.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Buckwheat Pappardelle with Duck Ragu, Scallops, Vanilla Panna Cotta
We called a couple of hours in advance to see what our best chance was to get a table since we knew that they don’t take reservations. We were told our best chance was to get there at opening since it’s first come first serve. We got there ten minutes after opening, there was no line and only one table seated. We were told they would not be able to sit two people at a table that early on a Friday night so we had to leave.
Excellent food and service, but seating was too close, making it difficult for conversation.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
We finally made it to Mercato, and wish we would have gone earlier! The restaurant is very small and quaint, which can make it feel a little crowded, but it made it more quiet and romantic too. The service was great, and our server was very knowledgeable about the wines, and helped out pick out a great one. The bread was delicious to start. I ordered the chicken Marsala and it was the perfect light sauce but flavorful, I thought it was simply delicious. My husband got the black pepper fettuccine and really enjoyed it as well. We finished dinner with coffee and limoncello, and thought both were super delicious. One thing to note is that they open at 5:30 and (to my understanding) don't take reservations so if you'd like to eat later, it can get tricky with timing. We will definitely be back!
The food was well cooked but so overpriced and the recipes was more than simple for example we ate fresh pasta with fresh tomato sauce for 26 dollars.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
I love Mercato for an Italian option in Ithaca. The vibe is wonderful and it's perfect for date night. Food is always delicious and service is good. All of the appetizers we've tried are wonderful and the pastas are amazing. Only complaint here is that it is a pretty small menu, so not a lot of options. Very small restaurant so can be long waits!
Top-notch food and drinks, you won't be disappointed. Best in
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Buckwheat Pappardelle with Duck Ragu, Scallops, Crostini Sampled and Clam Casino
Terrible service, bad attitude overall.
Service: 1
Unpleasant experience, they could accommodate 6 in a table but the simply don't want to..
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Worst place ever. Racists to Latin
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Worst service and attitude. They feel like if the customer us making them a favor. We had to stand up and leave the table.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
Mercato is clearly popular and with good reason -- wonderful food and drink. We started with two very well made cocktails, Cidecar (twist on traditional Sidecar with apple liqueur) and the Corpse Reviver. Appetizer was the mushroom and goat cheese crostini which was quite good but a rather small portion. Main courses -- Pappardelle with duck ragu and Butternut mezzalune were both delicious with the Pappardelle especially nice with surprisingly light pasta. Dessert was GInger Panna Cotta, easily one of thebest desserts I've ever had, and some fun biscotti with a couple of nice dessert wines. Food came out a little fast for us to completely enjoy our drinks, so a request to slow things down would be wise if you like a little more time up front to sip.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Even though they had open booths, they would only seat a party of two at the tables in the entry way which are about 6 inches apart. You are literally sitting closer to your neighbor than your partner. If that’s your idea of an “intimate” restaurant this place is for you.
scallops are a little bit salty but still good. Desserts are
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
What a pleasant surprise. My boyfriend and I were driving through Ithaca on our way to the finger lakes and needed a spot for dinner. He texted an old friend who lives there and his immediate response was Mercato. We were hesitant as we usually are with Italian restaurants but went with it and wow am I glad we did. What a fantastic meal from start to finish. We have the bruschetta trio which they so nicely split in half so it was easy to share. My boyfriend had the steak and it was cooked perfectly. Also the shoestring fries were a thing of beauty. My pork Milanese was thin, crispy and juicy. We had a side of the broccolini which was garlicky and cooked just how I like it, with a little crunch. The bartender helped us select a bottle of wine and it was exactly what we wanted. If you are in Ithaca make sure you stop here for dinner, it’s worth it.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place is a great little Italian spot with steak and homemade pasta. Go for the entre but skip the desert. Drinks a re pretty good as well.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Buckwheat Pappardelle with Duck Ragu, Scallops, Vanilla Panna Cotta