Café Mercato
7561 E Academy Blvd, Denver, CO, 80230
Café Mercato Menu
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Address :
7561 E Academy Blvd
Denver, CO, 80230 - Phone (303) 366-1315
- Website https://www.cafemercato.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 2:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dessert
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Categories
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
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Tay W.
The food is great, the pastas need more seasoning before serving; but the service definitely needs some work. We were seated without menus, waited for someone to take our drink order, not offered fresh pepper or Parmesan...I think the management needs to lead by example or hire someone who can. Both times I have been there busy and slow, the owner/manager was standing at the rail by the kitchen or sitting at the bar in front of the kitchen talking. Not a good look when your staff is running around...expedite, get some drinks, clear a table and introduce yourself. I hope the service kinks work out because the food is quite good for Lowery.
(3)Inayah V.
Admittedly, I don't have a high opinion about suburban restaurants. The quality just doesn't tend to be as high as it is in a city's center. That's what Mercato reminds me of. It's definitely not as bad as a generic cost cutting chain, but it was not at all what I was hoping for. I came here for Sunday brunch because it's in walking distance and the weather was beautiful. We were really in the mood for a nice patio. Mercato has a patio, there just weren't any tables out. Thankfully, the large overhead door was open and we were able to sit right by it. The last customers before us must've thought the same as the table hadn't actually been cleaned. The coffee is delicious, and the sourdough bread was great as well although I could do without the balsamic in the olive oil. My crapes were decent but my husband's sausage dish was much better. The restaurant interior was nice. Although the music was so random and distracting. All in all, better than the delectable egg but not somewhere I'll ever take anyone I want to impress. Hopefully their dinner service is better.
(3)Dan O.
Really great food and service tonight.. We ordered grilled brussel sprouts as an appetizer.. mmmn. Then I really was impressed with the perfectly prepared halibut with a lemon caper sauce.. My dining partner enjoyed her Chefs choice fish trio...Each selection had a nice side of roasted veggies.. Both of us enjoyed our wine selections...The Pino Noir was especially tasty. Daniel, our service paid attention to all of the details. He balanced being attentive yet not at all intrusive.. The manager stopped by to chat and also was great and made sure we were having a good time. The restaurant has great ambience and shares a parking lot with the Lowry air force base hangars. Very cool hipster neighborhood! Topped the dinner off with Gelato. . And one of the best tiramasu offerings ever... I recommend this restaurant and will return!
(5)Erin B.
My sister and I strolled into Cafe Mercato to grab a coffee and some dessert while waiting out the rain and waiting for our friend to arrive at packet pick up for the Colfax Marathon at the Wings Over the Rockies Museum. This place looked very cute, and like a nice place to leisurely hang out with a small bite to eat. Well, we were sat at the table at 1:30pm and the first thing our waiter did when he came over was pull out his cell phone, look at the time, and then say "Just checking the time because we close at 2pm". I have never felt less welcome in the first interaction at a restaurant. Then when he heard we were just having coffee and dessert? Forget it. So we sucked down our coffee and gelato in our allotted half hour and got out of there. Too bad, because I really wanted to like this place.
(2)Richard G.
Having worked and entertained in Beverly Hills, NYC, Chicago, SF I must respectfully disagree with some of the others observations. I would easily rank Cafe' Mercato as a strong 4 star..... but at half the the price. You just look silly trying to compare the Cafe Mercato to Melisse.
(4)FamilyOf 5.
We live in the area and have been in to eat numerous times at various hours of the day. The level of service and quality of food on any given visit has been confusing at best. One visit will be great food great service and the next terrible food (overcooked or dry) and/or terrible service (being ignored during slow times or when waiting on a friend/couple to join the table). I worked in serving for over a decade and am always forgiving but repeated bad service and/or food is hard to ignore. During one visit, we even overheard a server (who was training a new employee) say "I never ask what kind they want, I just give them whichever one I feel like." We think he was referring to gelato but don't know for sure. Regardless, questionable food or service at a brand new restaurant is a serious red flag in my book even if I've had an amazing meal there in the past. Disappointed..
(2)Shannon S.
I'm not sure how people are complaining about the wait staff. Our service was very good. Good atmosphere and interior. Had the barrata appetizer and 2 pasta dishes. All were really good. Took off a star for blah house bread and small by-the-glass wine menu. It's pretty extensive if you want to purchase a bottle though. Beer list is lacking as well. Overall a great addition to the Lowry dining scene.
(4)Janie S.
Just Ok tonight..... I have been her several times before, the food is a bit hit and miss. I had the house made sausages with the crispy polenta. The sausages were over cooked and very dry and the polenta was mushy anything BUT crispy. Their sister restaurant Locanda Del Borgo is much better.
(3)John M.
If you like real Italian, excellent pasta, good wine, incredible homemade Gelato at. A reasonable price then this is the place. Also the Staff is very friendly.
(5)Gerry O.
This place was a big disappointment. I tried to get to two stars and just couldn't justify it. We went on a date night, excited to try out a new place in the neighborhood. They sat us at a table that felt like it was under a spotlight - not ideal for a cozy date. All of the two person tables are along the wall and super-bright. Finally we asked if they could at least turn down the lighting a bit and they said they can't - the contractor didn't install a dimmer. Really, in a romantic Italian restaurant? It felt like we were in Denny's. We went around and around about ordering. The server tried to get us to buy a bottle of wine for over $60. Too much for us for a casual week night. The wine for $40 tasted pretty bad so we finally had to spend more than we wanted. We ordered the halibut and ravioli. The roasted vegetables that came with the Halibut were so overcooked I was embarrassed for the kitchen. Clearly they had been roasted earlier in the day and then kept in a pan with a cover on them. Mushy and basically inedible. We also ordered a Charcuterie board to start. She said it was $20. We didn't really need all that, and requested to order a half order (one meat, one cheese instead of two). Nope, couldn't do that. When it came out it was so much food it could have been our entire meal. Really, we wanted half and would have really appreciated saving the money given the wine issue. In the end, we ate way more than we wanted to, spent more on wine than we wanted to, and sat under spotlights on date night. For $150 bill, it was the biggest dining disappointment I've had in a very long time.
(1)Leo B.
Best Italian place EVER !! Great managers , servers , and owner ! These guys will rock u ! Awesome food , service,and ownership ! I'm a sommelier and u can't can't get better than this !
(5)Rick B.
There's a beautiful simplicity to Italian food. The Americanized version of Italian food is a bit of an injustice to what true good Italian food is all about. Here at Cafe Mercato you have a chef who is not only Italian, but has established a loyal following on Colorado from his days up in Edwards near Aspen to Lowry. This chef single-handed my raised the benchmark for 'good food' not only in this neighborhood (and Hilltop) but for much of Denver. This city is now a legit foodie city thanks to the visionary hard work of chefs who stay true to the right way of food preparation. And his wine list is second to none. True wine geeks will appreciate the stellar hand picked selections. Great work, chef!
(5)Kelly K.
We went with another family to try Cafe Mercato and had a mixed experience. Pros: Great patio and family friendly The Burrata and tomato salad appetizers were delicious Service was good Majority of our meals were good Cons: One of our meals was almost inedible and the most simple. Spaghetti with olive oil and garlic was super salty and drenched in oil. Ick! As I mentioned, meals were good...but not great. Prices were a tad high for the quality.
(3)Jane S.
This restaurant was a real find. The vegetable lasagna was superb. Our table decided they would get it on the next visit. Our waiter was patient and very professional. The manager came over just as we were finishing our meal to check if we were satisfied. I appreciated not having our meal interrupted by a manager as so often happens. He had perfect timing and chatted just the right amount of time. We'll be back!
(5)Robin B.
Went to this trendy little place with some friends and had the best time! Our host was exceptional. We ordered a few appetizers, with the brussel sprouts being one of them. Everyone agreed they were delicious. Except for me, I don't like the little green things. I did enjoy my meat ravioli which was perfectly cooked and very tasty. We chose to sit outside and the patio area is very nice. The tables are far enough apart that you don't feel crowded or like you're sitting in your neighbors lap. A wonderful dining experience.
(5)Randy S.
Was there last week for their soft opening. The ambience was great. The layout of the restaurant is great. Our server Shannon was knowledgeable, friendly, and just great. The food was almost like comfort food. It wasn't heavy. The entire meal was superb. Since it was a soft opening there were links to be worked out. They took our critiques and modifications well. This will become a staple for us. Already planning future trips.
(4)Kate P.
Tried to get a table tonight and the host never made eye contact with us and was so busy with the computer that it took way too long for him to even say hello. (We were the only people in the foyer, so there was no reason for the un-warm welcome.) Then he just walked away and didn't say where he was going...very odd and not friendly...at first we thought he had just completely blown us off. He came back and offered us a high top table for two, but we had our 1 year old with us and needed a high chair. If he was intending to get rid of us, he succeeded. Since we live close, we are likely to still give it a try, but hopefully we will be more welcome next time. Hopefully it isn't the same host next time.
(2)Lisa H.
The management and waiters are atrocious here. I have been here twice and BOTH times were dismal. The first time my family and I went to Mercato, we were so excited that Lowry finally had a lovely restaurant near our home. The first time, all was going somewhat ok despite the waiter being very slow( waited 20 minutes for a drink!) then I saw one of the people in the open kitchen constantly scratching his head and cleaning out his ears with his hands and then proceeding to prepare food! I asked to speak to the owner( who was sitting having a drink with his back to the restaurant) I told the owner about the incident and he COMPLETELY brushed me off, no apology at all. He simply asked me if I own a business, to which I answered yes, he then said that as a business owner I should expect that things cannot always be perfect! We decided to give Mercato another try and hoped that the first visit was teething problems of a new business. We arrived at 6pm and were not greeted or acknowledged for 10 minutes! When the manager did greet us, he was very aloof and unwelcoming. Our waiter was fine at first, but our charcuterie arrived so late that we barely had time to wolf it down before our entrees arrived. I had ordered the Ribeye steak and specifically asked the waiter ( Michael) to please make sure that the steak was medium rare and not at all overcooked. Needless to say, the steak arrived well done. I asked for another one and when that arrived it was raw on the inside and burnt on the outside. At this stage I was ravenous and my dinner companions had finished their meals already, so I just went without dinner. The last straw was when the manager came over and explained to me that because their steaks are dry aged that it was impossible to achieve a medium rare steak!!!!!!!! I could not believe that he had the audacity to blatantly lie to me and there was no apology AT ALL. When the check came we did not receive any discount for all the problems throughout our meal. It was probably one of the worst dining experiences I have EVER experienced.. The staff are not trained properly and the management has no idea how to handle customer problems or any sort of crisis.
(1)J M.
We went the first week it opened. With family in town, we were very excited to try out this new neighborhood spot, The service was definitely spotty as expected, but the food was nothing special. And for the price, the food was very disappointing. We were a bit embarrassed to have taken our visitors to such a lackluster experience. We will be sticking with Locanda del Borgo where although pricey, the food never disappoints.
(2)Sharon H.
First time at Cafe Mercato. We went for happy hour but we were disappointed in the very limited food selection for happy hour. There are not enough wines by the glass. We ordered the calamari and had to ask the server what the three dipping sauces were. We sat at the bar over looking the kitchen. The executive chef overheard us talking about the sauces and corrected what kinds they were. The server was wrong. We enjoyed sitting close to the action in the kitchen and the executive chef was very friendly and helpful. We will give it another chance and hope I can then post more stars for the review.
(2)Jason W.
Good stuff. I was worried as I am a neighbor to this place, and didn't want my expectations to be too high. We had a vegetarian meal, with salads and veggie lasagna...the lasagna was great. Wine selection was good, beer selection BAD, but they said they're working on it. I'm excited to try their brunch menu which looks delicious. I look forward to the next trip, and hope their service and menu options continue to improve. Enjoy!!!
(4)Jessica N.
We work out across the street and thought it was a coffee shop. What an excellent surprise that it was super cool Italian place. We started with the calamari which was ok needed a bit more spice of aoli or something. We ordered the side of spaghetti and red sauce and meat ravioli. The entrees were fantastic! The spaghetti noodles are some of the best I've ever had. Wine menu was decent. The service was FANTASTIC the chef/owner was checking good to be sure everything was up to par. Overall great addition to the neighborhood and I cannot wait to have more of that delish pasta!
(4)Ashleigh P.
Yes!!! Welcome to Lowry! The food was delicious and the menu was upscale and creative in that it made me feel like I could bring friends and family and impress their taste buds with all of the options! The bar is beautiful and George made a killer Negroni! Very excited to have Cafe Mercato in Lowry!!!!
(4)Deb B.
The restaurant is warm and fun. The service was ok. The wood fire smelled wonderful, the presentation of the food so enticing! The food was a disappointment, I had the seafood risotto, which lacked seasoning as did the pasta my friend ordered. 2 stars because I went there for the food...
(2)Julie F.
Hey, welcome to Lowry. My friend and I sat at the bar on a Friday night, had great service from the bartender. Our pasta dishes were very tasty and hot. We'll be back!
(4)Patsy G.
Went to Cafe Mercato this evening and sadly the service was the worst Ive experienced in a very long time. First let me say that the food was exceptional and the back of the house knows what it is doing but unfortunately that does not go very far when the front of the house fails miserably. We were seated promptly with no wait but then we were not approached by anyone for almost 40 minutes from out initial seating. The water girl brought water two times while we tried to make eye contact with several wait staff. When a waiter finally came to our table he explained that this was not his station and he would gladly buy us a drink and make everything better and promptly get us some bread. The bread never arrived and we finally had to ask for it. The original waiter who's station our table was assigned to came over and did apologize for having dropped the ball. We accepted his apology gladly. We did finally order the amazing pork chop and brussels sprout side dish and a pasta with bolognese sauce and the food was delivered at a reasonable time and was truly outstanding. The waiter we did end up with came back again and said that the manager would be buying us dessert. After dinner we decided to order one dessert and split it because the dinner had filled us up. When the final bill came the one glass of wine was taken care of and not charged and the dessert was one the bill. We paid our bill with a credit card and cash and waited for the change to come back. Our waiter had pocketed the change assuming it was his tip. To add insult to injury we had to ask for our change and it took the waiter another 10 minutes to get it!!! The whole customer service and wait staff experience was horrible and the only upside was a pleasant hostess and the wonderful food. If you plan on staying in business and not just turning into a pizza joint you truly need to work on the service levels that were provided. I think if I return I would sit in the bar and order the higher priced items and skip the bad wait staff and servers all together.
(2)Leigh C.
We have been here several times since it opened. There have been times where the service was indeed spotty, but the restaurant is only a month old so I'm hoping they will work this out. Service at the bar, however, was excellent. The salads are somewhat disappointing but the pastas and pizzas are AMAZING. Simply fabulous. One reviewer complained about not trying the $8 gelato...too bad, you should've tried it. It was delicious and filling, worth the $8. I do wish the wine selection was better but supposedly their wine list is a temporary one. Prices are a little higher than Lowry restaurants but this place definitely has a "quality over quantity" approach. Overall, we love this place and will be back on a regular basis.
(4)S. H.
What a terrific addition to East Denver! Great food, service, and atmosphere! Very friendly and knowledgable staff. Can't wait to dine on the patio next summer.
(5)Peggy B.
I am a long-time patron of Locanda del Borgo and a big fan of Chef Giancarlo. I have never had a bad meal or experience at LDB, so I was excited to try his new restaurant in Lowry. I love the space and the decor, very well done. The hostess was polite, the bartender was helpful, and our server did a good job. We split the Caesar salad (good), and both of us ordered the pappardelle with slow braised meat sauce. TO DIE FOR. That is a dish I can see myself craving on a regular basis...I can't wait to go back and try some other items on the menu!
(4)Patrick K.
Like others who have posted, we are excited with the enty of Cafe Mercato onto the East side dining map, and want it to succeed. We have been there twice and the menu and food are excellent. The service has been spotty however: excellent the first time, mediocre the next. There seem to be plenty of people around, but they don't seem to know what they should be doing. And items coming out of the kitchen haven't always been served hot. We're hoping that these service issues get handled, because the Cafe has the makings of a top notch venue.
(3)Rad S.
Ignore the haters and go check this place out. It is one of the few places in Denver where I would not be ashamed to bring my Italian friends. The food is inventive and consistent and delicious. The service is always attentive without interrupting, and the wines and drinks are always spot on. Two things I love to see in a restaurant that I see here more than anywhere else: a professional bartender who takes pride in their craft and a wait staff that doesn't start taking the minute they get within earshot of the table but waits a few seconds so we can finish a sentence. They have good food, a good kitchen, a beautiful location and professional staff. Just go.
(5)Karen M.
One of the best meals I've had in a long time. The service was spot-on and the food was amazing! We ordered the brussel sprouts for sharing and a beet salad. The salad was so huge it could have been a full meal! The sprouts were less impressive, not quite cooked enough, but a slight transgression that's forgivable given the rest of the meal. I ordered the eggplant parmegianna. For me, this dish is a window into the kitchen. It arrived in a baking dish, piping hot and bubbly and cooked to perfection. Eggplant is tricky and a lot of places slice it too thin so that it become either rubbery or mushy. This was the right thickness of eggplant so that it was tender with a bit of "tooth" to the bite. Others at the table ordered the meat ravioli which was delicious, and the paella. Sit out on the patio and enjoy the lovely, Colorado evening air while you sip a glass of wine. A nice spot for a romantic dinner for two or to catch up with friends, as we did. We will definitely return for another meal at Café Mercato.
(4)Townsend W.
I found myself laughing out loud at some of the negative reviews... Which I read AFTER enjoying a phenomenal meal (filet with tagliatelle side.) Speaking as an east coast native, this play is legit! Great atmosphere and service and at the top of Colorado Italian cuisine. P.S. If you are unhappy with your meal, tell your server and give them the opportunity to make it right rather than whining here on Yelp.
(5)Carolyn P.
Brunch at Cafe Mercato fell flat for me. It's not that the food was particularly bad, nor was it great: The problem is that it wasn't memorable. Really. I don't remember what I ordered. That's not a good sign for a food-driven humanoid like myself. I recall ordering a mimosa ($8) that was mediocre. Plates for brunch run about $12-16. So if I had to guess, whatever I ordered was larger than a golf ball, smaller than a toaster, and probably around $14. Needless to say, Cafe Mercato does not make the cut for my Sunday brunch options.
(2)Cheryl C.
This is one of the worst restaurants I have ever eaten at in the Denver Colorado area. The service and the food are terrible. The waiters don't pay attention to you at all and never return to check to see how you're enjoying your meal. Ordered a second glass of wine which didn't come after 45 minutes. Main waiter ignored us even when checking on tables on either side of us. Food was very salty and tasted like it came out of the Chef Boyardee can! Save yourself from wasting your money and your time on this restaurant. There are much better options in the Lowry area. This place is a - 5 stars as in AWFUL.
(1)Michael R.
I was pleasantly surprised with Cafe Mercato - would probably give it 3.5 stars so I'm rounding up. We went on New Years Eve, (which if you work in the industry is pretty much the most hated night) and although they were slammed all of the food came out on time and was good. Burrata - tasty, fresh, good toast Caserecci - that goat cheese flavor with the sausage is a nice combo Tagliatelle - great texture to the pasta, good clams Dessert - the tart was disappointing, didn't seem homemade The service was a little lackluster and it can be noisy but... it's nice to finally have a restaurant like this out our way.
(4)Luke H.
TL:DR: Nice restaurant, good location, middling-to-crappy food. Way overpriced for the quality (at least for the dishes we tried). The food gets 2 stars, everything else gets a 4, averaging out to a 3. Well, i really wanted to like Cafe Mercato. I love that Lowry has a few different options for good, local restaurants (Lowry Beer Garden, North County, etc.) and as a resident of Stapleton I am jealous. So my wife and I went here in the hopes of getting some good Italian food close by. The good: The location is nice, the restaurant itself is very nice, laid out well, good decor. I love the open patio and indoor/outdoor seating. The service was decent - our server was friendly although not overly attentive. It was a Tuesday, so I'll cut her some slack. The bad: I feel like this is a place that doesn't know it's identity. The restaurant, menu and pricing make it seem like it's trying to be on par with somewhere like Il Posto or Luca, but the quality of the food is what I'd get at an average neighborhood red-sauce place. For starters, the bread came out and it was just plain ol' boring Italian white bread with some oil and balsamic. Another reviewer mentioned that it tasted like vegetable oil; I can't say if it was, but it certainly wasn't very tasty olive oil. And the bread was just so boring. Just plain bread I'd get at King Soopers. Now, if I was at my local Italian red-sauce place it wouldn't be a big deal, but for the prices of the food I would expect a little better bread, is all i'm saying. My wife ordered the orecchiette. It was good, definitely the best food we got. Didn't blow our minds, but it was tasty. There was quite a bit of fish on the menu, so I thought hey, they must know how to cook some seafood. So I tried the halibut. Boo. The halibut was cooked very poorly - undercooked, almost mushy. Only the edges had any firmness. The sauce was super watery, to the point that it sort of disappeared as I ate. And the vegetables, oh man, so boring. Just a pile of vegetables that had been roasted for a touch and dusted with salt. Just plain old vegetables. I mean, for $26 they could have at least put forth a little effort. Maybe my fault for ordering halibut at a neighborhood Italian place, but still. If it sucks, why put it on the menu. We also ordered the roasted brussel sprouts to split. They came out hot, which was nice, and they looked to have a good crispy exterior. But somehow they were chewy, almost tough. My wife and I are obsessed with brussel sprouts, and we only ate about half because they just, well sucked. So after a very unsatisfying meal we were at least going to get something sweet, but the waitress came by, took our plates and dropped off the check. Like one fluid motion - plates then check. So we didn't even have time to ask about dessert. (Which wasn't all bad, we went to Spinelli's new coffee/ice-cream shop and got ice cream, which was awesome. Speaking of which, in hind-sight we should have just gotten take-out from Spinelli's!) Holy cow, long review. I guess because I want this place to succeed, but they either need to hire a new chef and cooking staff and get their food to a place that matches the prices, or they need to scale the food back and focus on delivering some neighborhood Italian classics. We'll give this place another shot for sure, hopefully we just caught it on an off night.
(3)Fred K.
Loved it. Great pizza. Very rustic and great flavor almost as good as iwe had i Paris and Italy. My wife had fish trio. Wich was seasoned well and cooked to perfection. Great waitstaff very attentive. Our waiter was excellent made good suggestions
(5)Stephen R.
The food here is excellent. I wouldn't recommend coming here for lunch. Twice we have had the same experience here as we did at their sister restaurant at lunch. One server for the entire restaurant and despite trying hard the wait to even get drinks was about ten minutes. Finally the manager came to take our food order. It is ridiculous to have one waitress during he busy lunch rush. I emailed the owner and received a response that was indicative of caring less. Sad since the food is so good
(2)Lisa P.
My husband and I sat at the bar here last night for dinner for first time. Bar tender was friendly and we had some Italian beers and shared a salad and a pizza. The beers were good, the Caesar salad was not so good. It came drenched in dressing on top of lots of wilted lettuce. The pizza we had was a Bianca. It was a white pizza with goat cheese, mozzarella, spinach and bacon. The bacon came in thin light colored slices...may have been prosciutto? Wasn't sure, it says bacon on menu. Anyway it was good and we ate it all because we were starving, but oh my God it was soooo salty. We were both kinda grossed out after we ate it and came home to chug water. Not sure why it was so overly salty- obviously cheese and bacon are salty but this tasted like they salted the entire pizza and crust too. It would've been amazing 5 star pizza if weren't so salty- that's just our opinion. Either way, it was nice to support a local small restaurant in our hood and to not have to cook.
(3)Enrique L.
All I can say is: three stars, are you kidding me? This is an excellent Italian restaurant. Cafe Mercato compares to some of the best restaurants in this country and Europe! Does anyone in Denver make better pizza, for example?
(5)Sarah A.
After walking by and seeing other guests on the patio enjoying a charcuterie plate that looked really good and fresh, we decided to give it a try. We ended up being so glad we decided to stop in. Great food, great service, great patio and awesome cappuccinos to top off the meal! The closest thing to Italy we've experienced since taking a trip there earlier this year. We'll definitely be back!
(5)Diane S.
We've been to Cafe Mercato two times in the past two weeks. One time as a couple, and the other time in a large group. Both times, we had great service which was punctuated by the manager checking to be sure we were enjoying our meal. I have had a pasta dish and mussels and both were good. I really loved the salad that included pears, gorgonzola, and butter lettuce. Yum! The decor is also great! It is a quiet restaurant that has a lovely ambiance. We live in the neighborhood and are so glad that Cafe Mercato has opened so close to home.
(4)Steve N.
Excellent food. Great view of Wings over The Rockies Museum. This is some great Italian, including homemade noodles. Yum.
(5)Sara E.
I went here with a colleague last Friday for lunch and it was pretty disappointing. It's a great space and really well decorated. When we ordered we let our server know our time was limited as we had to get back to work, but that didn't really seem to matter even though the restaurant wasn't busy. The server was unfortunately the only person helping any of the 5 parties there at the time, one of which had 12 people in it. It would have been nice to see all the other staff standing around help her out in some way. We ordered the meatballs, which had good flavor and the sauce they came in was delicious, but the meatballs were rubbery and tough. We both ordered the fennel chicken sandwich as well. The meatballs came out really quickly, but the sandwiches took a long time to come out. We ended up asking our server to put them in to go boxes so we could eat them on the way back to work. We had to ask multiple times for the sandwiches as they were just sitting in boxes at the bar while we sat and waited. Once we got them the to go boxes were also covered in grease, which was kind of gross and mine wouldn't stay closed, which didn't really seem to matter to our server. The sandwiches were ok, but not worth $12, especially as they were small and don't come with a side except some overdressed arugula. I had asked that the spinach on the sandwich be replaced with another type of greens, but it didn't have anything on it except a mushy tomato slice, which isn't included in the description. There also wasn't any shaved fennel on the sandwich, which was the main reason I had ordered it. All in all, it was not a meal that should have cost us each $22. I'll probably go back and try the pizza as there aren't too many places in Lowry to eat, but hopefully the food and service will be a lot better than the first visit.
(2)Amy F.
Anything below 4 stars is horribly unfair to this great new addition to the Denver restaurant scene. I've now eaten at Mercato twice, once on the early side with kids and once for an anniversary celebration. Both meals were excellent and the service was above and beyond good. Forget that it is in Lowry, pretend like you're in a hip Denver neighborhood, and the food is still great and if you live over here you can walk there. Homemade pasta, amazing dessert (get tiramisu), and a lovely space. I really hope they do well! (And to my server tonight, Ryan, my father-in-law in a notoriously bad tipper. I tried to slip you some extra cash, but couldn't make it happen without being spotted... I'll get you the next time I'm near there, I promise).
(5)Kelly S.
Cute new little place. Ambiance is nice. The patio looks like it would be great in the summer. Had the burrata app and a bottle of wine. Burrata was good! It included red peppers with it rather than tomatoes, interesting pairing. Though I think I prefer tomatoes. The only thing I disliked is that the bread they served with olive oil was nothing special. Just a plain white italian bread, sliced. As an italian restaurant you HAVE to have great bread!! The menu said the burrata would be served with ciabatta, but it was served with the same boring bread from the bread baskets. Hopefully they have a better bread option and they just couldn't get it out their first few days!! I'll visit again, and hopefully update this to a 4!!
(3)Laurin Q.
We had heard many good things about the food at Cafe Mercato, but were concerned with the reviews that panned the service, but we decided to give it a try last night. There were 3 of us, one of whom is the owner of 3 restaurants in the area, and the other two who eat out over 200 nights a year. Other than the food, which held up to its good reviews, the night was a disaster. We had a 7:30 reservation and were sat promptly. Nice start! It took our server 15 minutes until she first "stopped by" to take a drink order. We had seen the wine list which was very ample and reasonably priced, and ordered a bottle of Barolo. About 10 minutes later the server, after taking the order of the folks at the next table, "stopped by" to tell me that they no longer had the Barolo. She suggested a different bottle at $20 more (strike one). When I declined and picked a different at the same price point as the first bottle, she seemed miffed. When she attempted to walk away we told her that we would like to order now. She took our order a few minutes before 8 pm. We ordered two salads, the burrata and tomatoes, and the beet salad. The beet salad arrived in 5 minutes, with the server saying that the burrata was "right behind". 25 minutes later, at 8:30 we had to ask the hostess to find our server (and the missing burrata). A few minutes later the burrata showed up (with barely an apology for its tardiness ). About 30 minutes later, at 9 pm (90 minutes after being seated) the 3 entrees showed up. At this time the manager came over (he actually brought 1 of the dishes to the table) and apologized for the delay. He told us that the head chef and others were arguing all night about why the kitchen was backed up, and that "several cooks" were fired. Not sure if that was true or a line, but what he didn't do when he made the apology was offer to make something right. We know that restaurants run on thin margins, so we weren't looking for him to buy dinner, but to offer a drink, or a dessert, would have been appreciated. At the end of the day, the food was very good, but the service failures cast a negative pall on the evening. For a restaurant that's been open 10 months, you would think that these issues would have long been resolved.
(3)Bridgett R.
Went here to try it out in our neighborhood for the first time I would give it zero stars if I could. They brought out delicious fresh warm bread and what I thought was olive oil and balsamic vinegar... It was vegetable oil and balsamic... Then all 3 of us wanted ribeyes. Well they only had one so we ordered two other steaks, the fillet was awful, the sirloin was awful, ribeye was good. The only thing that was good was the roasted veggies... Won't be back. Too bad, we live in Lowry & wanted a good nice place to eat. This isn't it.
(1)Kathleen G.
My husband and 6 yr. old daughter had dinner at il Mercato. The space is beautiful and so convenient to Mayfair. Kids menu is great with many options. My husband wanted the filet, she said they were out, so then he asked for the ribeye and they were also out of that. Interesting since we sat down at 6:00. I had the burrata app., which is delicious with red pepper and arugula. It was kinda plain, I asked for balsamic to douse it with and it tasted better. Our service was great, we will most likely return to see if it gets better over time. We are huge fans of Locanda. Patio will be fabulous in summer. I would probably go for four or five stars if they had something more amazing on the menu, and better wine choices.
(3)Greg M.
Started strong when it first opened but food quality and service have both faded significantly. Pizza is good but now i think of it as another average italian restaurant. Disappointing as i used to enjoy it.
(2)Tiffany S.
The service was a little slow but the main entrees were worth the wait. We live near this area and we were hoping some good quality restaurants would open here. We have high hopes for this place. We are looking forward to returning here very very soon. All the other restaurants in Lowry Town Center can't suck it. Thanks Café Mercato, please keep improving and striving for perfection, because you are on your way.
(4)Abby L.
Good food, average service for the price tag, crowded seating leave it at a 3 in my book.
(3)Michele D.
EXCELLENT addition to Lowry, though they are of course working out some minor kinks, which I think is to be expected of almost any new restaurant. The food is great. The buratta melts in your mouth like butter, and the meat and cheese boards are well done and plentiful. We also tried the clams and mussels, as well as the seafood stew, both of which were mighty tasty, though the stew was just slightly over salted. On member of our party was jonesing for some pasta, so our server brought a small plate of overpriced spaghetti, but let me tell you.....that spaghetti was the tastiest homemade pasta I've ever eaten. We had Leonardo as our server and he was lovely, though two members of our party did feel like we were being rushed out the door by the end of the meal, as we were the last table in the joint, but I did not personally pick up on that vibe. All in all, a GREAT addition to the community and I have high hopes that they'll be around for a long time to come.
(5)Likheng N.
I have been there twice--once for happy hour and again for dinner on a Sunday night. First, the happy hour specials were decent with specials including house wine, beer, and well drinks with 4-5 appetizer choices. Happy hour ends at 6:00 pm. Nothing stood out, but the service provided by the bartender was excellent. The dinner experience was also mediocre. The restaurant was half full on a Saturday night, but we waited several minutes for the hostess to set a table when we arrived. We started dinner with the mussels and clam appetizer, followed by the tagliatelle and filet mignon. The steak was ordered medium rare, but arrived well done. The tagliatelle was made fresh but the clam tomato sauce was only average. Overall, we were very excited about a new restaurant in the Lowry area, but a little underwhelmed in the end.
(3)David P.
I wanted to try the basics to get a feel for the place, and the spaghetti and meatballs were delicious, the caesar salad was great as well. The only reason I haven't given this place 5 stars is I tried a very simple dish, and will amend my review if I try one of the more complex dishes and am just as impressed.
(4)Kyle M.
I would give this 4.5 stars if I could. Went here on New Years Eve. It was packed, but the service was excellent and timely. We ordered several apps which were great. I would very much recommend the burrata. For my entrée, the tagliatelle was magnificent; VERY fresh clams. For some reason the portion size for the pasta itself was a little on the small side compared to identical dishes I saw at nearby tables. That was my only complaint of the night, and I chalked it up as an honest mistake since they were really busy. My girlfriend had the pappardelle, and no problems with taste or portion size for hers. I had a few bites of the pappardelle, and it's definitely something I will be ordering in the future. Dessert was great. I can't remember the name, but it was a chocolate mousse-filled torte. I'm used to mousse being very rich and heavy, but this was light, airy, and absolutely wonderful. It was honestly one of the best desserts I've had in a very long time. I can't wait to to try their pizza.
(4)