My Boyfriend and I were visiting Chicago and got a recommendation to go to Mercat. We both absolutely LOVED it. I understand why some people think that you get little for what you pay for, but you... More

My Boyfriend and I were visiting Chicago and got a recommendation to go to Mercat. We both absolutely LOVED it. I understand why some people think that you get little for what you pay for, but you have to go into it knowing that tapas are going to be small plates and this is an expensive restaurant (I think it was a little misleading that Google gave it a "$$" rating when it should be "$$$$") . Our waiter clearly told us that we would need multiple plates and was very helpful. I will be recommending Mercat to friends and family if they are in the area. Pros: Food, Decor Cons: None
Less

Went there on June 20th for a birthday celebration. When the waitress asked us whether we had been there before, we responded no, and she offered no explaination. We chose the tasting menu. Most... More

Went there on June 20th for a birthday celebration. When the waitress asked us whether we had been there before, we responded no, and she offered no explaination. We chose the tasting menu. Most dishes were good. The tapas that was a dumpling of some type was terrible. When she asked us, what we thought we told her and her repsonse was "how odd, most people think this is the best. I had pre-ordered a dessert to be brought to the table, which of course was not. For the money, the service should have been rated a ten, but was not even close.
Less

we had some great tasting short ribs, cheeses, rice dishes, mushrooms and shrimp but the portions were somewhat ridiculous compared to the typical tapas places around the city. a $16 rice dish is... More

we had some great tasting short ribs, cheeses, rice dishes, mushrooms and shrimp but the portions were somewhat ridiculous compared to the typical tapas places around the city. a $16 rice dish is 2-3 spoonfuls. $20 gets you a couple slivers of meat. not as if we expected to stuff ourselves at a tapas restaurant, but after a $50+ meal, we had to go somewhere else to get more food. Pros: delicious tapas, great decor, friendly staff Cons: taste portions for the price of full entrees, not filling
Less

We stayed at the Blackstone this past weekend and were looking forward to a pleasant stay. This is a wonderful hotel but this restaurant, which is the one option for food, leaves much to be... More

We stayed at the Blackstone this past weekend and were looking forward to a pleasant stay. This is a wonderful hotel but this restaurant, which is the one option for food, leaves much to be desired. We arrived around lunch, went immediately to the restaurant as we had read the good reviews. We were seated and ordered. The food did not come for at least 45 minutes.The manager apologized as the food arrived. We were fine but hungry. We decided to go back for dinner since we love tapas. The menu had many things At 6, we returned. We were told that it would be 8:15 before we could get a table. We made the reservation and had good drinks at the bar. The drinks were excellent; the bar staff was great. We were told that we could have a bar table with tiny plastic chairs. We were in the bar area and knew we would not enjoy a long dinner there. We would wait for a regular table in the dining area. 2 and 1/2 hrs. later we still hadn't been seated.At 8:45, we were told that we could have the same table which was available at 6.The server showed us to another tiny table but with a banquette. This was more comfortable.I explained to her why we didn't want the table and she understood. Obviously, we could have eaten two hours earlier but wanted a table in the actual dining room.Suddenly, a hostess came to us and in a confrontational way told us that we had only waited 15 minutes and we were lying about the whole situation. She was extremely loud and obnoxious. She also said that we had been in our room lounging. She continued to rant so we started to leave. Then a manager told us that we were lucky to be there and the bar table was fine for us. He also told us that those table also required reservations. We are still in shock at how horrible there people are who work there. We will never recommend this place to any of our friends who live and work in the Chicago area (and we have many!) Pros: wine list Cons: everything else, especially the staff
Less

By far one of the worst meals I have had in this city. Service was SLOW! The food was cold! The prices are out of this world. One shining spot is the atmosphere, energizing. I can not believe... More

By far one of the worst meals I have had in this city. Service was SLOW! The food was cold! The prices are out of this world. One shining spot is the atmosphere, energizing. I can not believe how many positive reviews this place gets. There was 6 in our group and no one wants to eat there ever again. Pros: Atmosphere Cons: Too expensive for what you get!
Less

Check this place out. I was simply delighted - where to start. Chef Garces culinary talent shows: food was delicious! Loved the higos con almendra, cocas de costillas de ternera, and the scallops a... More

Check this place out. I was simply delighted - where to start. Chef Garces culinary talent shows: food was delicious! Loved the higos con almendra, cocas de costillas de ternera, and the scallops a la planxa, . Our waiter was very friendly, cognizant of wines, grapes, and regions - they have a great selection of Spanish wines. We arrived over 30 mins early, so we had time to relax and enjoy some sangria on the downstairs bar/lounge. We were treated very well by the staff and left with a desire to return as often as possible. Great way to start the Saturday evening!
Less

GOOD: Virtually everything on the menu. We had two of the grilled items (a la planxa; squid and chorizo -- both very good), a flatbread with shortribs (very good), stuffed dates (amazing) and... More

GOOD: Virtually everything on the menu. We had two of the grilled items (a la planxa; squid and chorizo -- both very good), a flatbread with shortribs (very good), stuffed dates (amazing) and patatas bravas (the weakest of the bunch). The room is great -- big, colorful, and with a buzz. And the staff is genuinely welcoming and friendly. SO-SO: our waiter needed a bit more seasoning, and could rush diners less. He told us he'd space out our food (not true -- things tend to arrive in bunches), and advised us to order from the top of the menu down (which is just plain silly in a tapas-style restaurant). BAD: dessert (four chocolate selection) was silly. One of the chocolates was a smear of a sort of chocolate pudding -- I thought of someone in Spain smirking at this one. RESULTS: we'll definitely return. We'll skip desert, ask for food delivery to be spaced better, and sit back and enjoy the mostly wonderful food. We really like this place! Pros: Great tapas, fun room, welcoming staff Cons: Could use a new dessert chef, pricey valet parking
Less

We arrived for a Saturday evening reservation for 6 people at 8PM and had a short wait. The host staff and bartenders on the first floor were accomodating while we sipped the seasonal sangria... More

We arrived for a Saturday evening reservation for 6 people at 8PM and had a short wait. The host staff and bartenders on the first floor were accomodating while we sipped the seasonal sangria steeped with an unusual hot pepper--it was unexpected and delicious and set the stage for the rest of the evening. We ordered the chef's tasting menu with three courses per person at $55. We had plenty of food and I'm sure we had more than three plates each since the chef sent out some extra little specials. What really stood out were the quality of the ingredients. This is a tapas restaurant in a city with some very good choices, and Mercat oofers the best tapas I've ever had. Standouts included complex, nutty jamon iberico, a tasty cheese flight, morel arroz, an octopus dish, and colorado lamb, diver scallops & ribeye from the grill. So-so choices came from the veggie selections, including escalivada (roasted eggplant, cippoline onions, bell peppers and tomatoes), and the patatas bravas (a beautiful presentation of what amounted to slightly spicy tater tots). We also opted to order some desserts including an uncooked catalan flan which was amazing and light and four chocolate presentations on one plate: everyone was fighting for the hot chocolate with whipped creme and the mousse in the demitasse cups. The restaurant was packed and the timing was off just slightly. On a couple of occasions, we had enough time for members of our party to leave for 5 minute breaks. There was also one slip up with delivering the wrong drink to the table. These tiny issues did not affect our experience. The space is huge, two-stories with great views of the park across the street. It has hip, urban appeal with two levels of dining and a VIP birdsnest above the whole scene. The best tables are windowside or along the south wall, since the tables on the main floor are relatively close. This is "foodie" tapas and I'll be back again! Pros: amazing tastes, fun decor Cons: rather loud, some tables are close
Less

If you are looking for a restaurant that has great food and even better service, head down to Mercat a la Planxa in Blackstone Hotel on S. Mich ave. We had dinner with some friends on Staurday... More

If you are looking for a restaurant that has great food and even better service, head down to Mercat a la Planxa in Blackstone Hotel on S. Mich ave. We had dinner with some friends on Staurday night. It was exciting to be a part of such an extrodinary dining experience. The room was electric, great music, unusually creative drinks, wonderful food and a professional service staff. This is how a restaurant should be. Try the dry aged beef, the sortrib coca, seared tuna and the diver scallops. These were our favorites. Ask for Jerry....he will make you feel like royalty. Welcome to the neighborhood! Pros: Everything-----Jerry the waiter
Less