I started by having a LOVELY dinner at the bar with Danni. Then, as dinner was winding down, the owner, Giancarlo Macchiarella, decided to have a loud, public berating conversation with Danni in front of the guests in the dining area about how she is "costing me money" and such and so. It was embarrassing (for him!) and it ruined an otherwise delightful evening of service, food and ambience. It is so ironic that this man accused his employee (in front of his own guests!) of "costing him money", when he himself is the one who is driving guests away. IF I return to this restaurant, it will ONLY be due to the wonderful service of the bartender, Danni. I was looking for an escape from the stress of the day, and Mr. Giancarlo Macchiarella only added to it. Thank you for nothing, sir. If you know what is good for your business, you will stop berating your employees. Period. Start praising them for doing the great work that they do for you, and stop driving guests away with your attitude. YOU are costing yourself money. I suggest you start being grateful and showing it. You stressed me out and made me feel guilty for your employees. Please do better. You have a great team there, doing great things for the guests. -Arlene read more

The food was fine. Nothing to write home about or to make me excited to go back (except for the chocolate mousse -- THAT was delish). Canned mushrooms in the tagliatelle. The only thing crispy about the crispy Brussels was a few charred leaves and a couple walnuts. Server was pleasant but very slow. When we asked him to split the bill, he charged one couple $12 and the other over $200. read more

Always so good and yummy! Really surprising a neighborhood place like this can be so good !

Matt was the best waiter! So attentive, fast & made sure we were taken care of all night. 10/10 would go again to see Matt again! Great waiter & amazing food! read more

Get the hazelnut gelato! The food is supposed to be high end Italian. But nothing I've ordered has been great. The place is always busy at night so the atmosphere is energetic. read more

We were looking for Italian food and this was a good option. Food is well served and flavorful, cooked well. The service was good. It was our first time but it was obvious that some customers frequent the restaurants, which is always a good sign. read more

We ordered ciopinno, margarita pizza and risotto, everything was great, the service too!

Went to the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum today with my young daughter, was looking for food for lunch. Really authentic pasta dishes that were delicious. A great new place when we are over near Lowry. read more

Café Mercato - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

LOVE it BUT VERY FEW VEGETARIAN OPTIONS. We love to go for the atmosphere and the fantastic service. But your only option is eggplant which neither of us really like. a daily vegetarian option special would be great or even just one or two more vegetarian options added to the menu. It's Denver, it's fairly progressive and there are many vegetarian people here - so I would recommend expanding the menu with some delicious vegetarian options! Cafe Mercato is very meaty. read more

Went here for dinner with a group. It's cozy, but noisy given the wood surfaces. Sampled the artichoke appetizer - delish! Perfectly grilled and flavorful. For my entree, I enjoyed the grilled striped bass. It wasn't the freshest and most delicious fish I've ever had - the state is landlocked, after all - but it was good, with a solid sauce and nicely grilled veggies. Spinach was a bit oily. Portion size was perfect- slightly indulgent but not too big and certainly not double. Nice wine list, too. I don't get Italian much but would come back here! Lovely people too. read more

Excellent food in an out of the way place. We each had the chef's choice seafood plate. Everything was EXCELLENT, even my vegetables. Reasonable prices, not cheap, but worth it for the great food and great service. read more

Five star review across the board. Service attentive and friendly. House-made short rib ravioli and pappardelle with bolognese were delicious. read more

Food was salty, restaurant ran out of supplies, service was slow and cup of water was pretty much empty

Great food! This is our go to Italian restaurant in the neighborhood. It's just fantastic. Great patio as well. Staff is always great!!

I'm giving a 5 star review even though I would really rate my experience at a 4. First, the 5-star review rationale: I ordered the special, a rigatoni with red meat sauce, mushrooms and a touch of cream. It was fantastic! So glad I ordered it. My boyfriend's lasagna was also awesome. He ate it all immediately. Also, our waiter was very kind and helpful when it came to the menu (and as a table of 6, we had a lot of questions and needs). The 4-star rational: the host was pretty lousy. He was missing for several minutes when we arrived, and when he returned to the host stand, he picked up the phone, did barely acknowledged us, and proceeded to have a few minute conversation that didn't seem as important as, at the very least, asking those of us at the door to please wait. Also, it was terribly drafty near he bar. My little cousin kept down coat on most dinner, and my legs were freezing. One more thing: the muscles were just okay. Not worth ordering in my opinion. All in all, I'll go back for the pasta! But maybe I'll just order to go, or wait until winter is over. read more

I have been remiss in not reviewing this authentic Italian restaurant sooner and everything I say about Cafe Mercato can be also said of Locanda Del Borgo. We've been living in Denver for 5 years now, relocating from the Massachusetts portion Greater Providence RI area. Providence and nearby by Newport host many outstanding Italian restaurants. We acquired experience and knowledge about good to excellent Italian dining, at least in the USA. As transplanted New Englanders now Denverites, we are frequent patrons of both Mercato & Locanda. Both are owned and operated by Executive Chef Giancarlo Macchiarella and are located within 3 miles of each other in the overlapping neighborhoods of Lowry and Cherry Creek. The menus reflect modern contemporary Italian cuisine, the dining experience is always casual but elegant The pasta options are traditional contemporary, my favorites include Puttanesca, Bolognese, Speghettone and Lasagna. There are meat and sea food options that remind me of my mother's unwritten recipes reflecting a style found in province of Benevento. Both restaurants offer pizza, the best pizza we've had in Denver. The wine list provides excellent matching options for the entree you select. The martinis and manhattans are outstanding. Both Cafe Mercato and Locanda Del Borgo are 5 star Denver value options for an authentic Italian dining experience. You can find Italian that is less expensive and more expensive but you will not find better value. read more

This is a cute are and wanted to try this place out. It's mediocre at best. First we had dirty martinis. They rationed their Gorgonzola stuffed olives. We had ONE olive per martini. The salads were the best part of the evening. I had the pear salad and my boyfriend had the caprese salad. They were both good. He ordered the Cioppino and I had the Parpadelle. The Cioppino had seafood that was over cooked and tough. Lacking flavor. My Parpadelle said it came to slow braised beef which really meant a ground beef sauce. I could have made a better sauce. Let's just say we won't be back. The Officers club next door is amazing and I would recommend them Instead. read more

We've been here before, the food has always been really good! But last night, they had absolutely no pizza, no wings, no tagliatelle, and there were lots of things on the menu that could not be provided. We finally asked our waiter what is on the menu that we can order? I felt sorry for him cuz I think people were angry with him wasn't his problem it was management that didn't order properly. Not sure if we'll go back read more

We went this Saturday evening, early, for the first time after my parents recommended. There was one other table sat, so we were expecting decent service. While our waitress was pleasant enough, she failed to tell us any of the specials (which we would have ordered because both the vegetarian, primavera lasagna and Parmesan risotto with grilled pork loin sounded amazing). My fish trio was cooked to a point that I didn't know fish could be cooked. The swordfish was a brick, the salmon was beyond dry, and the two shrimp were reminiscent of thick rubber bands. The veg on the plate was so over seasoned, even my husband thought it was inedible. His pappardelle with meat ragu was good, but for $28 it seemed it should have had a small salad or bread and olive with it. Our son's pizza was so greasy, the leftovers are worthless. I'm hoping this was just that evening's experience because there were so many other things we wanted to try. We will see. read more

I was stoked on trying Cafe Mercato because of a positive dining experience I had with their neighbor restaurant, North County. My expectations were high because my family chose this restaurant to celebrate my dads birthday. Quick description: Classic Italian cuisine. Contemporary, quiet, more upscale setting (I wouldn't take kids there). First impressions can make or break anything. Cafe Mercato's first impression was, how do you say , not good. Let me list a couple reasons why: -We had called way in advance for my dads birthday. You would think, knowing it's a special occasion, they would set us up with a nice table but instead, we got jammed into a table that was right next to the kitchen and the front door that just felt crammed. My family and I felt like a can of sardines. - Entrees just didn't do it for me. Lacked any real unique flavor. Every dish was generic and mediocre, as if I could have got the same thing from Olive Garden. If I'm paying fine dining prices, I expect some real fine dining dishes. - The service was ehh. Although our server was nice he lacked on the "serve" part of his job title. My family had been seated for a good 30 minutes before everyone was asked what they wanted to drink. We also did not have all of our table settings set, even though we had a reservation with the amount of people set weeks before. I find that unacceptable, regardless of how nice the server was. - My last complaint, is for all my drinkers out there. The majority of fine dining restaurants I've been too, have some sort of speciality cocktails, but to my surprise, they had none. Not a big deal, but a let down nonetheless. Our experience wasn't all that bad as we had some positive notes. Pizza was good, fresh, and had that perfect balance of doughiness and crispiness. The Molten lava cake for dessert, was an excellent dish that had my whole table battling over every bite. A couple positives but not enough to make up for all the negatives. Unfortunately, Cafe Mercato did not meet my personal criteria for giving it a second chance and I will not be dining there again. We sadly were left extremely disappointing. read more

Café Mercato - Molten Chocolate cake seduced me with its rich and creaminess! - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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I went for just coffee and desserts for the first time here but i ended up ordering the crab cake too and it was soooooooo yummy the flavour was soo unique and amazing but i don't know if it's on the original menu cuz it was special menu ... the tiramesu was nice but not special i don't think that i will order it again But the lava cake with gelato was the most unique gelato i have ever tried and i loved it... Soo 5 stars for the crab cake and the gelato for the perfect flavour .... And also although we went late just before they close they never made me feel like if they are in hurry read more

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My family and I went to Cafe Mercato before a concert. Not great and very expensive. Do not get the Caesar salad. Dressing tastes like straight anchovies. Chicken Parmesan was burnt but fine. Not much flavor. Not worth the calories. Pasta was undercooked and flavorless. Mixed green salad was fine. Tomato salad was gross with mushy tomatoes. Pesto pasta was small and blah. Almost no chicken. Chicken Marsala was fine. Potatoes were flavorless. Would not recommend!!!! read more

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. read more

Went on a date here with my boyfriend and had the best time! The atmosphere and staff were wonderful and the food was too dang good. We got the fried calamari, Asiago gnocchi, and chicken parmigiana and I could go on and on about how delicious it was. Our server even recommended the perfect wines. Will definitely be back for more!! read more

I ordered the ravioli... super chewy, mushrooms were crunchy... sent it back ... came back the same...glass of wine served with wine all over the outside of the glass... this place has potential but falls short 50% of the time... such a disappointing experience. read more

Honestly some of the reviews kept me away from the place for a long time but I had a great experience. I had the short rib ravioli and it was amazing! Great service as well. I will be back. read more

I have been here a couple of times before and we have had decent service and the food was good. We were going to go back tonight with my family... after reading the most recent reviews I have decided that we will go to Cherry Creek instead. Which is a shame because we like supporting Lowry businesses since we live here. The reviews are so mixed... the #1 complaint is that it is overpriced and the service is hit or miss. I really don't want to risk, spending a lot of money on dinner and being disappointed. What is surprising is with all of the reviews... the owner or manager has not responded to any of them... makes me think they really don't care that much. read more

Went once...ordered the bread for the table which wasn't good. Had the pear salad and it was fine.Tried again and salad was bland. Pizza and steaks were good. Service was lacking. Over priced. read more

Good food. Service uneven. To go orders MUCH smaller than same food at same prices if you din there. Don't get to go food. read more

We made a last-minute reservation at Café Mercato before a concert in Lowry for Friday night at 6:30. We were early for our reservation so we had to wait for our table although the place was not all that busy - not sure what that was all about. The hostess was a bit snotty and although she smiled, it seemed forced and she was a bit pushy. The staff was really busy chatting it up loudly near the front door which was annoying and the waiting area is small and right in front of the doors so it's cold every time the doors open. Overall, the place is plainly decorated, dimly lit, but comfortable. This is not a restaurant that I would consider suitable for small children although people are unable to gauge which restaurants are appropriate for children so having bratty kids there diminished our experience a bit. I probably could have done without hearing the lady behind us described her birth experience to her 3-year old daughter during my dinner. Ugh. We were counting on a particular dish, but the menu we looked at on Open Table does not correctly reflect the actual menu on the restaurant website or at the restaurant so be aware of that. We started with the calamari appetizer which was good although overpriced and the "marinara" was more of a tomato sauce. I had the Cioppino as my entrée which was not spicy, as described on the menu, and it was also overpriced and tasted just okay. My husband had the Penne which was incredibly undercooked, sticky and pasty, and I did not detect any amount of crab in it and it had too many peas and it was severely overpriced. This entrée would be best served as a side dish rather than an entrée. The wine by the glass selection was limited and the pinot noir and Chianti were both super lacking in any sort of character. Overall, even though this has the potential to be a nice restaurant, the prices are way too high and the food is just okay. I probably would not go back. read more

We had a lovely meal here on a Saturday night. This is the second time we've been and I was surprised that the place wasn't packed. The chef is from Sicily and this is REAL authentic Italian food. The service has been great both times. They let you take your time and enjoy your meal with your family and friends. They were accommodating to our little one in her car seat and they are always very knowledgeable about the menu and don't hesitate to make recommendations. We ordered the beet salad, calamari and Little meatball to start. All were delicious. The beet salad was especially great. Highly recommend tying it. I ordered the meat trio. It was pork loin, steak and sausage - all cooked to perfection in their wood fired pizza oven. The smokiness and perfect fiery char made all three fantastic. Everyone was very satisfied at the end of the meal. We will most definitely be back! read more

A small, quaint Italian restaurant with bold flavors. Recommended by a friend in the Lowry area, we decided to go for a girls night dinner! They have a selection of wines from the 30-60 price point, so there's something for everyone! We got a lovely bottle of chianti. Their menu features typical italian fare such a pastas and pizza, along with other dishes like meats and fish. To begin, they have a wide selection of appetizers from meat and cheese boards, to salads, and meatballs. We went with the large meat board which featured two meats and cheeses with arugula, grilled bread, and olives. Everything on that board was amazing. Our server was accommodating to helping me choose what can be done gluten free. I decided to go with the nightly special of halibut in a lemon caper sauce with asparagus and potatoes. The halibut was done perfectly and paired well with the wonderful sauce. My friends got the NY strip steak which was superb and a pasta dish. All in all, I would definitely come back to this place if in the area. read more

Café Mercato - Halibut in a lemon caper sauce - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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I dined at this venue for a Sunday family meal. The food was delicious. The pasta is all homemade and you can't go wrong with the fettuccine in white wine sauce, lasagne, meatballs or the Bolognese. There were 6 of us and everyone practically licked their plate. I can't wait to go back and try one of their seafood entrees. Compliments to the chef and to the service at this place. I highly recommend and will gladly return soon. read more

Do not go here! 1. Everything is over priced including the kids menu and wine 2. The server and who I believe was the owner or manager kept eyeing us because we had our one year old with us. She is always well behaved and if she gets loud we take her outside so she doesn't disrupt other guests. We felt completely unwelcome and ended up leaving because they continue to suggest that we hurry up and order since we have a child with us and continued to stare at our daughter from the host start in an annoyed way 3. Our server also kept trying to up charge us on the $40 bottle of wine and appetizers we ordered which is very rude read more

Here's the thing. Great food. Good service. Good wine list. Nice atmosphere. Wish they would mark gluten free items on main menu, as waiters are not trained to know what is what. (Not their fault) I'm celiac, but even regular ole gluten free folks would appreciate this. Much more efficient for staff and customers. Also, a bit heavy on the salt; I appreciate under salted food, and adjusting it myself to taste. Seemed like a LOT of butter too. But super yummy. I had the Halibut special. My adult daughters had short rib ravioli and another pasta dish. We were all very happy overall with our dinners. read more

We love this restaurant. The lasagna and chicken Parmesan are our favorites. The staff is wonderful.

Sat at a table by the host. At least 15 minutes passed and no one even came to our table so can't really comment on the food. After (politely) requesting someone check on our party of 4, we were told they'd be right over. Never even had glasses of water. This was a Friday night at 7PM. We waited patiently until it seemed pretty hopeless. Left and no one noticed. .. read more

Not sure why anyone thinks they can open a super expensive Italian restaurant. $21 for breadsticks? $16 side salads? No thanks.

Disappointing. Mediocre food. Not what I remember from 1.5 year ago. Seems like no one really cares. Won't be returning anytime soon. Sorry to say. read more

Wow, was I disappointed with this experience. Me and my wife came into this restaurant last night, and we were very disappointed. We fell in love with the ambience to start with the restaurant does look nice. But we started to notice as the night went on, there's a weird energy with the staff the kitchen staff seemed disgruntled in a rush and frustrated. Our server was mostly attentive, but could've definitely came and stopped by a couple more times especially considering they weren't very busy, our first problem was the tomato bisque. It tasted very salty. I don't know if they are tasting their food before they serve it but they should. The next problem was my main entrée. I ordered the short rib raviolis when I was served the raviolis the first time they were not cooked all the way through, when I sent them back, I saw the cook say to my server that they were cooked perfect and that they were al dente. This was not the case. I know my pasta. When they brought it back about 15 minutes later, the noodles were cooked just the same still undercooked and I was still disappointed but at that point, I just wanted to leave. Walked out of there spending $106 with no alcoholic beverages for what I felt like was extremely mediocre food and service. If you've ever seen kitchen nightmares, this place is one of them. read more