I grew up in Spain and I can confirm that this is very authentic Spanish food. Highly recommended!!!! Also check out their website as they have free Flamenco
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Seafood Paella
Eric Griffith
I was more impressed with the service than the food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Paella Negra
Ronald Díaz
A hidden gem within Rockville! Highly
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chuck P
I’ve lived in Spain. This is not authentic. Just a bit disappointed. Left and went to Bombay Bistro- the food there is excellent!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
ben bauer
Great food and excellent service. The octopus, chorizo, shinto peppers were all perfectly prepared. They really do it right. Went two nights in a row!
The food was fine but we had an unfortunate service experience. The paella order for one of our group took forever, best estimate 45 minutes. Our server was not helpful. At the second request for info, they got defensive, berating our friend for impatience, telling us that everyone was doing their best, with no visible effort to figure out it resolve the delay. We understand that rice dishes take time but the delay was excessive and the lack of help or explanation was unfortunate. Then the server comped a dessert on someone else's order which was a bad response to the situation. And after all this we had an automatic 20% service charge. Not a place we will return to.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
David Garcia Peñaranda
El Mercat is a stellar Spanish restaurant that deserves every one of its five stars. The tapas are incredibly delicious, the paella is a standout, and the overall ambiance is fantastic. From the moment you walk in, you’re transported to Spain with flavorful dishes and a lively atmosphere. Whether you’re a Spanish cuisine enthusiast or just looking for a memorable dining experience.
As a Spaniard who has been living in America for a year, I was looking for a Spanish restaurant to feel at home. The food was very delicious (much better than expected). The only thing that did not convince us was the price-quantity ratio. Quite high price for the amount of food they provided. But with very good quality. Without a doubt, it is likely that I will repeat to feel at home again. Thank you
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Georg Georgiadis
Great place for a great dinner! George Rodrigues has created some amazing food.Definitely need to try the paella! and the fried calamari! and the patatas bravas! and so much more.Would definitely go back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Lucia Byers
My husband and I went for brunch, the restaurant had only one customer and us.We got there around 2ish pm and brunch was until 3. We ordered fried calamari for appetizer, two different flavors of sangrias and for the main dish we ordered a seafood paella.Although the service was okay, food and drinks were completely blanch, no flavor at all and the seafood was a little rubbery. I don’t think we will go back there.
Great food and service. I love small shareable plates where one can get a taste of several dishes rather than having only one item. Each plate was different and very tasty.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Calamares
Deepa Bala
We were so hungry and just decided to go there. Definitely didn’t disappoint. They have lots of options for tapas including many vegetarian ones. We ordered meatballs, chicken paellas, potato bravas and chicken. Everything tasted good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sharon Updike
Veronica was awesome, not intrusive but arrived immediately when needed and made great suggestions on the menu. The flatbread was outstanding. Music, ambiance - this place has it all.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Manisha Sabat
We tried at the restaurant for the first time and we had a good experience. It is good to make reservations as the restaurant gets pretty busy. We ordered several items and some of them were good and others ok. The fried potatoes, fish and calamari, and the churros were great. The seafood paella, chicken, zucchini, and mushrooms were okay. The place is pretty cozy, and the service is good. The restaurant is on the expensive side but it is good for dining.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Eastie Forscher
Dinner was decent. Although service of food was a bit helter-skelter that evening. Twice, we received on our table were the wrong order. The waitstaff was very professional about it and corrected the order. Kudos!I do recommend ordering the burnt cheesecake with Remy for dessert. Nice ending to a meal.
I grew up in Spain and I can confirm that this is very authentic Spanish food. Highly recommended!!!! Also check out their website as they have free Flamenco
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Seafood Paella
I was more impressed with the service than the food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Paella Negra
A hidden gem within Rockville! Highly
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I’ve lived in Spain. This is not authentic. Just a bit disappointed. Left and went to Bombay Bistro- the food there is excellent!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Great food and excellent service. The octopus, chorizo, shinto peppers were all perfectly prepared. They really do it right. Went two nights in a row!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Seafood Paella, Grilled Octopus
The food was fine but we had an unfortunate service experience. The paella order for one of our group took forever, best estimate 45 minutes. Our server was not helpful. At the second request for info, they got defensive, berating our friend for impatience, telling us that everyone was doing their best, with no visible effort to figure out it resolve the delay. We understand that rice dishes take time but the delay was excessive and the lack of help or explanation was unfortunate. Then the server comped a dessert on someone else's order which was a bad response to the situation. And after all this we had an automatic 20% service charge. Not a place we will return to.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
El Mercat is a stellar Spanish restaurant that deserves every one of its five stars. The tapas are incredibly delicious, the paella is a standout, and the overall ambiance is fantastic. From the moment you walk in, you’re transported to Spain with flavorful dishes and a lively atmosphere. Whether you’re a Spanish cuisine enthusiast or just looking for a memorable dining experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beet Salad, Seafood Paella, Bravas, Calamares, Tortilla Espanola, Lamb Meatballs, Paella Negra
As a Spaniard who has been living in America for a year, I was looking for a Spanish restaurant to feel at home. The food was very delicious (much better than expected). The only thing that did not convince us was the price-quantity ratio. Quite high price for the amount of food they provided. But with very good quality. Without a doubt, it is likely that I will repeat to feel at home again. Thank you
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great place for a great dinner! George Rodrigues has created some amazing food.Definitely need to try the paella! and the fried calamari! and the patatas bravas! and so much more.Would definitely go back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
My husband and I went for brunch, the restaurant had only one customer and us.We got there around 2ish pm and brunch was until 3. We ordered fried calamari for appetizer, two different flavors of sangrias and for the main dish we ordered a seafood paella.Although the service was okay, food and drinks were completely blanch, no flavor at all and the seafood was a little rubbery. I don’t think we will go back there.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
Restaurantji Recommends
Great food and service. I love small shareable plates where one can get a taste of several dishes rather than having only one item. Each plate was different and very tasty.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Calamares
We were so hungry and just decided to go there. Definitely didn’t disappoint. They have lots of options for tapas including many vegetarian ones. We ordered meatballs, chicken paellas, potato bravas and chicken. Everything tasted good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Veronica was awesome, not intrusive but arrived immediately when needed and made great suggestions on the menu. The flatbread was outstanding. Music, ambiance - this place has it all.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We tried at the restaurant for the first time and we had a good experience. It is good to make reservations as the restaurant gets pretty busy. We ordered several items and some of them were good and others ok. The fried potatoes, fish and calamari, and the churros were great. The seafood paella, chicken, zucchini, and mushrooms were okay. The place is pretty cozy, and the service is good. The restaurant is on the expensive side but it is good for dining.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Dinner was decent. Although service of food was a bit helter-skelter that evening. Twice, we received on our table were the wrong order. The waitstaff was very professional about it and corrected the order. Kudos!I do recommend ordering the burnt cheesecake with Remy for dessert. Nice ending to a meal.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3