Upon arriving at Cantina Mercatto, we encountered some accessibility challenges. The automatic door button was not functioning, and the door itself was quite heavy. Additionally, a black curtain covered the host stand, which, while possibly intended to block cold air or enhance the ambiance, posed another barrier for individuals with disabilities.
Once inside, the restaurant’s interior was beautifully designed, featuring intricate details and thoughtfully curated artwork. The staff was warm and attentive, and as the restaurant grew busier around 6 PM, we proactively stacked our plates to signal for service.
When asking our server for menu recommendations, we appreciated their insight but ultimately chose different dishes, apart from the Bucatini, which was highlighted as the monthly special. For drinks, I ordered the Cantina Sour, which was visually appealing and expertly crafted—highly recommended.
For appetizers, we opted for something fresh and vibrant, selecting the Beets & Ricotta. The dish offered a perfect balance of sweet, salty, and sour flavors, making it an excellent start to the meal.
For our mains, we had the Bucatini, which was enjoyable but did not stand out as much as expected for a monthly special. The sauce seemed to have settled, possibly indicating it had been waiting before being served. The octopus started off tender but became slightly rubbery over time. On the other hand, the 7 oz Flat Iron Steak was a highlight—the perfect medium rare, beautifully plated, and offering a harmonious blend of flavors.
While there were a few minor issues that could easily be addressed, our overall experience at Cantina Mercatto was enjoyable. We would gladly return for another visit.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Philippe Orfali
Correct nothing more
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Élizabeth Allaire
Really good! It was unexpectedly tasty and beautiful
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
David Nguyen
Service was great, but the food wasn’t that nice. It was quite expensive too, so I was pretty disappointed :(
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Amanda Joseph
Great Italian restaurant in financial district. Went for a team dinner and I absolutely loved their service and the food quality is top notch! Must visit Italian dine in when in downtown Toronto.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Tiramisu Cake, Arancini, Chitarra Alla Carbonara
Sara M
The food was excellent. The Caesar salad is really good. Lick the plate good. I had a gluten free pizza and it actually had a crunchy crust and dough like interior... Which never happens! Highly recommend that. Service on a Saturday night was snooty and hard to come by... But they did the job and it was busy as heck. However I did watch an empty table for four sit empty for about 30-45 minutes... While there were people lined up out the door. Interesting. Interior is nice looking and lots of room between tables which is appreciated. Less snooty like service would be even better... felt rushed. But the food was fab. Steak was also had, all plates were cleaned!!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Jhonattan Gómez Rodríguez
Truth is that I have had better italian food in other places for the same price, but ok. The thing that I hated the most was the fact that we were celebrating a birthday, and our friend (the celebrated one) brought his own cake. Each one at the table (we were a party of 10) was charged $7!!! for cutting the cake. $2 or $3 would have been fine but $7 per person, was an insult.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Noah Williams
Place is pretty mid. For the price you could go to an actual fancy restaurant.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
Laeticia
The food here was good but the restaurant loses major points with the bright lighting. We went here for a date night & I would not recommend. Might be better to go for brunch or lunch, but at night, the overhead lights are so bright & visually overstimulating. Doesn’t offer a lot of privacy and does not provide intimate vibes. The place would benefit from installing light dimmers! Service was decent, nice server but a bit understaffed so a bit slow. Food was great & left us feeling good. Had the calamari, bolognese & spicy chicken - all delicious.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 4
Niva
Incredibly good service. Very nice and got to us right away, made the whole experience there really nice. Pretty place as well, very nice ambience. The food though… is a miss. It’s average, could be better.
The food was not worth the price at all. I would not return. The staff was good.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
Bredgy L.
Check out @bredgyeats on Instagram for more food posts!
I never grow tired of a typical Italian resto visit, an indulgent, carb-filled meal of ~at least~ a pasta and a pizza. The mushroom pizza was the comfort pick, knowing I can savor the umami-filled juices of the mushrooms, complimented with the three cheeses and a charred, crispy undercarriage. Unsurprisingly though, my favourite pasta of the night was the filled agnolotti pasta. A divine filling of butternut squash is silky smooth, with a sweet, nutty taste that's elevated by the fragrant fennel puree and crunch of roasted almonds. The grana padano grated on top adds a burst of umami in each bite. It's also great news for people who love the edge pieces of lasagna, each piece with a satisfying crispy sear that provides a wonderful contrast in textures.
Cam Levesque
Really good food. Service is amazing. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Justine CHEN
Came here for the office holiday dinner. Food was delicious and server was responsive and quick. While overall was a good experience, I find the restaurant could invest on a better quality of paper toilet, rack and hangers for the coats.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Tiramisu Cake, Arancini, Tortiglioni Alla Bolognese
Najwa Hasan
The service & atmosphere was amazing but that is not enough. I feel like the chefs gave up on putting effort to the food. It was just not pleasing to eat, and not worth the money. The cabonara was terrible and the pizza was just wrong. How can a pizza go wrong... Overall 5/5 for service 5/5 for atmosphere and 1/5 for the food🙌
Upon arriving at Cantina Mercatto, we encountered some accessibility challenges. The automatic door button was not functioning, and the door itself was quite heavy. Additionally, a black curtain covered the host stand, which, while possibly intended to block cold air or enhance the ambiance, posed another barrier for individuals with disabilities.
Once inside, the restaurant’s interior was beautifully designed, featuring intricate details and thoughtfully curated artwork. The staff was warm and attentive, and as the restaurant grew busier around 6 PM, we proactively stacked our plates to signal for service.
When asking our server for menu recommendations, we appreciated their insight but ultimately chose different dishes, apart from the Bucatini, which was highlighted as the monthly special. For drinks, I ordered the Cantina Sour, which was visually appealing and expertly crafted—highly recommended.
For appetizers, we opted for something fresh and vibrant, selecting the Beets & Ricotta. The dish offered a perfect balance of sweet, salty, and sour flavors, making it an excellent start to the meal.
For our mains, we had the Bucatini, which was enjoyable but did not stand out as much as expected for a monthly special. The sauce seemed to have settled, possibly indicating it had been waiting before being served. The octopus started off tender but became slightly rubbery over time. On the other hand, the 7 oz Flat Iron Steak was a highlight—the perfect medium rare, beautifully plated, and offering a harmonious blend of flavors.
While there were a few minor issues that could easily be addressed, our overall experience at Cantina Mercatto was enjoyable. We would gladly return for another visit.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Correct nothing more
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Really good! It was unexpectedly tasty and beautiful
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Service was great, but the food wasn’t that nice. It was quite expensive too, so I was pretty disappointed :(
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Great Italian restaurant in financial district.
Went for a team dinner and I absolutely loved their service and the food quality is top notch!
Must visit Italian dine in when in downtown Toronto.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Tiramisu Cake, Arancini, Chitarra Alla Carbonara
The food was excellent. The Caesar salad is really good. Lick the plate good. I had a gluten free pizza and it actually had a crunchy crust and dough like interior... Which never happens! Highly recommend that. Service on a Saturday night was snooty and hard to come by... But they did the job and it was busy as heck. However I did watch an empty table for four sit empty for about 30-45 minutes... While there were people lined up out the door. Interesting. Interior is nice looking and lots of room between tables which is appreciated. Less snooty like service would be even better... felt rushed. But the food was fab. Steak was also had, all plates were cleaned!!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Truth is that I have had better italian food in other places for the same price, but ok. The thing that I hated the most was the fact that we were celebrating a birthday, and our friend (the celebrated one) brought his own cake. Each one at the table (we were a party of 10) was charged $7!!! for cutting the cake. $2 or $3 would have been fine but $7 per person, was an insult.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Place is pretty mid. For the price you could go to an actual fancy restaurant.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
The food here was good but the restaurant loses major points with the bright lighting. We went here for a date night & I would not recommend. Might be better to go for brunch or lunch, but at night, the overhead lights are so bright & visually overstimulating. Doesn’t offer a lot of privacy and does not provide intimate vibes. The place would benefit from installing light dimmers! Service was decent, nice server but a bit understaffed so a bit slow. Food was great & left us feeling good. Had the calamari, bolognese & spicy chicken - all delicious.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 4
Incredibly good service. Very nice and got to us right away, made the whole experience there really nice. Pretty place as well, very nice ambience. The food though… is a miss. It’s average, could be better.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
The food was not worth the price at all. I would not return. The staff was good.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
Check out @bredgyeats on Instagram for more food posts!
I never grow tired of a typical Italian resto visit, an indulgent, carb-filled meal of ~at least~ a pasta and a pizza. The mushroom pizza was the comfort pick, knowing I can savor the umami-filled juices of the mushrooms, complimented with the three cheeses and a charred, crispy undercarriage. Unsurprisingly though, my favourite pasta of the night was the filled agnolotti pasta. A divine filling of butternut squash is silky smooth, with a sweet, nutty taste that's elevated by the fragrant fennel puree and crunch of roasted almonds. The grana padano grated on top adds a burst of umami in each bite. It's also great news for people who love the edge pieces of lasagna, each piece with a satisfying crispy sear that provides a wonderful contrast in textures.
Really good food. Service is amazing. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Came here for the office holiday dinner. Food was delicious and server was responsive and quick.
While overall was a good experience, I find the restaurant could invest on a better quality of paper toilet, rack and hangers for the coats.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Tiramisu Cake, Arancini, Tortiglioni Alla Bolognese
The service & atmosphere was amazing but that is not enough. I feel like the chefs gave up on putting effort to the food. It was just not pleasing to eat, and not worth the money. The cabonara was terrible and the pizza was just wrong. How can a pizza go wrong... Overall 5/5 for service 5/5 for atmosphere and 1/5 for the food🙌
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
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