Delicious and intimate place to dine. The menu had a decent selection and the bartender was fabulous. Drinks were delicious! Very creative food and drink menu. I recommend the mozzarella salad!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Kale Salad, Tiramisu
4n6man
We had an excellent dinner on Saturday night. The waitress was very good, but seemed like she was very busy as well. It was enjoyable for us to have her wait on us. The portions were excellent and the food was very very good. My salmon was done perfectly and I complemented the chef. Also, the bartender made excellent drinks, so good that my wife drank most of my Manhattan so we ordered another one. Will be back soon.
Andrew Zeolla
Went here on Valentine’s Day. My girlfriend had Nonna’s Pasta (spaghetti and meatballs) and liked it a lot. I had the gnocchi florentine which was delicious! The drinks, salad, and dessert were all excellent as well.
Wow! Awesome food. We had the gnocchi and lasagna that was to die for-so fresh. The best part was the tiramisu which is THE BEST I HAVE EVER HAD:) Our waitress definitely had a “salty” attitude and I had to actually get up 2xs to ask for items (salt/pepper, grated cheese for entrees).
Rory Farester-hohl
The place is so Fun, all the quality of the Tavern or Allen Street grill and twice as inventive. Best Italian restaurant in town, and not just a spaghetti and meatballs kind of place.
This seems to be a hidden gem among dining establishments in State College. I would say it is the closest you can get to home-cooked Italian food of any local restaurants. They have a great selection, it’s all delicious and the service is fantastic. The prices are resonable and portions are generous. Also fun are the “mocktails” for the younger guests to enjoy and feel like a grownup. It’s hard to believe that this is tucked away inside a hotel.Parking: Never had a problem finding a parking spot.Kid-friendliness: Great options for kids, including “mocktails!”
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Courtney Swarey
I ordered the tiramisu and the rigatoni, the rigatoni had potential but for me it fell short. The dish was swimming in broth and it was a little too soup like for me. The short rib was decently done, the pancetta, however, was a bit tough. I would’ve like to have had some chopped carrots or onions in it as well. It didn’t meet the price point in my opinion. The tiramisu was one of the better ones I’ve had in State College, it had a thick and lovely custard that wasn’t too sweet and had a lovely homey vibe. I think I’d just stick with an appetizer, dessert and wine if I were to order again
Christin Eappen
Got the virgin cosmo, which was so tasty. Ordered the Sopressata flatbread which was very tasty, the server informed that the mains were enough for two, which I didn't think was true. Ordered the gnocchi florentine, which was alright, the chicken was very dry though. Got the tiramisu which was super heavy and not worthwhile at all.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Soppressata Flatbread
TomS
Had a table of 5 for dinner on 12-17. Waitress was very nice. Gave excellent service, kept our glasses full and made good recommendations. Food prices were reasonable. Wine was somewhat high. Best Italian food in State College. Will be back soon. Keep up the good work.
PamL
We visited Mercato Mio from California to attend our daughter's graduation from Penn State. While the reviews were good, it was not what we expected. Did not think that it would be inside another business. The service was very good but the food was just okay, fair. Our meals were warm but not hot. I ordered the lasagna and it was something, in another time, I would have reluctantly sent back for something else. The other three at our table stated it was "Okay", but they were disappointed. The ambiance was very poor the event that was taking place, but to be honest, every other restaurant was obviously booked for this graduation. I am sorry for this review but I do want to be honest.
The atmosphere was pleasant and the background music was at a good level for conversation. Our waiter was also pleasant and good at her job. The cocktails were well made and generous. The antipasto appetizer was good and plenty for sharing. However, the carpaccio was almost incidental—a light layer of meat under the arugula salad. I ordered the rigatoni with lamb and short rib ragu. It was a good sized portion but I was disappointed. It was not a ragu as much as it was a thin broth. The meat was tender and tasty, but it would have been better over garlic mashed potatoes. The others at the table has Nonna's spaghetti, lasagna, and pork. They all enjoyed them, but we thought it was a bit over-priced. We were too full for dessert, and I was surprised when the waiter told me she could not bring coffee because bit was at a separate counter. I would go back and be more circumspect about what I ordered.
Todd Pruden
I stopped because being Italian food, I thought it would be decent. It was horrible. From the stale onion soup to the shrimp gemmini. Which was like a bowl of vinegar soaked noodles and 5 small shrimp.On top of that, an apparently good friend of the bartender/server actually called me 4 letter word names for complaining about my meal. Needless to say, I will never wander in again.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 3
ElizabethK
If you enjoy Italian food, you'll enjoy this restaurant. We had 3 different entrees and they were all delicious - along with the desert. If you haven't tried this restaurant, you are missing a fine experience.
PattyS
The menu is limited, but all four of us found something on it that we wanted. My husband had the salmon and said it was delicious. I had lasagna and our friends had the spagetti and meatballs and were very happy with it. We also had salads, which were fresh with good dressing on them. Our waitress was very prompt and pleasant. All-in-all it was a good experience. We'd go back, which we can't say about a fair number of restaurants in State College.
Kathleen Potalivo
The waitstaff was awesome! And made great cocktails! Excellent menu.
Delicious and intimate place to dine. The menu had a decent selection and the bartender was fabulous. Drinks were delicious! Very creative food and drink menu. I recommend the mozzarella salad!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Kale Salad, Tiramisu
We had an excellent dinner on Saturday night. The waitress was very good, but seemed like she was very busy as well. It was enjoyable for us to have her wait on us. The portions were excellent and the food was very very good. My salmon was done perfectly and I complemented the chef. Also, the bartender made excellent drinks, so good that my wife drank most of my Manhattan so we ordered another one. Will be back soon.
Went here on Valentine’s Day. My girlfriend had Nonna’s Pasta (spaghetti and meatballs) and liked it a lot. I had the gnocchi florentine which was delicious! The drinks, salad, and dessert were all excellent as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chopped Salad, Gnocchi Florentine
Wow! Awesome food. We had the gnocchi and lasagna that was to die for-so fresh. The best part was the tiramisu which is THE BEST I HAVE EVER HAD:) Our waitress definitely had a “salty” attitude and I had to actually get up 2xs to ask for items (salt/pepper, grated cheese for entrees).
The place is so Fun, all the quality of the Tavern or Allen Street grill and twice as inventive. Best Italian restaurant in town, and not just a spaghetti and meatballs kind of place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Spumoni Cannoli, Gnocchi Florentine
This seems to be a hidden gem among dining establishments in State College. I would say it is the closest you can get to home-cooked Italian food of any local restaurants. They have a great selection, it’s all delicious and the service is fantastic. The prices are resonable and portions are generous. Also fun are the “mocktails” for the younger guests to enjoy and feel like a grownup. It’s hard to believe that this is tucked away inside a hotel.Parking: Never had a problem finding a parking spot.Kid-friendliness: Great options for kids, including “mocktails!”
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I ordered the tiramisu and the rigatoni, the rigatoni had potential but for me it fell short. The dish was swimming in broth and it was a little too soup like for me. The short rib was decently done, the pancetta, however, was a bit tough. I would’ve like to have had some chopped carrots or onions in it as well. It didn’t meet the price point in my opinion. The tiramisu was one of the better ones I’ve had in State College, it had a thick and lovely custard that wasn’t too sweet and had a lovely homey vibe. I think I’d just stick with an appetizer, dessert and wine if I were to order again
Got the virgin cosmo, which was so tasty. Ordered the Sopressata flatbread which was very tasty, the server informed that the mains were enough for two, which I didn't think was true. Ordered the gnocchi florentine, which was alright, the chicken was very dry though. Got the tiramisu which was super heavy and not worthwhile at all.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Soppressata Flatbread
Had a table of 5 for dinner on 12-17. Waitress was very nice. Gave excellent service, kept our glasses full and made good recommendations. Food prices were reasonable. Wine was somewhat high. Best Italian food in State College. Will be back soon. Keep up the good work.
We visited Mercato Mio from California to attend our daughter's graduation from Penn State. While the reviews were good, it was not what we expected. Did not think that it would be inside another business. The service was very good but the food was just okay, fair. Our meals were warm but not hot. I ordered the lasagna and it was something, in another time, I would have reluctantly sent back for something else. The other three at our table stated it was "Okay", but they were disappointed. The ambiance was very poor the event that was taking place, but to be honest, every other restaurant was obviously booked for this graduation. I am sorry for this review but I do want to be honest.
Restaurantji Recommends
The atmosphere was pleasant and the background music was at a good level for conversation. Our waiter was also pleasant and good at her job. The cocktails were well made and generous. The antipasto appetizer was good and plenty for sharing. However, the carpaccio was almost incidental—a light layer of meat under the arugula salad. I ordered the rigatoni with lamb and short rib ragu. It was a good sized portion but I was disappointed. It was not a ragu as much as it was a thin broth. The meat was tender and tasty, but it would have been better over garlic mashed potatoes. The others at the table has Nonna's spaghetti, lasagna, and pork. They all enjoyed them, but we thought it was a bit over-priced. We were too full for dessert, and I was surprised when the waiter told me she could not bring coffee because bit was at a separate counter. I would go back and be more circumspect about what I ordered.
I stopped because being Italian food, I thought it would be decent. It was horrible. From the stale onion soup to the shrimp gemmini. Which was like a bowl of vinegar soaked noodles and 5 small shrimp.On top of that, an apparently good friend of the bartender/server actually called me 4 letter word names for complaining about my meal. Needless to say, I will never wander in again.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 3
If you enjoy Italian food, you'll enjoy this restaurant. We had 3 different entrees and they were all delicious - along with the desert. If you haven't tried this restaurant, you are missing a fine experience.
The menu is limited, but all four of us found something on it that we wanted. My husband had the salmon and said it was delicious. I had lasagna and our friends had the spagetti and meatballs and were very happy with it. We also had salads, which were fresh with good dressing on them. Our waitress was very prompt and pleasant. All-in-all it was a good experience. We'd go back, which we can't say about a fair number of restaurants in State College.
The waitstaff was awesome! And made great cocktails! Excellent menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mushroom Risotto