Chicago has a new restaurant, the Mercat in the Blackstone opened last night and the milepigs were there. This is a quick review. There is one rating on Metromix which gave it one star, I find that harsh.

We enjoyed Mercat last night and will go back. It is nice to see some nightlife on this part of S. Michigan. Unfortunately, you don't really notice the change on the street, since the restaurant is tucked away upstairs and there is only a small door on Michigan that one could easily walk right past.

I was worried that the room would be very loud - open kitchen, tile walls, wood floor, etc. - but we found the level to be very bearable. We were promptly greeted in the downstairs bar, which was HOPPING, and were shown right to our table upstairs, keeping a reservation time on the first night was a very good sign.

Service was great, although it lapsed a little in the middle. Great, reasonably priced wine list, heavy on the Spanish, of course, but many good selections in the $35 to $60 dollar range. The menu is HUGE and a bit confusing since it isn't laid out in any way that gives you a sense of direction. The server walked us though it, and being a confident enough diner to say "OK, help us out here" saved the day. She led us through a progression of small courses.

Starters include charcuterie plates that we didn't have, tapas like various croquettes (the serano ham was delicious), sizzling garlic shrimp, and other small plates. There are 3-4 rice based dishes - we had the delicious one with crab cake and lump crab mean, a similar number of pastas (pastas? are they Catalunyan?), and then grilled seafood and meats. The diver scallops and seared tuna were great, with the later tasting of sea salt. There are several pricey steaks, which we did not try, and the desert menu looked interesting but we were full.

Total bill for 2 with a $55 bottle of wine was $130, so not someplace one could just wander out to every evening.

Thanks for the review. ^

I was going to try this place on Friday, but I figured I'd give them a few weeks to get the bugs worked out.

Did the $130 include tip? If so, that's not a bad deal...if you sacrifice the bottle of wine and instead have a cocktail each, it's probaby a $100 meal -- pretty commonplace for a nicer restaurant in the city.

I have reservations on 3/28 (my birthday) and am looking forward to it. Being from Spain originally, I always look forward to trying something from the homeland (although not from Catalunya - from Aragon - the province directly to the west). Thanks for your review - I cannot wait to go.

The $130 did not include tip, sorry. But if you take away our wine, the food was $75, add two $10 drinks and you're at $95. This would bring you to between $110 and $115, depending on how generously you tip. You could also order more wisely and shave a few bucks off that total or go the other direction and totally pig out.

The best deal seems to be the Chefs menu at $55, which you can pair with wine for $20 more. That brings the total to $150 for two, without tip, and from all reports it is a smashing meal and well worth the money.

Oh - with this place being right across the street from the Hilton, with its 10 million rooms, I fear that they will soon be flooded with conventioneers every evening.

The reveiws on Metromix, Chowhound, etc., have been phenomenal, but as of yesterday OpenTable was still showing lots of availability for later this week. As one site (forgot which) said "when Phil Vettel reviews it forget about getting a table." Reserve now, even if you're planning a trip some weeks in the future.

The other great advise I read was to plan to come early and enjoy a drink in the bar before dinner. Great plan, as a few minutes in the dark cozy bar will make your trip up the staircase all the more memorable.

Thanks for the review. Here's some more info.

Hotel web site:
More info on the chef: