Cantina Mercatto — Restaurant in Toronto

Cantina Mercatto has a solid place in our top 5 Italian restaurants with its delectable dishes, vibrant ambiance, and commendable service. This was our second visit to celebrate my birthday, and while there were a few minor hiccups, the overall experience left us satisfied and eager to return.

To begin, we opted for the olives as an appetizer. While they were satisfactory, we were slightly disappointed that there was no side of focaccia, which typically accompanies this dish in other establishments. The absence of the bread took away from the overall enjoyment, but it did not overshadow the rest of the meal.

Moving on to the main course, we decided to revisit the dishes we had enjoyed during our first visit. The Diavola pizza, a personal favorite, lived up to its reputation and delighted our taste buds. The perfect combination of spicy flavors, charred crust, and gooey cheese made it a standout dish that we simply can't resist whenever it's on the menu.

We also ordered the Pollo Alla Diavola, which, unfortunately, turned out a bit dry and crispier than we remembered. While it didn't reach the heights of perfection we experienced before, it was still a good dish overall. The flavors were present, and the accompanying sides complemented the chicken well.

A birthday celebration wouldn't be complete without drinks, and Cantina Mercatto did not disappoint in this regard. We indulged in one of the best Old Fashioned cocktails we've ever had, as well as a refreshing Peroni beer, which perfectly complemented our meal.

The ambiance of Cantina Mercatto added to the overall dining experience. While we felt that our second visit was a slight step down from our initial experience, the atmosphere remained pleasant and inviting.

In conclusion, despite a few minor setbacks, Cantina Mercatto remains a highly recommended restaurant for lovers of Italian cuisine. While the olives lacked the usual accompaniment and the Pollo Alla Diavola fell slightly short of our previous encounter, the outstanding Diavola pizza and exceptional drinks made our celebration memorable. We look forward to returning and hope for an experience that matches our first visit. Four stars for...

Brought my family here for dinner. There was 5 in total; The waitress took our order without writing anything down (which always scares me). We ordered several apps including Arancini (which never arrived. Which probably would have arrived had it been written down), Seafood platter, and some bread for the table. When the 2 orders of bread came it was not accompanied with any butter or olive oil/vinaigrette which I though was strange. Since the waitress brought them; She had seemed to vanish and had to approach someone close to the kitchen. The gentleman who i spoke with appeared to be the person who does the final checks on the food before it goes to the table (maybe a quality control person). When I asked him if they had any butter or olive oil/vinaigrette; He told me that they don't carry butter or vinaigrette. I was pretty surprised by this as butter is commonly used in cooking/baking and vinaigrette is commonly used in salads.

He eventually was able to provide us with some olive oil. I would have loved to have some Table Salt as well... but I gave up on the idea of asking since I was convinced that they would not have the basic essentials.

The mains were mediocre and compete will with similar dishes from Boston Pizza or Kelseys. Luckily my 5 year old child chose plain cheese pizza over asking for pasta and butter/cheese as it would have added yet another twist to an already disappointing dinner/service from this place.

Towards the tail end of the meal; I mentioned to the waitress that we didn't need the Arancini anymore. She did own up to it and said she forgot to punch it in. Perhaps this restaurant needs to invest in note pads or enforce the use of them and perhaps spending a few bucks on a couple sticks of butter and a bottle of vinaigrette.

It's a shame that our experience was poor. Downtown is full of great restaurants. Service and food quality truly set this restaurant apart for me. Especially NOT HAVING BUTTER! Like who...

Went here before a concert with my husband and we were seated immediately as it did not appear to be busy at the time. Our server, Kseniia, offered us water then came back for our drink order. She then got our food order in and that was the last we saw of her. She did not come back once to check on us. My husband sat there with an empty plate in front of him and was offered no drink refill for almost an hour—he would have spent $$ on more alcohol, but was never given the opportunity. I observed her going to other tables in our section engaging, being very friendly and attentive to larger groups, however I am not exaggerating when I say she completely ignored us and when she initially approached, she was very cold. I think maybe it was a busboy who came to us and acknowledged us by clearing our plates. I then had to ask him to get our server for the bill. She came after making us wait even longer with empty cups and plates in front of us, and asked if it was separate or together.. If she had been more observant or came back to our table more than literally once, she would have seen weddings rings and my pregnant belly, indicating yes..the bill is together. It just added insult to injury. The food was great..my husband insists I write it was amazing in this review.. he wanted to thank the cooks/chef personally, which he did. The servers attitude towards us was very upsetting and felt almost discriminatory. Perhaps she assumed bigger groups would tip better? Or because of our clothing (concert attire) we were not deemed as important enough customers? We are not confrontational people, so we let it go, paid and left.. however this experience alone left such a negative impression on both of us as we were completely neglected by the server. I want to reiterate the food...