Speducci Mercatto — Restaurant in Toronto

WORST dining experience. My partner and I came in for the first time with high hopes but left very disappointed. The waitress who took our order had short curly hair and she rushed us to get our order over with and was uninterested when we asked for recommendations. Despite the restaurant being quiet, our food took almost an hour to arrive. I ordered the carbonara, which was cold and oily with inedible shrimp, and my partner’s steak sandwich was overpriced and very small. What stood out most was the atmosphere which felt tense and unwelcoming. The real issue was the owner. I asked our waitress who was the woman constantly raising her voice and she said it’s the owner. When we came in, we saw her yelling at someone over the phone. For someone supposedly “running” a restaurant, she couldn’t have been less welcoming. She walked around like she didn’t want anything to do with any of the people. Dismissive, rude and downright inhospitable. Complete lack of awareness and her attitude and demeanour ruined the entire visit.

We even saw an artist painting a beautiful mural outside. She was friendly and I was a bit taken back by how respectful she was compared to the people inside. I asked her if they fed her, she said she brought her own lunch and would never expect special treatment. It was an admirable response because she never bad-mouthed the establishment. I asked her if they’ve been nice to her and she responded by saying it’s a fast-paced environment so she keeps to herself and most of the staff were nice to her. She was gracious about it, but really? It left me with the impression that the establishment doesn’t even extend hospitality to the people contributing to their space. That about sums up the lack of generosity here. I won’t be coming back. The owner’s attitude alone is enough reason to stay away. Maybe one day she’ll realize that being in the service industry means treating people like actual CUSTOMERS, not inconveniences. Until then, if you enjoy being ignored and treated poorly, this is the...

Service 1/5 Food 4/5

A lot of the reviews to this place are not just positive.. but raving, which is what enticed me to come here with my girlfriend. When we arrived, it was easy to see how caring and attentive the wait staff were to their patrons. However, the service we received was in shocking contrast to what other guests were receiving.

It was hard to ignore others getting served water, bread and attended to before us despite us being seated first. When it came to getting our food.. the people sitting next to us who came in at least 20 minutes after received their order of spedduci and pizza before us, even though we ordered the same thing in advance. At the risk of sounding obnoxious, we had to get our own napkins, request our own bread, ask for water multiple times, and inquire about the status of our food while other customers were being waited on attentively.

Even though the food was good.. (We had the fennel and toasted pistachio pizza, butter sage ravioli and lamb chops), our overall experience of speducci mercatto was disappointing. We couldn't help but feel discriminated against.

It really is sad because I had mentioned to my girlfriend how this would be a great place to bring the guys for a meal. But Id rather not be embarrassed by receiving the same service again.

To management - our experience at your establishment was a pitiful display of hospitality. We sincerely hope you recognize how your demeanor comes across after reading this. You may just be unaware. We are not interested in reasons explaining the service we received. It felt like a kick to the teeth to see people being treated so well, while we were ignored.

Even after the meal, we went to thank the chef because we sincerely enjoyed the meal.. only for him to not even...

I had unfortunately a bad experience at Speducci Mercatto. After reading the reviews and looking at the menu I decided to treat our staff to a holiday lunch from Speducci. We had decided to do this in two separate days as I have some of my staff working alternate dates due to COVID. The location and space is very nice. There is a market, butcher and even a small Christmas Market (similar to Eataly). The staff was very friendly when ordering and picking it up. The food was a different story. My staff felt the food was a let down. The Steak Sandwich was cold, dry and lacked flavour. The salad was extremely bitter. The lasagna-which I had also ordered- was not good. The lasagna had goat or gorganzola? cheese in it. There was nothing in the menu that suggested this. There was also NO marinara sauce like we are used to in a typical lasagna. I understand the food could be from a different region of Italy but you have to note the ingredients on the menu (especially when they are different from what a non-Italian is used too!). The only saving grace was the deserts which were good. I called Speducci back and the lady on the phone was surprised at my feedback. She said she would let the owner know. I did not receive a call and I decided to call back. I was told he was 'too busy' and that they wish me a nice holiday. We ended up ordering from a different Italian caterer today for the rest of the large staff and it ended up a better experience than this. I just wanted to give my feedback to the owner and their manager and in no way looking to get a refund. I was willing to even proceed with the second order if I got the reassurance from ownership. I do recommend checking out the store for the great selection of Italian products but not...