Mercante — Restaurant in Beijing

I went to mercante some months ago with few friends and had good experience with food and ambiance. today, being alone and wanting good dinner, I decided to pay a visit. I arrived about 15 minutes early and told to come back... hmmm could have offered to sit and wait and get a drink? there were two tables including myself. salad was great. took time to eat as I was looking at Yahoo financial news. proprietor came by and asked how the salad is. good... in the mean time he was being very chatty with the other table. waited 30 minutes for my next course, steak ... for an hour I was at the restaurant, he checked with me once and I was sitting next to the kitchen entrance and only two tables to serve. common, chatting with favorite customer is understandable but don't ignore the poor guy who wants to fill and leave without appearing not wanting. eating alone was bad enough but ignored by proprietor stung more. left without treating myself...

The food is not bad, but after giving it 3 opportunities definitely I find it overrated. Good for pasta, but meat or fish are not that good. Have a proper lunch or dinner before going because portions are...

Hidden gem in the hutongs. Recommend making a reservation for this cozy spot. Owner is warm, inviting and informative. Felt like we took a trip to Italy in the...