Neroli Mercato & Deli — Restaurant in Westwood

As soon as we walked in the door we were overwhelmed with the loud chatter of voices. One would think when opening a new restaurant, the first thing you would do when designing the space would be to install sound dampening on the ceiling and walls to keep the sound levels at tolerable levels. We could barely hear our waiter, but we did hear him say that the architect was actually in earlier in the day to remedy the accoutics, which was nice to hear. As for the food. As soon as we sat down, warm bread with seasoned olive oil was brought to us, which was a nice touch (and slo tasted great). We then ordered drinks, which again were brought over within a couple of minutes. We started out sharing a caesar salad, which was more than enough for both of us. You could also tell how fresh the romaine lettuce was with just the right amount of shaved parmesan and dressing. I don't think I have ever thought of that before, but it really came through when eating it. I ordered the chicken marsala, which was excellent. Sliced thin, with a nice mushroom sauce. It was accompanied by some excellent mashed potatoes, that were topped with spinach. My wife ordered the eggplant parmesan, which she enjoyed. I tasted it and I thought it was "just alright", nothing outstanding. The desert menu is somewhat limited to I think 5 items, nothing that really pushed us over the edge to order. Plus, we were both pretty full from dinner.

Overall, it was a good meal with nice ambiance (except for the sound levels). We will go back, but I think we will wait a couple of months to see if they actually do something about the noise levels. When we exited the restaurant, it was really strange to walk out to silence, it was...

Edit : Came back after a while , Ordered 2 steak subs the other night for the pretty steep price of about $50. After getting home came to realize one of the subs was completely wrong from what I ordered. They had just closed so could not catch anyone on the phone, but left a voicemail and email about the mistake to get a refund asap. I understand accidents happen , but I was out of luck for dinner now and wanted a refund. Nobody had responded to my message by noon the next day, so I had to call again. Manager didn’t even speak to me , instead was told by the cashier they’d refund me “later today”, no explanation of when they’d process it or to expect the money. Not very reassuring , and didn’t even offer a verbal apology for their mistake. Food is good, but the sub we did receive correctly was pretty small for the price which seems to be the trend from my first review, and again didn’t really appreciate their handling of the wrong sub situation especially with the cost of everything in todays economy and take out being a treat.

I have tried the chicken parm and the steak tip sub. Chicken parm was really good, and the steak tip was a rip off / not worth the price. $22 and some change for a steak tip sub with mushrooms and cheese added the sandwich was mostly mouthfuls of peppers, with maybe 3 small tips cut up in there. The staff is friendly and helpful is another positive and some of the other...

Yesterday, April 8, 2025, I was at my doctor appointment and checking apps to find somewhere to get food. The pictures of the food from your restaurant caught my eyes immediately and that is the number one reason I tried your food. I don't live near Westwood, and have never heard of your restaurant, but I tried your "chicken Philly" and my friend tried your "chopped Ceasar", and we were hooked! The flavor, texture, aroma, and presentation of the food was on point. Thankfully, I am able to order through Uber eats, and that's what I did today (3 sandwiches and a meal for my son). I have already told numerous friends and family members to visit your restaurant, and shared with them my experience there. This may sound random, but your "chicken Philly" reminds me of a happy time from my childhood. I can't really explain why, but it does and that is the number two reason why I will be a repeat customer.

Lastly, there was an employee in the lobby with a beard and he had a nice welcoming spirit. It looked like he enjoys working there, and that makes me want to bring my family there even more. We will visit you soon. Very, very rarely do I find a restaurant that hits all 10's on the first time around. Have a blessed day. Thank you for...