Mercat a la Planxa - Located in The Blackstone Hotel, Chicago

Review summary

1. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   New York State

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Love this place. Ended up going back for a second night while I was in Chicago for one week
   

   Mercat a la Planxa - Located in The Blackstone Hotel, ChicagoResponded 2 days ago

   Thank you! We love to see repeat guests! I am so happy to hear you enjoyed our restaurant and really hope you come again next time you are in Chicago! Thank you, David
   

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2. H

   HARSHA

   VIP

   Las Vegas

   6 reviews

   2.0

   6 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 3

   The service was fine. But the food was not good. Wouldn’t got back.
   

   Mercat a la Planxa - Located in The Blackstone Hotel, ChicagoResponded 4 days ago

   Thanks for visiting us, Harsha. We're sorry to hear that our food didn't meet your expectations. At Mercat a la Planxa, Chicago, we strive to provide our guests with high-quality meals and service, and we regret that we fell short this time. Your feedback is valuable to us and we will certainly take it into account as we continually work to improve our offerings. We hope you'll give us another chance so we can make this right for you. Best, David
   

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3. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Austin

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We ordered several dishes for sharing, the menu offers a wide array of tapas, each one deliciously curated capturing the essence of Spanish cuisine from Serrano ham croquettes, marinated olives, bacon-covered dates, hanger steak, pulpo to Brussels sprouts, we were able to sample a little bit of everything. The ambience is chic yet very comfortable. The staff is friendly and made the perfect suggestions for our group. I highly recommend it.
   

   Mercat a la Planxa - Located in The Blackstone Hotel, ChicagoResponded 4 days ago

   Thanks for visiting us! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your time at Mercat a la Planxa. It's wonderful to know that our tapas menu was to your liking and that you appreciated the curation of Spanish cuisine. We're glad our team could suggest dishes that added to the overall experience. We strive to make every visit a memorable one and your recommendation means a lot to us. We look forward to welcoming you back soon! Thank you, David
   

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4. M

   Michael

   VIP

   Chicago

   99 reviews

   4.0

   99 reviews

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   A nice tapas menu with good food and service in the Bllackstone Hotel.
   

   Mercat a la Planxa - Located in The Blackstone Hotel, ChicagoResponded 3 days ago

   Hello Michael, Thank you for taking the time to leave us such a fantastic review! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our tapas menu and found our service to be good. We always aim to provide a memorable dining experience for our guests at Mercat a la Planxa. Your feedback is much appreciated, and we look forward to welcoming you back soon! Thank you, David
   

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5. R

   Roland

   VIP

   Chicago

   7 reviews

   4.0

   7 reviews

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Mercat is a solid Spanish tapas option near Auditorium Theater and recommend as an option if you have an event (theater, museum, etc.) in the area. Three out of four of us split the prix fix menu (highly recommend) and two of us had the wine pairing. Our meal started charcuterie (Iberian ham, Manchego cheese, red grapes and a Spanish bruschetta) and moved on to bacon-wrapped dates / almonds, lamb chops, serrano ham croquettes, patatas bravas and grilled octopus. Our fourth (read: picky eater) ordered the Basque chicken and Gigantes (bean salad), which she thoroughly enjoyed. The prix fix menu included a carmel creme brulee and the burnt cheesecake - which were enjoyed by everyone at the table. Service was fast, professional and unobtrusive. The prices were reasonable and what you should expect in Chicago for a similar meal (about $100 per person). The only nit pick I have (relatively small) is that the cocktail I ordered (Old Fashioned) was weak - which makes me think I should have ordered one of Mercat's menu cocktails.
   

   Mercat a la Planxa - Located in The Blackstone Hotel, ChicagoResponded 3 days ago

   Thanks for the feedback, Roland! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our tapas, wine pairing, and especially the prix fix menu. We strive to offer a variety of tasty options to suit all tastes and preferences, and it's great to know we hit the mark with you. We appreciate your constructive feedback about our burnt cheesecake and will take it into consideration. We're glad you found our service professional and fast, and we hope to see you again soon for another round of tapas and cocktails at Mercat a la Planxa. Thank you, David
   

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6. V

   Vicki

   VIP

   Chicago

   56 reviews

   5.0

   56 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   The food is very good, almost authentic. Portion size is reasonable. Great place to go for something different. If the weather is not bad, great place to go before any concert at the CSO.
   

   Mercat a la Planxa - Located in The Blackstone Hotel, ChicagoResponded 6 days ago

   Vicki, thank you so much for your lovely review! We love our CSO guests, and I am thrilled to see you had a nice experience with us! We look forward to seeing you again soon and thank you for choosing us. - David
   

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7. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Chicago

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The food was truly excellent, our server was very helpful and responsive, and the noise level was just right for a group looking to socialize. You HAVE to get the bacon wrapped dates and the cheesecake. Highly recommend!
   

   Mercat a la Planxa - Located in The Blackstone Hotel, ChicagoResponded 6 days ago

   Thanks for visiting us! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your dining experience at Mercat a la Planxa for dinner. Your compliments about our excellent food, responsive service, and the perfect noise level are greatly appreciated. We're especially glad you loved the bacon wrapped dates and cheesecake. We strive to make our guests' experiences memorable and we're glad we could be a part of yours. Looking forward to serving you again soon! Thank you, David
   

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8. L

   Laura

   Dallas

   13 reviews

   3.0

   13 reviews

   Dined on February 19, 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   Had high expectations as this place was recommended by friend. Started with Old Fashioned which I returned. Poorly prepared. Replaced with red wine which was excellent. Best entrees were papas bravas and first round of lamb chops. The second round of chops were chewy and dry. Paella ok not great. Scallops were rather small for the price. Waitress was attentive and friendly. Overall ok experience but not great unfortunately.
   

   Mercat a la Planxa - Located in The Blackstone Hotel, ChicagoResponded on February 25, 2025

   Thanks for the feedback, Laura. We're glad to hear that you enjoyed our red wine and the lamb chops. We're sorry to hear that our Old Fashioned and paella didn't meet your expectations. We take all feedback seriously and will discuss your comments with our culinary team. We're glad to hear that our waitress was attentive and friendly. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you better in the future. Mercat a la Planxa - Located in The Blackstone Hotel, Chicago.
   

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9. D

   Dan

   VIP

   Milwaukee

   2 reviews

   2.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on February 16, 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 2

   The waitress was horrible. She was rude, inattentive and impatient with us. She also seemed impaired. It really overshadowed the experience.
   

   Mercat a la Planxa - Located in The Blackstone Hotel, ChicagoResponded on February 17, 2025

   Hey Dan, We're really sorry to hear about your recent experience at Mercat a la Planxa. We strive to provide excellent service to all our guests and it's clear we fell short during your visit. We're sorry for any misunderstanding with the waitress and we'll make sure to address this with her, do you happen to remember her name? We appreciate your feedback as it helps us improve. We hope you'll give us another chance to make a better impression. Best, David
   

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10. B

    Bglassbe

    Chicago

    11 reviews

    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    The food here is absolutely exceptional! Definitely the best seafood paella I have had outside of Spain. The beet salad was also delicious, as were the shrimp and patatas bravas. I cannot wait to go back and try more things off of the menu! Highly highly recommend for an amazing culinary experience. They even brought us complimentary cava for our anniversary!
    

    Mercat a la Planxa - Located in The Blackstone Hotel, ChicagoResponded on February 17, 2025

    Thanks for the feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our seafood paella and beet salad. It's great to know that our shrimp and patatas bravas and cava made your anniversary dinner special. We appreciate your high recommendation for Mercat a la Planxa. We're always striving to offer the best culinary experience, and your feedback helps us do that. We look forward to welcoming you back for more culinary adventures! Thank you, David
    

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