Il Mercato Cafe & Wine Bar

I really liked this place! Quiet and perfect for a date. I ordered the Brie Cheese with some Chardonnay ant it was delicious! The waitress was very attentive as well. Will definitely be back!

Decided to come here from a conference at the Diplomat Spa, which was a short walk away. The location is an interesting crevice between a Publix and some other stores.
All that being said, the rest of the experience was wonderful. The waiters were quick with our orders, were attentive about refilling our water glasses, and let us taste our wine before proceeding with the bottle, which was a good touch.
The portions of food were large and flavorful. I was able to try the burrata, chickpea salad (which had a wonderful consistency to the bite), and the truffle ravioli (aka pillows of heaven). Definitely made for a pleasant evening.
If I ever were to come back to this conference, I’m definitely coming here! I think it was a bit pricey for its casual ambience, which was the reason I took away 1 star.

A true find. Its tucked away in the Publics shopping center with outside seating .A genuine wine bar with tantalizingly great food to match any selection of «Vino» you make .
favs: spaghetti carbonara, Gnocchi with shot rib sauce, grilled lab chops ‚… a cool little place with fabulous food and the prices are reasonable… oh and they offer size choices on entrees, a great thing indeed …
the only negative the service can be a bit erratic but so far always friendly …

Truffle ravioli + penne arrabbiata + artichokes + dark chocolate brownie & stracciatella ice cream = AMAZING! Truffle ravioli is the best! Perfect place with homemade dishes and great wine!

First visit to this restaurant but won’t be the last. Il Mercato is hidden along the back alley of a local shopping center. It offers a warm and country setting/​atmosphere inside, as well as plenty of tables where you can dine al fresco. The menu is spectacular. We were five guests, and all of our selections were superior in quality, flavor, portion size, and presentation. The desserts were extraordinary also: ginger cream burle, bread pudding, and the most delicious homemade coconut gelato. The service was hospitable and extremely pleasing. Even their to-​go packaging exudes uniqueness. What a great find in Hallandale Beach Blvd… Don’t miss it!

We love this place. Everything on the menu is fantastic. I especially love the lasagna spaghetti carbonara and the chicken schnitzel!

I love wine and of course I seek out great wine bars in any city I am in, but nothing irritates me more when you see a place that is labeled «Café and Wine Bar» or «Restaurant and Wine Bar» or just even «Wine Bar» and you walk in and it is really just a restaurant that serves «some» wine and if you pony up to their bar, they have a couple good wines. Conversely, there are great wine bars that serve great wines, great prices and have a perfect atmosphere, but one has to go somewhere else to eat first or after because they have little to nothing really to eat while drinking your favorite wine.
Last night my wife and I walked into Il Mercato as it had been bookmarked to try and we were close in the area. I was not expecting much because I had not heard much about this place but «BINGO». We hit a goldmine here in regards to the great wine bar, serving creative recipes by Emily, the Chef, in small and large portions. Yes, you can have a dinner with your wine or do multiple dishes in smaller portions to pair with your wines and share with others in your party.
Il Mercato is intimate, wine bottles in racks and shelves all over the place from all different regions. A lot of brick and dark woods. Great variety of different wines from different regions on the wine list as well, but Il Mercato is owned by a gentleman from Southern Italy and many of their wines are Italian, which I love. We sat at the bar with the sweetest and friendliest server, Julia, very personable and after a short time working there knew what to recommend. We ordered a great medium bodied wine from Montepulciano, recommended to us by one of the managers, also from Italy, and it drank really well throughout the night.
There is a nice outdoor seating area and the wine bar as you walk in which also serves beer. In the back is a nice seating area for sit down dinners right under the kitchen window.
Andre, who ran Il Mercato, also from Italy, Naples to be exact, came over and introduced himself to us. He gave us the rundown of the restaurant which has been open for 6 years and told us about the owner who also owns another restaurant in Germany. When it came time to order, both Julia and Andre were very helpful in choosing what to order. My wife ordered a delicious Chopped Salad with walnuts, tomato, apple and Gorgonzola cheese. She put the light Balsamic dressing on the side. My choice to start was the Grilled Artichoke. This was not the typical «whole» grilled artichoke, but was 3 artichoke hearts grilled and served with a balsamic vinegar flavor, with arugula and tomato. It was the perfect portion and really different. I loved the arugula salad with this, great combo. We were so relaxed as we drank our wine and still asking questions about the different wines they order and about the restaurant in general. Andre was really personable and gave us a lot of attention which made the evening more interesting.
We really wanted to share a couple small entrees, so we my wife ordered the Grilled Salmon and I had the Grilled Lamb Chops. For the smaller portion, they served 2 really meaty chops and was perfect. This made it even more tasty: they put a tzatziki sauce around the outside of the dish with arugula salad and together, this was fantastic with the Lamb Chops. Looking at the Pasta portion of the menu and talking to some of the regulars at the bar, the Gnocchi with red wine short ribs is going to be the next to order when we come back. They told us they come here all the time since it opened and share different dishes.
I have to mention again, that I think it is GENIOUS to serve 2 sized portions on the menu, making this «dinner» or tapas with the concentration of drinking your favorite wines. Andre told us that you can also purchase their wines retail for 20% off the price to take home, making this a wine shop as well.
The desserts, a big highlight, as they make everything in house, the specialty being their Gelato and Apple Strudel. I ordered the Banana Gelato which came from Andre’s father in law’s banana tree. That’s home made!!!
Lastly, Andre told us about their home made Lemon cello, so we finished off the evening with two of those. Perfect finish.
We were told that if you want to sit in the dining area, you must make reservations. The weeknights can get just as booked up as the weekends.
I have to sum up Il Marcato as intimate, friendly, great wine selections and perfect menu in just the right portions to accompany your choice of wines. Atmosphere is they key and this is so intimate, you get so relaxed, it can be hard to get up and leave. Because of the smaller tapas choices and reasonable wine selections, checking out the bill is not a shock. What a great evening we had, just the two of us with the company of Julia and Andre. Oh we will be back, hopefully with some of our friends to try this as well.

Very good food and great service. It’s a pretty small restaurant and they were able to easily accommodate our party of 7. I would’ve given 5 stars but they were out of a few menu items and with such a small menu that made ordering a little bit difficult.

I don’t even know how to start expressing myself. I’m still trying to understand the wonderful feeling I just had. I was taken to another universe and elevated to the best place I could ever be. AMAZING to say the least!!! It’s like when the food hit my mouth I had to just close my eyes and really experience this wonderful piece of art that I was about to swallow. I could imagine it being so thoughtfully and carefully made with such delicacy. Oh my goodness just thinking about all the love that was put into our dishes excites me. I could literally taste the love and attention that is put in every dish. How amazingly wonderful is it to know that Emily takes so much pride into every single detail. These owners and chef really know what they are doing here and I never want to stop coming next here. Honestly I couldn’t even think about my life without IL Mercato and I wouldn’t want to. Amazing, wonderful, spectacular, magnificent, perfect, delicious, just a couple of words to describe our experience and food as a whole!!! The wine paring by the way just perfect! It was even a perfect paring with our luscious dessert… yummm… Like an orgasm in my mouth!

I love this place! I have eaten here five or six timeS but I forgot to review it. This is a family owned and run tiny gem net to Publix in a shopping center. It gets very busy as it is petite so call ahead, especially in season. I would say it’s continental food favoring Italian. Wine and beer only. The wine list has been specially selected by their in house expert (and son-​in-​law). The owner and all of the staff could not be nicer. Definitely go as soon as you can. Enjoy!

Went there last night — make a reservation before you go to be safe ’cause it was full — they sat us at the bar & we were able to get a table in 15 minutes (lucky break said the bartender) — do not let the fact that it’s in a strip mall deter you from going — the food is delicious! Had the steak & seafood pasta — amazing — the brie was delicious. Their wine glasses sparkle (I notice these things). I can’t way to go back to try the other dishes. The place is relaxed & super cute & the service was spot on — will become a fav place for sure.

So happy I scoured Unilocal for some recs this holiday season! Was skeptical at first but pleasantly surprised that these Unilocal reviews were spot on! This is a gem, definitely! The outdoor seating behind a publix doesn’t sound ideal but you quickly forget about where you are and focus solely on the company and great food! The service was spot on, and the food delicious. Something for everyone in the family. The truffle fries were perfect despite the oil mostly on the bottom and the ravioli was made in house and so great!!! A must go, for sure!

My birthday dinner was fantastic. the staff is great. the food is superb. .the wine delis. .this was my first time and it will not be my last. very happy with everything .the room is Quant and we were able to hear eachother speak. i had the butternut squash ravioli with a nut sauce​.omg​.it was the best. the coffee was perfect. love this place and can’t wait to return.

Always a treat, I am never disappointed. On my birthday, this is where I want to go. Every single thing is amazing!

Awesome ambience, awesome service, awesome food, awesome experience. Small privately owned little restaurant that you would be more likely to find in New York City. You can’t go wrong just make sure you make reservations because it gets booked up pretty quickly.
Once you step through the front doors you totally forget your Hallandale Boulevard next to Publix. A hidden treasure for the local community.

Excellent birthday dinner for a dear friend! From the baked Brie & fried calamari, to the chicken schnitzel, NY strip steak with puréed butternut squash, & finally to the finale of bread pudding with gelato & coffee/​macchiato. Wonderful ambiance in a quaint and intimate setting.

best place in the city, we love it !

The food it’s really good, kind of pricey anyway. But service was impecable, it’s has a nice and romantic ambiance.

Read the reviews and my wife and I were not disappointed. The wines were reasonable, the Baked Brie Appetizer was as great as the description sounded. We both ordered half orders that were amazing, ended with the Taramasu. The evening was perfect!

Last night my husband and I ended up at Il Mercato because another local restaurant was too busy. I’m really glad we were unable to eat at our first choice and stumbled upon this restaurant. A quaint little restaurant with incredible food. Our waiter was top notch and everything we ordered was delicious. You have to love a restaurant that offers appetizer size portions of all their dinners. We were able to try a little of everything and nothing disappointed. We’ll definitely be back!

YOU GUYS SHOULD BE OPEN FOR LUNCH… Excelente comida. Todo lo que ordenamos estaba delicioso. El risotto con los scallops que no alcanzo a llegar a la foto de lo rico que estaba fue el broche de oro de la noche. 100% recomendado este restaurante. Además de buen servicio el lugar es súper acogedor. La única recomendación seria servir la comida un poco mas caliente y el prosseco un poco mas frío.

This lovely little café tucked away in a very unassuming spot was a total surprise — it’s a lovely space, perfect for a family meal or a step up from the casual date nite.
The impeccable service is worth mentioning first. Seriously wonderfully friendly staff, attentive and incredibly accommodating with any dietary restrictions.
The menu is concise and well thought out — a nice variety of options, and the dishes are all very complimentary to one another, so it makes it really easy to order individually or family style. Excellent traditional wine list, nothing unusual or trendy, you’ll find your usual favorites and reliable vineyards. The collection is put together well, and the pricing is very on point. I tried a nice Rose and was very pleased with it.
The appetizers and salads are hearty enough to share with one or two people, the beet salad was divine and the truffle fries cooked perfectly! Loved the artichokes, and the slice of tomato that came with them was really really flavorful! We ordered the half size gnocchi (perfect for one) and the eggplant — both were perfectly prepared and delicious.
Can’t wait to get back for a visit, it was like dining with family! (family you like, I mean!!)

What a. great place. Romantic hidden in the back. The owners run the place and is also the chef. Outside seating if you want to see the sky. It’s hard to find but so nice well worth it.

The only thing that is missing from the last review is the fifth star. Each time I love more this place. Today we have the calamari again (not to be missed ever), the papardelle — two styles: the Bolognese daily special and the cream and mushroom from the regular menu. I can’t tell with one was best since both were amazing. To drink, the regular water and the Renwood Californian Zinfandel from the Summer Wine Special Liat. A great night out.

This review is 3 ½ stars…
This restaurant is practically hidden within a strip mall on the south side of Hallandale Beach Blvd. outside tables available. The food is very good and nicely presented. We started with grilled artichokes on arugula. Delicious… Followed by their red snapper special of the evening that was perfectly cooked and seasoned. Although our waiter neglected to offer, upon our asking, bread is available upon request only. Homemade deserts are worth the indulgence. Service efficient. Plenty of free parking. Reservations strongly recommended.

Excellent service and food. The menu is just right in terms of choices. The ny strip has an tasty crust and the sauce adds another layer of flavor. Had the fish of the day half the portion on a lemon butter sauce. Simple and delicate. The gelato is home made
As well as the strudel.

Very disappointed in management’s handling of our dinner. I ordered a full portion of scallops, but was only brought half. Meanwhile my wife’s order came with cold mashed potatoes. They ultimately brought the rest of my meal and then warm potatoes for her. But we were forced to eat in installments. I figured (hoped?) they would comp my order or at least only charge me the half order, but nope, they charged for the whole thing. When I asked for the manager, he refused to budge, saying you ate it, you pay for it. If you don’t like how it was brought out don’t leave a tip. Well, here’s a tip: that’s a stupid and shortsighted attitude. You lost a customer.

We had an excellent dining experience here tonight. This is my third visit, and we have had trouble with service here in the past, but we decided to give it another shot. We started with wine by the glass, they have a nice selection of wine by the bottle, but only one choice for a chardonnay and malbec, which was fine, the wine was good. We shared the baked brie appetizer which came in a puff pastry with salad and raspberry sauce. This dish was absolutely outstanding! Melt in your mouth delicious! I had the baby lamb chops for my entrée (a half order is also available — as with most entrees) and these were the most tender and delicious chops I have EVER had! Succulent and full of flavor! My dining partner had the lasagna and really enjoyed her dish also. For dessert we shared the pumpkin walnut bread pudding which was served with hazelnut gelato. This dessert was an explosion of delicious flavor! Very very good. Service was prompt, friendly and professional — which was a relief from previous visits. It seems this restaurant has really come around, and I look forward to dining here in the future!

Amazing !!! Felt like I was in a food network episode where they search and find hidden restaurants that are amazing!
Everything was great !

If you like excellent steak, and you’re in the Ft. Lauderdale/​Hollywood area, this isn’t a place you’re gonna want to miss!
Il Mercato is run by jovial old man who spends a major part of the year in Germany. This gives his predominantly italian meals a touch of German dissidence.
I had the pleasure of trying this restaurant because I was staying at Hollywood beach a couple miles away. The majority of the patrons of this small, local, restaurant are locals who are on a first name basis with the staff!
I had the grilled sirloin with mashed potatoes, and I have to say it was astonishingly good! For dessert, I went boring: Tiramisu. It was still excellent though!
Definitely a great little spot worth visiting if you’re in the area. 5 stars!

I loved everything about il mercato… And let me explain why.
Service was great. We made a reso and then got stuck in traffic soon called and said we’d be late. They accommodated us and took us right in after being 30 minutes late.
Ordered a couple of glasses of bubbly and burrata. My bubble was too sweet and they graciously switched it out for another. Burrata was amazing, just so good. Big enough for us to split.
Entrees were the schnitzel and the scallops, if never thought I’d say the schnitzel was better, but it was. The scallops were good, but a few bites were grainy so if wasn’t the best best I’ve had. BUT what gives this the 5 is the schnitzel, burrata, wine and service.
This place is great and I can’t wait to come back again.