How is Bäco Mercat restaurant rated?

Name: Bäco Mercat
Address: 408 S. Main St., Los Angeles, CA, United States, 90013
Telephone: (213) 687-8808
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 4.6

Bäco Mercat

4.6

312 Reviews

$30 and under

Mediterranean

Inspired by Mediterranean and Spanish cuisine, Bäco Mercat is Chef Josef Centeno's first restaurant in Downtown LA. This restaurant offers guests a casual atmosphere in a modern, yet comfortable setting that includes outdoor patio seating. Its doors are open for dinner, lunch and brunch. Bäco Mercat also offers a variety of flatbread sandwiches, as well as seafood, meat and vegetable dishes. Bäco Mercat has a bar that serves wine, beer and spirits, and it accepts reservations.

Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.

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No photos have been uploaded for this restaurant yet.

Za'atar+Eggplant+Fava Dip$14.00
lebni, mint, calabrian chile, puffy bread
Ricotta Fritters$12.00
saffron honey, cacik, pine nuts
Hamachi Crudo$22.00
abkhazian, avocado, potato, creme fraiche
Pujado Solano Anchovies$10.00
grilled bread, mustard seed, gooseberries
Fennel & Olives Pickle Plate$10.00
mint, dill, mache
Grilled Fava Beans$14.00
sumac, lebini, grapefruit, sesame, thyme
Braised Lamb Toast$18.00
cumin, pea pesto, pecorino, pine nuts

Vegetables

Roasted Romanesco$15.00
treviso, white soy, yuzu, pea leaves
English Pea & Bacon$15.00
fine herbs, lime creme fraiche
Sugar Snap Peas & Mushrooms$14.00
maitake, tomato, thyme, horseradish
Salted Cucumber & Avocado$14.00
radicchio, miso, mint, hazelnut dukkah
Golden Beet Salad$14.00
poblano feta, walnut vinaigrette, hazelnut
Caramelized Cauliflower$15.00
pine nuts, mint, garlic, sumac lebni, chile
"Caesar" Brussels Sprouts$14.00
pecorino, anchovy, garlic, croutons
Chop Salad$22.00
salami, chickpea, pepperoncini, anchovy

Meat & Fish

Torn Pasta w/ Pork Sugo$23.00
kale, soujouk, tomato, pine nuts, raisins
Seared Albacore$28.00
umeboshi, lavender, sesame, nigella, tomato
Buttermilk Quail$26.00
grilled escrole, blood orange, chive dressing
Black Mussles w/ Sriracha$23.00
feat, white wine, mint, grilled focaccia, cilantro
Yellowtail Collar$28.00
yuzu kosho, walnut vinaigrette, citrus
Grilled Skirt Steak$26.00
beet hummus, horseradish-mint cream
Bone Marrow w/ Gnocchetti$22.00
gooseberry zhoug, walnut, bacon breadcrumbs

Big Plates

serves 2-4 ppl

Creekstone NY Strip$56.00
fried onions, bleu cheese, red wine sauce
Berbere Pork Shoulder$48.00
semolina, pecorino, chives, side of baco bread
Whole Branzino$43.00
pickled veg salad, cilantro, parsley, yuzu
Baby Rack of Lamb$32.00
anatolian rub, zhoug, yogurt
- Full Rack$60.00
Half Roasted Chicken$36.00
carrots, turnips, pea tendrils, garlic, fennel

Coca

Crispy or chewy flatbread. Add pork belly sausage $7, add anchovies $5, add beef & pork meatballs $7

Double Mushrooms$18.00
shitake, crimini, fontina, chili flakes, sage
Focaccino di Baco$18.00
burrata, chile, cardamom, pine nut, spinach
Hoja Verde$18.00
squash blossom, nettle, pine nut, mozzarella
Turkish Love$18.00
lamb, tomato, feta, burrata, basil, curry lemon
The Slayer$21.00
baked baco w/ fried egg, pork belly, salmorejo

Baco

Sandwich. Try our bacos protein style

Fava Fritter$15.00
feta-poblano, chickpea, salmorejo
The O.G.$16.00
pork belly, beef tongue, harissa, smoked aioli, romesco, pickle
El Pesco$17.00
crispy shrimp, house sriracha, chive dressing
The Toron$17.00
oxtail hash, cheddar tater, horseradish-yogurt
Fried Chicken Schnitzel$17.00
tomato, mozzarella, garlic aioli

Bazole

Soup$21.00
house-made noodle, pork & chicken-chile broth, carne picada, peanut, pork chicharron, harissa-shoyu egg
Cold Noodle Salad$23.00
house-made cold noodle, romesco, harissa-shoyu egg, crispy pork, carne picada, peanut, basil, mint

What 312 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

4.6

4.6 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.5Service
4.4Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

94% of people would recommend it to a friend

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LB
LaurenB
Los Angeles
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on March 7, 2020
overall5food5service5ambience5
Food is so delicious, every dish unique and totally on point. The salt n honey cocktail was perfect complement. Love this spot!
AS
AmyS
San Francisco
16 reviews
3.0
16 reviews
Dined on March 6, 2020
overall3food3service5ambience3
I was very excited to try this place, but I was very disappointed. The new menu is not exciting. The star 'Noodle salad' was just a lot of meat, not spicy at all, and very little noodles. The place is very very cold, for a winter day. The location is terrible and scary at times.
b
billchin
Los Angeles
229 reviews
vip
4.0
229 reviews
Dined on March 5, 2020
overall4food5service4ambience3
the hamachi crude with avocado and potato ball was excellent. The grilled branzino was stellar with the beets, okra, etc.
DE
DesE
Los Angeles
4 reviews
4.0
4 reviews
Dined on March 1, 2020
overall4food5service3ambience5
The food is unique and delicious. If you enjoy exploring new flavors and unexpected, creative dishes, you’ll enjoy this menu. The cocktails were very nice as well.
l
lesliec
Los Angeles
12 reviews
3.0
12 reviews
Dined on March 1, 2020
overall3food4service1ambience1
We had interesting and flavorful ireful food, however, it was brought out in a haphazard manor and most of the time our server was no where to be found. We asked for a chiller for our white wine twice, and never got one. The restaurant forgoes corkage if you purchase a bottle, which we did, but found the corkage fee on our bill, regardless (which was then mitigated).
OT
OpenTable Diner
Los Angeles
3 reviews
vip
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on March 1, 2020
overall5food2service5ambience5
Baco Mercat is an innovative, reliable “neighborhood” place. Relaxed and accessible. From beginning to end, a wonderful experience. Such interesting and delicious food - simple ingredients, but in the hand of a master. Hamachi crudo was particularly exceptional.
S
Spotter
Hawaii
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 28, 2020
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great tasty food that satisfies a variety of palates. Interesting and innovative. But not so weird that my midwest visitors were scared of it. Happenin' part of town. Great non-alcoholic drinks. Relaxed, jeans are fine.
BD
BeverlyD
Los Angeles
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on February 24, 2020
overall5food5service5ambience5
Went for lunch with a friend. Food was delicious and the service great.
M
Minday
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 23, 2020
overall5food5service5ambience5
Loved it! The food and service was amazing. will be back soon!
R
Roxyoso
Los Angeles
4 reviews
vip
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on February 23, 2020
overall5food5service4ambience4
Great variety of vegetarian items
OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on February 17, 2020
overall5food5service5ambience5
The food at Baco is amazing!
OT
OpenTable Diner
New England
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on February 15, 2020
overall4food5service3ambience5
Meal was amazing and so delicious but the service was alright. The waiter forgotten one of our orders which we had to request again but that was minor compared to the overall experience. Would come back again because the food was tasty!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Los Angeles
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 15, 2020
overall5food5service5ambience5
Wonderful and friendly service combined with amazing food (get the el pasco baco!) made for a fabulous evening!
OT
OpenTable Diner
San Diego
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 14, 2020
overall5food5service5ambience5
great experince
AS
ASant
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 14, 2020
overall5food5service5ambience5
Very delicious food. Amazing restaurant. Can't wait to go back!
V
Victornovember
San Francisco
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on February 14, 2020
overall5food5service5ambience5
Absolutely incredible food, reasonable prices, extremely helpful wait staff. This is a place I would visit multiple times so I could try everything on the menu.
JV
JohnV
Detroit
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 14, 2020
overall5food5service4ambience4
amazing detail ro every dish we ordered the shrinp, the califlaeur and octapus, all 3 were perfect! The cahf nailed it. My girl and I just enjoyed the whole experience a lot the night before Valentines Day ... highly recommend this place !
s
scribbler
Los Angeles
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 7, 2020
overall5food5service5ambience5
One of my favorite go to downtown places. I think about trying someplace new but return to Baco frequently. The flavors are just so good and unique.
d
dcreader
Washington DC
15 reviews
vip
5.0
15 reviews
Dined on February 5, 2020
overall5food5service5ambience4
Great variety of interesting food, well prepared, and served with a smile. Perfect for sharing.
VS
VinnyS
Los Angeles
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on February 5, 2020
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great combination of flavors, choice of vegetables, and meat cooked to a delight of our taste buds. My wife and I celebrated our 25th anniversary, it was a memorable dinner and desert was simply outstanding made in combination of fruit & tapioca with ice cream was truly a nice end to the dinner...
NG
NicoleG
Los Angeles
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 31, 2020
overall5food5service3ambience3
Food - Superb. Sooo flavorful and tasty. Smells great, tastes good, textures unique and satisfying. Filling portions. Just enough. I can't wait to go back. Service - Okay. We didn't get a ton of checking in from our server but the food came out within good time, was warm. Slight delay on one of the entree dishes but we were patient. Space - small and intimate and not very noisy (we were probably the loudest). Overall wonderful experience.
ST
STSmith
Los Angeles
9 reviews
4.0
9 reviews
Dined on January 29, 2020
overall4food4service5ambience4
First time @ Baco Mercat, and we'll be back. There are still things on the menu we want to try.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Melbourne
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on January 28, 2020
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent food great service. Will definitely recommend.
DM
DannyM1975
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 27, 2020
overall5food5service5ambience5
Looking for a place that would challenge my pallet for a remembrance of living in Europe and this place delivered. The chicken wraps and Panna Cotta reminded me of living in northern Italy like it was yesterday. Thank you!
Z
Zuul
Los Angeles
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on January 27, 2020
overall3food3service4ambience3
Excellent food but the drinks and desserts seem like an afterthought. Can also be quite loud if you go when the restaurant is full. Order your drinks neat and go elsewhere for desserts.
BE
BernardoE
New York Area
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on January 25, 2020
overall4food5service4ambience4
The food was extraordinary. The lamb belly is on of the best I have ever tried.
j
jamesg
Los Angeles
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on January 25, 2020
overall1food3service2ambience3
My wife and I have been loyal fans of Baco Mercat for many years, celebrating special occasions there and bringing friends from out of town to experience the unique and delicious menu. We even went to the short lived Baco outpost in Culver City, Baco Shop, a number of times before it closed. One of our favorite dishes on the Baco menu had been the ricotta fritters with honey. A great dish, so we were sorry when it was discontinued on our last couple of visits. But we were delighted to see it resurface as part of the Baco dinner menu for Dine Out LA, along with many of our other favorites. So we booked a reservation and planned an outing to downtown LA around it, which is a long way and not that convenient from where we live in Santa Monica. Upon arriving at Baco we were given the Dine Out menu which was totally different than the one that had been posted online, and continues to be posted. No ricotta fritters, no fava bean baco sandwich, no eggplant dip, or other items we were so looking forward to. When we pointed out to the hostess that this is not the menu online she kind of shrugged and said well it changes. That is not accurate according to what is still posted. I mean, how hard it is to post what your serving? There is no excuse for that. It is false advertising and disrespectful of customers, especially longtime loyal one like us. It was a big disappointment and put a damper on a day we were excited about. Had we known we would have made other plans. What Baco did is totally unprofessional and inexcusable, especially from a restaurant we loved.
TD
TrevorD
Los Angeles
13 reviews
vip
5.0
13 reviews
Dined on January 24, 2020
overall5food5service5ambience5
Best place downtown!
LB
LucianaB
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 24, 2020
overall5food5service5ambience5
AMAZING! I love this place with all my heart! The food is incredible, great atmosphere, waiters are lovely, and great management!
P
Pecha
Cancun
11 reviews
vip
5.0
11 reviews
Dined on January 23, 2020
overall5food5service5ambience5
Service was amazing food was delicious! Will come back
d
dillpickles
Los Angeles
6 reviews
vip
4.0
6 reviews
Dined on January 19, 2020
overall4food5service3ambience3
Only problem: seating. Although we had a reservation for a party of 4, when we arrived the only table available that would seat four was a high-top table for 6 (awkward!) and near the front door (chilly and many interruptions), which opened directly into the cold night air on a busy city street.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Los Angeles
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 19, 2020
overall5food5service5ambience5
We tried the dineLA menu as well as things we’ve never had before. Amazing experience.
m
megand
Los Angeles
10 reviews
vip
5.0
10 reviews
Dined on January 18, 2020
overall5food5service5ambience5
As always ... great food, wonderful service and the best cocktails!
TH
TommyH
New York Area
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 14, 2020
overall5food5service5ambience5
Really incredible food. All the layers of flavors in each dish were amazing. We especially loved the crudo! We were 4 people, each with different food requests, our server and the kitchen accommodated us beautifully. Will be back with enthusiasm.
AL
AlfredoL
Los Angeles
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on January 12, 2020
overall1food2service1ambience3
We went to celebrate our 10 year anniversary and we thoroughly regret it. To be fair, we've been to Baco before and have had wonderful food and experiences. But not today. From the second we sat down, everything felt rushed. People constantly came by to check on us, as if hinting at "you done? we need you to go so we can fill the table again." Terrible. Also, much to our surprise, the food was blah. We've had great food before but not sure what happened. All in all, given the moment (10 year anniversary) and the poor experience, I believe they have now lost our business. We will not return.
JP
JasonP
Los Angeles
19 reviews
vip
3.0
19 reviews
Dined on January 11, 2020
overall3food4service3ambience4
It was good. The entre was cold when served but it was good.
JR
JakeR
Indiana
9 reviews
4.0
9 reviews
Dined on January 11, 2020
overall4food4service5ambience4
Overall our experience tonight was very good. The service, though, is what made our evening truly enjoyable. My partner and I went out for dinner with our newborn, and so going out tonight was a luxury for us. We we’re warmly welcomed and graciously taken care of by our server Adam and the staff. Taken care of, and attended to without hovering over the table. The host was so sweet and she sent us the pork hand-torn pasta: a savory, rustic pasta that definitely screams comfort especially in these winter months. We enjoyed the Hamachi Crudo very much, the hummus was good (but the portion was minuscule). The blistered okra were alright and we weren’t super impressed. I loved the pork ribs, but my partner thought they were a little too spicy. We also had the boco (naan sandwich) with the cabbage slaw and fried shrimp - this was the best dish of the night. Although we didn’t love everything as far as food goes, and the portions were steep for the prices, the service is really what set this place apart. Thank you for a great dining experience! We will be back.
GG
GraciasGracias1
San Diego
6 reviews
4.0
6 reviews
Dined on January 11, 2020
overall4food4service4ambience4
It was very cute but overpriced for what the menu offered. Tasty food but I wish it was not as overpriced
D
Duct
Los Angeles
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on January 5, 2020
overall5food5service4ambience4
Excellent food. Everyone was friendly. The service was a little slow.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Los Angeles
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 2, 2020
overall5food5service4ambience5
Food was delicious.

FAQs

Bäco Mercat is rated 4.6 stars by 312 OpenTable diners

Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.

Bäco Mercat

Permanently Closed

Starters

Za'atar+Eggplant+Fava Dip$14.00

Ricotta Fritters$12.00

Hamachi Crudo$22.00

Pujado Solano Anchovies$10.00

Fennel & Olives Pickle Plate$10.00

Grilled Fava Beans$14.00

Braised Lamb Toast$18.00

Vegetables

Roasted Romanesco$15.00

English Pea & Bacon$15.00

Sugar Snap Peas & Mushrooms$14.00

Salted Cucumber & Avocado$14.00

Golden Beet Salad$14.00

Caramelized Cauliflower$15.00

"Caesar" Brussels Sprouts$14.00

Chop Salad$22.00

Meat & Fish

Torn Pasta w/ Pork Sugo$23.00

Seared Albacore$28.00

Buttermilk Quail$26.00

Black Mussles w/ Sriracha$23.00

Yellowtail Collar$28.00

Grilled Skirt Steak$26.00

Bone Marrow w/ Gnocchetti$22.00

Big Plates

Creekstone NY Strip$56.00

Berbere Pork Shoulder$48.00

Whole Branzino$43.00

Baby Rack of Lamb$32.00

Half Roasted Chicken$36.00

Coca

Double Mushrooms$18.00

Focaccino di Baco$18.00

Hoja Verde$18.00

Turkish Love$18.00

The Slayer$21.00

Baco

Fava Fritter$15.00

The O.G.$16.00

El Pesco$17.00

The Toron$17.00

Fried Chicken Schnitzel$17.00

Bazole

Soup$21.00

Cold Noodle Salad$23.00

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How is Bäco Mercat restaurant rated?

Permanently Closed