Skip to content, or skip to search.
Skip to content, or skip to search.
Home > Restaurants >
All Reader Reviews of...
Merkato 55
55 Gansevoort St., New York, NY, 10014
nr. Greenwich St.
212-255-8555
| 4.7 | "Mixed Reviews" Average Reader Rating on a Scale of 10 |  |
Doors were closed!
hassourip from 10014 | Posted on 7/20/09
|
|
My friends and I had brunch reservations for a birthday this past Saturday for 12:00 pm. When we showed up at 12, the doors were locked. We waited for 45 minutes and no one showed up. We called and no one answered. We went somewhere else and returned at 3:00 pm. Doors were still locked. Coincidentally the bar tender was also behind the door at 3:00 pm showing up for his shift and he said that he couldn't get into work - that there were rumors that they're going out of business. TERRIBLE - DO NOT GO!!
Did you find this review helpful? 
The Worst NYC Brunch of My Adult Life
12272009 from 10007 | Posted on 6/20/09
|
|
Not only was the waitstaff inexcusably obnoxious, the food was lukewarm and flavorless. On top of it all, the DJ played crappy club music from the late 80s/early 90s so loudly that my ears were ringing an hour after we fled the place. This place simply should not exist; and it most certainly should not have a velvet rope!
Did you find this review helpful?
Why would anyone go here?
RickMurphy from 10280 | Posted on 6/8/09
|
|
Starting out our morning before heading to the Belmont Stakes we wanted a good place to pre-game. When we arrived the place was empty. A friend that was meeting us was having a beer at one of the empty outdoor tables, he was quickly told that he couldn't sit there. We went inside to take a look at the drink menu and decide if we should stay. The bartender was rude, condescending, and without a drink menu. One of us asked what he suggested for something refreshing to start things off with, without a word he proceeded to make a terrible vodca/grapefruit, when my friend asked what was in it the bartender actually said "don't worry about it" and waved him off. This combination of 1 part well vodka, one part grapefruit, and 3 parts douchiness cost 13 bucks. With so many other options in that location there was no way we were going to stick around. We took maybe 20 steps, walked in to Pastis, ordered some great drinks from their drink menu for the same price as Merkato and conversed with the friendly bartenders. Merkato, never again - Pastis, I will see you again soon!
Did you find this review helpful?
Why would anyone go here?
RickMurphy from 10280 | Posted on 6/8/09
|
|
Starting out our morning before heading to the Belmont Stakes we wanted a good place to pre-game. When we arrived the place was empty. A friend that was meeting us was having a beer at one of the empty outdoor tables, he was quickly told that he couldn't sit there. We went inside to take a look at the drink menu and decide if we should stay. The bartender was rude, condescending, and without a drink menu. One of us asked what he suggested for something refreshing to start things off with, without a word he proceeded to make a terrible vodca/grapefruit, when my friend asked what was in it the bartender actually said "don't worry about it" and waved him off. This combination of 1 part well vodka, one part grapefruit, and 3 parts douchiness cost 13 bucks. With so many other options in that location there was no way we were going to stick around. We took maybe 20 steps, walked in to Pastis, ordered some great drinks from their drink menu for the same price as Merkato and conversed with the friendly bartenders. Merkato, never again - Pastis, I will see you again soon!
Did you find this review helpful?
Terrible
tanzaniangirl from 10009 | Posted on 4/27/09
|
|
The service - terrible and the food was not worth the $. Seriously, it was a waste, they wouldn't even answer their phone.
Did you find this review helpful?
something has gone horribly wrong here...
daniellegreisen from 07086 | Posted on 2/15/09
|
|
was excited to return to merkato 55 with my husband last night (yes, valentines day) after a terrific dining experience in summer 2008 with my girl friends. having eaten outside, i was excited to dine indoors to experience the gorgeous decor. "gorgeous decor" has turned into metal folding chairs with black sacks thrown over them and ripped leather banquettes. neither our waiter nor bartender knew what the agbekor was, even though it is still listed on the online beverage menu? the food menu was slashed in half from the summer and is smaller still from the current online menu. pita sides were forgotten at our table and others... plates were incorrectly served to other tables, let to sit and eventually brought to ours. etc, etc. all in all, it was an amateur, comedic night of errors. a $180 for 2, night of errors. not surprised the place was half empty or that reservations were available! despite my delicious snapper slivers and coconut shrimp, will NOT be back.
Did you find this review helpful?
Disgustingly pretentious!
azizazone from 10019 | Posted on 2/9/09
|
|
Disgustingly pretentious place with servers and managers whose rudeness is off the chart. If not the poor service, ripped dirty tablecloths and chair covers are sure to make your experience miserable. And don't forget the $29 average price of an entree. Oh, and the best part is that before you get your menus handed to you a strange man with an earpiece comes over to inform you that you need to clear the table in less than 2 hours because another party has a reservation after you, and they will be paying money (as if you don't). And that's if you get a menu to begin with. Our party of seven got only four menus and were instructed to share. Not something you would expect at a place that claims to "exude warmth and comfort." The only thing this place exudes is empty impudence!
Did you find this review helpful?
Like Dining in a Coffin
TOgirl767 from 10003 | Posted on 1/11/09
|
|
Possibly the worst dining experience I have ever had in New York. First of all, the restaurant was freezing. Half the patrons were sitting at the dinner tables in their jackets, and the staff refused to acknowledge that there was a severe heating problem. The food was good but not great and hard to enjoy because of the temperature. The service was awful - they seemed like disgruntled staff who hated their jobs - totally uninterested in the patrons.
Did you find this review helpful?
Simply AWFUL!
ostoner from 48009 | Posted on 11/13/08
|
|
Overly rude staff. Bad food. Plenty of great places nearby. Don't waste your time or money.
Did you find this review helpful?
TOTAL FAILURE: rip-off prices with empty plates and bad service
olga0131 from 06854 | Posted on 10/18/08
|
|
What a disaster! We dine in the city all the time and I've never left a bad review for a restaurant. Such a rip-off! Prices are ridiculous and you can barely find any food on the plate. We paid $32 for lamb chops and got 3 tiny bones with 2 ounces of meat. Seabass was even worse - small piece of tail for $33 which was less than half-inch thick (tilapia in the supermarket looks much better!) Not to mention, nothing comes with a side dish! You have to BUY your own sides. They don't even offer a bread basket for the table- we paid $20 for 4 tiny pieces of pita! Service sucks BIG TIME- we bought a pitcher of sangria and, after partially pouring our 4 glasses, the waitress REMOVED IT FROM THE TABLE WITH SANGRIA STILL IN IT! They were kept trying to remove our plates while were were still eating. When the waiter reached for remaining pieces of pita, I had to tell him to "relax"! We did not even consider dessert. BOTTOM LINE - HORRIBLE!
Did you find this review helpful?
Advertising
Latest News
Latest News Near
Popular Restaurant Guides
-
Where to Eat
Adam Platt picks 2009’s top dining destinations,
including Dovetail, Momofuku Ko, and Corton. -
Best of New York Food
The best that the city’s restaurants have to offer:
paella, coffee, grilled cheese, ramen, and more. -
The Cheap List
We live in a city full of small cheap-eats miracles,
including $1 foods, Korean fried chicken, and burgers.
The Transformation of TV Into an Art Form
The Draw of Dream Worlds in Film
Gosselin, Prince of the Professional Nobodies
A Decade of Defining Moments in Pop-Culture
The Invention of New York's Local Cuisine 
Thirty-Five Short-Lived Looks of the Decade
Two Views of a Swath of the Upper West Side
An Older Generation Moves Into Williamsburg
Ten Years That Changed Everything
A Generation of Overparenting
The Sports Rivalry of the Decade
What Is the Point of the United States Senate? 
