Recently, I have been to a Spanish restaurant with a classmate from university and his friend. I used to pass by this restaurant countless times but never had the intention to eat in there. As a result, I am happy that there is a nice Spanish restaurant in town. Its name is El Mercado.

Where is the location of El Mercado?

El Mercado is on Pilies street in the heart of the old town.

Is a reservation needed for El Mercado?

When you look from outside, the facade does not take attention very much as in many other commercial places in old buildings. When you enter inside you realize that there is another floor upstairs. Though the total seating capacity is fair enough, the entrance floor is fancier to spend time enjoying your food and drink. Considering that limited space is available on that floor, reservations are highly recommended on peak hours if you want to be seated in a preferred table.

If you are going with a group of friends, upstairs may be more suitable to have fun while enjoying the food.

The Atmosphere

When you enter you see a lively interior. The lights, the reflections, and the colors are used such a way that it boosts your mood. There are two large tables and a few small high-seating small ones. The shelves next to these tables display a lot of food goodies that make you want to grab them all and take them home. The good news is you can do that as long as you pay because all these goodies are for sale.

What to eat?

The menu is very satisfactory. There are quite enough options that you can try or share with your friends. We ordered several different dishes and shared them all. Well, the spicy chorizo is the one I missed a lot since my trip to Barcelona so I liked that very much.

There are various kinds of seafood and paella also included in the menu which are worth trying.

A good selection of Spanish wine and beer are also available to enjoy along with your meal.

Service

The service is friendly with smiling faces. That’s all you need when you go out for some tapas and drink.

Price

The price is more than the medium less than high. I feel the price to quality ratio is good. You get what you pay for.

So if you want to spend some time enjoying Spanish food and drinks in a good quality place, I highly recommend El Mercado. You can find out more about them on their Facebook page. Here is the link for you.

If you are looking for another place with a similar vibe, check my experience in a Belgian restaurant named Brussels Mussels.