Il Mercato di Che Fico

This market is such a gem! It’s full of unique finds that are perfect for hosting, gifting, or treating yourself — and it’s also stocked with all the everyday staples you need to fill your kitchen. Tons of fresh local produce from small farms, great cheeses, dairy, dry goods, drinks, even paper products. And to top it off, fantastic deli food, meat, seafood, and gelato (!) counters. They’ve fit a really impressive selection into a compact footprint. Plus the staff really knows their stuff and couldn’t be nicer. It’s a perfect neighborhood market, but also worthy of a special trip!

This little market it such a gift to Menlo Park! Fresh items, simple ingredients, and fun things you won’t be able to find anywhere else. The salads, soups, meats, and pastas are incredible with no preservatives or unnecessary additives. It’s a little slice or European charm here in the Bay. Truly, there is no better place to go if you want a delicious healthy home cooked meal where 90% of the work is done for you.

This place is STUNNING! It giving Italian Erewhon vibes and the product selection is top tier. Also, amazing place for grab and go meals, sandwiches, hot food, gelato, and a butcher shop to boot. The produce looked incredible and I can’t wait to come back!

It's a small store but they have a surprisingly large selection. Meat products were great. Prices are competitive (their DOP San Marzano tomatoes are 20% cheaper than non-certified tomatoes in nearby markets and that's enough to keep me coming back). All the employees were friendly.

So cute! Found all the perfect items for a dinner party (unique wine options, drool worthy cheeses and gelato of course). I was also able to pick up plenty of quality groceries for home. Pro tip: they have really great pre made items. My life just got so much easier.

Very good service and absolutely delicious gelato! The staff was super friendly, and the place was impressively clean and inviting. We will definitely be coming back for more. Highly recommend!

Prices of products in this store are absurd. Everything’s triple the cost compared to other stores. Had a chicken Cesar sandwich - was ok - chicken tasted dried out, not made fresh. Won’t be running back to this place.

Amazing high quality prepared (and packaged) foods, chill ambience, great people. Had lunch there and it hit the spot and then some.

Cute, tiny specialty store on the perimeter of this new Menlo Park foodie complex. Fun to browse the cheese and snacks, and good looking options for fresh pasta, foccacia sandwiches, and antipasto for a quick dinner. Generally expensive, as expected for a specialty import store in this area. However, the gelato and foccacia are both exceptionally good and priced on par with what you'd pay for less delicious versions elsewhere. Foccacia is among the best I've had - pillow light, springy, and well developed flavor. Gelato had a perfect texture - smooth, dense, and creamy - more flavorful than standard ice cream (just as good gelato should be). I got a single cup of half pistachio and half cookies & cream - both flavors were on point. Portion felt generous for $5.99 (compared to other gelatos in the area) and as with the foccacia, the quality here stood out. Given how flavorful gelato is, I found a single to be perfectly satisfying. Foccacia sandwiches looked divine - earmarking to come back and try those when I'm not avoiding deli meat (due to pregnancy). I think there are less expensive places to buy imported cheese, although I did grab a round of tartufo from the cheese case because it was calling to me. The folks working here are helpful and friendly. In short, a tasty place to grab a chic snack or low lift dinner.

A super small, cute market that has some housemade items and some that you'd find at Whole Foods/ Draegers, plus some pricier items like $25 pints of ice cream. Today I tried one of the sandwiches from the sandwich counter. It's pretty unclear as to how you're supposed to order, and the staff members aren't really eager to help. I saw that there was a small sandwich-sized portion of the larger sandwich already cut, so I asked to buy that one. The woman working the sandwich counter wasn't very pleasant, and the sandwich was expensive for what it was. The focaccia was super dry and crumbled apart as I ate it, so I'm guessing it was stale as this usually doesn't happen with focaccia because of the amount of oil it's made with. I'd maybe go back for prepackaged items for a special occasion, but it wouldn't be my first choice of places to go based on the service at the sandwich counter. The cashier was friendly though.

When I walk in here I just want to try and buy everything. Their jars of soup are delicious. There is a vegetable one with lemon zest. They also sell focaccia that is like a pillow. And make their own gelato which I haven't yet tried. There's a window to order fresh scoops but just open in the day. Great place to grab lunch, buy almost ready made food like lasagna if you don't feel like cooking.

Extremely high quality pistachio ice cream. Impressive and rare !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, Great sandwich. Great Gelato. They have a great selection of Italian and high end foods. Definetly a great spot to pick up some supplies for a special dinner.

Saw this place on yelp and was fascinated and decided to stop by and loved it!! Everything was so clean, cute, and the service was amazing as well. You are able to sample everything from their ice cream to their food bar!! Their focaccia sandwiches were so delicious especially the soft focaccia with fresh ingredients in the sandwich!! Truly delightful. Now the gelato..WOW!! it brought me back to italy, the texture was perfect. The gelato had the most perfect stretch and softness to it. Not only will I be back for their sandwiches, but their ice cream as well and their pints!!

This is a cute little place with some great products, but maybe not worth going super out of your way for. The size is similar to a convenience store, but obviously way nicer interior. They have a lot of good imported Italian products, as well as a sizable offering of gourmet American products, like Rancho Gordo beans and Burlap & Barrel spices. I was most excited to see they have some Etto pasta, since I love their pasta but usually just have to stock up at their Paso Robles store! The prices are definitely Menlo Park prices though. They almost make Eataly look cheap. It wasn't very busy when I visited around 1 p.m. on a Saturday, which kind of surprised me. The employees were super helpful since it seemed like they didn't have that much to do! The deli counter is fun, but I wish they had more veggie options! They have huge sandwiches on focaccia that you can order by weight but I didn't get to try any of those because the only vegetarian option is a sandwich on an Acme ciabatta roll. It was good, but not something I'll come running back for. They also are going to have a gelato window sometime soon but it wasn't open yet when I visited - I will come back to check that out!

This place is so cute! But I do think they're still working out some operational issues. (I think they've only opened for 2 months?) My friend and I ordered several sandwiches online, but I would suggest ordering in person. That's honestly probably going to be faster than online orders that they don't check that often. So, if you do order online, make sure to confirm your order once you arrive. I think they check door dash orders more frequently. That said, the sandwiches were delicious. I tried the yat, the mozzarella mortadella one, and the meatball sub. Would definitely come back again! The yat was super flavorful and the mozz one really accentuated the flavors of the mortadella. Loved it. And the gelato! Decided to try it out while I was waiting for my sandwich order. Today they had pistachio cherry, so smooth, what a delight! Pricing decent for what you get. So happy the peninsula has this option.

This place is pretty awesome. Met a friend here for lunch as my smog check place is down the street. Groceries, deli, and eventually gelato. If you love Italian products they have it in spades. Also sone of the folks here speak Italian (and Spanish) so you can practice your language skills too. So sone of the sandwiches are by the pound (line in Italy where the pizza are by the kilo) and sone are just sold whole. We did a small YAT, a meatball and a roast pork. The latter, if you're familiar with DiNic's johns Roast Pork in Philadelphia it's similar it's conceptually similar and dare I say even better. Hope my Philly friends don't put a hit on me. The meatball is one of the best I've had also though I don't have much to compare it to. The YAT which is a Mortadella on focaccia similar to a Muffaletta is good but I think the hormones are superior. Glad we got to try all three. Unfortunately the gelato window was closed but you can by them in prepackaged in the cold section. My old Italian American Deli go to was a place called Americano which unfortunately didn't make it out of covid so I'm glad Il Mercato is going to slide right in its place. Seating is limited to a couple tables outside but if you go around the corner you can eat at any of the Springline complexes plentiful outdoor seating. I suppose you might even be able to sneak into Che Fico's restaurant seating during the lunch hours as they aren't open then. Super happy a great sandwich option is now open with a pretty good price/performance value for the area

Small but mighty! They have some tasty sandwiches made with focaccia. A good selection of drinks and snacks. They have lots of brands I like and purchase from other markets. Great one stop shop when I need specific Italian foods. Staff were helpful. Clean and quick visit. Have to the gelato next time.

Cute little market! Good selection of foods with very short ingredient lists. Great place to grab a healthy salad or sandwich. Will definitely be coming back here.

This is a pricey little market on El Camino but it has some really interesting food. I picked up some sauce and spices. If I lived closer I would pick up some of the fresher items from here.

Over priced 7-11 masquerading as a hip Italian deli. Who is supposed to be their target clientele? Italian folks will scoff at this and 3/4 of selection is way overpriced

I mean, this place feels like it was imported from Italy via Brooklyn. It can't get any cooler (Che fico) than Che fico! Epic food, epic design, epic everything!

Italian inspired markeI. High quality, local produce, meats, and grab and go meals. Best homemade focaccia and gelato in SF Bay Area!

Best sandwich I have had in years I had the Californicazione on Focaccia bread it usually comes on wheat bread but I am glad I changed it to the Focaccia also comes with turkey, provolone, olive oil, mayonnaise, and avocado. I will definitely be back when I meet clients in the area. I also bought there pomodoro sauce and linguine I will eat that tonight.

Oh my goodness! So exciting to have this wonderful Italian Market in our neighborhood. Everyone who works there is super friendly and helpful. The focaccia is unreal and the sandwiches, prepared food and frozen foods are delicious. They have a wide variety of packaged cookies, condiments, pastas and their fresh fruits and vegetables are outstanding as well. Highly recommend.

The market is nice, but very expensive. It's basically a tiny Eataly. We really enjoyed our sandwiches and salads from the deli, but it's not a place we would frequent due to the prices. It was over $60 for approximately 2lbs of sandwich (a pound each of the two focaccia sandwiches) and four small sides that weighed about 0.5-0.75lbs each (about a pint each of the leafy sides and a little less than a half pint each of the beet/non-leafy sides). The lamortazza sandwich was delicious with its tasty simplicity. Every bite of the YAT was full of flavor. The focaccia itself was soft and fresh. A lot of times I find italian sandwiches overly salty, with their olive tapenades and thick layers of deli meat; these were perfect. We also shared the shaved brussels and kohlrabi salad, beets and farro, beets and citrus, and caesar. The first three were all good, though we all agreed our favorite was the brussels/kohlrabi. There was a surprising amount of hazelnuts in the beets and citrus salad (it was almost more of a beets and hazelnuts salad) and the caesar had no croutons and absolutely no dressing. We weren't sure if we just happened to get some weird, unmixed portion, or if they forgot the dressing (and possibly croutons) entirely. (Like at most other delis, the sides are all premade and sit in large containers in the deli case.) The lettuce/chicories was completely dry, with just some parmesan sprinkled throughout. The man behind the deli counter was very nice, gave us some suggestions as to what to get and was patient with us as we made our decisions. There was plenty of parking in the lot below. It was free when we went (a weekend), but there were pay gates that were left open and machines with printouts that indicated parking was complimentary, so I'm not sure if maybe parking is only free on weekends, or if parking is always free for now but will not be some time in the future. And while there is no seating at the market, there is a nice seating area (8-ish tables with umbrellas) in the courtyard of the connecting Springline office buildings.

This is a small but super-cute Italian grocery store. The imported products are all beautifully arranged, so it's fun to walk around and browse. The produce looked gorgeous and very fresh. I can tell they take great pride in the products sold here. The cashier was kind and friendly as well. I did discover a new coffee brand here that I really like - Slate coffee. It's the equivalent of 2 cups of coffee with 20g protein. I also bought two scoops of gelato in a cone for $8.99. I got two very small, drippy scoops of gelato (forget about going on a hot day, this ice cream would melt in seconds). I would have liked more gelato for that price, even if it was delicious. It's a cute place to pop into for a pick-me-up when you're in the neighborhood. It might be a bit pricey for everyday shopping, however.

The guy above doesn't know what he's talking about, the Yat was my go to until I got the Meatball Americano, both good, but meatball blew my mind. Both need to be hot. Yat 9/10 Meatball 11/10

Unfortunately only 1 star due to management. Came in a couple weeks ago and went to deli counter and grabbed a Ceaser salad to go. It's great, not our first time. Next day went to open it and have for dinner and no dressing. What's a ceaser salad without dressing?! Lettuce... Came in today to grab a sandwich and decided to see if they would do anything for me since I was so disappointed last time looking forward to having a ceaser and had lettuce instead. Manager looked at me like a was crazy and asked for a receipt?!! It wasn't even a $10 item. Lol. Couldn't believe it. Instead of just giving me another salad and apologizing he instead lost a customer.

this would be a five star review since this shop has an amazing selection of quality products. however, I bought arugula here and when I opened the bag at home I figured it was rotten. not ok at all.

I had a takeout pint of pistachio cherry gelato ... It was the worst gelato I have ever had... The Pistachio taste was meek (weak) and the cherries were some bits... The folks making that mess should take lessons from Ben & Jerries Cherry Garcia...

Hit it up when they opened for business. The focaccia is a winner, naturally. Ordered the chicken parm sandwich to split. Sandwich was decent, but different from the traditional chicken parm I have had in the past. It's on a sesame roll, of sorts, not my favorite. Maybe that could be noted on the sandwich board? Some people were ordering a hunk (size cut to order) of that giant focaccia sandwich, pre-made in a couple of different variations. Also got some of their chopped salad, tuna salad and meatballs. The tuna salad was interesting, but I wouldn't order again. Not sure what ingredients, but something was a bit odd, flavor-wise. Meatballs were okay, probably would not reorder those. Bottled Caesar dressing was pretty great though. I'll look forward to the gelato window opening in the future. Hope the gelato is great. They sell it frozen by the pint now, but I'd go for the fresh-made, once they open the window. The produce section is very attractive, things looked fresh the first day.

this market is absolutely beautiful and delicious!! the team has done an absolutely amazing job ensuring you get a great experience from your store. we grabbed sandwiches, focaccia, gelato and a few snacks and wow YUM! highly recommend if you're in the area. on top of the market being so clean and nice.. the staff made our experience unforgettable!

Delicious gelato, sandwiches, and more! I loved the passion fruit gelato and the tuna sandwich. This place is truly a gem!

Great selection of produce, cheeses, and delicious packaged goodies to complement their crafted salads and sandwiches. Just the wafting smell of fresh strawberries as you walk by will intoxicate you and coax you in.

All fluff and very little substance. Sandwiches look fantastic but have very little flavor and the bread falls apart with wetness and heft of meats.

Love this place. Stopped by for lunch and would've bought the entire store if left to my own devices. Sandwiches were great. Service was attentive and generous.

Small but mighty store with the freshest and most authentic items and offerings. Gelato is absolutely to die for. Service is phenomenal. Chef Chris offered my 11-year old son a personal tour of the kitchen and back room area, which made him like a super special VIP. We absolutely love this place.

I came in expecting to find a small version of Eataly (the large, exclusively Italian-product market in San Jose and sprinkled around the US and Italy) and was a bit disappointed. Yes, there is a fair percentage of Italian products, but a large percentage of the goods are run of the mill (non-Italian) gourmet products you could find anyplace. In fact, if you want a range of high quality Italian products you would be better off at Draeger's which is a few blocks away (and doesn't require underground parking). For example, the pasta, balsamic vinegar, or olive oil selection at Draeger's puts Che Fico to shame. We tried the focaccia and also found it a rather poor example of focaccia (I can claim a bit of knowledge on the topic having lived in Liguria in years past). The Che Fico version is a four-inch high, balloon-bread variant that one would not find anyplace I know of in Italy. This might be useful for making sandwiches, but it is not nearly the quality that one finds elsewhere in the Bay Area (e.g., Liguria Bakery in SF, Eataly in San Jose). This place is fine if you want products linked to the Che Fico restaurant (e.g., pasta sauce), but do not come here expecting the deepest range of Italian gourmet products, there are better places in the neighborhood (think Draeger's) or local area (think Eataly).