Mercato

Beautiful restaurant in a stunning location with breathtaking views. Service is exceptional. The food was good overall however the pizza lacked in flavor. We felt that the cheese was a bit bland however the dough was soft and puffy. We will definitely be back to try other items on the menu.

Great food at reasonable pricing. then again, we only ordered bread, one main dish and one appetiser. all on the sour side. Bread was delicious, recommended. and beautiful view of course.

We visited Mercato for the Sunday brunch and it was an amazing experience. The variety in food choices is huge, including breads, salads, cold cuts and cheeses, seafood, meats, pasta and amazing desserts. Each dish was perfectly prepared. The staff was polite and friendly and the atmosphere was great. The price per person (80€) includes also coffee, water and soft drinks. Given the variety and quality of the foods, it is very reasonably priced.

When location is just not enough. I had high expectations for Mercato at the Four Seasons, given the location and the fact that it's part of the Four Seasons brand. Unfortunately, the experience did not meet those expectations. First, we were told by the staff that Chef Maggie Tabakaki prefers "family style" dining, with dishes meant to be shared in the middle of the table. We did find this weird for a table of two with very different and distinct tastes and found ourselves struggling to figure out dishes that we'd both enjoy, so not to disappoint the chef or frowned upon by whoever took our order. Then came the bread basket. Four pre-made bread rolls served as part of the couvert were definetely not something I expected at a restaurant of this caliber, when even local trattorias serve artisanal bread nowadays. The oil served alongside was certainly not EVOO and the tomato dip tasted like it came straight from a can. They were left aside, a total waste. Then came the Caprese salad with 'grilled peach', which proved a huge disappointment. It was simply a burrata placed on pesto with baby arugula on top, a good amount of prosciutto on the side and a tiny piece of raw nectarine hidden among the ingredients. The grilled peach that had our mouths watering when we were ordering was nowhere to be seen. The plate was left on our table and we had to serve it ourselves, while we anticipated the waiter to offer to serve it for us. In addition, we had to serve it with our forks, since no serving cutlery was provided, trying not to spill the arugula everywhere on the table. With the - what would have been juicy, tasty, caramelised peaches - missing, the dish fell flat, bland, underwhelming, just some ingredients thrown on a plate, definitely not worth the price. We did point it out to our waiter who politely apologised and withdrew the nectarine to inform the kitchen staff but we were not offered a replacement or some other gesture of compensation. Next came the tagliata, which arrived with no side dish. Part of the meat was so tough that we struggled to chew through it. About a quarter of it remained on the plate after we had chewed it as best as we could. Obviously, no-one from the kitchen staff had bothered to clean it off its cartilage. What a waste of 42 euros! The crab-onara was decent and tasty, with a generous amount of crab. The service was quick and polite, which was definitely a highlight of the evening. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to save the experience and the location, while stunning, can’t make up for the overall lack of attention to detail in both the food and the atmosphere (nouveau-riche Kardashian-style people at the table next to us were loudly FaceTiming their friends from across the Atlantic during the entire dinner, further spoiling the experience). I would suggest to chef Maggie to keep an eye on how the (quite cliche) menu she has devised is realised by her brigade every now and then. I won't be seeking her next appointment. We paid 160 euros for a salad, a pasta, a meat dish, and 2 drinks, one being a regular g&t (not premium) and the other a simple mocktail. All in all, an over-rated restaurant, where I won’t be returning, and I cannot recommend.

Royal Treatment in Vouliagmeni Went for Sunday Brunch (Pranzo dela Domenica – Italian for Sunday’s Lunch) to Mercato at Four Seasons. It turned out that the reservation via Open Table didn’t work. Had several embarrassing experiences with this reservation service. Concerning the Sunday Brunch at Mercato I didn’t like the two seatings (two hours each) concept giving not enough time to enjoy the delicacies. One may need at least three hours in order to avoid eating in a hurry. Reception and treatment by the staff were kingly. They were courteous and respectful, never loosing their sense of humour. Got to know the chef, Mrs Maggie Tampakaki, we had a small chat; she’s a very charming lady endowed with fabulous cooking skills. The hors d’oeuvre were pure subtle art: mind-blowing vitelo tonato, steamed cod with garlicky spinach and lemon, exquisite charcuterie, variations of smoked salmon; the other seafood was somewhat average. One of the most amazing dishes was Maggie’s 100-layer-lasagne: optics, scent and taste, simply divine. The other big surprise was the porchetta which contained the suckling pig’s head (and the cheeks of course). It had to be prepared several days in advance and went through a laborious cooking process. The tender and juicy meat absorbed all the herbs aroma and it felt like foam on the tongue. The buffet featured top quality beef brisket and short rib from the smoker. Although I’m not a dessert fan, I had to indulge in some specialities laid out: a superb interpretation of mille feuille, cheese cake with forest berries, pistachio eclair. A nice touch was the distribution of the tiramisù from a carriage which had been pushed beween the tables. Non-alcoholic and hot beverages were in the price included, which at 80EUR was reasonable keeping in mind the outstanding products and performance. Wines were available à la carte and insanely overpriced. Travelling to/from city center takes time and costs money but the effort is definitely highly rewarding. To sum up, it was the highlight of my stay in Athens and I wouldn’t hesitate to take this option for a Sunday afternoon into consideration should I have this opportunity ever again.

This was our go to restaurant for breakfast and for two evening meals during our stay at the Four Seasons Astir Palace. The staff were so friendly and efficient - nothing was too much trouble. The evening meal courses were substantial so desserts were at best shared. We particularly liked the octopus carpaccio starter and the sea bass main - so much so that we ordered them on both the occasions we went in the evening. We must commend Vinetra (apologies if this is not how it is spelt) in particular for her outstanding service throughout our stay, both at breakfast and in the evening. All staff were friendly and accommodating. Thank you to the kitchen staff for going out of their way on occasions to prepare something additional not on the buffet when I asked for it. I loved the Bircher muesli at breakfast!

Of course the service was outstanding, it is located at the Four Seasons! But it was very sincere and honest, not stuffy or fake. All the food was amazing and the view on the terrace was amazing, especially at sunset. Food was expensive for Greece but so cheap compared to back home in USA! We are already planning our next trip.

We love Mercato and have ended up eating here often (including every day for breakfast) during our stay. The pastas are great, particularly the homemade ravioli with spare rib. The veal Milanese is soft and very tasty. Salads are great — particularly the one with the pomegranate dressing. For breakfast, the buffet features lots of Greek pastries and pies, fresh fruit, and all the classic egg dishes etc. The views are spectacular, and service is consistently great.