Mercado Central in Cambridge

Go for lunch to test the tastes, absolutely worth it! I recommend the red wine sangria. Food

Had dinner here tonight by myself - on a solo research trip so treating myself a bit. I thought the food was excellent - I had croquettes to start and then the Iberican Pork Chop. Food was great - the pork dish was especially delicious. The wine selection looked good & a good selection by the glass too. Great to see Estrella Galicia as a beer option. Service was great from the moment I stepped in to the moment I left. I left happy and planning to bring my partner when I next return.

Overall I was quite disappointed with my experience here. Positives: -Friendly staff -Tasty potatoes & alioli side Negatives: -Initially asked to leave and come back later when we arrived 15 minutes early for our booking. -Most of our party ordered the steak and when they arrived at the table, we were told three were cooked medium and two medium rare. This was the opposite to what had been requested, but we accepted them, thinking only one person wouldnt get what they ordered. It was only after we were half way through eating that we realised the waiter had mixed this up and so the people who had ordered medium had been eating medium-rare and vice versa. Its not the biggest deal in the world, but when I informed the waiter at the end he didnt seem to care much and I expect better when youre spending £40+ for a small steak. Ive had better meals, for cheaper, elsewhere and wont be back in a hurry.

Delicious and def worth being in the Michelin guide

Had a lovely evening at the Mercado Central last might. Staff were attentive, food was superb, two courses more than plenty, no room for desert. My only gripe was the music was a little loud, but maybe Im just getting old.

Thanks to the Samsom family for inviting us to a very nice place.

Went for an early dinner before a show, they managed to fit us in. Food was really good, everything was nicely cooked and presented. Lovely and authentic Spanish food

Ive been 5 times to Mercado Central. It used to be one of my favourite places to eat in Cambridge, certainly the only Spanish restaurant worth visiting. The prices went up by a lot after it appeared in the Michelin guide. I still thought well the food is still worth it so Ill come for special occasions. Now in the last year its all gone really bad. I just went today with a group of friends and paid north of 70 quid for mediocre and very pretentious food. Starters are okay, although for some reason they insist to put goats cheese in half of the dishes. The mains are a different story. I ordered my rib eye steak red in the middle, it came so dry and so thin it looked more like a flat iron steak. My wife ordered the fish... A couple of years ago I wouldve expected a nice full fish cooked in oil and garlic the Spanish way, but she got a mini piece of fish, that said, presented nicely (and as I said very pretentiously) with some lentils and red mojo sauce - another thing they put in half of the plates. On the side, Im not sure why some of the descriptions try to use pseudo-Italian words as if they sound fancier. Salmoretta is not a thing, it is called salmorreta. This is not a Spanish restaurant anymore. Its also not even a good food restaurant anymore.

The mackerel had an overpowering, unpleasantly strong taste, and was excessively salty, as was the lettuce. The fried aubergine lacked any real flavour and was rather dull, while the chicken was merely average and nothing memorable.

Fantastic food, lovely wine, and a great atmosphere. It s on the pricier side, but perfect for a special treat!

The food was good but overpriced. The Sangrias were disappointing, we had a White and a Mercado Sangria and they both tasted the same... Elderflower... the taste of wine was dissipated in juice.

Two of the best meals ever!!! This has to be the best restaurant in Cambridge (very presumptuous, but one hell of a good bet)! Beautiful venue, fantastic service, conversation and insight into the produce. Croquetas, aubergine friti, fillet, ganache, cheesecake, desert and regular wines WOW! Your Michelin star must be a few covers away, surely! Thank you so much for your hospitality, your dedication to good food and a double-dose of gastronomic heaven! P.S: Forza Juve!!!

Spoiled produce and high prices, condescending service and a bit of a snup treat in general. Very eager to tell you that you dont know anything and that they are here to teach you. But the food was clearly past the self date. Save your hard earned money. Truth hurts but its the truth. And for some reason now the establishment thinks I am a completely different person that they have had as a chef(nice way to make it look like Im in the wrong by the way ) But I have to say that it is sad that the owner/establishment cant take some criticism learn and go on with their business. I feel like my review is fair and has grounds since Ive been there and eaten with friends many years ago. But if my review is so detrimental for this business then there probably isnt much hope for the restaurant

Fantastic food and service, will visit again!

Amazing food! I had such a lovely time here and had really good Spanish food! The staff were lovely and were friendly, attentive and helpful but not disruptive. The food was really nicely presented and really good quality. Was worth the price as it was lovely fresh and organic ingredients. Would really recommend the aubergine, tortilla and the pork and sea bream! They had a great selection - will definitely be coming back! Vegetarian options: Vegetarian options - really good tapas especially!

Food was average at best; service was fine but the table was very small, meaning we had to constantly move plates around and even take drinks off the table. Overall fine but prices are *extortionate*.

Absolutely delicious, lovely food, staff, cant wait to go back

Over priced, sadly, with hum drum, loungey decor and tables so jammed into the pokey building that it felt like a I was being served dinner in someones sitting room, let alone a £££ restaurant. But the saddest part was the quality of the food and inflated prices. Paying £35 for a tiny, bland risotto with a single prawn. One prawn. For £35. Silly me. I really would never expect to return here. The service was pushy, the menu was limited, the portions were mean, the flavours were disappointing and the prices were kind, of, considering all the rest, a bit offensive. Sorry.

First time here good food, they come out and tell you what s in each dish which was a nice touch. They have a few tables outside which was lovely. Would come back again

Had a great 2 course meal, havent eaten such a tasteful salad in a long time. The chicken was amazing as well. The waiter Albert was super helpful and friendly.

Tasty Spanish fare and strong sangría for the deep pocketed crowd. Very friendly service and nice locale.

Went for an anniversary dinner. Ordered 2 ribeye steaks, sourdough to start and basque cheesecake to finish. Sauce with the steak was honestly one of the best Ive ever had. Basque cheesecake was divine. Servers delightful. All round 10/10. Happy girlfriend

The food is completely falvourless...like, completely. There is no salt on anything and the decisions the chef has made regarding flavour and temperature combinations are inexplicable. Moreover, £16 for four overcooked, tasteless prawns is ridiculous. Definitely skip this place and cook something for yourself at home.

Ive been a regular hear since opened and I thought I would try it again and was disappointed. The food, I had Monkfish, was not good. A plate of black rice a small bit if monkfish, one prawn and one or two others. All for £35. My wife ordered the 2 course and the dessert had serious shrinkflation. Overall not worth the money. They also do the typical thing of having loads of seats close together. I really dont want to hear other ls eating as I am sure they dont me.

Spanish here came here with huge expectations but left rather disappointed and with a half empty stomach after paying nearly 40£ for a presa ibérico. Taste ok but defo not worth this price point, lesson learned if you want authentic Spanish food you should just go to Spain.

Food was delicious! The Chocolate Ganache with Olive Oil and Sea Salt was heavenly.

Food tasted really good, nice presentation; however, portions were too small considering the prices. I ordered the black paella and some ham croquettes, both very good. Would recommend if youre in the mood for Spanish food.

food is decent, but defo not worth the price. Also not enough choices. Also, 10 pounds for a piece of cheesecake???

Been here on Friday lunch time, the set menu was great value, friendly and attentive service. The cake of the day was brilliant. Definitely a must try in Cambridge Food

Very happy with the experience,we tasted authentic Spanish products,food was amazing and wine as well the service was welcoming and attentive,the price are little bit higher but with products come directly from Spain I guess was expected,overall great experience we will come again to taste the new menu!

Our Saturday night dinner at this Spanish-style restaurant was fantastic. The tapas dishes were superb, better than most places, and reasonably priced for the quality. The wine list and cocktails were impressive, and the food from start to finish was impeccable. Our waitress was very attentive, and the manager, added a special touch by offering us complimentary dessert and drinks.

Had the set meal for lunch and really enjoyed it. Both courses were really tasty and well-presented. The waiter was knowledgeable and also spotted that we were celebrating a special occasion and surprised us with his kindness.

The only restaurant in Cambridge that would make you want to come into the city just for dinner. The food is fresh and interesting, made by chefs and not just cooks all served by very professional and still very friendly waiting staff. You know it s a good place when you can order anything and you know it will be good. Don t miss the red Sangria or the tortilla.

Tastes are good, but the portion of the food is WAY WAY WAY too stingy given the price. E.g the Galacian octopus, £14.50 just gives you two small pieces. In Spain I can get a pretty big bowl with less than EUR 14.50....

Every single thing I ate and drank was

Absolute perfection. Food sensational. Service sensational. Heaven.

Great service and food.

A bit noisy. Lovely wine. Expensive steak (and quite thin) but tasted really good.

This place has good food, but it is far from the usual casual Spanish restaurants. Resembles more a casual French bistro serving Spanish food. My main issue is that prices are way too high for the place: one easily pays £80-90/pop and for that kind of money one would expect a very different setting and service. Won t be coming back.

We are surprised and pleased to find the Galician cuisine we love at Mercado Central in Cambridge. Long live Galicia. All thats missing is Cervantes language.

The food, the place and the sevei excellent

good food, nice staff but unfortunately no coffee machine. would have loved to have a cortado at the end of my meal Food

A very cozy place, excellent service and spectacular food. We will go again, we recommend 100%.

My husband and I recently booked dinner at this restaurant and we were very impressed by the quality of the food. It was the first day of their new menu. I had the Iberico Pork from Salamanca and my husband had the Seafood Rice with Wild Cornish Monkfish. Both of us enjoyed our meals. The staff were very friendly and helpful. I would highly recommend this restaurant and I am already looking forward to our next visit.

The staff are wonderful and the food is just delicious. We have been here twice and loved it both times :) I had the fish of the day which was very flavourful and the basque cheesecake was great

If you care about your customers, you d at least update your google maps opening hours. Waste of my time.

The amazing fresh seafood was something but the service was second to none . The manager overheard that I found it a little noisy downstairs and very swiftly found us a table Upstairs without us asking . ! Just wonderful staff whose main aim was to make the experience perfect! Bravo!

The food is fine, but too expensive compared with other Spanish restaurants, seafood paella cost 34 pounds and quite tiny portion. Also really lacking service, our water bottle is empty and until the end no one care about it.

Great food! Would go back for sure. Only minor point of improvement- the waitrons could have been slightly more attentive.

Great Spanish restaurant but more than just tapas. Do try the Bierzo desert wine a relavalation

Underwhelming food at idiotic prices and a seriously inconsiderate situation with staff left this as a very unfortunate experience. The restaurant seems content to float by on the dedication to sourcing authentic Spanish ingredients which not only must be terrible for their carbon footprint but also allows them to serve expensive and disappointing plates. Without much additional thought beyond the imported produce, the kitchen appeared disastrous in navigating our table who declined much of the starters offered. Having been served a plate of ruby red meat and breadsticks (alright, nothing exciting), we then had a forty minute wait for mains as the kitchen struggled with an endless outpouring of small sharing plates for other tables. No apologies, no explanation. Just a long wait. Mains arrived and lacked enough of a wallop to justify the price tags or delay, again justifying themselves with the ingredients apparently used (iberico pork, locally source fresh fish...) rather than the way in which the kitchen uses them. Mains were undeniably underseasoned, unless you like olive oil and lots of it. Staff were friendly enough until a final reveal of their lame selves, perhaps the end of the lunch rush was getting to them. Professional tip however: if youre going to make an unjustifiable jibe about any customer/s, do it out of the eyeline or earshot of any other patrons, it was embarrassing and only served to make you look bad. Floor space is tiny, acoustics awful, so anyone prone to anxiety or headaches will have a mare here. Frankly, its a hugely avoidable place that seems destined only as a repeat visit for those who link good food with a high price tag alone. Pay more and get proper grub at Restaurant Twenty-Two. Pay less and get a grand feast at Zonghua Traditional. Pay little and get honest grub at Shelley and Sarahs. Left a lacklustre taste in the mouth in more ways than one.

Food was ok but the quality of the dishes was not sufficient for the price, was an attempt at Spanish food but badly executed. Shrimps were basically boiled, the seafood arroz was significantly lacking salt and the flavours were just about ok. The quality of the fish and meat was good but just really badly executed. The service was very good and attentive. The restaurant was well decorated but very loud, especially because the kitchen is downstairs, next to the tables with guests and we had to shout to be able to have a conversation. The tables were crammed. Anyone that has had genuine Spanish food (or any other mediterranean country) knows they can get a better meal in Spain for under 15 . Sadly disappointing.

A real find in Central Cambridge, this small Spanish restaurant is absolutely delightful. We had Mussels, Sea Bream, and finished with an Orange Torte. All were delicious.

Authentic Spanish restaurant in central Cambridge superb food, wine and atmosphere, a real joy to eat here.

Delicious food with really friendly service. Great location and atmosphere.

Excellent food and service. Thanks!

The attention was very regular since we arrived. The host barely seated us at one of the tables. The black rice had good flavor, however the portion is very small for both rice and fish. The food was very expensive and not worth it.

Loved it here - food and staff was excellent

Very enjoyable meal, tasty Tapas dishes. Id recommend the prawns and Basque cheesecake. The restaurant is located in a central area of the City. The staff were friendly and accommodating here, I look forward to coming back here again soon.

Not a bad food, but wrong principles and no space for that many tables. Short card. No draught beer! No vino de casa. Every vine bottle £40 plus! Compulsory service but not a standard 10% but 12.5% to cover 2.5% card machine service. And now cherry on the cake no espresso machine!!! No more words needed!

Wonderful atmosphere, very friendly staff, excellent food, and possibly one of the best steaks I have ever had!

By far the BEST place to eat in Cambridge. Amazing food, friendly staff. i ve been here many times and recommend Mercado to everyone i know!

Lovely decor, great service, but very average food for the price. We had the sour dough bread and olives to start which were lovely, then a very dissapointing beetroot and goats cheese dish, small, tasteless beetroot, and overpowered by a very strong goats cheese. For mains monkfish and chickpeas and hanger steak with a few bits. These were tasty, but steak and celeriac mash were cold, they were small, and at £30 ish, it was really quite a stretch to call this anything but distinctly average and overpriced. We were there for less than an hour and a half and paid £133, with wine and one beer.

Fantastic food, excellent service, cheerful staff and a special evening

The food was no doubt delicous, seafood was very fresh. I would have liked to see more variety of dishes though, for example black rice etc. I have been there twice but felt like that I have tried most dishes already. Also, tables are a bit small, which made the whole dinning experience less relaxing. What I really didnt like was the 12.5% service charge on top of the bill. I absolutely dont mind paying more for food I like but how hard is it just show the exact prices (including whatever markups you need to add) on the menu?

For the price I paid, I could have gone to Spain, eaten a good paella and come back.

Food was tasty but portions were a bit small for the price. Would have liked more than one piece of sourdough for the gambas. Great service though

We were sat in a dingy side room; food was bland, tough steak, chewy squid - octopus starter was nice, but that was it; my wife watched a member of staff repeatedly wipe her nose on her hand then immediately handle glasses / crockery. The person who served us was lovely and, without asking, we were offered a refund by the manager when food went back uneaten (which we turned down). We didnt stay for dessert.

Came here on the recommendation of Topjaw. Great place staff nice food good.

An exceptional restaurant. The quality of the food is superb, simply prepared with tasty sauces for the main course. Highly recommended.

One of the best restaurants in Cambridge from Aperitifs to Dessert. Food was impeccable, wine list and cocktails amazing, and our waitress was so attentive. The manager Marco is also so personable he gave us free dessert and dessert drinks! What a meal.

Very overpriced for the standard of food. Found it lacked flavour and excitement. Menu was difficult to interpret and limited, with not much variety. Was not a fine dining experience. 12.5% service charge is ridiculous. We love food and are not fussy eaters but extremely disappointed. Sangria was lovely though!

Nice space and friendly service. However, the food quality and taste does not match the prices. The portions are also very small and could be more generous. The Coke also tasted like it was from a non brand cheap coke (couldn t confirm as it came poured out vs with a bottle / can).

Food very good but a little overpriced - maybe because it also seemed a little overstaffed both sides of the pass and staff costs money! BEWARE: this is a premium restaurant that DOESNT TAKE AMEX!!!!! They must have made the wrong choice of card processor ;)

- Well cooked, good quality, tasty food - Personable waiting staff - Well created buzzy atmosphere. Not too stuffy, but still classy Great Mercado work

We had a lovely dinner! Great food and atmosphere! Stunning service all around from beginning to end! Coming from London, great experience for anyone coming to Cambridge. Highly recommend the Jamon iberico and Chicory goat cheese. Muchas gracias!

Absolutely spot on. Superb food. Interesting wine list. Particularly good sherry and Manzanilla.

Absolutely perfect in every way Kid-friendliness: Amazing Food : 5/5 |

High quality food, nice service, beautiful restaurant. A bit on the pricy side for the portion.

Our favourite restaurant in Cambridge! Reminds us of our visit to San Sebastián!

Photos from two different visits to Mercado. Delicious Spanish food, great wine and lovely service. Best restaurant in Cambridge.

The taste of Spain in the heart of Cambridge

Great service with some delicious food.

Always superb, very authentic and supremely good ingredients x

One of the best places I have visited anywhere in the last couple of years, food and service superb, not cheap, but not excessive either.

The staff asked us to wait outside whilst sorting a table. After 15 mins it was clear we had been forgotten, so I went back inside to enquire only to be told they no longer had a table. Very, very poor indeed

If you want to try really authentic Spanish dishes made with first rate ingredients made by cooks who know what they do, then this is the place. It is not a budget place, but then again, you will eat food that is made with love and tastes good!

The food and service were outstanding. Definitely one of the best restaurants in Cambridge. Try their cheesecake, it is incredible.

We went for lunch to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Staff were very helpful. The kitchen was on full view and was very calm (take note Gordon Ramsay!). The staff seemed to have a good working relationship. As an ex-chef. I can recognise a well run kitchen. My steak was cooked perfectly medium rare. Will definitely go again.

We were delighted with our anniversary lunch. Everything on the set Lunch Menu was excellent, including the house wine. What comes across most is the freshness of the ingredients and depth of flavour. Prompt, helpful and friendly buy unobtrusive service. We immediately wanted to return and try the other dishes.

the rice with prawns are too salty. When I suggested this, got no response. Cannot believe it.

Great as always! Amazing tapas and wine.

One of our favourite Cambridge spots. Nice food, though they were out of muscles by the time we sat down already, which was a bit disappointing.

A michelin recommand? This is one of the rare occasions when I regret trusting michelin reference. Super salty food, feeling thirsty hours after the dinner. And very expensive too...well, price is definitetly michelin star level. Would not visit again...

The food all *looked* great but was either too salty, barely warm, or flavorless. The croquettes were delicious but not even close to hot. The octopus had great flavor but again, was only barely warm. The olive oil for the sourdough was soooo salty and had a chunk of plastic in it. The steak main dish was the best thing we ate, cooked to a perfect medium rare. The prawns in rice was flavorless but piping hot. These items plus a £47 bottle of wine totaled £176. Not worth the price at all. Would not go back nor recommend.

Wife desperately needed the toilet, wasnt rude and asked if she could use their facilities. Matre de said I need to ask my manager. Manager looked at my wife and said no sorry, customers only! He could see my wife was desperate but still said no. The place was empty and just thought it was impolite to refuse a basic human right. I even confronted him and he said this is private property. Whole thing was, I believe unacceptable. The Ivy, on the other hand could see my wife was in need and gladly let her in. Just think sometimes people should be a bit more kind.

Excellent food, but the poor acoustics and heat from the kitchen are unpleasant.

Excellent food espeically the prawn and seafood rice. Great sangria. We were all having a great time over there.

It is quite a nice restaurant, we were greeted by a friendly and casual-formal atmosphere. The menu was simple but with good options. I tried the tuna special and the flavour was really good. My wife tried the pork and it was not as espectacular but it was ok. The children menu has one option: croquetas. They were delicious but my kids didnt eat them, they ate the potatoes instead. The bill was on the high end, hence my rating. The overall value could improve but it is a very good option to dine in.

Im Spanish and this is just a joke, very overpriced. Only worthy bits we tried are starters. Rice salty and overcooked - avoid

Lovely people, great food and first class service. Would not hesitate to recommend to anyone.

Overall a great experience, superb food, served relatively fast too. Tapas style starters followed by main plates. Only two negatives from my visit, there is no function for tea or coffee which I enjoy with my dessert. Also this is not wheelchair accessible due to the steps at the entrance. But definitely worth the visit. Price for 2 people, with 3 tapas plates to start, two mains, two Desserts and 2 glasses of wine was just under £200, which is respectable for a Michelin star restaurant.

When you think of Spanish food, you think flavour, paired with good wine. The house wine ( a staple of any restaurant ) isnt very good and every dish was extremely bland and boring. I suspect the food has been changed in an attempt to appeal to English locals. The price of the food is also quite high so this restaurant is extremely disappointing. Bland boring food you dont even want to finish, topped off with unjustified high prices.

I came here for dinner on Thursday night, and let me say, Oksana is the most genuinely amazing waitress Ive ever had the pleasure of being served by, would recommend, this girl honestly deserves a massive raise!

Rude staff, long waits between courses, food and portions, disappointing, smelly toilets, overly expensive. Strongly not recommended.

This is like a taste of Spain on a plate . The food was focused on the quality of the ingredients, handled with care, and not making things overly complicated. We had the specials andnone disappointed. The daily wine by the glass for £8 was a bargain for the quality. The service was polite and swift and it felt like I was back in Spain. I will definitely go again!

Excellent delicious quality food & service, very enjoyable night. Highly recommended. Many thanks Mercado! Food

Very warm welcome, super friendly staff, food was delicious and extremely fresh, highly reccomended Wheelchair accessibility: Not Accessible, a couple of quite steep steps at the entrance, there is a sturdy handrail but wouldnt be accessible for a wheelchair.

Fantastic birthday meal. Wonderful tapas to start followed by some spectacular mains. The skate dish was excellent. Cant fault it.....though it wasnt cheap.

A rather disappointing lunchtime experience. Had the set menu. Mussels were basically the consistency of jelly. Had a couple and decided not to take any further risks. I m not sure if mushy is off or just undercooked. Anyway, not enjoyable. Main of chicken was ok but nothing more than that. A real shame as I was expecting far better. Service was friendly. The food came very quickly, drinks a bit slower. The starter was taken off the bill without me asking so plus points for that, and so I will try again.

Delicious and beautifully presented. The mojo rojo that comes with the octopus is packed with flavors. The mussels are plump and fresh. The seasoning is light and mild and not overpowering. The sirloin steak is fantastic. Excellently seared and perfectly medium rare. The roasted peppers are sweet and smoky. And the chimichurri is one of the best I ve had. The seafood risotto is lovely, especially the monkfish. The market fish (lemon sole) is also grilled nicely. Dessert tart is citrusy and refreshing.

Really good. Enjoyed my bday lunch

Great menu selection. Friendly service and a lovely atmosphere! Food

We liked the food, everything we had was very well cooked and tasty. However, we would prefer a few more options to choose from. We went there for lunch and that might be why but still, there were only 3 main options and a few special dishes. I will give it another chance for dinner.

Fantastic food and attentive service!

Starters and mains excellent, desserts less so but possibly only because the others had been so fantastic. A little pricey but I think the quality of the ingredients and their sourcing makes it worth it as a treat.

Truly amazing Spanish food and wine. Lovely decor and fantastic service. The chocolate gnache with sea salt and olive oil was amazing, especially with a glass of their sherry. They even have a wine that is stored in the sea for 6 months. One of the best restaurants in Cambridge.

Best tapas outside Spain and excellent service.

Strongly recommend to avoid this place. Very limited menu, extremely pricey and rude staff. One would expect something good for the price they are charging. But they kept disappointing at every level. Their tomato salad is literally a tomato cut up and served in a big plate. The helping size of the mains are no better. Same for many other dishes.

Absolutely delicious food and excellent service.

Amazing food, decent prices and great service! Everything that was put on the table was delicious, from the starters to the mains and the desserts definitely one of our top favorites in Cambridge! We ll be back soon

Nice to have some classy Iberian cuisine in town. Lots of fresh ingredients and original combinations. Unfortunately too expensive for me to return any time soon.

Beautiful food - beautiful wine Making a booking for a week night was straight forward. We were greeted by friendly staff, and our waiter made some great recommendations. All the food was wonderful, but the seafood was particularly good. Pictured below are razor clams and Galacian octopus.

Always great for a long lunch or dinner - carefully sourced ingredients cooked well, and a friendly buzz about the place. Whilst setting up they used a well-known Michelin-starred chef to consult on the menu and it tells!

Excellent quality of the products and their preparation is impeccable. We will return!!!!

Pros: lovely service, beautiful interior, interesting wine and delicious sourdough. Cons: mains need a little more work. The skate dish needs a more flavoursome sauce/different choice of veg sides etc. The black rice dish needs to be more generous with the seafood for the price considering it s a main and not a starter.

A nice Spanish restaurant!

Had to wait 1hour 50 minutes for a Tomahawk steak. When I complained (after around 70 minutes of waiting), the manager told us that this is completely normal, because we wanted it medium well and that they cook it for 1 hour and let it rest for 30 minutes. I dont know in which Cookery School you let a 1-inch Tomahawk rest for 30 minutes (let alone cook it for an hour), but waiting for almost two hours after you order is clearly unacceptable. Needless to say, the steak came rare (if not raw). The quality of the meat was very good nevertheless. The rest of the dishes are not that great; the tomato salad is one tomato chopped up served on a big plate. Should have read the review in Guardian before visiting. Disappointing.

Overpriced and bland. Good service

A great find in Cambridge! Ate the whole sharing plate menu: it was delicious Definitely highly recommended!!

Disappointing. We make each of these dishes for dinner at home for a small fraction of the price we paid here. Tomato salad was a joke Tapas are meant to be shared but the portions were so tiny 4-5 tapas would barely feed 1 person. The octopus was tasty but again it was super small. The same with croquetas and other dishes. The service was a bit ditzy. Poor culinary experience, overpriced and still hungry. We won t be coming back.

Exceptional restaurant, quality food with authentic Spanish flavor. Very good service, big thanks to Paula who took very good care of us.

Amazing food Authentic Sangria.

Pure disappointment. Nothing s good, overpriced as well. I dare them to serve the food to Spanish customers, they will probably be in tears. Croquettes £8.5 with only 4 tiny ones on the plate. Very liquidity inside, with very little hams. padrón is not properly fried. Outer layer is white and a bit plasticky. Not seasoned well with enough salt. Black rice with octopus is £22.5 a portion. Ridiculous! Flavour is plain, not much octopus found in the rice. Can t believe a tiny portion like this is set at such high price. Would be happy to pay that amount if the food is actually good, but unfortunately not here. Ibérica pork £26. Pork itself is good, but it is so depressing to see a few sainsbury green leaves lying next to the meat, which can be found for only 50p in Sainsbury. Tastes bitter as well. In all, food can be improved overall. Can t believe such food is being served in a proper Spanish restaurant. Not coming back again sorry.

Sharply executed Spanish food, served in a bright modern restaurant. I ate here with my other half for an early lunch at noon on a Saturday. We were first in through the door, but the place quickly filled out. We had a sangria and a lemon & mint soda - both were very good. To start we shared the tomatoes, croquetas and some sourdough - these were all delicious, especially the croquetas - which were light and pleasingly savoury with jamon. We followed this with a bavette steak (which was tender, beefy and served with crispy shoestring fries & a pleasingly spicy mojo rojo sauce, albeit the accompanying chimichurri was a little lost in its company) and a hake special from the fish counter. The latter was comparitively delicate, served in a light broth with a weg of braised fennel, peas and scattered parsley. This was nice and well cooked, but lacked something to make it sparkle. To finish we had a chocolate ganache (rich, smooth chocolate countered effectively with a sprinkle of flaked salt, but jarring slightly against the pool of fruity olive oil that it was sat in) and a Basque cheesecake (all kinds of rich deliciousness served with some macerated strawberries and their syrup). The buttery biscuit base is undoubtedly my favourite part of a cheesecake, but this makes a great case for it being an unnecessary embellishment. Service was was friendly and attentive, albeit we did start to notice the gap between the starters and the mains. The open kitchen was a nice touch of theatre. The price felt just about fair, if a bit on the rich side. £100 for 3 courses for 2 people with only 1 alcoholic drink is a bit much, however the food was very good. I would definitely visit again.

Interesting and well presented meals, helpful and attentive staff and nice clean atmosphere. Would go again.

Staff were so friendly, and did all they could to get us a window spot upstairs. They were also really knowledgeable and passionate about the food, produce and wine. Food was also amazing - we had bread, croquettes, tomatoes, paella and steak and all was 10/10. Really fun menu, great atmosphere and a lovely location in the heart of Cambridge. Would recommend to all!

Extortionate prices. Minimal choice. Average food. Lovely staff.

Save the bread for your tapas and mains. Youll want to soak up every drop of the sauces + jus and also the basil oil on the lovely tomatoes. If you dont do carbs or are GF use a spoon to sip every last drop. If no one is looking, lick your plate! The mojo rojo and chimichurri on the pork and the ajillo on the gambas were wonderful. Best croquetas ever! The team is helpful with all questions and a pleasure to chat with. Def going back!

Disappointing and over priced. The tapas options were small and overpriced with limited options, though they did taste nice. The staff were very friendly but messed up our order twice. Bringing the wrong mains to 3 out of the 4 of us. Once we notified them they were quick to sort the issue. When we got the main of octopus and cuttlefish risotto we were extremely disappointed. We literally had a single prawn and 2 small bits of tentacles about a centimeter each in length on a unimpressive bed of black rice. No vegetables of any kind. If you have ever been to Spain and eaten real Spanish tapas or fresh seafood you are in for sadness. The staff were very polite and helpful, but doesnt excuse the traversty they call Spanish cuisine at their prices. Go to Tobancos down the street, I didnt eat there but wish I did cuttlefish to be seen

This was my second time visiting here. I had a great meal the last time I was here and I definitely recommend sitting on the first floor. In our recent visit, the staff on second floor was not very friendly. Forgot my main course, rice dish was drenched in oil, asked to not pour our wine but did so anyways, didn t order tomato but brought it over and charged us, etc. Overall expensive for the quality and quantity.

Served others steak at our table. We assumed this was ours and cut it. Server then picked it up later and served it to the correct table. This raises questions regarding the hygiene of this restaurant. The correct steak was then served to us later, without the rest of the table s mains. After five to ten minutes the rest of the mains arrived. Edit: Upon raising these points it was explained that food is served when ready.

Excellent experience only let down by the billing at the end. In a city that boasts a mathematics bridge, why cant we just split the bill how we want!

Great one of the best in Cambridge

Amazing food. Really, really good. On the higher side of cost but really worth it. Meat and fish environment-friendly sourced

Excellent place for Spanish food!

Drinks were good. Menu hard to read because of the bad print and not well explained for people who are not familiar with Spanish Food also the menu outside was above someone sitting outside which made it awkward to have a look before we were invited in. Food was good, but you would not feel full after the main couse alone. Desert, not many options, ice cream and mouse? that is not desert but something on side of desert, would really have loved to try a spanish cake. The space felt cramped and if you are sitting downstairs there can also be a lot of smoke coming from the kitchen

We ve been to 100+ Spanish restaurants including highly rated Michelin restaurants in Spain, Portugal, UK, USA. Mercado is amazing in terms of quality of food. 4.3 rating on Google is not fair, it should be 4.7-4.9

Amazing food and wine we had @mercado, we had 6 tapas and all tasted good. Very good olive oil they have, strongly suggested

Fantastic food and lovely staff

Fantastic wines,food,service.A little gem and we will definitely be back,soon I hope.Amazing!

Excellent ingredients and great results from the chef to present the dishes in a great way. Very good wine selection. well certainly be back!

Amazing Sherry & hospitality! Only tried a few things on the menu but the croquettes and basque cheesecake were phenomenal

Really top quality food and great wine selection. Recommend booking though as popular and not massive

Great high quality Spanish food. I definitely recommend Sangria. Its just very tasty. If you want a smaller, more intimate place with good service this is it. They close 10pm. Weve overstayed 30 minutes past that time and staff was not upset with us. Which is great. Weve just had a great time there.

Delicious food and great service

Visited for our anniversary, and so glad we chose Mercado. The staff were great, really smooth service, friendly but not intrusive. The menu is well curated, showcasing beautiful fresh ingredients, presenting full flavoured dishes that are delicately balanced with wonderful textures. The Secreto Iberico was delightful. Good selection of wines by the glass and worth leaving room for the postres and digestifs.

Staff were really attentive and knew about the food they were serving and made some good recommendations. Was a little expensive but the service and food was really good. Definitely recommend.

A delicious meal, with excellent wine and very friendly, conscientious service

Congratulations to Chef Javi and his team wonderful Spanish restaurant in Cambridge. Perfect place that transports you to the south of Spain!! Bravo

Fabulous meal! I recommend the black rice

Atmosphere was brilliant, staff were friendly and helpful, food was delicious... and great sangria. What more could you want!

Most of the food was alright, but nowhere near what I expected given the price - we went for the tapas options, but found that there were no interesting/unexpected flavour combinations and the quality of the ingredients was mediocre. In addition to this, the bread was dry and the tortilla so salty that it was borderline inedible. Not what I was expecting for a £100 dinner out! The atmosphere wasnt super great either, just crowded and noisy. There are better and less expensive tapas options in Cambridge (Tabanco and Tu Casa), so definitely wont be coming back here.

Very good Spanish style restaurant. We had a few tapas dishes as the pictures show, all were very good and definitely above most places. Prices are fair for the quality and service, there are also fish and meat mains in the menu that are a regular portion size. Service was also good and professional, definelty recommended for a more high end dinning in Cambridge

Absolutely delicious food (would recommend the croquettes) and very friendly service

Tiny portions :p , but everything was quite spot on.

We paid 136pounds for the dinner. Two small dishes of rice, 20 pounds each, 5 tiny starters, and 3 desserts. When you pay that price you expect something incredible, but what you get is something of very standard quality and ridiculous quantity. We went with children and after finish we went somewhere else to eat something because they were hungry.

Extremely overpriced. Food was decent, but for the price, the exorbitant bill suggests a fine dining standard which it definitely wasnt. You are probably better off flying to Spain to enjoy a decent meal of paella and empanadilla than wasting money in this restaurant. After spending over 40 quid each (no drinks or wine ordered), my friends were still very hungry. The restaurant was also very noisy. Watch out for the 15% service charge!

Very tasty food but value for money isnt great for the shared plates at least. They need to make the portions larger or the prices lower.

Excellent food, more unusual with very fresh ingredients. A choice of tapas and mains. Highlights included the prawns which had amazing garlic seasoning. The pork was cooked to perfection and served with celeriac that worked well. Overall, a limited menu and portions on the smaller side, but high quality. Expensive but certainly worth it due to its originality and freshness. Highly recommend and would go again.

The service here was surprisingly poor. I had to chase up our drinks order after 15 minutes, our starter came after 40, the main over an hour later... and in between my partner and I spent nearly as much time trying to catch the staffs attention (they were mostly clustered around the very beautiful bar/kitchen area) as we did talking to each other or enjoying the food and drink. All of which makes the automatic 15% service charge hard to swallow. Id booked a couple of weeks in advance, requesting a table upstairs and ticking the special occasion box provided on the site as it was my partners birthday. We were sat downstairs and no mention was made of the special occasion. The foods absolutely fine (we had scallops and fresh tomatoes, then the shared Tomahawk, finishing with the ganache), but its not in the same class as Restaurant Twenty Two or other fine dining in Cambridge despite the taster-menu-style (but not quite quality) portion sizes or £150 bill. Theres plenty to like about Mercado Central... (the décor, the wine, some imaginative menu touches) but it seems to price itself uncomfortably in a class that, for me, it just cant compete in. Ive since read the scathing July 2021 review in the Guardian and Im sorry to say I recognised more of my experience than Id like. Disappointing.

Good, but the prices are pretty steep for what you get The seabass main was rather laughable - I was expecting it to be twice as big, but came out looking like one of the tapas plates as well!

A hidden gem of the Cambridge dining scene. Excellent on all counts.

Amazing. So good, so tasty. We came to celebrate our anniversary and it was exactly right. The staff was extremely friendly and accommodating. We had an amazing meal and charming evening.