Spanish eatery Mercat is the ninth restaurant in IQ Creative’s expanding and internationally-flavoured Amsterdam portfolio, and is the sister venue of equally lovely Mazzo (Italian) and Witteveen (French)… adding Iberian flavours to the European recipe.
Taking its name from the Catalan for market, Mercat has the Spanish market at heart both in its architecture – courtesy of irrepressible local designers Concrete – and its menu. Housed in an old harbour authority building in the eastern harbour area, the location represents a shift from trendy to up-and-coming neighbourhood for IQ, who were keen to make use of the character of the old building, with its grand circular-glazed windows and distressed plaster features, as well as more recent but still vintage-feel items like the lampshades.
Internally, the venue is comprised of two main market stalls, one a free-standing food and drink bar, the other next to the kitchen adds a mezzanine level allowing diners a view over the hall. While those diners are gawping they can enjoy an a la carte menu which goes beyond tapas and is available all day. Nisch.
Photography © Ewout Huibers for Concrete
