LAReview
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Bäco Mercat
This spot is Permanently Closed.
Included In
We tend to break restaurants up into two distinct categories: the fancy places and the casual places. One you use for a big night out because something important happened to you, the other because you have money anxiety and don’t really feel like leaving your neighborhood on a Tuesday. But then there’s Bäco Mercat, the Spanish/Mediterranean restaurant that’s always fallen somewhere in between. After all these years, this Historic Core spot is still riding that rare middle ground better than anybody.
When Bäco Mercat opened in 2011, downtown had its fair share of restaurants already. But most of them were high-end destinations geared towards people looking for a chicken piccata before a musical at The Ahmanson. Bäco Mercat was the opposite. It was the Historic Core’s first big restaurant - and definitely a destination spot - but one that catered to people coming down from their apartment buildings nearby and others who wanted to explore all the new bars popping up in the area. The atmosphere was casual, but exciting. Everyone there was hanging with friends, eating food that felt new and interesting, and getting a little rowdy in the process. Fast forward to today, and that all remains intact. Except the food might be a little bit better.
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Don’t be fooled by Bäco Mercat’s vegetable-heavy menu - this is straight-up Mediterranean comfort food. The massive za’atar eggplant dip feels more like a full entree than an appetizer, and their anchovies with pickled gooseberries will change whatever you previously thought about anchovies. The cold noodle salad is zero parts salad, and all parts chilled pasta with spicy meat sauce. And of course, there’s the signature bäco, a giant pita taco filled with everything from deep-fried shrimp to oxtail hash. If you had one these five years ago and are wondering if they taste as delicious as you remember - they are. And that can be said for almost all of Bäco Mercat’s menu.
Bäco Mercat succeeds because they found their special middle ground and stuck to it. And because of that, it continues to be ideal for most dining situations - first date, rowdy dinner with friends, after-work drinks, showing your parents downtown, or even grabbing a bite before seeing a show at The Ahmanson. You won’t miss the chicken piccata.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Anchovies
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Za’atar/Eggplant/Fava Dip
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Cold Noodle Salad
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Carmelized Cauliflower
photo credit: Jakob Layman
The Toron Bäco
photo credit: Jakob Layman
El Pesco
photo credit: Jakob Layman