“No Two Visits Will Ever Be the Same”: Italian Institution Mercato Opens in North Adelaide

One word came to mind when standing at the entrance to Mercato’s new digs in the $300 million Eighty Eight O’Connell redevelopment.  

Wow. 

The 850-square-metre site – with its soaring ceilings, abundance of terrazzo and marble, and banners bearing milestones of the business’s 53-year history in Adelaide – feels like a grand food hall of yesteryear. 

But in another sense, the new site, at the base of the Tynte Street tower, in the old Le Cornu space, feels like a massive step up. That wow factor will hit hardest for those who knew the Italian institution’s Campbelltown superstore, which closed last month after two decades. 

Now, in addition to Mercato’s beloved retail offering of Italian pantry staples, there’s a dedicated dining area, a seafood butchery, and an impressive wine store selling “arguably the biggest range of Italian wines in Adelaide”.

“We have the view that the world needs to eat, drink and live better,” says managing director John Caporaso, whose parents Mario and Imma opened Mercato’s original Rostrevor store in 1972. “Retail is at the heart of what we do, but now it’s more than that … We want people to cook at home, but we also want to feed them like we would in our own home.”

On the retail side, you’ll still find balsamic vinegar, preserves in oils, and seemingly endless rows of Italian biscuits and sweets. Ditto the smallgoods and cheese counters selling Italian prosciuttos, stretched curd cheeses and local butters. (On Mondays, you might find Mario at the cheese counter cutting a huge wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano.)

Like the markets of Europe, much of the retail offering at Mercato can be prepared to eat or drink in. Plate of cured meats? Generous slice of lasagne? Bottle of Nebbiolo? The marble-topped standing tables scattered among the aisles are ready and waiting.

But if you’d prefer to really settle in, head to the dining area proper. On one side, you’ll find D’Angelo coffee (espressos are $2), Italian pastries and breakfast dishes like cacio e pepe scrambled eggs with gnocchi fritti. On the other, a lunch and dinner menu of Sicilian arancino; fettuccine with blue swimmer crab; huge dollops of tiramisu; and more. 

“You’ll either come in for a packet of fresh pasta and end up enjoying a plate for lunch, or you’ll be inspired by what you order at dinner and will go home with all of the ingredients,” says Caporaso. “In the great tradition of Mercato, no two visits will ever be the same.”

But there’s more to come. Soon to open within Mercato is Imma’s, a refined 45-seat restaurant named in honour of Mercato’s matriarch. “We’re emulating how we grew up, how Mum fed us,” says Caporaso. “At the end of the day, this family-style of dining is what Mercato was born from.”

Mercato

88 O'Connell Street, North Adelaide

(08) 8337 1808

Hours:

Tue to Sat: 7am–10pm (retail 9am–7pm)

Sun & Mon 7am–6pm (retail 9am–6pm)

mercato.com.au

@mercato_88