Mercado Central
Mercado Central-Cambridge
Mercado Central does what it says on the tin, but it's a lovely tin
Mercado Central stands tall on Green Street, a stark navy townhouse tucked away from the busier parts of Cambridge’s city centre. Golden light streams out the windows accompanied by the aroma of morning caught seafood gently sizzling on coals. As you enter, the open kitchen on your left teases you with sight, sound and smell. There is a bar area adjacent for casual bites and drinks with a small dining room set upstairs with coverage of maybe 30-40 people.
White marble tables are adorned with modern chairs of the same navy blue that cover the outer walls. They sit beneath soft warm mini chandeliers. A simple and classic expression of Spanish dining that precedes the same fundamentalist attitudes to the execution of their meals and the produce they source.
Dishes
Pan Con Tomate
To start, Pan con Tomate. The pan con tomate comes as you would expect, on bread. A very simple but very pleasant start to the meal. Slightly zingy tomatoes on a crispy slice of bread with a generous glug of extra virgin. It’s not going to send your taste buds hurtling through an existential vortex of discovery, but it’s still lovely.
Picos de Europa Blue Cheese, Beetroot, Hazelnuts, Moscatel, Orange
The blue cheese, beetroot and hazelnut combo is let down by an oversight of combination, both in texture and flavour. The soft texture of the beetroot with the soft texture of the blue cheese isn't balanced by the hazelnut because quite frankly I can’t tell there is any. The cheese from the northern region of Spain, whilst lovely, completely dominates the palette, leaving you what is essentially a plate of blue cheese and beetroot with no tones of moscatel or orange left to taste.
In direct contract, the cod is buttery, flaky and crispy. Whilst the last dish struggles with balancing flavours, this one is exemplary. The tomato from earlier makes a return to provide a sweet acidic note to an rich briney dish, grounded by a cauliflower puree swimming in oil. The samphire and capers deliver a sharp snap that punches through the richness. This dish is a love letter to the mission of Mercado, Galician and Basque techniques paired with high quality seasonal ingredients.
The absolute highlight of the meal is the earthiest and most moreish rice dish I’ve ever eaten. Each bite of rice was completely infused with mushroom, topped with sweet autumn ceps that balance out the earthier tones of the dish. The goat's curd creates a creamy infusion that coats the whole palette. A simple dish but executed to absolute perfection with special care given to each small instrument in the concerto.
Olive Oil Ice Cream
Call me a country bumpkin (because I am), however, I’ve never come across olive oil ice cream until dining at Mercado and I don’t think I’ll bother with any of your classic flavours anymore. My already fanatic adherence to pistachio as the superior ice cream flavour along with this new discovery has sent me down a rabbit hole of savoury ice creams that I hope I shall not emerge from for quite some time.
Wines
The first wine we sampled is the bold but balanced Mimic 2020, a pleasant enough red to start with, some interesting notes of hoisin and pepper but absolutely overshadowed by the incredible Bodegas La Horra, deep ruby red with vanilla and oak which is the star of the wines.
To pair with the fish, the Attis Lias Finas from Rias Baixas. This wine earns its place in my top 20 whites for the year. Nectarine, peach and fish notes (not the cod) with absolutely perfect acidity creates a wonderfully complex white that is an absolute pleasure to drink.
Mercado executes the simple things very well and with a clear passion for their heritage and fresh seasonal produce. You will never have a bad meal at Mercado; the love for the food is so clear and you will not leave the restaurant without feeling that love. Mercado doesn't want to re-invent the wheel; they just want to show you how good it is. There may be a few hiccups where balance is concerned over flavour and texture with a dish here and there, but find me the restaurant that delivers perfection in every aspect and I will write about it in my next review.
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