A NEW DINING EXPERIENCE

A NEW DINING EXPERIENCE IN CITY SQUARE

VINCENT PACIFICO

One of Worcester’s newest and trendiest spots to dine at is none other than The Mercantile, located at 2 Mercantile Street. This new restaurant at Mercantile Center features American tavern cuisine, two floors of dining and bar experience and has one of the city's first and only rooftop bars. A popular spot to enjoy dinner and drinks out on the town with views of Worcester’s redeveloping cityscape.

This area was formerly part of the Worcester Center Galleria later known as the Worcester Common Fashion Outlets which eventually closed its doors in 2006. This center was an urban renewal project that changed most of that downtown area and turned it to an inward facing mall and shopping center. The CitySquare project has been an ongoing effort in this area of downtown which is helping to recreate and redevelop the areas that were lost due to the urban renewal project. Mercantile center is one of the premier mixed use properties in that neighborhood that hosts a variety of retail and commercial spaces which brings a sense of community and life to rejuvenate this area of the city.

The Mercantile sits on the corner between the road and the pedestrian walkway, which cuts through Mercantile Center. This desirable spot provides prime street front exposure and an eye-catching design for those passing by. The building's exterior, having a combination of brick, exposed metal beams and large glass windows, gives it a modern industrial look making a direct reference to the dozens of factories left in the city for its manufacturing heyday. For those living or working downtown, its location is perfect for an evening outing and is just minutes away from popular spots like Polar Park and DCU Center.

The restaurant’s interior layout features two floors of dining space, two 50 seat bars, private event spaces and an open rooftop bar and patio. Similar to several food establishments in this area, you go down stairs as you enter the building so the space gets much larger bringing you down below the sidewalk grade. The interior features high ceilings of exposed structure showing all of its electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems which gives off a utilitarian vibe with an upscaled twist. Everything from the light fixtures, to the staircases and even the bar back has a cold industrial feel but the warm lighting gives an inviting contrast to the dining experience.