Bar Mercado

Bar Mercado is a causal, multi-regional Spanish tapas restaurant and bar located in Krog Street Market, a food hall on the east side of Atlanta. The name “Bar Mercado” is derived from Madrid’s Mercado de San Miguel, which translates to “market bar”. In Madrid, this market is open daily and features stalls occupied by purveyors from around the country selling the best products and prepared food items; it looks and tastes like a melting pot of regional specialties. Bar Mercado, named appropriately for its location inside of a market and for its menu which features the greatest hits of Spanish cuisine. We aim to capture the authentic, relaxed feel of a traditional tapas bar by offering small, flavor-packed dishes that are easily shared. Behind the bar, guests can enjoy a selection of tapas-size beer, Spanish wines and straightforward cocktails.

Designed by Square Feet Studio, the interior and exterior space present a combination of bright colors and bold patterns that are layered over an existing backdrop of old brick, steel, and concrete to evoke the excitement of a Spanish market. Inspiration is drawn from the Mercado de San Miguel, a food hall within an open ironwork structure dating from 1916 located in Madrid. Playfully curated fabrics and wallcoverings in reds, pinks, ochres and blues create a harmonious cacophony, like the atmosphere in a bustling market.

A series of large capiz shell globe pendants help unify the space by bringing the ceiling plane down and casting a warm glow throughout. The deep blue of a starry night hovers overhead. Dramatic drapery walls soften banquettes on either side of the space. The cozy bar has a surprising pink ceiling and warm brass accents. Chairs and tables throughout are made of a rough-hewn wood. The entrance signage, made from red and orange neon ambles along steel panels, articulate the weathered steel of the canopy.