Old Vines Naples at Mercato

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Casual Fine Dining in the Heart of Mercato

Old Vines Naples at Mercato sits at 9105 Strada Place in the lively Mercato district, offering what the restaurant describes as "casual fine dining, wine, and cocktails, lunch to late night." Part of the Old Vines Restaurant Group, the Mercato location is the flagship of a concept built around the idea that exceptional American and Italian cuisine and serious wine culture don't have to feel stiff or ceremonious.

That commitment to quality has earned the restaurant a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence — recognition that reflects a genuinely considered wine program rather than a list assembled for appearances.

A Wine Program Worth Noticing

Wine Director Zach Bingham shapes a cellar and events calendar that go well beyond the standard bottle list. The restaurant regularly hosts immersive wine dinners — including a "Mystery Pour" evening where every pairing is poured blind, and guests work through multiple-choice tasting cards to identify what's in their glass. Get every answer right and a bottle from the cellar goes home with you. It's the kind of format that makes wine knowledge feel playful rather than intimidating.

The "People & Places Wine Dinner Series" brings producers directly to the table. A recent edition featured Con-Greg Grigoriou of Delinquente Wine Company, whose small-batch, minimal-intervention wines from Southern Italian grape varieties grown in South Australia were paired course by course with Chef Sophia's kitchen — dishes like hamachi crudo with aji nage and charred pineapple, mushroom cappelletti in black pepper cream with pecorino, and a New York strip finished with tomato and oregano salsa rossa and parmesan espuma. It's a format that treats the winemaker as a storyteller and the dinner table as the venue.

Tasting Menus and the Supper Club

Beyond the Mercato dining room, Old Vines runs a companion concept — The Supper Club at the Shoppes at Vanderbilt — dedicated to seasonal tasting menus and what the group calls "immersive dining experiences." The two venues complement each other: Mercato handles the energy of a bustling evening out, while the Supper Club offers something more focused and theatrical. Events like "Dinner and a Show" (a family-style supper paired with a live illusionist) and an Omakase Wine Dinner demonstrate a consistent appetite for formats that go beyond a standard reservation.

The Atmosphere

The American and Italian cooking at Old Vines is grounded and ingredient-forward — dishes built around real technique without the need to announce it. The setting at Mercato suits a long lunch, a weeknight dinner, or a late-night glass equally well. Private dining is available, and the restaurant's Cocktail Club membership — offering two complimentary cocktails daily — gives regulars a reason to return often.

For anyone in Southwest Florida who takes food and wine seriously without wanting a formal occasion to prove it, Old Vines at Mercato is a reliable address.