Bellevue’s Mercato Stellina Has Ditched Its Pike Place Location

Pizza-focused Bellevue Italian restaurant Mercato Stellina has closed down its only Seattle location, less than two years after attempting to expand into the city.

An Eater tipster notes that the furniture from both Mercato Stellina and the adjacent Bar Mercato was cleared out in recent weeks from their prime locations by Pike Place Market. The restaurant didn’t announce the closure, however, its OpenTable listing has been marked as permanently closed, and its phone line appears to be disconnected. Eater has reached out to Mercato Stellina for comment.

Stellina first tried to make a move on Seattle in late 2017, bringing pizza and pasta made from scratch. Capitol Hill Mexican restaurant Chavez (now named Violet) opened right next door at exactly the same time. Chavez didn’t survive long, and was replaced by Bar Mercato, a next-door lounge offering aperitivo-style bites like bruschetta alongside a variety of libations.

• Chavez and Mercato Stellina Migrate Downtown Next Week [ESEA]