La Merceria was a decent place to pass a quiet afternoon away from the hustle and bustle of the big city.
(Do I sound like an east coast bumpkin yet? Of course I do.)
The calm, bright atmosphere managed to counter the fact that I haven't seen the sun in six weeks and the fact that the entire place feels like someone's house felt more personal than the chrome-and-mirror cafés that I had been in thus far. Every now and then you just don't want to feel like Whitney Houston's about to come get the party started while you're enjoying a latté, amirite?
The empanadas made for a nice, light lunch, the service was friendly-ish but pretty low-key, and the little nooks to sit with some privacy would make it perfect for getting some work done without distractions.
The only real complaint is that the door is hooked up to a little alarm system that sounds whenever it's opened. Over the span of a two hour stay, having a loud BEEEP go off every few minutes was enough to give me an eye-twitch...