Reviews of The Merchant Tavern (Winery)

Stephanie Palasti

For us, a bit of a blowout (we tend to local fish in a hole in the wall cafe) but excellent food well worth the price (double it in Toronto). Not as much fresh local fish as expected, but mussels (huge portion) and salmon were excellent. And fresh warm madeleines for dessert!

Susan Daw

Just okay.

George Benda

Good

Patrick Rose

Excellent food and service. We went in early for Saturday night dinner with our 2 year old and they were very accommodating and even had the chef check in on everything. Great local beers. We had the beet salad and focaccia then the cod and rib eye and finally rhubarb panacotta and a chocolate tart with mint ice cream. Everything was fantastic. Would go back for sure. Thanks!

Todd Miller

Great halibut dish. Excellent service. A little too loud for my tender ears.

Ginny Milway

One of my favourite restaurants in town. Excellent location and top quality food. The staff are friendly and always available. Some of the barmen are also quite knowledgeable when it comes to scotch which can be hard to find.

Colin Hodgson (Colin Hodgson)

Great food, great cocktails, great bartender banter. The beef tartare is wonderful, the cod was delicious and the beef ragu rigatoni was exquisite, packed a spicy punch, so lovely. The bartender made me a seaweed martini that was amazing, tasted like the ocean.

Andrew Paguio

Food came out fast, and was tasty but really salty! Menu is fairly limited but I would like to try a few more menu items. Wine list pretty good and wait staff seemed knowledgeable.

Patrick Kahn

Screeching in was an amazing experience...well worth the visit and cost!

David Spencer

great food and good service

Vince Lee

The tasting menu was incredible and were perfectly complemented by the wine pairings. The portion sizes were generous and the service was friendly and engaging. Would make a trip out to St. John's just to eat here!

Christine Smith

Nice atmosphere. Friendly staff. Good for loud groups. Food was good, better than other places in the area.

Stephen Hand

Excellent cocktails, especially while ordering off menu. Wonderful decor and friendly bar staff. Clear and consise menu choices without too many options. Well executed. Can't wait to recommend it to others.

Gina Parsons

Trendy and local. Good vibe, best at the bar. Pricy but well worth it as the quality of the food is impeccable. Supper is lovely but brunch is amazing! Best fishcakes in town.

Paul Nault

Great food and cocktails

G Luff

Great food, new server so a little slower service but overall good experience

Tim Summers

Great brunch this am... keep up the great work!

Matthew Line

Small portions for the price but definitely worth it. Great drink selection and quick, friendly service.

Brittany

Beautifully decorated environment. Ample seating plus large bar but i would recommend making reservations day before. On the more upscale end and prices will reflect. Menu is typical bistro cuisine. Food is well done and well balanced. Texture and taste are all benchmark. Everything was well done but I can only say that the food was nothing special. It is a good place to go if you've an itch for reliability and good environment. However I would not repeat.

Jack Leyton

Awesome service. Good food. I found the Salmon a bit bland, but otherwise, everything was awesome.

Neil Ivimey

Love this place. Classy, great bar, lovely food. Highly recommended. Amazing service.

Lizzy O

Good classic meal. The Pastas are nice and it’s good they come in a half size. The burger is fantastic if looking for a really big meal.

Raymond Lai

Now this is a cool place! Oldest building in Canada we were told. Some of drink selections aka Scotch and Whiskey etc were pretty old as well. It’s a Speakeasy with a lot of history nestled in the middle of George Street. Check it out. Very cool.

Matt Hancock

Great happy hour drinks

Mark Dobbin

(Translated) Very good !! (Original) Très bon !!

Mark Lorentz

Food was ok. Overall it's loud and a bit overpriced.

Jennifer Grant

I go here about twice a month and look forward to a great lunch. Never disappointed! The menu is somewhat limited, but the food is consistently good. The staff is friendly and the service very efficient .Give yourself a treat.

Daniel Bromberg

We came here in October 2020 for a girls trip and had the most amazing cocktails and the food was fabulous. We returned again this month for a girls trip and decided to come back our first night. The cocktails were underwhelming and tasted nothing like they did the first time we came. The French 75 which is a Prosecco and Gin cocktail and is normally a bit bubbly was completely flat. One friend ordered the salmon and told them she did not eat meat but the dish still came out with ham pieces. My other friend ordered a medium rare steak and it came out still mooing. Another friend and I ordered the pasta and it was extremely undercooked. I sent it back and they sent it back out undercooked again!!! I even like my pasta a bit more chewy but this was like next level. It was supposed to be carbonara, but tasted nothing like carbonara and didn’t have much flavour at all. Overall we were just so underwhelmed and disappointed. Won’t be back

Neil Naik

Always delicious, friendly staff. I love the open kitchen. Highly recommend the vinegar pie for dessert

Matthew Middleton

Very good food! And it's nice and cozy in there. Loved it!

Babs Cahill

Wonderful service, great party venue

Evan Riddell

Food is freakin awrsome...battered caplin.....yum!

Todd Hiscock

Excellent service and tasty food!

Stef Budai

The best creme brulee I've ever had! Cockatils are yummy too . Would 100% go back

Gina Hara

Great food, great environment. Excellent experience.

Kyle MacLeod

I love Merchant Tavern. Delicious, high quality food and drinks with a local flare. I like to go there just for dinner or for drinks at the bar with a friend. It's not inexpensive but it's very good value for the price.

Sam Sarkisian

One of my go to places. Amazing food and drinks.

Mark Vidal

Over priced for breakfast sandwich was ok but dripping oil . Eggs Benny is the best breakfast choice.

Morgan Chidley

Amazing and helpful staff. Delicious food, great selection of beer and deliciously crafted cocktails.

Dominika Wcislo

Amazing food, staff, drinks and decor! Laid back atmosphere ????????????????☕????????????????????

Aracelis Maldonado

A little pricey but very nice like so many restaurants in St. John's.

L GB

Great staff and great food!

Peter Karl

Great food and friendly staff!

Steve Bonnay

Great staff. Great service. Great Food. Reasonably priced for the quality.

Parsa Tayebi

Unbelievably good. Go there when in St. John's!

Mel H

Love it here. Food is always terrific and the portion sizes are huge. Only issue would be the noise level is way too high and it's a little pricey. But definitely worth it.

Stephanie Stiles

Tastiest food I've had in ages. I have food allergies and our server took the menu into the kitchen and came back with a list of items from the menu that could be customized for me. I was very impressed!

T Paddock

Bad food . . over priced ... slow service!

Jillian Elle

Took some out of town friends here for late night desserts and drinks, so incredible and they had an amazing time!

Louis Walsh

Great atmosphere. Beautiful restaurant in the heart of St John's. Very modern. Friendly staff and excellent food. Would highly recommend.

Simon Bonisteel

Get the buttermilk biscuits if you are going for brunch. A legendary menu item

Donna F

Almost like I died and went to New York, this is a cool spot to look at but expensive to eat there.

John Gjata

Service

Seb Pillon

Fantastic food, enjoyed a nice brunch here, with some live blues music.

Ian David Cowan

Been here several times before. The experience has been top notch so far. This last visit was a little wanting. Although the food was still great, the service was sub par. We had to ask two separate servers (that weren't the one serving us) before we got our bill. In total we were waiting 30-40 minutes to pay and leave. My wife never did get her tea. Not good enough for a 200+ bill.

Alex Dugal

Best food in St. John's

Jordan Peckham

One of the best places to eat in St. John's.

Roger Kelsey

Great restaurant.

Melanie DR

Our experience was wonderful. My wife and I decided on choosing all sharable plates. The charcuterie board (one of the best we have had), the Carbonara and a gingerbread dessert. All items we would happily go back and order again and again. The service was also very good. Overall a fantastic evening.

Jim Haynes

Fast-paced atmosphere, really good food.

Tyler Temple

Beautiful restaurant but food and service were both very disappointing. Had the Carbonara which was overpriced, portion was small and quality was subpar.

Zos Kia

The food was delicious, ambience great, quality I rarely see and attention to detail.

Anthony Ruffolo

Service

Timothy Grzelak

I guess i shouldve checked the menu before sitting down. I was hoping for lobster or scallops or cod. I cant believe that none of these were on the menu. The waitress claimed that theyre not in season. The fish exchange had them a night earlier. Both my wife and I settled for the beef tenderloin and although they were tasty, we both had gastro intestinal issues and upset stomach when we got home. The atmosphere was great, the drinks were good, the place was clean but the food was over priced and overated. I was dissapointed. Too much pasta not enough seafood.

Craig Price

Had a great meal staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. Would go back again and again.

Angela Youngman

Food was delicious and love thé craft beers on tap

Landon Yearsley

Amazing dining experience! The restaurant was overbooked, so they sat us in the ‘vault’ and we were so happy that they did! The food was incredible (crab legs are a must!), the service was great (thank you Emma and the wine sommelier!) and the atmosphere was exactly what we were looking for on a Friday night in NFL!

Nadine Robinson

Really disappointed in the experience at merchant tavern. For paying almost $100 per person, I expected way more. First of all, there was a terrible smell in the short walk between the front door and restaurant that was very off putting. They also have a big sign saying masks mandatory and then you walk in and none of the workers are wearing masks. (I realize the mask mandate is over...but then take down the sign). Next, we were quickly seated upon arrival in a half full restaurant at 6pm and then not one server came to our table for 15 minutes. Finally someone came up and apologized as there was some confusion and asked for drink orders. Then two other servers did the exact same thing within minutes... So it seemed the confusion was still there. Next, we went on a Sunday and weren't aware they had "theme nights". We were really looking forward to the oysters and full menu, however it was "steak night" and they only had three options for dinner. We were very dissappointed to learn this but figured we were already there so we would stay. We figured if they were only cooking steak, then it would have to all be really good steak. Ordered a bottle of wine. Server comes with the bottle, tells us she's not good at opening bottles or pouring. Then proceeds to spill a bit of wine on the table while pouring, says oops , then doesn't clean it up. Next we ordered the $100 ribeye to split between two of us. Server then says she has to go check if they have any left.....it's 6:30 and you have three things on your menu.....how could you have possibly run out at 6:30. They ended up having it so that was fine. She then told us she can't guarantee how well the steak would be cooked. So we are paying $100 for a steak and it could come out medium well?! She said because they cooked in butter that they can't control the temperature so medium rare might not be possible......we were baffled and reiterated that we wanted medium rare. While getting up to go to the bathroom we noticed this silver kitchen tray of fully cooked steaks just sitting under the heat lamp and mentioned to eachother how scared we were that they were precooking the steaks and then serving them when people ordered. Steak comes out quickly and it was large and fed the both of us with enough sides, however it was not hot and it was covered in chunks of garlic butter and was definitely more medium cooked. We both love steak, cook it all the time and were very dissappointed in the taste and texture for an $100 meal. We agreed the side of mushrooms were the best part of the meal. The temperature definitely felt like it had been sitting under a heat lamp for a while. I reccomended merchant tavern to train your employees better for a higher end restaurant setting (they are using the wine glasses from Raymond's which we thought was strange as they are branded Raymond's) and to get rid of the theme nights and stick to the main menu.

priscilla mcgee

Over priced, loud, good choice and quality was sub par, service was good. Rum was good.

Greta Chiu

Really great food and service. Nice selection of beer and loved the open kitchen watching our food being prepared

A Russell

Good food in a stylish setting. Limited number of plates on the menu but good quality. You should drop by if you're in town.

Nicolas Dion-Bouchard

Great atmosphere

Jonathan Butt

Great food and awesome drinks. Constantly changing up the drink menu with new fresh ideas.

GordandLee Martin

For the price on the menu the fancy food listed and the atmosphere inside you would expect a world class meal. This unfortunately wasn’t the case. The wait staff uniform looks like that of a mom and pop place, unsure of how to pronounce or explain the chefs specials and can’t bother to use the appropriate pint glasses. The wait staff will also try to up sell which is fine, however, do not insult our Appetite by saying “are you sure that will be enough for you?” Hint the small pasta sizes are the RIGHT portion size for a person. At one point the kitchen staff served some of our parties meal, again fine if dressed appropriate for the vibe the restaurant is going for. If you’re selling it as a must try and best restaurant in Canada you need to check off all the boxes any critic would look for. The food was good, but the prices didn’t match and the jeans and t shirt vibe of the staff through out any fancy meal vibe. A good place to wow a date with the menu prices (that’s really the only “wow” you’ll see) not a place for tourists to say “that’s the best place in St. John’s”

Robert Coutinho

Great place to go

John Roberts

Meal type

Laceygal123

Food tasted good but the service was appalling. 5 of us went there for meal tasting. The waitress spilled a bit wine when pouring and she never bothered to come back to clean it up. The intervals between courses were way too long. Five courses tasting got dragged on for almost 3 hours. We got hungry so I asked the waitress if they can offer some complimentary bread sticks. She said no, and it would cost $2 per order. Keep in mind, by the end of the meal, our bill was over $550 and they wanted $2 for an order of bread. Imagine. So I told her, fine, please bring bread to the table so we can all share. After 5 or 10 minutes, she brought 2 small pieces. I was like, how are we supposed to share this? Please bring ENOUGH for the table to share, and it doesn't matter how many orders we need to pay for. It took a few more minutes before the the second order showed up. She was very slow in refilling beverages, didn't took away all the dirty dishes in between tasting. When we tried to get 2nd bottle of wine, the waitress was nowhere to be found. After a long wait, we finally got our 2nd bottle and finished the tasting. The waitress asked if we need a 3rd bottle when the deserts were presented. Where were you earlier? You missed the opportunity to sell wines. This restaurant was very busy and certainly makes enough money to hire a couple or more staff. The quality of service doesn't match the quality of the food.

Bill McBay

This isn't just a "this was really good" five stars, this is "among the best restaurants I've ever visited" five stars. Service is impeccable and the food a real treat. I'm vegetarian and the chef took pride in whipping me up some dishes that were unexpected and incredible.

Lisa Meindertsma

Great food, nice venue.

Terry Ryan

6 of us went to raymonds the night before so were very excited to go to merchant tavern. Decor was beautiful. With the exception of everyone at our table food was cold and took.a long time to get a drink to our table. Sent back mussels that were cold only.get back ones with stringy beards attached. Nothing was done to compensate. Should have been a good experience but did not work out that way .

Emily Coffen

My husband and I loved it hear we went for are 18 years it was delicious... And the ppl were amazing ❤️

Matt Debicki

Pricey, but you walk in the door expecting that. All the food was delicious.

Saman Muhammad

The food is excellent, the beer selection is top notch, and the staff are friendly. What more could you ask for?

Steve R

Always great...really enjoy their coffee as well

Amy Wilson Small

I will come back here every single time I come to YYT! The atmosphere, food & staff were all so great! The home made host sauce with the oysters was so good, and the pasta was my favourite dish of 2019.

Diane Hart

I have lost count of how many times we've eaten here. Every time I go in, I marvel at the decor (mid-century modern with some rustic touches). I come away bragging to everyone about the value. We recently made a reservation to go with family from out of town (who had heard us sing its praises) but when I checked the recent menu, I could not in good conscience keep our reservation - the cheapest entree on the menu is now $32 and goes up to $44. This is a far-cry from the prices just a few months ago and I am hoping that these prices are not here to stay. I'm standing by a 5-star review - we have eaten at their pop-ups, from the a la carte menu, the tasting menu on Valentine's Day, and several brunches and it is the best food in St. John's (it just tastes better when it's a little less expensive than it is now.).

EY

Great food

Denise Templeton

Food and service was excellent however very pricey. 16 dollars for a basket of 7 chicken wings, 22 dollars for a burger and fries

Sylvia Bermudez

Great duck!!! ????????????????

Derian

Well well one word MORE. The way I judge good food while dining is being left wanting another few bites more. All of the food I had for my evening at Merchant was a great example of well balanced and vibrant. My table and I enjoyed the 5 course chefs tasting. I would recommend this to anyone who would like to take their time to enjoy each dish. It seemed to come with one element from each section of the menu. Our service was amazing with a touch of Newfoundland charm.

Samantha Hunt

Excellent

Cavan O'Leary

The Merchant Tavern was one of the best restaurants I have ever eaten at and definitely the best restaurant in St John's. I started with the Beef Tartare, followed by the Duck and finished with a Creme Brulee. Everything was perfect! The staff was very friendly and helpful throughout the night. I will definitely be back the next time I am in town and I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone!

Paul Gooch

Always great food with a local NL twist.

Nicole Walsh

Had a fantastic meal here! We had seafood, duck and a pasta dish and they were all great. Wine selection was really good too, you don't have to break the bank for a bottle. The service and ambiance were also really good. It's pretty pricey but worth it.

Alex Boone

Bartender was nice and talked to us about the area. Great mixed drinks.

Naomi Horst

Branch was excellent. Atmosphere was loud. The live music was very good but too loud for conversation

Mark Hallett

Loud. Food was decent but not that impressive.

Ray Zong

Very good food. The service was a little slow but very friendly. Good section of drinks also. The atmosphere is very open and uncrowded, even with a full restaurant. I would give it five stars with a little quicker service and I'd say a bit over-priced.

Caryn Liberman

Delicious and reasonably priced brunch considering the quality of the food. Their coffee was quite good which is a rarity in restaurants.

Dana Parsons

Food was alright, but I was more interested in the Caesar. By the time I had finished my $20 Eggs Benedict, it still hadn't come so I cancelled it. A little awkward since I was dining at the bar, but sometimes you just gotta take the L and move on.

Brian Kao

Very good food. One of the best steak I have had and tatare was excellent as well

Allyson Stuckless

I was there for Sunday brunch. The food was great, there's a lot of it. There's also live music. The guy was playing blues guitar. It was good but the volume made it hard for conversation, especially in larger groups.

Nick R. Feller

Great food. Family friendly as well, as they provided colouring books to keep our kids entertained.

Jay Lawrence

Great food experience and atmosphere.

Olivia El

Some of the best pasta I've ever had. Everything, including the pasta and ice cream is homemade and I've been there 4 times and have had an incredible meal every time. It is very busy and hard to just walk in and get a table, so be sure to reserve a table.

Kate Bisnaire

Worst $22 burger ever

Lucas Gillingham

Great atmosphere. Great service. Has always been a good choice for work meetings.

Phil Williamson

Great place. Sat at bar and service was excellent. Staff is very knowledgeable and food was awesome. Had steak tartare and the feature mackerel app along with two different pastas for dinner. Just perfect.

Tegan

Good food. Reasonable portions. Expensive drinks. Great atmosphere. Great dessert. It was good to try it out at least, but I’m sure there is plenty more out there that’s comparable quality for a lower price point. The staff was impeccably coiffed and young, which means they are being intentionally hip; with intention comes a price, sorry to say.

Ampol C.

Good spot.

Liam Waghorn

Great food and service. A bit loud in the dining room but a great vibe.

Nikotine76

Tonight was an amazing food experience in St. John's at the Merchant Tavern. The service was impeccable & was run like a well-oiled machine, where every staff member worked in harmony to make my dining experience perfect. A BIG shout out to Kayla who was an attentive server and was well-versed in the Merchant's culture and menu. She is an awesome addition to the Merchant team for sure! Cheers! ????????????

Jim Butler

Fantastic food and service. What really shine here is their skills with mixology, best place in the city. Be sure to try the espresso martini.

David Gosine

Wonderful food and service

Matt Grant

Good food, good drink selection, beer is quite pricey but the selection makes it worthwhile if you want some harder to find beers.

Brian Morris

Best place here in town by far! Amazing food, amazing service, amazing atmosphere!

Stephen Henley

Always amazing!! Great staff, great atmosphere, delicious meal ❤????

Adele Lawlor

Excellent meal on all counts and service.

Danielle Foley

Had a beer and an appetizer with some friends. Calamari was excellent. One of the best times I've had Caliamari.

Kaeleigh Fitzgerald

Amazing food

Shane Young

Went on Saturday March 14th for my birthday supper! Had heard so much about this place from others that I was really looking forward to it. I ordered the spaghettini carbonara and my spouse had the pork rigatoni. I have had carbonara before and I was surprised by what I was served. The amount of black pepper was so extreme, that it made it too spicy for may taste though I like a lot of pepper. When I spoke to the waiter, he assured me that the dish should not be overly spicy at all, just a little. so he took it back to have it remade. When he returned with the new dish, I tasted it and this plate of food was had so much salt I could not eat it. Does anyone test the food for seasoning before it is sent out ? I was so disappointed. The waiter took the meal away and the manger came over. She took my entree off of our bill. In all the years that I have been dining out, this is the first time that the food that was remade was worse than the initial plate served. Probably should not have tried someplace new on such an occasion!

Brandon Curtis

Superb in every way. Marvellous meal.

Sarah Veronica

I was disappointed that Raymond's was closed for the season, but The Merchant also had an excellent reputation, which Raymond's supported. I was hopeful that the lunch menu would be impressive, but I was once again disappointed. There was a wedding that night, so no dinner for us. We settled for the squash ricotta cappellacci and moose/pork lasagna. All of the lasagna noodles were stuck together and the ground meat mixture was a bit dry and crumbly, in a not-so-great way. Minimal cheese and seasonings unfortunately. The cappellacci was more complex, with a rich creamy sauce with a hint of complimentary acidity. I was hoping for more squash in the filing, but it seemed to be nothing but ricotta inside with tiny diced squash on top. The Nomel cocktail was on the sweet side for my liking, but I appreciated the limoncello getting to dance with sparkling wine. The rim was delightful, with a hint of spice added to the citrus-infused sugar. The bathroom had me cracking up with this antique picture of a very dissaproving woman looking down on you in the toilet. I appreciated the wild river mint and rosemary soap as well.

Curtis Murphy

Friend got Touton fried bread ( w. Molasses) mistakenly but it was a good mistake Bartender made us iced coffees Tasty lobster roll Live blues at brunch

Adam McKechnie

For the price, food was meh. Super loud and crowded. Menu was underwhelming - only one main dish appealed to me. Calamari was delicious, as was the sauce. Salads were good (the $14 Caesar was TINY though). Cocktails tasted terrible, charcuterie board was $45 for very very little, pasta special was $34, which ended up being $11 for each small piece of undercooked pasta. Everything was salty. Overheard similar comments from other people in the restroom. Had an underwhelming to say the least brunch here a few weeks ago (as well as a terrible experience last year where we waited over an hour and a half for food) but decided to give it another chance. Not worth the $100 per person we paid, not by a long shot. Won't go back.

Katherine Neil

What a fabulous meal! It was my birthday and it had been months since we were out to a restaurant due to COVID-19. We felt this was the perfect restaurant to break the restaurant going drought. We were right. This is a very popular eatery in the city located in, what was previously, a bank. It is quite large with high, exposed ceilings and is usually busy to the point of being raucous. Of course, due to the social distancing and 50% capacity rules, the place was a little more subdued but still had a good buzz. Seeing it was our first outing in a while we went all out and ordered the 5-course tasting menu with the wine pairing. We are so glad we did. The menu started with an amazing cold seafood platter for 2 containing snow crab, oysters, shrimp salad and squid salad. All local. Next came a stunning beet salad followed by a delicate pasta course in a very flavourful tomato sauce. Then there was seared duck breast with cranberry sauce and grilled root veg. Desert was Beignets and macerated strawberries. The perfect light finish to an amazing meal. The service was impeccable, with Chef Jeremy Charles delivering each course along with Sommelier, Jeremy Bonia, backing him up with the perfect choice of wine. Given this extraordinary experience the cost was more then reasonable. Check this place out. Please excuse some of the food photos as I was digging into the course before taking a pic! Given the menu, who could blame me.

Laura Freake

Great spot for a sit down casual dinner or a hang out at the bar. Great food and great staff.

Indigena Skincare

The best drinks in towns and amazing service! I go there often and am always more impressed than the last time I went

Darien Rowsell

Great atmosphere. Awesome taste and very professional staff.

Jesse Dube-Smith

Closed Sunday night and Monday.

Darryl Hollett

WOW! GREAT food, great service, great drinks especially.

Brittany Oram

very nice crab was a little frozen but the steak and frittes well steak was good but why serve with a half plate of not very good fries, had better fries at a chip shop in the UK. Wine was great

マレットクリスタ

Absolutely great food, awesome staff, amazing atmosphere. Some of the best food you will taste in st.johns

Ashley Noble

Wow. Amazing drinks, the Merchant Caesar is fantastic. We loved the special, chicken, coated in peanut butter and waffles served with jam and spiced nuts. Awesome. Great service and atmosphere.

Kent Munn

Always got a great vibe here wth good eats and great drinks!

Marina Chan

It’s nice to get seats where you can overlook the kitchen! Really enjoyed the kale salad with beets here.

Ryan Pugh

Amazing food and costumer service.

Scott Quilty

Loved it, but a little pricey!

Chris Sargent

Crispy chicken sandwich is absolutely delicious. Nice decor, good service... Even the coffee was good.

David Somers

Awesome Poke and cod.... wife had the fish soup and mushroom gnocchi. .... good feedback there as well. Service was friendly and causal.

Dennis Peters

Excellent food and service...seating can be a potential issue.

Matt VanderBaaren

(Translated) Excellent restaurant! A very nice culinary experience. (Original) Excellent restaurant! Une très belle expérience culinaire.

Tyler Rowsell

Food is amazing. It's a little noisy there so not a great place for a quiet night but besides that it's great.

Alain Tremblay

Great food beautiful space.

Daniel Fish

I have been here a couple of times, but brunch was my favorite. Merchant Caesar was a meal and a drink all in one. So delicious. I had the fish cake that was over curry lentils and an over easy egg on top. Amazing!!!

Matt Ward

Dine in

BasicExp

Way over priced. Good service

Pablo Vega Behar

You can not possibly go wrong.

daniellemcg

Delicious farm to table in St.John’s. Loved the tasting menu to explore all the talent and delicious ingredients

Alex B

Delicious food. Excellent cocktails!

Charles C Bunny

Great food and drink, bit of a hip atmosphere that may not be everyone's thing. It isn't what I'd call cheap, but the food itself isn't completely outrageous. Drinks are more so

Tyler Ryan

Dinner

Brent McCarthy (Furious_B)

Dinner

Marie-Hélène Gaudreau

Great food, cocktails and ambience.

Stéphane Cossette

I have mixed feelings about this place. Its very trendy with a nice atmosphere the servers were very friendly. That being said, it cost us nearly $100 (85+ tip) for two beers and 12 oysters. It took at least 30 min to get the oysters and no one apologized or checked in on us in between. Despite the fact that it's well staffed and the servers are friendly, they seem pretty absent minded, not really attentive and some of the bar staff don't know a whole lot about cocktails or drinks. My partner ordered a beer and the server went on to go get it without even taking my order. These are things I could probably overlook somewhere else but at that price I have to expect more. This is my second time here fwiw.

Aaron Wagner

Great food, good service. Excellent value.

David Norman

Absolutely wonderful restaurant, high quality food, great cocktails, good service. It's obviously on the pricey side, definitely around $80-$100 a person, but you pay for the quality. My only gripe would have to be the setting; a bit too open and loud for my tastes, but that's just personal preference.

Azin Majidi

Great deliciously ????????????????????????

sherry 88

$16 breakfast Ceasar with all the toppings

Roy Brophy

Very friendly and informative staff, food is excellent

Donna Pike

Amazing food and service, for a very reasonable price. I will be making sure every time I visit Newfoundland I will come here for food, they are that good! Thank you everyone at Merchant Tavern, you're doing a wonderful job! 5* from me =)

Michael Gushue

The cocktails are great, the food was average. Not worth the money.

Tim Stevens

We sat at the bar for food and drinks. Drinks were great and our bartender was very attentive. Food was good but a bit overpriced for what it was. The restaurant has a great atmosphere and the bar has comfy seats.

Nathan Skolski

We went to the restaurant on Saturday, July 20th, around 1:50 p.m. The greeter, tall female with glasses, nonchalantly showed us to a corner table which we didn’t like. So we asked if we could get a window seat. She reluctantly led us to a window seat and then left without making further eye contact with us and didn’t respond when we said “thank you” to her. Haven’t encountered such a rude greeter for a long time. Besides the bad first impression left by the greeter, the food was very underwhelming for the price. We won’t return again.

Rob Brewer

Jeremy Charles you would not be proud of your breakfasts yesterday. I expected better. Your staff were great though. First of all I started with a Spanish coffee which I am sure they forgot the coffee and definitely forgot the cream So I just said please add a shot of expresso . next the beans were undercooked and hard. Then the eggs were hard .The server actually came back and asked how I would like my eggs because she forgot to ask but they still came back hard and not easy over. Then, there was the jam which i have had before;, the blueberries were over cooked and hard. By the way traditional toutons are pan fried not deep fried. Jeremy I have a good palate and an eye for detail. This meal did not live up to your reputation in taste nor presentation for us nor "our come from aways" Sorry!

Julia Corcoran

Awesome food, service and atmosphere!

Deborah Hartery

Great food

Steve Hubbard

Delicious and a great example of NL food!

Jernej Slak

The sister restaurant to local high-end restaurant, Raymond's, Merchant Tavern is a must visit. Much more accessible in terms of affordability, but you will not be missing out on the high standard of quality. The food, wine, beer, and cocktail menus are succinct and to the point. We had the St. John's old fashioned (with pineapple rum and Pepsi syrup!) and the Fresh to Death to start. The old fashioned is familiar in taste will the fresh to death gave a citrusy and refreshing cleanse to the pallete. We started with the Tuna poke and Scallop appetizers. Our server, Jacob, assured us that the seafood was the reason to visit and we were not disappointed. The poke was as expected with delicious pieces of raw yellow finger tuna. The scallops were lightly fried with pancetta, peas, turnip emulsion and a hint of apple cider. We shared the Newfoundland cod dish; an inspired take on a jiggs dinner. Gnocchi with pees pudding, seared turnip and pork belly, cabbage and a good sized portion of Atlantic cod. This had been a dish my parents have talked about for years and I had to try it. Not the dish to recommend as it may come across as a bit bland, but tasty none the less. For desert we finished with the panna cotta. Vanilla bean panna cotta with a gelatin mould. Served with a caramelized puff pastry and rhubarb compote. This was in my top three panna cottas of all time. Atmosphere is young and hipster. Music is loud and 80s driven with a slightly minimalist decor. The restaurant seems to be housed in a former bank with a private diner's table housed within the still remaining vault. Make a reservation weeks in advance to avoid disappointment.

Alasdair Stuart-Bell

Every bite memorable... savoured long after you've eaten!!

Deb Oldfield

My husband and I went here for our first anniversary and were incredibly disappointed. It was truly the most abysmal service we’ve ever received. First it took over an hour for food to arrive (and the appetizer came with the mains). One meal came cold, and when we told them, they took it away, clearly just heated it up (the steak was then more done when it returned and added some hot fries to cover the cold ones). We had to repeatedly ask for drink service and for plates to be cleared. Overall, certainly not worth the price tag.

Todd Stanley

The best.

Vivian Trumblay

My go to restaurant in St John's. Consistently good food in hip setting.

Sarah Wagner

Great food along, fantastic service and wonderful atmosphere.

George Ayoub

Great food

Jaclyn Ting

Best restaurant in St-John’s! ????????????

Gianni Mastro

Great food and a great place! After 2+ weeks of roaming NL, The Merchant Tavern was a wonderful surprise. It had local food, freshly prepared and lots of vegetables. I'd been missing green salads and smaller, lighter portions, and this place delivered all! It's in the center of town, not too expensive, and really worth a visit.

Ivan Zendel

Overall a really good experience! Great looking room. We sat at the bar and ordered a couple of beers. Our server was as really friendly. We shared their steam mussels (it was a huge portion) and cod tacos. I found their taco too spicy with the jalapeño. Their vinegar pie was surprisingly delicious. It had a velvety custard texture.

Marie Jones

Beautiful pasta, beet salad was just okay

Gayle Tapper

Amazing food, a bit of a wait but well worth it

Chris Jackman

Went there with my wife and the bartender we had was fantastic. Got to know us, made tons of interesting cocktails. Just got a few apps, but the bar areas is really nice.

Jenna North

This use to be a place I'd give 5 stars and our favourite restaurant in all of town, but the quality in service and consistency in food has declined. I've had multiple visits now where I'ved had an unusually long wait for draught beer or a glass of wine. The patio desperately needs attention from a FoH manager to help organise service as the staff seem to be unexperienced (although friendly).

glenda lynn cranford

Fantastic food, service, and atmosphere. We had a wonderful experience there. Highly recommend.

Jason Card

Best meal I have had in a long time.

Carol-Ann McManiman

Food was excellent. Portion size was large!!! Great atmosphere.

Norman Potter

Great food. Great environment. Got there a bit late, felt like the staff were a bit rushed. Large portions

Letz_Get Schwifty

It was just ok. Everything tasted fine, the service was fine but nothing really stood out. I was less than impressed with the drinks and desserts menus. They were also pretty inflexible with substitutions. Jeremy Charles, the owner, was visiting tables which was a nice touch. I wouldn't go out of my way to return

Tina Stein

Good food and lunch menu. Fast and friendly staff.

Allison Seguin

Lovely bank Building converted into an upscale pub.

Stephen Czarnuch

Very good food, very good service!

Robyn Randell

Lively atmosphere with delicious, seasonal food and great service. 10/10!

Jean-Paul Bouliane

Great atmosphere any day, great food!

A Moore

Food was amazing. The seafood plateau was delicious. Portions are large, so order accordingly. Service was a bit slow.. But we were a large group

Chris Flynn

Delicious

Chris Callahan

Just excellent

Bianca Felisbino

Entertaining guest at the bar is always great

Shannon Pearson

Had been on the list for awhile. Did not disappoint. Beer tartare was phenomenal.

Oliver MacDonald

Pretty good food, but knocked off a star for how pricey it is

Wisewebwoman

Great food reasonable prices

Andrew Lazzarin

The atmosphere and decor are excellent. Service and food was just ok given the price. Far better places to eat in St. John's for less or the same price.

Marc-Andre Fournier

Great spot, fantastic food and drink but on the pricy side of things. Seafood seems to be a popular item on the menu here.

Rajeev Sharma

My fourth visit tonight. Normally I would have sung their praises. But tonight, it was the worst service ever. $250 meal. App, main, dessert for 2 adults and a child. I'm fine with that, but each course took almost an hour. With a 5 year old. Adults had the same pasta main but small and large and the only difference, same amount of food, but larger bowl. They may have lost me as a customer on this visit. We eat out. A lot. But the service was unappologetically poor tonight. So disappointed.

Elana Chan

The Merchant Tavern - a truely bizzare upscale restaurant experience. Arrived at 5pm with my wife to an almost empty restaurant and was seated by the door. We asked to move to he high tables by the window as it had the same number of seats, refused twice and had to speak to the manager. She was accomidating and sat us at a table for 2 in a better location. In the 2 hours we were in the restaurant, the tables we originally wanted to sit at were never used. Strange. Our waitress spilt beer on the table, acknowledged it and then left it. I had to clean it up myself and then ask for a new napkin. We noticed that when each dish was finished it sat on the table until we had to ask them to clear it. They even came to chat with us while the finished dishes were sitting in front of us but still had to ask to remove them! They did clear them but then left other finished items on the table (ie half cleared cutlery and napkins). We ordered the mussels as an appetizer, some juice ended up on the table. We asked the waitress for a quick table wipe down but we were given a napkin to do it ourselves and were then left with a mussel juice napkin, again we had to ask them to remove the napkin! We truly enjoyed the food but for a $200 dinner experience, even a $65 meal, the service was terrible. I've never had to ask some many items to be cleared during a meal in any restaurant ever. Shocking.

Omer Mallhi

A very nice experience.

Nigel Cooper

Super service , great meal with lovely wine

Catherine Crosbie

I had cod. It was dry and overcooked. Not worth $38. In retrospect I should have sent it back. Service was good - one star for that. Based on my experence I probably would not return.

Robert Ryan

Absolutely gorgeous place. Servers are knowledgeable and passionate. The food and cocktails were excellent, and I had the best cup of Darjeeling I've had in years. I'll definitely be back to sample more of the menu. They aren't the cheapest but the quality is well with it. Fantastic spot.

Jonathan Wall

Amazing. Great food and very nice & knowledgeable waitress

Francois Parent

Good food, service nice but expensive

Brandon Schulz

Amazing food and service

Sid Williams

Very loud, slow and small portions for the money.

Carby Sum

We didn't have a reservation, but they found a way to accommodate us and we had seats at the bar within 5 minutes. Great atmosphere, friendly service. We had mussels to start, then the burger with truffle fries and the lamb curry. It took no time to come out, there was a nice break between the two courses and the food was piping hot. All of the food was phenomenal.

Geoff McBriarty

Always so impressed whenever I go. Food is always AMAZING and service is top notch.

Andrew Cook

Great food and unreal drinks! The staff were wonderful as well!

Don Andrews

Been here multiple times, great staff, great coffee, nice cocktail list and sme local beers on tap. Food is always good. Nice ambiance and setting

Gerard Nash (The Photo Mender)

My first vinegar pie. Great use of local ingredients. Excellent atmosphere and live music.

Justin Horvath

Super awesome atmosphere here always. Food is quality as well

Mark Rademaker

Nice modern restaurant. I had the cod special which was fantastic, my gf had the steak and fries which was not quite as good but probably a 4 star. Service was excellent.

Glenn Chenier

Loves it

Joey Jenkins

Great food great atmosphere amesome service

Steven Davis

Good but pricey. Small selection of items on the menu. Found the atmosphere lacking and it seemed noisy in spite of the few people there.

Kenny Dunne

Great dinner place with local brews

Andrew Corbett

Love this place, the food is amazing, the open kitchen is something I like a lot, the space looks so clean and organized. The menu always has interesting plates.

Leo-mark Burke-shea

Really enjoyed the food and great service!

Ferne Williams

B'ys...time to take your menus down off your website or at least update them to remotely reflect what you're actually serving. I understand that menus are subject to change...but this was ridiculous. The lunch menu on your site and the lunch menu we were provided with in the restaurant today did not have one single item in common. The menu today was a skeleton. Carrots. Hummus. There was no chicken or beef. A single sandwich option. No soup. Two heavy pasta dishes involving seafood and chanterelles. Mozza sticks. A Caesar salad. Seriously though. Carrots. As one of the main menu items. I looked around and the kitchen was pumping out that mortadella sandwich, because there was really nothing else appealing to eat. Your online lunch menu had crispy chicken sandwiches, burgers, some pastas, a steak...completely different. I took my Dad here for his 77th birthday today based on the good experiences we've had in the past. Though the service was good, the food was not worth the reservation and $150+ bill. Some damn expensive chunks of deep-fried cheese and carrots.

Sheldon Best

The atmosphere and the food were great. I was also presently surprised by the prices. All in all, it was a great experience.

Tony Scott

Great atmosphere and wonderful food. Get a reservation for certainty of seating on the weekends. Menu is smaller than expected but topped up with daily or weekly specials. The service is perky and helpful and willing to recommend when you're stuck with a hard choice. This should be on everyone's "Eat Here" list.

Derry Dance

Good drinks, but kinda loud and tables seem too close for covid physical distancing guidelines

Modest Barber

The 5.5 course Carte Blanche chef's choice tasting menu was out of this world good. Good food prepared with care, attention, and excellence. This is a must-do when in St. John's.

C Dinsmore Weguelin

Great atmosphere and fantastic cocktails!

AnnaMaria Tamburello

Great feed, great service, great everything. Loves the Merchant Tavern.

Anthony P

Same owners as Raymonds but much better value, atmosphere and food! Try the crème brulée

Jason J Moody

Terrific food....and server was super friendly and knowledgeable....thanks

Balazs M

Excellent service and the meal was the best I had during my time in St. John's. Reservation is a must as it's highly popular.

Krystle Drover

A must try in St. John’s. Menu puts a heavy focus on local ingredients, and the quality of the food is superb. The atmosphere is always lovely and service attentive and kind.

Michael Forsthoffer

Dinner

Elizabeth M

My family and I had a very disappointing experience here last Saturday. We were a group of 11 with a reservation at 7 pm. We sat down and had our drink order taken pretty quickly. From here on, everything was downhill. It took close to 20 minutes to get drinks, when we got them the bottle of wine we ordered didn’t come but rather we got 4 glasses. We inquired as to the remainder and the manager said they’d bring us another glass because it “equals out.” Very informal and unprofessional. We were told there were no mussels left for the appetizer and that the cod dish was out as well. The rest of the night we saw mussel dishes going out and somehow our table was brought an additional cod even though the ordered had been changed after we were told it was sold out. On top of all this, at 9pm we still didn’t have our food. We asked the manager, Brad, as to where things were and he didn’t believe us that it had been 2 hours (until he looked at a clock). Rather than coming back himself and apologizing for the delay and being mistaken, he sent the waitress to do this for him. When he did come back, he blamed everything on her because she was new. This didn’t sit right with our table at all. Every time he came to our table he would bend down and pull down his mask to speak with us. One of my family members is immunocompromised and this made us very very uncomfortable. Lastly, he accused one of my family members of being difficult to please after all this (in my opinion asking where your food is after 2 hours is not asking for much especially for a more expensive restaurant). Very distasteful and again unprofessional. I had heard good things about Merchant and will definitely not be passing along a good word or running back any time soon.

James Carscadden

Fantastic place all around...great staff, especially that Danielle gal behind the bar;) Loved the food, loved the service. Great atmosphere and good tunes..Jeremy Charles even came out to say hello to the customers. I'll be back!

Melissa Nicole

Wonderful evening out! The restaurant is beautiful and I love the open kitchen concept. The food was delicious. Well prepared and seasoned for all plates. Our server, Ryan, was knowledge on beer, wine, and food. I can't wait to come back and try some more food!

Jimmy Conners

About the best burger I have had in my life

mary snow

Above average liquor selection...some high end items

Darren Protulipac

Good food but pricey

Sterling Rideout

Delicious cod dinner

Deborah Stafford

Great atmosphere, food and drinks could be a little better considering the cost.

Allison Wall

Great food and atmosphere. Excellent seafood.

Kelvin Jamieson

A fun place with a cool ambiance. Waiter was a lot of fun and great selection of food and drinks

Colleen McGahan

Meal type

Samit D

The staff were wonderfuland the food was delicious

Bob Dinsmore

Great service and environment. Food tastes great too

Reni Caccamo

Nice refined cuisine on what used to be a bank. Does good brunches. Very accomodating even for last minute reservations with a toddler. Attentive service staff who makes you feel welcome.

Tim Woodford

I'm not sure if its always the same, but when i was here it was noisy.

T Wilson

Amazing cod cakes - not oily, not dry, not fishy, with just the right ratio of potato to fish for a smooth experience. Whole grain mustard tartar sauce to die for (there definitely wasn’t enough for two fish cakes!). Side salad was the right choice, accompanied by delicious dressing. No regrets at all about not choosing the side fries/hash.

andrea bursey

Is it too much to say it’s the BEST RESTAURANT IN ST JOHNS? Ok. Well. It is!!! Go for brunch. Try the biscuits. You won’t be disappointed.

Sherry Locke

Had a great birthday dinner with 2 other couples. The service and food were both excellent. From the baked cod special to the pork ragu rigatoni, we all loved our meals. The wine selection was perfect for our group as well. The madeleines and creme brulee for dessert were an awesome finish to the evening.

Fi Pi

The food was good, but not as good as the bill, which was for 5 adults. The seafood platter was good, but not enough for 4 people for $100.

LM Hobden

Brunch, Berries, Blues and the Best Beans in town. Don't forget to reserve the old bank Vault, and to invite me ;)

Brad Halleran

First rate. Fantastic food. Prices realistic for this quality.

C C

Trendy restaurant but the food is way over-priced and woefully under-portioned. Wife and I had a meal there last weekend... We started with a shared appetizer --- this was a smoked, grilled, cheese-stuffed sausage with some pasta - tasty, but at $22, really? I mean really? She had a high-end burger (if there's such a thing) with fries - which were horribly over-salted. $22. Seriously? I had a $36 dollar cod dish consisting of 2 pieces of cod, kale and a couple of pieces of diced carrot. That's it! No potatoe or rice accompanied the dish! The brown sauce in the dish was oversalted. I finished the meal feeling hungry and I am not a big eater..... I got a sandwich, when when I got home - no, I'm not kidding. The menu was confused, the entres were clearly labelled but it was hard to distinguish appetizers from snacks/meals. Dessert was fine but again, pricey. In short, the service was fine, ambience nice but there is a disconnect between the prices, quality and portions.

Brian Burke

Good gastro pub

Bruce MacFarlane

Great location. Great service staff. Great decor. The food was excellent. You have to try the Vinegar pie. Highly recommend

Mitch Sturge

Great atmosphere. Friendly staff. One of the go-to spots. Bring a friend :)

Christopher Rusted

Great service. Great food. Slightly overpriced.

Todd Connors

Only Guy Fierri can eat the BLT. .

K Huebner

Excellent food with quality ingredients. Extensive wine list with house made pastas, fish dishes. Great atmosphere with a nice open space and high energy vibe. Would recommend this restaurant for sure.

William Forsyth

My steak was overcooked and the soup tasted like dishwater. I was quite disappointed and won't be back.

Aimee Kinsella

Great atmosphere and bartending.

Laura Kennedy

We sat at the bar of this lively open kitchen restaurant and had easily the best food we have had from a restaurant in years. We chatted with the executive chef and the numerous staff who prepared food. All were wonderful and welcoming. The sommelier was bang on with her suggestion of wine to go with our meal. Lobster and Tuna this time... next time we will try something new. Going again next week!

Jason Mills

Meal type

James Kelly

Great food and service

Mike Marks

You can't go wrong at the merchant. Amazing drinks and food so good it shocks you, all wrapped up in a hipster package.

Seth Jefferson

Dine in

Keith Smith

Food was cold. Service is terrible

Andrea Goulet

Excellent food and drink. Great service.

Jack Elliott

A great atmosphere, staff, and menu (drinks/plates/dessert). Busy so book in advance, its perfect for drinks and small plates or a date. Expect to pay $100-$150 for two happy people.

Ashley Lai

Had some questions about the wine list, the GM came by and helped us out and made the night very memorable, she was knowledgeable and very personable, she most certainly enhanced our guest experience

David Taylor

Made a reservation for 9pm, didnt get a seat until 9:40. Sat down and ordered and at 11:30 with didnt get our food so we left. Horrible service.

Gamblor2010

Had a delicious steak dinner for 2. The best!

Dean Hannon

You show try this place if you go to St. John’s! ????????

Jeffrey Dawson

Awesome restaurant, excellent menu, terrific beer selection, our bartender was knowledgeable and funny. Plus they have an old vault converted to a private dining room that you can rent out! Great spot and I can't wait to return!

Corey Nolan

Good service. Delicious arugula and beets salad. The quality of seafood platter was ok.

Terry F

When you take a reservation for 5pm and tell people that you have to be out by 7pm. Don't make us sit for 20 mins with no service because all of the wait staff are in a meeting. Don't position a table for 8 in a corner so that the wait staff can not serve them without leaning over the patrons. If you want a 5 star review remember that service is just as important as food. If you want top dollar, and you do, then set you wait staff up for success....and you didn't.

Orlando Lawrence

Food sas okay, service was great - friendly and courteous

Craig Storey

Excellent food and service

Kevin Hill

Great food and service

lee m

Outstanding restaurant in the heart of St. John's. I had the burger with seafood soup and it was absolutely delicious. The lunch menu is reasonably priced given the quality ($15-17). Highly recommended.

Emanuel Da Silva

Had a great piece of Halibut. Lots of great local beer available. Didn't have dessert but those in our party that had them raved about them. The tables and the chairs at the tables are a little too close together. Otherwise great place.

Kim Nagus

Fries are best in the city

Alyx Ivany

Unbelievable food, with fantastic service and a great drink selection. I definitely recommend Merchant Tavern.

Laura Burwell

The food was great. However, service was definitely lacking. I was there at the end of July and our waitress was not very attentive. It really is a shame because the atmosphere, food and cocktails were all fit for a foody.

Joey Grondin

Pleasant and expensive

Gary Bishop

Wonderful service, good-natured staff, great drinks, choice music, and a nice atmosphere for relaxing

Kayla Moss

Amazing service, fantastic food, friendly staff. I would eat here every day. Get the Mussels!

Angie Greenslade

I like trying a bunch of items from the apps side of the menu to get a good sense of the quality of the food the restaurant offers. Had seafood soup, pickled mussels and cod taco at the Merchant Tavern tonight. 3 for 3 really well prepared and flavourful. Service at the bar was top class as well. Highly recommend.

Kim Pretty19

Excellent service staff very helpful and friendly

Lisa Singleton

spectacular service and food. the mussels were fabulous

Mitch Fowler

The halibut was amazing! I could have easily eaten another portion (but I eat a lot). The sauce that came with it was fantastic as well. Great modern restaurant. I would definitely recommend it!

kelvin tan

Amazing good tacos. Great atmosphere and staff.

John Higgs

Our first food destination while on a short trip to St. John's, Newfoundland. Upon walking in, during "bar hour", we were taken in by the wonderful decor and open views of the surrounding downtown area. Seated at the bar, we glanced at the short but well-varied bar menu available during bar hour. Ordered a couple of oysters (from NB), a bowl of frites and a charcuterie board (all meats/pickled items made in house). The oysters were delicious, mignonette and cocktail sauce were of the norm but would definitely recommend trying the house made (very hot) hot sauce. Charcuterie board was the star dish, absolutely scrumptious - would highly recommend but for those not intimidated by a copious amount of meat! Staff worked as a great team, very kind and hospitable. Would definitely visit again!

Bryon Lavallee

Great atmosphere, courteous and attentive staff. Good beer selection on the eight or so taps. Great food.

Vince

Looks like such an impressive place, also not cheap, but then the food was just OK. Most waiters were lovely but the bartender guy completely ignored us.

Robert Schaub

Service

Bobby Dubeau

Price is high and so is the quality(food and service) so it's a fair trade. Make sure you make a reservation. I had the ribeye burger and it was awesome. Moose nachos were great as well.

Franklin Webster

Fabulous, great dishes, try the Madelines for dessert!

Stephen Robinson

You could tell a lot of planning went into the design and development of this restaurant. Beautiful open space with low noise level; nicely decorated and pleasant service. And best of all, the food was done just right. Great value - definitely recommended.

Christine Milway

Nice restaurant, excellent food and very good service. I reccomend this restaurant strongly if you are in St-Johns - NewFounland ????

bryan lynch

Awesome experience . Will return again . Thank you

B Cooke

YOU MUST TRY THIS PLACE!!! Now that's out of the way, seriously, try this place out. Their dinner menus are sensational. We had the charcuterie board and some local beer on tap for starters. Both the beer and board we spot on. For our main we had a chefs special which consisted of a steak dinner for two (can't recall the exact cut, could have been a big porterhouse) well enough for two people, a number of sides (roasted potatoes, mushrooms and shallots, some chefs special veggies). We couldn't even finish the meal. The steak was done exactly how we wanted it and the sides were awesome. We had a visit from the chef asking how our meal was, I really respected that. He said this was his special and he wanted to make sure it was exactly how we liked it. Overall this meal was a five star rating hands down. Bet you thought I was done. Nope. Do you like brunch? If the answer is yes, GO HERE!! They do brunches on the weekend from 11-3 and they are the best thing ever. I've had my fair share of brunches around town, this spot is my clear #1. Get the traditional brunch and get the sausages, you won't be disappointed!! I've raved so much about the food, I forgot to mention the service. Its great. The servers are friendly, knowledgeable and are very nice. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Wendy Tucker

favorite restaurant in st johns

Mary G Cadagin

We recently had a small, intimate wedding and dinner in the private room - Dani, the events coordinator was amazing! David hooked us up with a beautiful and tasty wedding cake & the food was unbelievably delicious. Not one person didn't enjoy the apps and their meals! We appreciated the stellar service, attentive servers and the celebratory champaigne! The Merchant Tavern and all staff certainly know how to make an evening special! I would highly recommend having an intimate wedding ceremony and dinner here over a home wedding!

Paul G. Kelly

Upscale food and drink in a hip setting

Cassandra Blay

Great place for special occasions. Went there for my father-in-law's 75th birthday. Great Ambiance, Amazing Food! I had salmon with parsnip puree ~ excellent!! My father-in-law had steak that came piled with mushrooms and potatoes and onions ~ it looked fantastic. He said it was one of the best meals he's ever had! Cant wait to go back!

Janet Warren

(Translated) Good food, nice atmosphere and excellent service. Thumbs up! (Original) Bonne nourriture, belle ambiance et excellent service. Thumbs up!

Jean-Michel Pranno

I randomly chose a restaurant based on reviews for a lovely evening out to celebrate a birthday while we were in St. John's for travel. Obviously the reviews did not steer us wrong! We have raved about our experience here and have told friends coming to St. John's in the fall that they must dine here. The food was fantastic and the service was great. We all really enjoyed our meals and would not hesitate to come back when in the area again!

Aaron Adamack

Dine in

Khai O.

Great food but ventilation issues abound. Hold your breath going up the stairs and near the kitchen.

Hailey Panno

Meal type

Jane Rideout

Great food, very cool atmosphere, will definitely go again!

Sarah Pauw

Excellent restaurant! Food was delicious, servers incredible and sooooo hospitable. Would definitely return. We started our night on the patio, great vibe for drinks and apps. The beef tartare and oysters were delicious. Tartare was different than your typical French presentation. For dinner we had the duck breast which was perfectly cooked with smoked endives- sooooo delicious. The servers really went out of their way to accommodate us. And Bernard, the sommelier, went above and BEYOND to help us find the best pairings for dinner. Go here. You will not regret it

Raffi Hossain

Wonderful food and drink, in a beautiful setting.

Rod Meadus

Excellent food, quality staff. Friendly and knowledgeable bartenders

Richard Charles

The food was great. Will be back next time I am on East Coast.

Darren Hall

Dinner

Danny Reid

The food, atmosphere, quality, and service is impeccable!

D. Blaine Gill

Great meal, interesting cocktails, helpful staff

Axel Berggren O'Young

Best fancy dinner I had in St-johns. If you want to celebrate with a good meal, this is the place to go. They improved traditional recipes by making them a bit more decadent. Not a healthy choice, but we all deserve a treat once in a while.

Terry Stead

great ambiance very friendly staff and the food is so delicious big portions ... the drinks are made very well and the coffee is amazing...

Deanna Cheeke

The service was excellent. We had a mix up in our reservation time, and the host, server, manager went above and beyond to make sure we were taken care of. Food...also excellent! I would highly recommend trying The Merchant Tavern. We will definitely go back!

Grace C

Came to Merchant for a dinner date with a couple of friends. Really great drinks and dinner, and our server Kate was lovely! The only downside was that when we went to order dessert, we were told our table had been reserved so we had to leave. It definitely left a bad taste in our mouths, especially after spending $100 each on apps, dinner and drinks. Would have been great to have been given a grace period, or to have at least been advised of the hard 2hr stop when I booked the reso. :(

Amy Baker

My last night of a business trip here and I went and sat at the bar for dinner. Attentive and friendly service and the pan roasted cod was unbelievable. I savored every single bite and highly recommend it. Drinks were a little on the $$ side ($15 for a 5oz of wine) but that's what's expected I suppose with this type of atmosphere and fare. Well done.

J NG

Sommelier really enjoys tasting your wine. Never in my life have I seen that. Almost 3 hours before we got our meal, avoid the steak tartar.

Alex Randell

Wonderful food choices

Roma Edwards

Excellent staff and wonderful food. ????

Natalie Byrnes

We ordered the $85 tasting menu that includes 1 appetizer, 1 pasta, 1 seafood, 1 meat, and 1 dessert. The served the cheapest ingredients on the menu, meaning salmon (instead of cod) for the seafood dish, and pork (instead of steak or duck) for the meat dish. Although they taste okay, but def not worth the $. I would say it probably worth $50 ish. If you have 2 or more people, you are better off ordering from the regular menu and share.

jarrod burton

This is a real gem on Warerstreet... complete with amazing food and great atmosphere. The halibut was incredible! However we went there on a relatively quiet night and the service was very slow. It took a while for someone to take our order and once dinner was complete we sat with our dirty dishes for quite a while. We were planning on ordering dessert and more drinks but grew tired of waiting and just opted for the bill once the server arrived.

Patrice Belair

Decent food but not great (burger good flavor but quite salty, duck underwhelming) certainly not for the price point. Good environment, good beer.

BBlue Bbeetle

Great atmosphere, vibrant. Really enjoyable place. I shared the cheese and charcuterie board with a couple of friends and then ordered the 10oz steak and fries. Way too much food, and far too much carb and protein...no veg came with any of it so should have ordered some kind of veg or salad. It was all great quality, just bad choice of a mix of food on my part. The steak was huge and I've never seen so many fries on one plate!

Lesa Mickalow

it was my last night in St. Johns and I wanted to experience luxury. I was not disappointed I bought a bottle of wine and the Chef's Tasting Menu and was pleased to learn that the Chef's skill had not been dulled by Covid-19 and mass closures of all restaurants. The tasting menu featured four of my favorite meals: Tuna, Crab, Halibut and Beef, with a delicious dessert that was a homespun comfort executed with professional skill. I ordered the tasting menu on an empty stomach. The tuna when presented shared a lot of similarities with modern tuna platings that i have seen at other local restaurants, but was far cry from the albacore tuna I have had on Raymond's tasting menus in the past. The thinly sliced tuna of the highest quality spread across the plate like bacon strips may be popular, but I will always be the man who prefers a mighy slab of a mighty fish seared to perfection and sliced into thick, satisfying "mini steaks." The pasta was incredible. Made rough with love where the delicious filling of the angolotti reached the perfect temperature while the hand made pasta was still a perfect el dente. I could have eaten a thousand of them. The halibut was delicious, and almost as good as I can cook for myself. The delicious crust and juicy flesh were a credit to this fabulous fish, and the cassoulet was modest while still being balanced and delicious. The steak was a wonder, because it seemed to be a cheap cut of beef grilled with gourmet perfection. This is something I cannot do at home. The flavor was everything I wanted with a wave of smoke, and the additions complimented this raw flavor beautifully. The dessert was incredible, with conscience technique applied to a rustic, rough recipe. The blueberry cake reminded me of my mother's Sunday dinners, and the application of the buttered blueberry sauce and fresh cream added the right amount of cool to the hot cake. It could have used a bit of sugar but thats just me. The Merchant Tavern is among the most fittest restaurants in this city and deserves your patronage and attention.

Joan Ayre

I had an awesome lunch with my daughter here...great staff..

Deborah Brooks

Excellent food, good atmosphere.

Cameron Campbell

Good, but a little pricey. Make a reservation...

Helge Roscher-Nielsen

Beautiful place and great scenery.

Abdullatif Alwasel

Very slow service and not the best menu. Wouldn't return.

Sasha Steeves

Never a bad experience here

aw george

Really good food and very stylish.

Doug Chiasson

One of the best restaurants I have ever been to! The atmosphere and dining room are perfect. The drinks are great and the food was delicious. There’s definitely a reason this restaurant is on Canada’s top 100 list!

Stanley O.

Once again an amazing meals. Started with some very nice Spanish wine, the Tina tartare to share. Then we had the evening specials. Lobster pasta and lamb. Lots of lobster in the pasta with a fabulous cream sauce (Not too thick but plenty of flavpur). I had the lamb, very tender and served with peas, carrot and roasted onion. Would recommend.

Justin Wheaton

Great beer selection and good food. Can be pricey.