Food quality not so up to par with menu pricing but other than that good service beautiful atmosphere thank you team!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Bruno Franca dos Reis (bfreis)
It had been too long since I last went to Merchant Roots. Still AMAZING! Thanks for the incredible experience tonight.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Akash
I don’t usually post reviews, but this was honestly one of the most disappointing tasting menus I’ve experienced, not just in SF but anywhere. A coworker had hyped this place up as one of the best in SF and my expectations were high. I booked this for Valentine’s Day, hoping for something special but if anything, my partner and I ended up bonding over just how underwhelming the food was (she flew in from NYC for this). Throughout the meal, not once did anyone on staff ask how the food was. Dishes were simply served and cleared away and we were guided to the next part of the “experience” which was surprising for a spot that bills itself for good food. I understand the intent behind the “Humpty Dumpty” theme but this particular execution just didn’t land. While I can imagine they’ve pulled off more successful concepts in the past, this menu was almost entirely breakfast-themed, and there’s only so many egg-centric dishes you can serve at dinner before it starts to feel repetitive and uninspired. By the end we were completely over the endless parade of “breakfast takes”. Overall it was a big letdown there was very little creativity, and the lack of engagement from the staff made the whole thing feel flat, would not recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 1
Ilyia Kaushansky
Outstanding restaurant! Creative and Beautiful Presentation, Delicious Food, Very Different from other restaurants !
If you are trying to decide between this and some other fine dining restaurant in San Francisco, then Merchant Roots is an obvious choice if you are looking to be WOWed!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Orange CC
My partner and I were there for the In Bloom Edible flower experiance. Definitely an Experiance more then a place for lots of food, but we did leave full and satisfied. The chefs (who also served us) were all delightful and very good at answering any questions we had. Beautifully curated space. Would definitely recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jessica Mendenhall
Such a fun dining experience! The vegetarian menu was a delight!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Theresa Lavalley
The most amazing experience I have ever had I was taken on a 2 hour sensory adventure. Wonderful wine pairings. Lovely! THE IMAGINATION and creativity is out of this world!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Laura Dell
We've been twice now to Merchant Roots for two different menus, and this has become my new favorite restaurant for a fancy dinner. The food is exceptionally delicious, but the real fun is seeing the creative ways that every dish leans into the theme for the menu. Everyone at the seating eats their courses simultaneously, and we love to watch and speculate about the next course as the team assembles it. One of the other best parts is that everyone on the team is a chef and server, so you can talk to the chefs directly about the meal. Both times we've gone have been evenings full of fun, whimsy, and delight, and we can't wait for our next visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brindi Manolache
If this isn’t a perfect meal, I don’t know what is ❤️ so much talent and heart put into the food and atmosphere
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Patricia AuBuchon
Second time here and I love it! Great food, fun, and chill chefs :)
If you’re looking for a Michelin type experience, this isn’t it. Very nice staff but slightly spotty service and super kitschy atmosphere. The space feels like a hastily slapped together pop up in an old bar / office building. The food was creative with a few standout great courses but most were average.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 3
Teresa Denver
We had high expectations for Merchant Roots in San Francisco, but unfortunately, it missed the mark. The restaurant seemed to be aiming for an Alinea-level experience with its creative presentation and tasting menu, but it fell flat. The food was decent but didn’t quite live up to the hype, and the service was genuinely disappointing. Several courses were served with awkward backhanding, making the experience feel unrefined and distracting. Additionally, the owner-chef confidently claimed there was “no sugar added” to a particular sparkling wine, which isn’t accurate—sugar is always introduced during production, perhaps he meant no sugar at dosage. Either way, he knew nothing about wine making. We ordered a bottle of Chablis, which came to our table already opened. Poor service again. To top it off, there was a press event happening, and we were photographed without permission both outside (yes we were asked to wait outside at the beginning of the evening) and while eating. We came expecting an intimate, elevated experience but left feeling annoyed & frustrated. This experience felt like "kids playing restaurant" rather than a fine dining restaurant. There are probably another 10+ items I could add to this review, the list of disappointment goes on and on.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
C Radin
Whatever this style of dining is called - that’s my favorite genre of restaurant experience.
We attended a color theory presentation and wow, just wow. Everything was beautifully prepared and plated. The service was 10/10 - we loved the thoughtful explanations of every dish and beverage. The seating in the space was one of my favorite touches - everyone was facing the kitchen. We both had the n/a pairing and it really made the meal - all different types of drinks, different temperatures and colors. Amazing.
My only complaint was that I was too full to walk to the waymo (jk!). Everything about our time at MR was perfect and we can’t wait to visit again with a different menu. Calling it now - they’ll have a * soon enough.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Liberty Avila
Quite an experience, more than the presentation and flavor. Perhaps this is my favorite degustation restaurant in SF.
Food quality not so up to par with menu pricing but other than that good service beautiful atmosphere thank you team!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
It had been too long since I last went to Merchant Roots. Still AMAZING! Thanks for the incredible experience tonight.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I don’t usually post reviews, but this was honestly one of the most disappointing tasting menus I’ve experienced, not just in SF but anywhere. A coworker had hyped this place up as one of the best in SF and my expectations were high. I booked this for Valentine’s Day, hoping for something special but if anything, my partner and I ended up bonding over just how underwhelming the food was (she flew in from NYC for this). Throughout the meal, not once did anyone on staff ask how the food was. Dishes were simply served and cleared away and we were guided to the next part of the “experience” which was surprising for a spot that bills itself for good food. I understand the intent behind the “Humpty Dumpty” theme but this particular execution just didn’t land. While I can imagine they’ve pulled off more successful concepts in the past, this menu was almost entirely breakfast-themed, and there’s only so many egg-centric dishes you can serve at dinner before it starts to feel repetitive and uninspired. By the end we were completely over the endless parade of “breakfast takes”. Overall it was a big letdown there was very little creativity, and the lack of engagement from the staff made the whole thing feel flat, would not recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 1
Outstanding restaurant! Creative and Beautiful Presentation, Delicious Food, Very Different from other restaurants !
If you are trying to decide between this and some other fine dining restaurant in San Francisco, then Merchant Roots is an obvious choice if you are looking to be WOWed!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My partner and I were there for the In Bloom Edible flower experiance.
Definitely an Experiance more then a place for lots of food, but we did leave full and satisfied.
The chefs (who also served us) were all delightful and very good at answering any questions we had.
Beautifully curated space.
Would definitely recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Such a fun dining experience! The vegetarian menu was a delight!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The most amazing experience I have ever had I was taken on a 2 hour sensory adventure. Wonderful wine pairings. Lovely! THE IMAGINATION and creativity is out of this world!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We've been twice now to Merchant Roots for two different menus, and this has become my new favorite restaurant for a fancy dinner. The food is exceptionally delicious, but the real fun is seeing the creative ways that every dish leans into the theme for the menu. Everyone at the seating eats their courses simultaneously, and we love to watch and speculate about the next course as the team assembles it. One of the other best parts is that everyone on the team is a chef and server, so you can talk to the chefs directly about the meal. Both times we've gone have been evenings full of fun, whimsy, and delight, and we can't wait for our next visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
If this isn’t a perfect meal, I don’t know what is ❤️ so much talent and heart put into the food and atmosphere
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Second time here and I love it! Great food, fun, and chill chefs :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
If you’re looking for a Michelin type experience, this isn’t it. Very nice staff but slightly spotty service and super kitschy atmosphere. The space feels like a hastily slapped together pop up in an old bar / office building. The food was creative with a few standout great courses but most were average.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 3
We had high expectations for Merchant Roots in San Francisco, but unfortunately, it missed the mark. The restaurant seemed to be aiming for an Alinea-level experience with its creative presentation and tasting menu, but it fell flat. The food was decent but didn’t quite live up to the hype, and the service was genuinely disappointing. Several courses were served with awkward backhanding, making the experience feel unrefined and distracting. Additionally, the owner-chef confidently claimed there was “no sugar added” to a particular sparkling wine, which isn’t accurate—sugar is always introduced during production, perhaps he meant no sugar at dosage. Either way, he knew nothing about wine making. We ordered a bottle of Chablis, which came to our table already opened. Poor service again. To top it off, there was a press event happening, and we were photographed without permission both outside (yes we were asked to wait outside at the beginning of the evening) and while eating. We came expecting an intimate, elevated experience but left feeling annoyed & frustrated. This experience felt like "kids playing restaurant" rather than a fine dining restaurant. There are probably another 10+ items I could add to this review, the list of disappointment goes on and on.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Whatever this style of dining is called - that’s my favorite genre of restaurant experience.
We attended a color theory presentation and wow, just wow. Everything was beautifully prepared and plated. The service was 10/10 - we loved the thoughtful explanations of every dish and beverage. The seating in the space was one of my favorite touches - everyone was facing the kitchen. We both had the n/a pairing and it really made the meal - all different types of drinks, different temperatures and colors. Amazing.
My only complaint was that I was too full to walk to the waymo (jk!). Everything about our time at MR was perfect and we can’t wait to visit again with a different menu. Calling it now - they’ll have a * soon enough.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Quite an experience, more than the presentation and flavor. Perhaps this is my favorite degustation restaurant in SF.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place is so fun, so delicious.
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