The Merchant Tavern

The energy was very good and our waitress was spot on. Our waitress was vey knowledgeable and attentive. Both appetizers were delicious (swordfish an mussels). Friend's entre was also delicious and wish I had chosen the cod dish rather than the Southern Fried Cornish hen. I would never normally eat regular southern fried chicken, although this one had captured a wonderful flavour, but it's the deep fried crust texture I did not care for and I was hoping for a spin on the fried chicken. It was accompanied with only coleslaw (which was very nice), yet, I expected another vegetable, like mash or frites. A roasted Cornish hen would have went over perfect. Overall experience was very good again. I would give it a 4.4 out of 5.

This was by far the best restaurant we have ever eaten at. The waitress was amazing and super helpful with allergy options, the service was perfectly timed between appetizers and the main meal, and the options were great.

Good food but overpriced

We ordered the five course chefs tasting menu. The food was excellent and a good portion size for a tasting menu. Highly recommend this restaurant.

I ate at the bar this evening and everything was spectacular, food, service and ambience...I had the scallop crudo and crab which I highly recommend.

People sitting at the bar were rowdy. Other areas of the restaurant were empty but still way too loud. The host told me I couldn’t stay in the restaurant for more than 2 hours. She had no people skills. The server somewhat tried to improve my initial experience as a customer but the damage was already done as I felt rushed due to the way the situation was handled. I didn’t enjoy what was supposed to be a time for me to unwind. The food was okay but way too pricey for what you get. I had high expectations, but definitely will never set foot in that restaurant ever again. Totally overrated! Manager seemed indifferent to my complaint. Overall, extremely disappointed.

Expected food to be better prepared and served. Came very highly recommended by multiple sources. Server was not well trained.

Our server Emma was excellent. The food and drinks were amazing and loved the ambiance. Built in an old bank and designed really well. The soap in the bathroom was amazing. Smelled so good that I went and purchased the next day. It was made by a local company. East coast glow. Overall great evening! Thank you Emma for a beautiful evening!

The cod was absolutely delicious, with secret sauce that brought out all the freshness.

Had a wonderful last-night-in-St. John's-before-we-fly-back-to-Calgary dinner. Hosted by the terrific Chloe and Erica, we enjoyed ourselves immensely. The scallop ceviche was so good we ordered it twice! I had the conchiglie: outstanding! For nice, higher-end evening in the city in a restaurant with a big vibe, Merchant is the place to enjoy it.

We had an excellent meal at the Merchant Tavern. We arrived close to closing and were welcomed in and not rushed!

Amazing restaurant. Oysters, lobster spaghetti, steak frits and salmon all done to perfection. Best part was the serving staff. The most pleasant, efficient, well trained and 100% customer focused service we experienced during our 10 day in St John's, where we dined out twice daily.

Great experience. I would recommend anyone for a fun Friday night that's quick and they prepare the food in the open which is fun to watch. Our server made custom drinks which was delicious.

Ce restaurant est mon préféré à St-Johns. Les produits sont frais, beaucoup de produits de la région, et les plats sont délicieux, représentant bien la cuisine terre-neuvienne. Le rapport qualité prix est excellent étant donné la qualité et la provenance des produits offerts. L'ambiance est excellente et le service, impeccable. J'ai pris la morue et c'était divin. Merci beaucoup à chef Jeremy et à son équipe. :-)

Excellent service and tasty food. Our server was very attentive and the dishes were excellent.