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The Merchant Tavern, St. John's, NL

The Merchant Tavern

4.6
4.6
1953 Reviews
CAN$31 to CAN$50
Bistro

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 26 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for fine wines
  • Good for business meals
Welcome to The Merchant Tavern,

The Merchant Tavern pays homage to hard-working people who appreciate fine fare and spirits. Using fresh ingredients from local purveyors and some inspiration, we create dishes that will make you feel sated.

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    CAN$31 to CAN$50
  • Cuisines
    Bistro, Seafood, Contemporary Canadian
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Public Parking lot on Harbour Drive
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Nick Walters

What 1,953 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Newfoundland and Labrador

    Best Food

  • Newfoundland and Labrador

    Best Value

  • Newfoundland and Labrador

    Good for business meals

  • Newfoundland and Labrador

    Great for creative cocktails

  • Newfoundland and Labrador

    Hot spot

  • Newfoundland and Labrador

    Great for fine wines

  • Newfoundland and Labrador

    Good for special occasions

  • Newfoundland and Labrador

    Lively

  • Newfoundland and Labrador

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Merchant Tavern in St. John's offers "awesome spot, amazing food and outstanding service," with attention to "great atmosphere" and "wonderful food." Guests appreciate the creative "Chef's tasting" and unique "local flavours." The restaurant has "excellent service" and ambiance, though noise levels may vary, making it a vibrant dining choice.

1,953 Reviews
  1. EmilyB

    Atlantic Canada5 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great dinner service—lots of gluten free options and interesting dishes.

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  2. Don

    Atlantic Canada2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great meal. I had steak frites and my wife had pasta. Both were delicious.

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  3. Glenn

    Atlantic Canada4 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on February 11, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    It was a Tuesday and they probably had a lot of walk-ins. So the slow service may just be a result of unexpected diners. All appetizers were good but the cod fritters were a standout. Most had steaks for the main and it was predictably good though fries were heaped on and less than hot. Dessert options were limited - the Ricotta fritters were tasty and well presented while the undercooked financier was saved by the partridge berry compote and honey almond butter. Overall a good meal but not quite up to the great meals we have come to expect at Merchant.

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  4. Magali

    Atlantic Canada3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 4, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    First time visiting but certainly won’t be the last! Menu had a great variety to appeal to all tastes. Service was also great, nice to have a sommelier on site for pairing recommendations

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  5. Michelle VIP

    Las Vegas9 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on February 1, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Always a great experience. The pasta dishes are delicious and highly recommended! Great service as well.

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  6. Jenny

    Toronto2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on January 31, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    We had the Tasting menu with pairing of wine. It was a five course meal paired with wines. The dishes were done beautifully and very tasty. The serving portions were adequate. The wine servings can be a little more generous. Service was very good. The music was a little loud. We enjoyed our evening.

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  7. Ashley

    Atlantic Canada3 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on January 25, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 5
    Honestly the food is always top notch But the service is so bad The waitresses we had, barley came back… the dropped the food Off and it’s almost like they couldn’t leave fast enough It’s really too bad because the food is amazing But service needs to be better. Especially when your paying for Good food

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  8. Michelle

    London5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on January 17, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing meals, cod fritters were a surprise, crispy on the outside soft and creamy on the inside! Delicious romenesco sauce! Steak and frites and salmon meals were outstanding! Drinks were also very good! Thank you!

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  9. Gabriella

    Atlantic Canada1 review

    5.0

    Dined on January 11, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excelent, but the volume of the music was little high.

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  10. april VIP

    Atlantic Canada3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on January 10, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food and service! Beautiful happening restaurant .

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Merchant Tavern is rated 4.6 stars by 1953 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 26 times today
Google Map for The Merchant Tavern

291 Water Street, St. John's, NL A1C 5C2

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    CAN$31 to CAN$50
  • Cuisines
    Bistro, Seafood, Contemporary Canadian
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Public Parking lot on Harbour Drive
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Nick Walters
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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