The Merchant Tavern

4.6

1945 Reviews

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Bistro

Make a reservation

2 people

Jan 10, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 36 times today

Good for special occasions
Good for business meals
Great for creative cocktails

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

Dining style
Casual Elegant
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
Phone number
(709) 722-5050
Website
http://www.themerchanttavern.ca/
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Nick Walters
Private party facilities
Weddings, large scale corporate functions, private parties.Please email booking@themerchanttavern.ca for inquiries and current pricing.

Location
291 Water Street, St. John's, NL A1C 5C2
Neighborhood
St. John's
Cross street
Beck's Cove
Parking details
Public Parking lot on Harbour Drive
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 1,945 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
4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Newfoundland and Labrador
Best Overall
Newfoundland and Labrador
Best Food
Newfoundland and Labrador
Best Service
Newfoundland and Labrador
Best Ambiance
Newfoundland and Labrador
Good for business meals
Newfoundland and Labrador
Great for creative cocktails
Newfoundland and Labrador
Healthy
Newfoundland and Labrador
Hot spot
Newfoundland and Labrador
Neighborhood gem
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 is celebrated for its "great vibe" and "exceptional service." Diners rave about Chef Nick's "superb tasting menu" and Tracy's wine pairings, creating a "pure bliss" experience. The fresh seafood, especially the cod and snow crab, is frequently highlighted. While some find the ambiance noisy, the restaurant's dedication to quality ingredients and attentive service make it a "must-try."

1,945 Reviews

K
Kim
Toronto
10 reviews
5.0
10 reviews
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
As always exceptional service and ambience! The food was also, as always delicious and husbands were exceptionally satisfied with the size of the steak they had! Cocktails and desserts were perfection! Never disappointed at The Merchant!
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R
Rayna
Toronto
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
To start with the best part… the waiter was amazing. Checked in on us quite often but wasn’t hovering or obnoxious. The food was okay. The cod fritters were good and the sticky toffee pudding was out of this world with lots of caramel sauce… highly recommend. My husband’s ribeye was beautifully done and also delicious. However, the Scallop Risotto is mushroom risotto with three scallops on the top, which was disappointing and the steak that was part of the steak frites was sinewy and the frites were way over salted. The music was WAY too loud and very eclectic (went from modern to 90’s to 70’s country to 70’s pop); however when we mentioned it to the waiter, he offered to have it turned down a bit, which he did. Until that point, it was hard to have a conversation. Overall, a decent experience but not 100% sure I would go back.
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T
Tysen
Atlantic Canada
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great time and great drinks. The duck, salmon, and steak were incredible.
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B
Bailey
Atlantic Canada
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on December 30, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Merchant Tavern was excellent as always and remains a main staple in the St. John’s dining scene.
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A
Ashley
Atlantic Canada
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on December 28, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great service by andrew, he was so lovely and attentive
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K
Kristopher
VIP
Chicago
26 reviews
4.0
26 reviews
Dined on December 22, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent restaurant and warm friendly staff!Would have been nice to get the message I delivered via our reservation (anniversary), but it was very special all the same. Merry Christmas!
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D
Devon
Atlantic Canada
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on December 21, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great meal, great atmosphere and service. Our Server was fantastic. Looking forward to coming back!
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S
Sara
Atlantic Canada
2 reviews
2.0
2 reviews
Dined on December 21, 2024
1. Overall 2
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
This was my favourite restaurant, until the menu recently changed. The carbonara had big slices of garlic. My $15 drink filled less than half of a champagne flute. The mains came literally right after the appetizer, we just had our first bite. And the waiter was very rushed to take the plates and give us the bill. Wasn’t the night we were use to at Merchant.
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IS
IanS
VIP
Atlantic Canada
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on December 17, 2024
1. Overall 1
2. Food 2
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 3
Overall it is a hit or complete miss depending on the night
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T
Travis
Atlantic Canada
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 17, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Food was exceptional! We both had ribeye for our mains and cod fritters for our appetizer. The steak was hands down the best steak I had in St. John’s and the cod fritters were amazing. The service was exceptional! This was our first time eating here but definitely not our last!
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FAQs

The Merchant Tavern is rated 4.6 stars by 1945 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Jan 10, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 36 times today

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

Additional information

Cross street
Beck's Cove
Neighborhood
St. John's
Hours of operation
Dinner Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Price
CAN$31 to CAN$50
Cuisines
Bistro, Seafood, Contemporary Canadian
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Public Parking lot on Harbour Drive
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Nick Walters
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.themerchanttavern.ca/
Phone number
(709) 722-5050
Private party facilities
Weddings, large scale corporate functions, private parties.Please email booking@themerchanttavern.ca for inquiries and current pricing.

The Merchant Tavern

Make a reservation

Additional information

Menu

What 1,945 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is The Merchant Tavern restaurant rated?

Is The Merchant Tavern currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information