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The Merchant Tavern, St. John's, NL

The Merchant Tavern

4.6
4.6
1967 Reviews
CAN$31 to CAN$50
Bistro
291 Water Street, St. John's, NL A1C 5C2

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 26 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for fine wines
  • 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

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 1,967 people are saying

The Merchant Tavern reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

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
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Atlantic Canada

    Great for fine wines

  • Newfoundland and Labrador

    Best Food

  • Newfoundland and Labrador

    Best Ambiance

  • 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 "excellent food and service" with a lively atmosphere. Guests rave about the delicious dishes, including standout cod fritters and top-notch pasta. "Outstanding service" from staff like Innocent and James enhances the dining experience. Despite occasional service hiccups, it remains a local favorite.

1,967 Reviews

  1. Chris

    Orlando1 review

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great space, great service, even better food! Highly recommend!

    Is this helpful?

  2. Dana

    Atlantic Canada5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Service, food and atmosphere is always fantastic! Love this place!

    Is this helpful?

  3. Vanessa

    Ottawa6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    As always, Merchant was spectacular. We came for the snow crab, and it was to die for! Wine was lovely, staff incredible, just a fantastic evening. Thank you!

    Is this helpful?

  4. Iryna

    Atlantic Canada1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent service, tasty food, and a pleasant atmosphere, but the music is too loud, making it difficult to hear the person across from you.

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  5. Ishta

    Toronto6 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on April 26, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 1
    The food and table service rival experiences I’ve had in Michelin-starred restaurants in Toronto, but the music volume was so high people had to raise their voices to hear one another, and the general vibe was “bustling.”

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  6. SHAWNA

    Atlantic Canada2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing meal!! Great atmosphere , very great service and attentiveness by all staff.

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  7. Cheryl

    Unspecified1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 25, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great night to sit and dine with our friends. We were seated in the vault with was awesome as a couple of our friends are ‘hard of hearing’ so the noise level was just right. Food was excellent, service was top notch and the perfect amount.

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  8. Adele VIP

    Atlantic Canada4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent meal. Excellent service. We will be back soon

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  9. Sandra

    Atlantic Canada9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 17, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Excellent food and service! Always a pleasure to dine at Merchant Tavern. My favorite downtown St. John's restaurant.

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  10. Nina

    London7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 11, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We make a reservation at Merchant Tavern whenever we are in St. John’s, the food is always delicious, ingredients are fresh and high quality l. On this particular visit, Innocent was our server and he was an absolute joy, so friendly and a real asset the Merchant Tavern team.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Merchant Tavern is rated 4.6 stars by 1967 OpenTable diners.

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

  1. Home
  2. Canada
  3. Atlantic Canada
  4. Newfoundland and Labrador
  5. St. John's

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

  • 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
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