This place was empty when we walked in which was really odd for a Thursday night. The staff was friendly and attentive and even offered to make a drink that was no longer on the menu. The drinks were great here!! Only tried the calamari which had potential but was really dry. Would like to come back for a happy hour some time because it is so nice in here! read more

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We had another excellent experience at Merchant Bar last nigh! I especially enjoyed the Short Rib Empanadas and the Strawberry Shortcake! Will definitely be going back for more! I As for cocktails, I had the Fig Around and Find Out and I highly recommend it! read more

Good drinks. Ok service. Surprisingly quiet and not busy on a Friday night. Which was good for me but might not suit you.

We got to go food and I had a great convo at the bar waiting for the food with one of their staff. Will definitely return, the atmosphere and decor are really nice. Good vibes. The food was very good. Good menu with several interesting options. We got crab dip, short rib empanadas, wings, chips and guacamole, everything was really good to share. I got the chicken sandwich which was fantastic. The staff was also amazing. read more

I will start off by saying this place has some GOOD lemon drops! However, the food was unfortunately lacking flavor / seasoning. Ambiance was nice they played really good music and I would definitely go back for drinks. read more

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Came here with some friends for dinner before our show at the Queen! It's a small but cute place that primarily has a bar and a few tables. We got a few drinks and ordered some food. My friend got empanadas and let us try some. We each got the market burger that came with these really crispy fries. The drinks we got were beautiful and were pretty good! The empanadas were tasty but were small and not really worth $8. Our burgers came out. I asked for medium and it was more medium well. I felt the burger needed more seasoning? I had to dip it in ketchup to have more flavor. Overall it was good but not worth the price point. Overall the food I thought was okay. It was nice that it is right there next to Queen. I think I would come back for just the happy hour since the drinks were really good! read more

I've been here twice this year already and it's only april. We've nearly tried all the apps and even had a table of 11. Our servers have been great both times. No one has had anything they didn't like. It's super busy in here between 6-9 and then it really does off. It's a very clean look inside and the vibe is very fun, it may be a little loud in here if you're looking for a first date spot. Tip: call La Fia for reservations they don't have a phone read more

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The drinks here are amazing and worth every penny. The service was friendly and efficient. Unfortunately, I found the food dishes to be very expensive, small portions, and flavorless. I would only come here for drinks. Their is a parking deck behind this restaurant. Street parking is impossible. read more

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Great food choices and very tasty. They Astors l satisfied one of my picky eating grandsons.

We love Merchant Bar! Good vibe. We haven't yet tried the food, but the cocktails are soooooo good! Service was extremely slow this visit, but they appeared to be short staffed - one bartender and one server taking all orders and delivering everything on his own. They couldn't keep up and we never did get our last round before we closed out and called it a night. Based on this visit alone I would have given it three stars all things considered, but factoring in multiple prior visits I'd give it a strong four. If you a have a nearby dinner reservation like we did, it's the perfect spot for a pre-game or post-game cocktail and fun. Cheers! read more

Incredibly disappointing takeout experience on a recent Saturday night. After placing an online order, we arrived at the designated time to pick up our food. We checked in with the host, who walked back to the kitchen. I shortly thereafter received a text that they were working on our order. The host eventually came over to admit they had not found the online order and were putting it in to rush. They did offer us a complimentary drink at the bar, but we declined --- if we wanted to dine in, we wouldn't have ordered takeout. Twenty minutes later, we walked out with our order, and I certainly would have forgiven the misstep if the food was good, but I was disappointed with the food overall. My shrimp tacos featured tiny, likely frozen and then overcooked-in-the-microwave shrimp, a giant handful of lettuce, and almost none of the "mango salsa" listed on the menu --- I don't even think there was any mango to be found. The crab dip was almost flavorless. BF's General Tso's broccoli and cauliflower was mediocre. I did like the Korean fried chicken bao buns, which had soft, pillowy buns, crispy chicken, and a flavorful sauce --- this is the one thing I would order again if I returned, but I don't think that will be happening anytime soon. read more

This place is great for a first DATE or after a long day at work. Drinks and bar food are premium but not premium prices. The place isn't as big maybe up to 40 people. Music is nice as well Food come fast Drinks are good Service is phenomenal Highly recommended!!!! read more

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Had a really wonderful time late-night on a chilly holiday Saturday night after a show. So glad we checked it out! Magda was incredible - friendly, attentive, kind, and great with a recommendation. We had drinks and a few small plates, and everything was great. The cocktail list was original and unique, and the classics they offered were well constructed as well. We enjoyed the casual vibe, the easy central location and the awesome service. Looking forward to getting back ASAP - thanks for a wonderful night! read more

Merchant Bar - Love me a tiki drink - what a great glass! - Tapas Bars Near Me - Wilmington, Delaware

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Merchant bar is in a cute little area of town and I'm glad that we ventured away from the river front to come and try it! The vibe is casual yet has an upscale-ish feeling and fits right into the city. The service was friendly, attentive, and quick. The nacho fries are killer and there was enough toppings to go around for all of the fries. This was my first time trying bao buns and they were delicious! The texture of the bun alone is enough to make me keep coming back.. they're like a cloud in your mouth. read more

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While in the area, my friend and I decided to dine in. We ordered the fries and for some odd reason, the fries was not good. If you like thin extra crispy fries with a lot of potato skin, you may enjoy them. It came with a yellow sauce that was disgusting. The fries also came with much needed ketchup with a hint of curry...it was interesting but definitely spiced up the fries. We ordered the Korean Fried chicken Bao Buns which was AMAZING! May be the best thing there! We also ordered the "mamacita" cocktail aka spicy margaritas. It was okay... just okay. We had a female waitress who was also the hostess and she was friendly. The other staff members seemed friendly as well. read more

The Merchant Bar is another establishment on Market St. Downtown Wilmington. We ordered appetizers and burgers, and drinks. Again, another place with mediocre food, and overpriced, watered down drinks. This was the first time we visited, we were not impressed, and we wouldn't go back. If you like here, you like it, but I suggest expanding your horizons, outside of the downtown area. read more

This place has really settled in nicely! Service has improved greatly since their opening and now I always know we will be taken care of quickly and enjoy the staff. Their happy hour drinks are not the best deal in town but their drinks are some of the best in town. I recommend trying something out of your norm! The food is always spot on. They are good with taking care of allergens. If something is wrong, it's fixed without question. It's worth trying to find downtown parking, and going downtown in the first place. Tip: go on Friday--no one is there--it's crazy! And you eat treated like royalty! read more

Merchant Bar - Shrimp small plate--Mexican flavors, just spicy, and the bread to sop it all up. We actually almost ordered a second. - Tapas Bars Near Me - Wilmington, Delaware

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We love this place! The drinks are delicious, love the atmosphere, staff is AMAZING! Thanks for making my husband's birthday wonderful. Lots of memories and laughs. read more

First and foremost I had the calamari and let me tell you it is by far the best fried perfectly and has a kick with the sauce. I also had the French 75 delicious. Service is exceptional very attentive. Ambiance is chill low key. read more

Merchant Bar - French 75 - Tapas Bars Near Me - Wilmington, Delaware

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This place had a really nice interior, so nice that I forgot to take more pictures of it! It's a smaller spot but it has a great date night feel to it. The food was pretty mid -- there weren't that many options, everything was priced high for the portion size, and the overall taste didn't blow me away. I would say that the pad thai was the best value for sure and I left feeling decently full. The drink tasted amazing though - I really liked the tiki mug and it had just the right amount of tropical flavor to it. Ultimately I don't see myself coming back here again but it was good to try read more

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Nice place for drinks, dinner, or apps. Nice environment that's casual but nice enough if you are in the area for a show or business. The tables are mostly high tops or bar seating. Also seems suited for small groups, not a large party unless there is a back area I didn't see. The food was really tasty. Relatively good cocktail menu. The cauliflower tacos were great and so was the fried mozzarella. read more

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Checked out this place last night with a few friends and really enjoyed it. Cute decor and vibe. I had a few of the blackberry sour cocktails but made with vodka instead of whiskey - so good! Bartender was super friendly and fast, even though he had a lot of customers. They had a lot of delicious looking cocktails on the list that I'll have to go back and try. They serve food but we had already eaten, menu looked good though! Will definitely be back! read more

Merchant Bar - Blackberry sour made with vodka - Tapas Bars Near Me - Wilmington, Delaware

Made reservations to eat and have a few drinks here yesterday before a show at The Queen next door. Everything was really overpriced for what you get - $12 fries that don't taste any different from regular ol' fast food fries, served with a yellow sauce that tasted like straight up chemicals. The short rib empanadas sounded so good- tasted like nothing (also found a long white hair in our food - we have dark hair so ...). The queso fundido was literally a shallow layer of cheese, there was no dipping involved (also a $12-$14 plate, i forget which.) Drinks sounded good on menu but when mine arrived it looked like it had been sitting for a while and as though it had been grabbed off of a table that had paid and left lol. Cocktails cost what they cost, but when you get a $14 cutesy-named drink you expect it to taste like more than just mezcal and lime juice. The service was fine although it was really busy and seemed like they only had one server doing everything. Would not go back or recommend. read more

Came here with my family and was met with kind service and outstanding food. We tried multiple dishes off of the menu and everything was delicious. Will be returning!! :) read more

We had a cocktail and hor d'oeuvres gathering several weeks ago(oct.8,2022), the night before a wedding reception. The casual party was exactly what the bride and groom wanted. The atmosphere was relaxing and the food and drinks were wonderful. Andrea made the planning very simple, the staff was very good and the price was fair. Thank you so much. read more

Fun place to meet up with friends or make new ones at the bar! Inventive cocktails, nice beer selection. We shared appetizers - all were good. Bartenders were busy and were fun and friendly! read more

For a place that advertises late night food and drink , pressuring us to order our meal and last drink at 9:45pm is way beyond unreasonable. We went for the crab cakes but they were sold out. Our server's hoodie strings kept dangling into our food and onto our table and she was mainly sullen and unfriendly. Not rude, but decidedly uninterested. On a plus side, 2 of our 4 appetizers were decent. The hummus and the saffron fries. The pork belly buns and Korean sticky legs were weird. The buns themselves were excellent but the pork belly was covered in a bottled BBQ sauce that was not tasty and had too much heat. The chicken legs were completely unimaginative and were regular sized legs and not wing type legs as would be expected for tapas. Tapas should be easy to handle and over the top delicious. This wasn't. We won't be back. read more

Once again great service fantastic food and of course the one and only Best drink on the planet the Jamison smash

The Merchant Bar appears as if it's an upscale, hip bar, though that's not the reality. When I first arrived, it took almost 10 minutes for the bartenders to clear away the dirty plates the previous party had left and then again, only when I asked them to. It took an additional 5-10 minutes for them to come back to my side of the bar and ask what I wanted for drinks/dinner. The two bartenders on staff seemed to be preoccupied with the northern end of the bar that was particularly busy, without paying much attention to the southern side of the bar. The bar was very busy until about 10pm when it went completely dead. For a bar open until 1am, this was surprising if not concerning. Most bars that claim to be of this caliber would lower their lights or adjust their music selection to address the later night clientele, however Merchant Bar made no such changes. I'm not giving this a lower star review because the decor and high ceilings made the bar feel airy and nice, not to mention the long bar that too many places lack. All in all, with a prime location and decor to beat, this bar has a lot of potential. However, the presentation of food and quality of service leave a lot to be desired for. I'm hoping this bar can improve and be a shining model for the Wilmington food/drink scene, but they have some work to do. read more

If you're looking for a venue for quality cocktails, this is it. All of the cocktails are made with quality ingredients, careful attention to detail, and unique combinations of flavors. I've never been more pleased with the creativity of a drink, but because of the complexity of the drinks sometimes the wait at the bar is on the long side (especially during busy hours). The signature cocktails are a little pricy at $12 a drink but it's well worth it.....treat yo self! The menu and late night options have a lot of variety and are made with a the same keen attention to detail as the cocktails. The overall quality of Merchant Bar is second to none. To top it off, the wait staff is very friendly and the owner, Diego, greets everyone like an old friend. The atmosphere is very relaxed and never stuffy or stuck up. It's located right next door to World Cafe Live so if you're in town for a show make sure to visit before/after for a treat. Overall a wonderful local business! read more

Merchant Bar - Jameson Smash and Off the Wagon - Tapas Bars Near Me - Wilmington, Delaware

FINALLY made it over to Merchant bar. I was really wavering between 3 and 4 stars here, but decided to go with 4. We got there in time for the last 25 min or so of happy hour - bonus! they have a few food items (i think only 3) at a discount and a couple bucks off certain drinks. This is a nicer bar in Wilmington and the prices reflect that, so the HH discount was a welcome surprise. Foodwise, we tried all of the HH items. This included a white pizza/flat bread type thing called a pizza tart, bistro fries, and tuna poke. The pizza tart was yum yum yummy, the bistro fries were good, and i didn't try the tuna since I am vegetarian but everyone else loved it. I would be curious to return to try more menu items. Drink wise--they have a fun drink menu with creative names and flavors. I tried the "blue sky for dayz" and "hey mamacita". Others had beer and wine - plenty of those selections as well. The drinks were creative and very well done. I definitely want to go back for more of that! The decor is very cool and modern. ITs definitely one of the nicest, if not the nicest, bar in downtown/trolley/riverfront. Great place to bring friends from out of town, too. As for service, things weren't as smooth. We waited for quite some time at the bar to order drinks in the first place. The bartender was working solo and made very little effort to make rounds so the sides of the bar. I eventually got a couple. Another 2 friends arrived and went tot he bar to catch HH as well. He kept them waiting for quite a while too, past 7, and when they said something about the time (it was like7:01), he was very rude to them and refused to honor HH. We moved to a table and the owner ended up taking our order. She was very nice, friendly, & gracious about it and really saved it on the service-side of things. And thats why I settled on 4 starts instead of 3. read more

Merchant Bar - Blue sky for dayz - Tapas Bars Near Me - Wilmington, Delaware

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What's not to love? I lived in Delaware several years ago and after two years told my company either the move me to the DMV or I'd find opportunity elsewhere. I visited Wilmington after enjoying Longwood Gardens's Wine and Jazz fest. We were looking for a hipster bar and this place totally fit the bill-- for the deco to the food to the overall ambience. They even accommodated our (hot) food needs after the bar had closed. It's next door to a live music venue. read more

Merchant Bar - Lovely dessert and cocktails. - Tapas Bars Near Me - Wilmington, Delaware

Cheeseboard, empanadas, tuna crudo all excellent. Excellent cocktails and fun vibe. Highly recommend

Good food and drinks. Nice vibe. A little small here but it was good. It's a little pricy.

Had the mussels and frites. Phenomenal!!! Served out of their shells in a delicious light broth with 4 pieces of toasted bread. ( always bugs me when a restaurant gives you one tiny piece of bread for the soaking up the broth) Not cheap at $18. But I will pay for quality. read more

Great spot for a drink and the food is delicious. Highly recommend pairing the guacamole with the Mamacita! Truly everything that I've had here is delicious. I really appreciate a comfortable (ergonomically and aesthetically) bar along with fantastic service. This is quickly becoming one of my go-to spots. read more

Great food. Cool staff. Beautiful building. Delish drinks. Always a good time... they even have a DJ sometimes who actually plays great music. read more

Stopped here after a show (11/15). The female bartender was incredibly rude and unapproachable. I tried to flag a bartender 3 times to get a beer and she finally said its busy. (There were a dozen seats at the bar empty). Three servers stood at the other end chit chatting. Very disappointed in the service read more

I am not a fan of this bar after a Saturday night outing. The male bartender with dark hair was very unfriendly. He also barked at my friend when he was giving him his tab. We were waiting on him to get another bottle of champagne to fill our glasses. My friend turned away for a second to say hi to a friend. Then he impatiently yelled "Sir, SIR!". Stop being such a tight ass and mellow out. You are waiting in patrons not the other way around. There was no beer list out on display so when we asked him about beers he seemed annoyed. Please list your beers on the wall or on your taps like most bars. I also asked the bartender a question about a beer and he was so wrong. Bartenders should know their bar products. I asked for a non hoppy beer. The imperial red ale is disgustingly hoppy and probably one of the worst beers I have had. I left my half finished glass on the bar and left. The place is too narrow when it gets crowded. The waitress seemed bothered that we were standing in the way when she tried to deliver food and drinks. There is no where to stand out of the way when it gets crowded. HINT: They should make an opening ar the end of the bar near the door so the wait staff doesn't have to plow through patrons to deliver food. I did enjoy the DJ that was sampling old 70s-80s music. It was a fun small crowd dancing with some mommasitas sprinkled around the dance floor. read more

Worst bartender I've ever experienced last night. A young guy, with dark hair, was as rude a tender as I've ever experienced! Meeting some friends after the Opera, I walked into the Merchant bar for the first time. After greeting my friends and introducing my girlfriend, I walked up to get us each a drink. I asked the smarmy little shit if he had rasberry vodka. His immediate response? "NO" and he walked away from me. I am a long time patron of Market street bars and restaurants and not only will I never walk in this place again, but I will make it a point to let anyone who will listen know what awful service to expect! This putz needs a job where every request is followed by... You want fries with that? Do yourself a favor folks. After a Queen show head up Market to the Chelsea tavern. Good food and pleasant bartenders without attitude. read more