Yummmyyyyyyy. Oh my god. What a delightful place! The ambience is just right, 1920s meets modern age. The bartenders know what they're talking about and doing. The cocktails were so smooth and flavorful, its so easy to just keep going. LOL. It's a little pricy but not complaining because the quality was top notch. Can't wait to be back! read more

Delicious small plates, tasty cocktails, and a cool vibe. We shared three small plates that were soooo good (and just the right amount for 2 people). The pork belly buns were the star, hands down. I've eaten a lot of pork belly buns in a lot of places and these were THE BEST. Perfectly crisped pork belly served so hot I almost burned my mouth, delicate buns, and a quick pickle cucumber salad that was a delicious accent. The lamb meatballs were so tender, they crumbled when you tried to stab with a fork. Served with some raisins for a hint of sweet, pine nuts that gave crunch, and a chimichurri/pesto that provided a fresh green flavor, the combination was so tasty, I wanted to lick the plate! We also had the duck and sesame crepes and my partner thought these even better than the meatballs (but I disagree). Regardless, the duck was ridiculously tender and the slaw gave a yummy crunch. The cocktails were beautifully made...can't remember the names of the ones we tried but you really can't go wrong. The decor is of the Edison bulb, old school tile variety. Nice enough but what you'd see in any newish, downtown bar in any city across America. The seating varies with individual tables, communal tables, a bar, and a long counter; plenty of options depending on how social/private you may be feeling. My only complaint is the crappy music: we listened to the same few dance remixes on repeat. Something funky, jazzy, or even folky would better go with the vibe of the place. Instead, we were subjected to music that is better suited to a Curves circuit workout or a teen foam party. (And I truly felt for the staff who were subjected to listening to that for hours on end. Tipped them extra out of sheer sympathy.) read more

Props to the cocktails, Hanoi lemonade and an Old Fashioned. Dan Dan Noodles were okay, overly greasy and needed more flavor. Mussels were tasty and the bread, the perfect vehicle to soak up the broth. Service was friendly. Ambiance was warm. read more

Good food. Good music. Great service! My husband and I came to Merchant Bar on a Saturday and had dinner at the bar. Andrew, the bartender, quickly became our new best friend and not only crafted delicious drinks for us - but took the time to explain the Merchant 'Old Fashioned'. The French Onion soup and topless flatbread are fantastic but leave room for desert. We had the delicious chocolate torte (ask for it warmed!). Great night and we will for sure be back again!! read more

Merchant Bar - Mini Chocolate Torte - Tapas Bars Near Me - Wilmington, Delaware

I made a reservation here for the NYE prix fix menu at 5PM that day. I already assumed the food would probably be subpar since reservations were so easily acquired the day if New Years Eve. Well we all know what happens when you assume something (you make an as* out of U and Me). I ordered the mussel frites and crab dip as an appetizer. The mussels were served in this delicious white wine sauce and bread and a side of fries. Mussels were PERFECT. And the crap dip was warmed to perfection as well. We also ordered the Tuna Poké -- equally as delicious. I'm probably a bit biased with poké since I've only had it a few times but definitely worth coming back for. The only reason I decided to give this place 3 stars is because they seemed a bit understaffed. I only saw 1 waitress for about 6 tables and when we asked the owner- all she said was they're doing just fine with 1 waitress. (Obviously you aren't if we have to point it out to you) But if you're willing to have some pretty awesome food and drinks and are willing to not have an attentive waiter/waitress, this is your place. read more

I thought this was a pretty place and good for drinks, but the food and service were both very average. The calamari was delicious, the Korean lettuce wraps were almost too salty to eat and I ordered my burger rare and it was cooked medium. We were there before a show at the Queen and the service was really slow. We kept having to flag the waitress down and the food took really long to come out. I'll try somewhere else next time. read more

My husband and I stopped here on our way through Delaware. So happy we did! The atmosphere is very relaxed and trendy and the wait staff were very friendly. The cocktail choices were interesting and really tasty. I love the tapas because you can taste such a range all in one meal! The beet salad was amazing and the hummus and pita chips was really unusual but good. read more

Busy Friday night, great happy hour pricing & snacks, lively crowd. 2 bartenders, male very friendly and great at handling crowd ( makes eye contact, let's people know he'll be right with them, smiles) Female is flustered and seems upset. She refuses to make eye contact, has not checked up on me once in nearly two hours, keeps walking by with her head down to ignore people, very awkward. read more

We had a really large group on a Wednesday night and we all had a great time. The place has a great ambiance and the staff were friendly and helpful. They accommodated our big group for a long time. We will be definitely coming back. read more

I strolled in without A reservation prior to a show at the queen. I was very pleasantly surprised how great the food was. My son had a burger which was excellent and I had the Poke and the Korean drumsticks which were also fantastic. Simply put the food here was great. Their menu is a bit limited, but given the fact it is a tapas place, that's to be expected. Their drinks are reasonably priced as well. My only knock on the place is the fact that seating is a bit limited and it is confusing that some of the tables are first come first serve. The wait staff was very accommodating to get you out in time for your show! read more

I'd have to concur with a lot of the reviews when it comes to their drinks. As far as the food goes that was less impressive. We tried the short rib nachos & the flavor left us with really wanting to send it back. We refrained and tried to push through the weird sweet and bland at the same time taste. The short rib was sparingly sprinkled throughout the plate of nachos plenty of cheese but again lacked flavor. Ordered a few other dishes and apps sadly all reflective of the lack of flavor. read more

Planned on having a nice drink night with a few apps in a cool setting. What we experienced was a cool setting, nice drink and bar menu and excellent food. But the service was lacking, she was inattentive and not engaged. And worse was the volume. It was as loud as a sports bar during game day. It was hard to have conversations in the corner. If not for the food, and the interesting drink menu, I would not give it this high of a rating. read more

3 stars because have been here in the past and enjoyed the food, ambience and quality of the wine served. Stopped in last night and due to multiple bartenders being more interested in conversation with existing customers, I was continuously ignored while I stood patiently waiting for service. It should also be noted that it was a crowd of less than 15 people. I will likely be back again as supporting an evolving restaurant/neighborhood scene appeals to me, but I certainly hope that a higher level of customer service and attentiveness is present. read more

Had a bite to eat before seeing a show in town. A friend and I were lucky to find a table at this busy restaurant. We shared a few appetizers. The poke appetizer was especially good and so was the crab dip that came with veggies and bread - cucumbers were sliced vertically which made them great for dipping! A small thing but it had a positive impact. read more

Great cocktails and menu! You can tell they really take the time to craft a good cocktail! My husband is a craft beer lover and they have a good selection! Lots of happy hour selections for food beer and wine which is a plus! Service is always great and food comes out fast! read more

Stay away from the Pork Belly Buns. As soon as I took my first bite I could tell something was off, finished the dish because I was hungry and this morning I've been paying the price. I don't know what goes on back in that kitchen but I'm regretful as all get out RN. read more

Loved the cheese board! Atmosphere great Bartender tonight was very friendly and entertaining! read more

Went there yesterday with a group of people to try this place out, arrived a little before five, went in, and they wouldn't serve us. As a new business in the area, this is not a good way to drum up a group of followers! read more

I've been here a few times since it opened and every little detail is just plain mind-blowingly cool. The service is great, the drinks and food are delicious, the decor and music make you feel like you've stepped into a slice of somewhere in NYC, and the intimacy and coziness make you feel like you've got VIP access to a hidden gem. Go and experience it on a Saturday night around 9p when DJ Zip is spinning to feel the cool vibe, but just know that it might be a little crowded. For food, go there on any weeknight (except they're closed on Mondays). read more

Great finger foods (specially for vegetarians since veg options can be slim in Wilmington). Nice modern and sleek decor. Intimate and cozy.

Went on a Friday night for happy hour.. got the happy hour olives/hummus and tuna poke---DELICIOUS, and great portions. Also go the grilled cheese and it was legit the best grilled cheese I've ever had in my life! Jamie was our bartender and she was awesome :) Definitely give this spot a try! read more

I went there with four other people and we had the duck/great, the Crab cake's/very good and I had the burger/ nice and juicy and a bit of a kick... over all a great time and very reasonable price for dinner. read more

We stopped in here before our planned dinner at Lolo Tuesday night. Our bartender was charming and helpful. We were debating aloud whether to stay there or go to Lolo for dinner and he recommended we try out Lolo, which is really a testament to his service because clearly, if we had stayed, he would have gotten a bigger tip! We ordered a delicious cheeseboard, btw. I love this place - it's beautiful, bright and airy. read more

Best Bar in town. The food is unreal. I'd feel weird giving my money to any other bar knowing this place was nearby. A must try!

This place was cool. But the dude bartender has always been a huge jerk. He doesn't want my money. The woman bartender tonight yelled at me for her not understanding my order. She doubled down on being right and me being wrong. Place has lots of potential but the music is too loud and sucks and the service is terrible. They clearly have their clique of regular customers and don't care to make any new ones feel comfortable. It is what it is. If you're on Market, stick to Chelsea or Ernest and Scott. read more

The food doesn't reflect the review! My dad and I shared two small plates, the tuna poke and wings. Both delicious! He got the mussels which he raved about and I had the cauliflower tacos that were to die for! I didn't care for the fries that came with his mussels, the seasoning just wasn't my thing (a little different). The reason it's only getting 3 stars was the service was SO SLOW. It took forever for our food to come out and the waitress was average at best. We did make a reservation or else we wouldn't of gotten a table. I would go back because the food was delicious but know that you'll spend a good amount of time there! read more

The tempura cauliflower tacos were unexpected amazing! We came as a group and ordered many small plates to share. I didn't try the drinks but my coworkers stated they were made well. I wish this place was here when I lived in Wilmington down the street. read more

The only thing better than the food, drinks, or ambiance - the service. Merchant Bar is a welcomed addition to the Wilmington restaurant scene. read more

Friendly bartender, tasty food and great beers and wine on tap!

Menu advertises an old fashioned with Bulleit Bourbon and bartender proceeds to make the drink with Heaven Hill...right in front of me...charges $12... read more

My boyfriend and I were visiting from out of town and decided to stop into merchant because it had great reviews. We sat at the bar and ordered a drink each and our bartender was horrible and not friendly at all. He wouldn't serve my bf at all until I got back from the bathroom when we arrived. When we got our drinks my bf grabbed us straws from the bar and the bartender confronted him asked if he could help. We then asked about something on the menu to order - he walked away and didn't follow up , there were not many people at the bar. We sat there for a bit but he didn't come back up. The people behind us complained about him and said he was losing business. Overall it was a very rude vibe and we have been to many spots prior. instead of ordering food like we had intended to, we decided to close out our two drinks. For the first time ever, we didn't tip because we didn't think he didn't deserve one, for two drinks. We left the bar and 5 minutes later our bartender CHASED US OUT THE BAR asking what he did to offend us. We told him we weren't impressed with his service and that we only ordered two drinks and not tipping wasn't a big deal. He proceeded to harass us for not leaving him a tip and we said he didn't get a tip for exactly what he was doing chasing us out of the bar, I am appalled by this place and will never ever go back. Andrea should be let go. read more

Merchant Bar was the tapas bar we were directed to when La Fia - the sister restaurant across the street - was full. And boy was this a great choice! The "small plates" design of the menu really shined through with the various options that were available from crispy calamari to korean bbq buns. There were plenty of options for people of all tastes to enjoy and were big enough for everyone to share pretty easily. Our table might have overdone it in getting 5 small plates, 1 board, and 1 entree and we were a group of four. The drinks were delicious too, with plenty of house concoctions for you to choose from. From the small plates we ordered the Tuna Poke, Crispy Calamari, Lamb Meatballs, Smoked Duck, and Korean BBQ buns. Of this list I'd definitely recommend everything but the lamb meatballs which were a bit too gamey and flavorless. We also ordered the Antipasta board which people seemed to enjoy, but I could've done without. Service was great too, the waitress was both accommodating and on point but also not aggressively checking in on us and allowing us to enjoy each other and the food. The ambiance is great with a trendy internal decor (see photos) which makes it great for a casual dinner with coworkers or a more intimate meal. read more

Love the merchant bar! champagne cocktail is yummy! The ingredients in the drinks are fresh.. No fruit syrups..I was pleasantly surprised to see the bartender zesting fresh lemon peel into my friends lemon drop. Food is very good too. The owner is very friendly and usually has a smile on his face. Nice guy..great food..awesome drinks=5 stars. read more

I love this place! Great drinks and food and the bartenders are awesome and very knowledgeable about their products!

Finally a big city place in this town! Best cocktails in Wilmington and delicious food!

Great Atmosphere and decor. The bar looked awesome and definitely had a good crowd on a Thursday night. Would like to say the same about the food. The menu is super small, but apparently it changes frequently. For a group of five for dinner we got several small plates to start. The burrata was not very good, it was not creamy at all. The crab dip was thin and salty. The groups dinner in general was entirely way too salty. Even the side salad was overly salted for some reason, I couldn't even eat it. Hopefully for a new restaurant they are working out some kinks. Definitely a welcomed addition to the downtown area so hopefully they find their groove. read more