Bar service. Definitely a beer, not wine place. Lots of fried and heavy carb options. Few fresh salads -- in fast they 'ran out' of Cobb salads. If you love bad pub food -- this is your place. If you love fresh farm to table -- may not be so good for you. read more

We had brunch here with our niece and it was good. My spouse had the shrimp cake eggs benedict, which were well cooked and served with delicious potatoes, and a small salad as well. My son had the fried chicken sandwich which he very much enjoyed--he ate it start to finish before he paused enough to interact, which is a good sign indeed. I had the Bibb salad and it was well dressed. They had cheese curds on the menu, but this was our third meal out in 2 days and we were just too full for that kind of splurge. read more

I have held off writing this review because I hate giving bad reviews. I waited because I thought maybe I'd just forget about it, but I find myself warning all my friends about this place. We went here for their Valentines three course dinner. We like doing these types of dinners because we feel like we get to try a little bit of everything (starter, main, dessert etc.). The first thing that was strange was they didn't include dessert in one of the courses. It was essentially 2 starters and a main dish, and then dessert was extra cost. Most places that offer "coursed meals" include a dessert as one of the courses (naturally). I wasn't upset about this though because I knew that going in, just thought it was strange, like it was a tactic. So here's what really caused a poor experience: First, the advertising for this 3-course meal states "starting at $75 for two." (I'll post a picture of this advertising) FOR TWO, it said. I assumed the "starting at" was there because dessert was extra. But, once we got there and started to order our meals, we were told the 3-course meal FOR TWO only included ONE main entree. What?!? I was mind blown. I would assume a 3 course meal for two would include one of each of the shareable small plates and two main dishes. Since when has a dinner "for two" meant you had to share a main entree?! I feel like this was totally a bait and switch situation. I felt deceived. Of course we ended up purchasing a second main entree. Next, the dinner included 2 glasses of champagne. I asked about a non-alcoholic option and they said they could not offer me anything as a substitute, not even a sparkling water, NOTHING. I was directed to the cocktail menu and was assured that I could request any cocktail be made non-alcoholic (for extra cost). The food was unenjoyable. We ordered steak frites and broiled whitefish as our main dishes. The steak frites was so fatty and chewy. It was the poorest quality meat I've ever had at a restaurant. The whitefish came with potato wedges and coleslaw. The potato wedges were awful. They tasted like they had been drenched in vinegar. The coleslaw was so bland, literally flavorless. It was like eating plain, unseasoned cabbage. My husband ordered a glass of Cabernet and he couldn't finish it. He said it did not taste good and there was so much sediment in it. You could clearly see a layer of sediment in the bottom of the glass. The place was very loud and noisy. It was not a good place for a date night. Also, we told our waiter we were finished and it took an unreasonable time for us to finally get our check after saying we were finished. It was nearly 45 minutes after asking for the check! I'm so bummed, but this was an absolutely terrible experience for us. read more

Merchant - Dinner "for two" only includes one entree. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Delightful breakfast place, though it felt a little fancy for my 4 year old. Loved the big smashed potatoes and the spicy honey sauce with the cheese curds. Was so surprised by the sourdough waffles. Delicious! Downtown garage parking. read more

I love Merchant. After the remodel it's more spacious and breathable with plenty of windows. I love the lounge seating and dim lights making it quite intimate. Their drinks a superb! Great options and the attention to detail, look at the little M pressed into the SINGLE ice cube for the old fashioned as its meant to be! (^.^) This chicken dish was the most succulent and juicy chicken breast I've ever eaten in my entire life...no exaggeration. My friend was also in awe. This food literally lit up my tastebuds. They have a Tuesday night cheap date night with appetizer and entrees which change every week and it is very affordable for excellent food and a bottle of wine!!! Our server kept checking in and told us if the wine wasn't to our liking we could always switch from white to red. The bartender was super friendly and tailored one of the drinks to our preference and it was great. Do not sleep on Merchant. One of my favs. read more

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Prior to the remodel, I had only been to Merchant once before but let me tell you, the updates are decadent! Rich earth tones offset by Ivory and emerald accents along with subtle mood lighting give the space an elegantly intimate vibe. The menu, although not expansive, offers a little of everything. Classic Wisconsin cheese curds with the traditional ranch and not so traditional hot honey paired with one of many vivacious cocktails or a glass of wine are a great way to get things started. Onto the main course and your options range from fish fry to gnocchi, steak frites to crispy-skin salmon. Although some of the flavors in the main dishes did not quite tantalize the tastebuds, the atmosphere, service, and delectable beverages will have me coming back for more. read more

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I was not impressed with this restaurant, mostly because the food wasn't good in any way. The ambiance was good. Our waiter was nice, but not a good waiter. There was extraneous dishes all over the table, and yet there were missing glasses and flatware. There was no attention to detail. I think it just wasn't our servers calling to work at a restaurant. The food though, is one star. The fried cheese curds were OK. The hamburgers were covered in a very sharp wisconsin cheese and it was just too much. We ended up not being able to eat them, scraping the cheese off. And I like cheese! This was gross though. We also go a white fish dish that was dried out and boring, served with two tired salads. It just entirely was not good. I wouldn't recommend this place. Try Graze, its nearby and soooo much better. read more

Not great for vegetarians. Others seemed to have liked their meal. Dessert was pretty good. Drinks as well.

My son and I went to Merchant after the UW basketball game yesterday; we wanted to try their no-alcohol cocktail menu, plus we were there in time for brunch. We had to ask for the NA menu, and the bartender asked if we were doing Dry January which really is none of her business. We wanted to be friendly though, so we responded and my son (32 years old) said he was going for a dry 2024. She said something along the lines of "good luck with that, bud". We were the only two at the bar, other than a man sitting at the end of the bar who appeared to be a Merchant employee and her trainer. She made and served our drinks (regular Bloody and NA margarita), never asking if we wanted to place a food order. A group of 5 guys came in after we'd been there 15 or so minutes, and sat at the bar, on the other side of us, and one of them also appeared to be an employee (what are the odds) who went and sat with the trainer. Bartender walked past us to get their orders, walked past us to get the employee's order, made the drinks (lengthy process), walked past us to give the 4 guys their drinks.....then hung out at the end of the bar with the two other employees. By then we had had enough. I closed out our bill ($26.38 for those two drinks, one NA and tiny, so beware of costs if you go) and got out of there. Worst service I have experienced in years and we will never go back. read more

Alright, right off the bat. Very hospitable staff. I got the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich and it was delightful. It was the perfect size sandwich and the ingredients were just evenly sprinkled. It was our first time here in Madison (we are from California) and was very well welcomed. This is a "Winner Winner Chicken dinner" read more

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Heard all kinds of goodness about this place for cocktails and drinks for happy hour so I simply had to go check this place out.....as if I needed a reason to check out the capitol square! Glad I did (even if it was solo.....again) I had a good time checking this place out. Rustic tavern feel, busting socialization going on at the bar. 830pm on a Thursday night and cold as hell out....did not keep the Madisonians from getting a good drink on! I got a whiskey sour ($10) and ordered up the chicken breast entree($26). My pics are not the best as the place is dimly lit for lighting but I actually liked that. Candles at your table set the scene well. Live music was going on during my stay as well, bit loud for the size of the place IMO but still good vibes. My drink came out quick and I loved it. Not a whiskey guy really but they made it work well here. My entree was awesome. A super tasty sage risotto with butternut squash base with maybe the most tender piece of apple cider glazed chicken breast I have ever had. Topped with cherry-apple chutney to make for the perfect balance of sweet and tartness. Portions are on the small side IMO but the quality is lacking nothing. You pay a premium for the exclusively locally sourced farm-to-table aspect of this venue. Service is pretty quick, accurate and tentative. Great place for drinks as everyone says but also a good place for sub grub if paying a little more is OK with you. read more

Merchant - chicken breast entree $26 and whiskey sour $10. on point! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Merchant was hands down a solid choice for brunch in Madison. We were in Wisconsin's capital for a wedding the night before and wanted to hit up brunch with the crew that morning. As busy as brunch can be pretty much anywhere we landed a table for 10 easily. The place was semi-dead when we arrived as we came around 9:30 am. Merchant picked right up though and left me feeling very happy we landed the table we had. What I have to appreciate about this place was the service. We had a waiter and he was very attentive and informative. Whether it be about food options or the drinks on the menu, he was solid. He was so solid at cash out he even told us about the automatic 20% gratuity added to our bill. That to me is solid as it gets. The food well it was good. I enjoyed a salmon cake benedict and it was every bite of scrumptious. My wife had eggs, toast and sausage. A basic breakfast and really nothing to complain about. Our drinks were great. Really tasty coffee, a solid Bloody Mary and even some killer dark stout brews. I'm not sure if Merchant would be my go to spot for brunch but it sure hit the spot that day. I would try them for an afternoon lunch or dinner any day though. That bar was solid and I enjoyed the beers in particular. There is a reason Merchant has four solid stars and it shows! Good job! Keep it up! read more

Merchant - The bar duh! Solid tap list! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Great food, creative and yummy drinks, fantastic service- even despite a color blind uniform mishap- we'll be back! read more

Merchant - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I don't mind paying high food prices- even if the food is just ok. But "ok" food and crappy service is what makes this stop a waste of your wallet and your time. Single diner here at the bar. Easy $75 tab with food and drink bartender treated me like I was wasting his time. Messed up my order. Then corrected me when I tried to ask what happened. Plenty of great restaurants here in Madison- no need to even bother here. read more

Lovely outside dining in the summer, good food too! Went for a brunch and was not disappointed with either the steak and eggs or chicken sandwich. read more

Overall: I will give a 4.5. Food: Beef tartare: really good, the beef is fresh. The flavor of beef, oil, salt, egg yolk and the crispiness of the bread mix perfectly well together. Crab fritters: too salty and it tastes like the octopus balls from the food truck Roasted Chicken: Amazing. The chicken is marinated and all the flavor of herbs and spicy goes into the chicken. But the black pepper sauce is a little too salty. Pan Seared Branzino: Fish is crispy and tender. Other seafood ingredients are just OK. The sauce does not go well with all the ingredients in the plate. I will rather have it without the sauce. read more

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The food itself was good enough (mussels, scallops, tenderloin), but not for the price. And while I was totally digging the music, it's way too loud for a 5:00 dinner crowd on Saturday. We could barely have a conversation without screaming across the table. Everything took foooreeeeevvvver. Even drinks at 5:00 when there was nearly no one else in the joint, took entirely too long. Our whole dinner experience took 2 1/2 hours, and we rushed her at the end for the bill because we had to be somewhere else. Insane. They like to conveniently leave ingredients off the menu. We ordered a charcuterie board which came with almonds. Not a big deal unless you're allergic. Never mentioned on the menu. Mussels state they are in a white wine sauce. Once it came out, it's a very obvious cream/dairy based sauce, which if known, would've influenced the choice. I'm not sure what all the hype is about. This was our first, and last time here. read more

Merchant - Ploughmans Platter - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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I will say that the entire dining experience was enjoyable! The ambience with the outdoor streatery was very welcome and the inside was decently spaced and allowed for plenty of natural light. I might have caught the kitchen on an off day but the food for brunch was average at best. I ordered the lamb sliders with fries as well as the charcuterie board (pics below!). Negatives - The funk from the dry age lamb didn't come through at all but more importantly, the meat was overdone. The pretzel bun tasted stale and had an almost raw/untoasted undertone. Perhaps the most disappointing were the fries, which were quite blatantly stale. The charcuterie board was also overpriced for the quantity of food it came with. Positives - The flavor combinations were sophisticated and well thought out, it's just the execution that was lacking. The smoked honey and the basil asiago were unique and played well with the more conventional items on the board. The cherry mostarda was the perfect counterbalance to the richness from the gouda and the lamb. I'd have to be convinced to come here again, but always willing to be proven wrong! read more

Merchant - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Only had brunch here. Chilaquiles were pretty good. Service was okay. Very pretty windows inside. J's bloody mary was real good too.

Tonight this was exceptionally mediocre as for food (except cheese curds and French fries). I had the toughest yet fatty steak I have ever ordered at a restaurant. Didn't even eat half of it. Everything about this place seemed like it was a pretend place. Surface level trendy. Must have been the waiters first night on Job. He came to table ZERO times to check in about anything. He served me a beer in a can and I had to go to the bar to ask for a glass. Our table of 8 dropped $420 tonight. We never even saw this guy until he showed up with the check which included 20% tip already added. Never again. Now that I'm writing this I've convinced myself our experience totally sucked tonight. Maybe it's better on other nights. I don't think I'll ever have time to find out. I'll roll the dice on anywhere else being a better option. Or just come for some fries/curds. They were good. read more

Haven't been to Merchant in a few years but I really enjoyed my recent visit! They have sweet happy hour deals from 4-6pm everyday- including weekends! The sweet corn fondue & cheese curds were delicious, & the oklahoma onion burger was perfect. Their cocktails are fantastic as always, and i love the illustrations in the menu. read more

I'm honestly not sure how people could give this place anything less than five stars. As someone who loves a craft cocktail, Merchant has my heart. The bartenders are known for being basically the best craftsmen in the city, and I've never had a disappointing drink here. Plus, their menu has plenty of options. And none of that vodka soda stuff; they're all upscale drinks designed and chosen for people not just looking to get drunk, but actually enjoy the art that cocktails can be. The drink menu is broken down by spirit, so you can browse based on preference of base liquor. But the food is amazing as well. For example, one of my standbys is the lamb sliders, which I could eat every day for the rest of my life. They do an excellent job of mixing big city with Madison charm; with plates ranging from Prince Edward Island mussels and beef carpaccio, to a fried chicken sandwich, quinoa market bowl, and steak frites, the menu is both intentionally abbreviated and widely appealing. read more

As offered, we returned the week of reopening to give "the new Merchant" a chance. Here are our thoughts: Food: Menu is seasonal and somewhat limited. Cost is high for small portions (but we know that's everywhere right now). Cheese curds had chili powder in them but weren't clearly advertised as such. Menu stated "hot honey" which I read as warmed, but meant spicy. The order is about 2/3 the size of the old one. I personally liked the old one better. Beet carpaccio. Beets were tasty, but the dish needed salt and more crème fraiche (or preferably goat cheese or some citrus notes). Miss the Ploughman's already... meat and cheese boards are separate with different pieces of the former board on each. I loved that combo board because it was the right size and price. Now, it's $46 to get what was formerly on the board for less than $30. Huge disappointment. I want an option for a small/large board vs. either/or. Half chicken was good - juicy, cooked well. Beans were a nice alternative to potatoes or rice. Carrots were burned more than is desirable. We dearly missed the chocolate pudding with cherries. We tried the raspberry napoleon but were underwhelmed from lack of flavor. Drinks: The drink quality was previously superior to almost anywhere else we dine. The drinks on this visit were not up to par, and they were noticeably smaller (as in half the size). Service: Since they just opened, they are still training. Service was average. Missed opportunities to check in (e.g., checked on one table, went inside). Took longer than expected. Atmosphere: The upgraded tables outside and the general ambiance is nice. Inside looks more clean in design. Overall: We appreciated the effort to have us try again after our last experience. I can look past the quirks from newness, but I wanted to love it... I didn't. We will probably visit once and awhile, but I don't see us making our once weekly visits anytime soon. read more

The ambience of the restaurant is very nice and they offered a free beer to my husband for fathers Day and gave a glass of champagne to me because our daughter got married the day before. Very nice. We ordered cheese curds but since I don't like them, I can't review. The problem is that the prices are quite high (which I knew) but the food is nothing special. Husband and my Dad had duck confit ($30 for each) and neither thought much of it. I ordered light, shrimp cakes over greens ... overly fried, little flavor. Perhaps we hit a bad night but for $160 before tip, I won't give the place another try. read more

We had a really great experience here. We had a cheese board, drinks, & dessert which was all excellent including our service. Our server Trey was knowledgeable, attentive, & friendly. The atmosphere was clean, fresh, & cute. read more

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I came here for Mother's Day Brunch with my family, and we were all blown away by our food. Our waitress was so nice and very knowledgeable of the menu. The prices are on the higher end for brunch, but the food is so tasty and high quality. No one in my family was disappointed with their food at all. The decor and atmosphere match the quality of the food. They have a wide variety on their menu, with some traditional items and some more inventive brunch entrees. I wouldn't say I'd be a regular here, but an occasional weekend brunch at Merchant is guaranteed not to disappoint. read more

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Bumping the review up to 4 stars. Really impressed by the management reaching out after a less than stellar experience. Because of the outreach, we will definitely try Merchant again the next time we are in Madison. Thank you! Previous post - Rather disappointed. Merchant is beautiful bar and restaurant in a great location with a terrific indoor outdoor vibe. It is supposed to be a high-end cocktail bar with upscale food, but the drinks, food, and service were not great. The cocktails were sugary and inconsistent, the chorizo and peppercorn steak entrees were just ok, and the service was slow - and it was 5:30 pm on a Sunday. Maybe the restaurant saves its best mixologists, chefs and servers for Friday and Saturday night. read more

Update from a restaurant week visit 2020: Menu is the same as the regular menu which I didn't catch when I made a 7:00 reservation two weeks in advance. I hadn't yet tried the dinner menu so it was fine but still thought that was odd for this week? Brussel sprouts were pretty darn good and different than what I've had elsewhere. Nashville hot chicken was fine; I'm still developing my taste preferences for this dish but this wasn't my favorite that I've had to date. A note that if you want fries as your "appetizer" to go with your burger or sandwich, make sure you ask that they come out together as one member of my party learned. Lastly, I find it humorous that I commented on the reservation policy the last time I was here and reviewed. One hour and fifteen minutes into our visit, just a few minutes after we had cashed out but were still conversing and catching up with one another, our party of three was asked to leave (now) to accommodate another reservation at 8:15. So my lasting impression will be this: solid cocktail menu, okay food, and less than impressive service as a general rule. They unfortunately left me with the perception that it's not about your experience here, it's about how many experiences they can fit in on any given night. read more

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Love this spot - as both a solo dinner and with a group! Nice atmosphere with great food and drinks.

Absolutely loved this place! Popped in on a Friday night and was able to get seated right away. We had multiple appetizers on the table...plates were clean within minutes. Our entrees didn't take long and we're all delicious. I had the steak frites.... YUM. Meat was cooked perfectly, melted in your mouth. Overall experience was wonderful! read more

Merchant - Steak Frites - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Best Friday night stop! We love the new autumnal cocktails. So awesome to have a roasted marshmallow as an adornment to my "campfire" cocktail. Love the food and the service. Attentive, welcoming...cool vibe read more

It was all downhill after the cheese curds. Despite a wonderful atmosphere and attentive wait staff, the food was excessively pricey and lacking in flavor. This was a $20-a-plate place, not a $30-a-plate place. If you're contemplating merchant, do yourself and your wallet/purse a favor and head to one of the excellent king st dining establishments; settle down is literally right next door. read more

Awesome place! Great service and great food. Beautiful atmosphere and the outside seating was lovely as well. We were working on the building a couple doors down and their kitchen was one of the few that were open later than most in the area. Even though I walked in wearing high-vis green and slightly grungy from work, he employees didn't bat an eye and treated me and my coworker with the same respect and attention as any other customer there. Instantly made my night, especially after seeing the rest of the clientele. I ordered the lamb sliders and the stuffed mushrooms. Absolutely LOVED the sliders, juicy, delicious and such a variety of flavors on the palette too. The savory meat and cheese was complimented with a slightly sweet and tangy sauce so perfectly a culinary genius or mad scientist must have been behind it. The mushrooms were not my cup of tea but, good in general. I think the different types of wild mushrooms threw me off because it wasn't something I was expecting. Guess I should've read the menu description lol. If you enjoy wild mushrooms, get this dish. Personally though, I'm gonna look at another dish though. The one and only gripe I had was the advertisement of 'late night hotdogs' being out on the chalk board when in fact they did not offer them during 'Restaurant Week'... pretty upsetting since we wanted to snag some around 11 pm which is our normal 'lunch' break. Aside from that little let down. 100% recommend it. read more

Merchant - Lamb Sliders are delicious! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Great meal and cocktails. The Friday fishfry was great and the beet salad a great change of pace.

My husband and I love Lucille, so we figured we had to give Merchant (its' sister restaurant) a try. We had a great experience here! The interior is very aesthetic and modern. We stopped by for happy hour after work, and each got a few cocktails and some appetizers. The cheese curds were delicious! The cocktail menu is unique and reasonably-priced. The bartenders were very friendly, and took care of us well. We'll be back! read more

Anyone who is into cocktail culture should plan a visit to Merchant. The talented bartenders put on an entertaining show as they concoct an amazing variety of specialty drinks. If you can, grab a seat at the bar and watch the magic happen. We stopped in for a nightcap and ordered a couple of glasses of fruity red wine and a slice of the decadent flourless chocolate cake. In the 45 minutes or so that we sipped our wine, I don't think I saw any of the four bartenders make the same drink twice. The made everything with a flourish and lots of crazy shaking, straining, stirring and twists. It seemed every specialty drink had its own unique glass and the guys wasted no time in their work. Come for a drink and be prepared to be entertained- these guys definitely know what they are doing. read more

Great dinner. Waitress was very attentive. Good selection of cocktails and they were all well executed. Snails in bread was excellent. Fried cheese curds were better than the Old Fashioned's. The duck was flavorful. Nice laid back comfortable vibe. read more

Fool me once... We used to love Merchant. Yea, we would always gripe about their 5 oz culinary cocktails costing more than $15 in many cases, but at least they were good. We would always go back for the one reliably good thing on the menu- the lamb sliders. About 18 months ago, we went, got our usual, and both promptly got food poisoning about an hour after we left the restaurant. They were great about it, aplogetic, and gave us a generous $100 gift voucher to make up for it. Fast forward to tonight and we finally got the stomach to go back and use our gift card. After all, they just recently reopened with a new menu and some pricey renovations so we had high hopes. It was an immense let down. Service was great, we had a polite waitress and two other male employees who were attentive to our drink and bussing needs. We both got the steak frites. My wife's was alright- edible, good taste, but a little rare for her liking (she usually orders medium rare to rare), and pretty chewy. Her review..."Alright, not the best. Not great." Mine however was completely inedible. I'm not trying to be hyperbolic when I say this...I chewed a single piece for over 4 minutes with no success. I had to spit it out in a napkin. On top of that, the steak arrived cold. Like room temperature cold. Which I didn't understand because to food came out rather quickly; the only explanation was that it must have already been cooked...stockpiled in back...allowing it to cool down. Which makes sense since the waitress asked, "is medium rare OK" when I ordered, as if anything else would have to be spun up special. I regretted not having gotten the burger the entire time, and walked out hungry and frustrated. We gave you guys another shot. We ended up disappointed. For us, the good times we once had at Merchant, and the thousands spent at the bar are a thing of the past. We won't be back. There's too many great restaurants within a stones throw of you guys to even consider spending our dough there again. Send like your one saving grace is stellar cocktails... But the cheese curds were good. Spicy honey was a nice touch, but the $34 piece of cow plastic kind of negated that. read more

We stopped in after their remodel and left disappointed. What was their strongest aspect-their cocktail program-appears to have been skinnied down and in my case, pretty barren. Twice, our server had to come back to inform me that they were out of my bourbon choice. Also confusing is their choice to use Tanqueray as their base gin in many of their cocktails. Way too juniper forward to be used in a Ramos Gin Fizz for example. The remodel opened up the space to allow for more seating. While expanding their tables, the menu has been whittled down a bit. The food was just ok. Underseasoning was the general theme for the night. While the herbed dumplings were flavorful, the portion size didn't warrant the $25 price point. Yes, understand that prices have increased but plenty of dishes in Madison that would rank above the dish at a similar price point. I was never a huge fan of the food at Merchant but with their cocktail list also not exciting, I don't see me visiting anytime soon. read more

Merchant has been around for some time now. I've been multiple times, and have always had great dining and drink experiences. The food is consistently good, the atmosphere is great, and the drinks are good and appropriately priced. Recommend to anyone. read more