The menu is small, but what we ordered was good. I had the chicken breast and my husband had the steak frites. Service was pretty terrible though... We had reservations, which we might not have needed, but it was a Saturday night and we didn't want to run the risk of waiting too long. The hostess literally said NOTHING to us, nothing! We sat for a long time before someone brought us water. Then longer for a server to come over to introduce themselves. Pretty much on and on until we flagged our server down to get the bill. read more

Great atmosphere for meeting up with a couple friends to catch up! Everything we tried was excellent and the service was just right. Overall I would say this place is a great value and a very convenient location from the blue line. read more

The Wedge Salad was good. My friends chicken sandwhich was the "worst meal he had had in 5 years". Looks like a cool place for drinks but the kitchen has work to do. read more

I would be happy to go back the The Merchant tonight, tomorrow night and the night after that! I met a girlfriend for after-work drinks and the place was hoppin'! Really cool happy hour scene, tall ceilings and dark wood décor, put me right in the mood for a smoky scotch. We sat down and shared some appetizers and we were 100% satisfied with both (wouldn't change a thing about either one). We got the wings which were delicious, sweet and salty with a nice crispy skin. The star of the show was the mushroom gnocchi; apparently this was just added to the menu and I hope it is here to stay! Amazing mushrooms (morels I believe?) with a creamy garlicky sauce surrounding the lightest and most pillowy gnocchi. The chef certainly knows what he/she/they are doing! $6 validated parking around the corner at 33 Arch Street was a pleasant surprise as well! But obviously this is more than T-accessible. I will be back!! read more

I heard that this was the place to go after work downtown so we came on a Thursday. I loved the ambience and it felt like a fun place to be. The service however could have been better. It seemed like he was slammed so I understand slower service but we had to ask for water twice and my meal came out 15 minutes before my friends did which was awkward. We had to search for him a lot to get things. Enjoyed the food. I love smaller portions. I had sashimi and the beet salad. My friend had the scallops which were cooked perfectly. read more

I heard about this place through a friend. It was a great place to come to. Martini was great. Love the foods. We had slow roasted sea trout. It was delicious and so fresh! Roasted veggies were excellent! Chicken wings and burgers were great snack on food. Ambience was calm, but lively. Services are great here. I would recommended this place to anyone who want a mini escape after a long stressful day. read more

The Merchant - New American Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

There were a couple of pros and cons for this establishment. We were there for the Valentine's day prix fixe menu. First the cons, but they lead into the pros. Cons: 1. Waitress came over and said she was going to check on our entrees, but we hadn't even recieved our appetizers yet. It had sounded as if there was a problem with our order and now it was getting corrected. We arrived at 9 30 for our reservation and we didn't start eating till 10 30. We were talking so we hadn't realized it had been so long till she came along. 2. Seared scallops were pretty over seasoned (salt and pepper) and the Meyer lemon accompany it didn't really match for my tastes. 3. Grilled sirlion came as the main. Came out rare and seared. I hadn't realized that the waitress forgot to ask how I wanted it cooked till I took my first bite and realized it was red inside. That being said, I actually enjoyed the rarity. Just wished it was not a surprise. Pros: 1. Despite the wait time, the host (manager) was very very cordial and offered us free drinks foe our troubles. Similarly, the waitress was very nice. One star earned for service on that regard. 2. Waitress brought out a new lunch special item from the chef for us to try. Didn't have to but we appreciated that they tried to satisfy the customer. 3. Ambience is really nice. Low lighting but the mood is nice. It was real quiet for a late Vday dinner and it did give us plenty of time to talk, my wife and I. Overall, the food was decent, the staff was nice, the service had a hiccup, but having worked in the food industry I understand that happens from time to time. The plus is that they got to it before we initially realized. As this was a special menu I can't account for their regular fare, but based on what we ate it was good but not worth a return visit. read more

My only experience with the Merchant is at the bar with Zac, who is a great bartender. I asked for a boozy, tequila, mezcal drink with a bit of sweetness. He came back with the best Oaxacan Old Fashioned I have ever had. What a great experience. I love mixologists and Zack is the best. read more

The place is fine if you want to have a couple of beers, but for a good meal, this is just not the place. The food isn´t great and definitely not worth the price... Personally, this place has the record of cooking the worst BBQ Ribs I have ever eaten. Again, a good place for beers, a bad choice for food. read more

Very disappointed in the brunch we had here. The french toast was not cooked through so we sent it back and still got charged for it - it was disgusting with a dirty grill flavor. The bill was quite expensive for unsatisfying food and experience. read more

Great Brunch!! Great service. I sat at the bar and enjoyed the food. I highly recommend it.

Very interesting mix of locals and tourists. Interesting mocktail list. The service was very impressive !

We tried this place when we were looking to have dinner before a show. Great find! Close to theaters, easy to reserve online, and tasty dining experience. They have a solid draft list if you're into local beer. We had the chicken wings to start and they were big and juicy with a light but tasty sauce. For entrees we had the Sea Trout and the Cod -- both were excellent with really flavorful sides and sauces. The kimchi rice with the Sea Trout was delicious (and spicy!) Definitely a solid choice before a show! read more

Great food! Gnocchi was amazing! Seafood fresh and well done. This restraunt was recommended by the an employee at the Langham Hotel. It was a short walk and well worth it. Menu was expansive but not overwhelming. Cocktails were innovative and unique. read more

I had a very unpleasant experience this morning at The Merchant. We came in asked if they were open they said yes and we asked if we could sit by the window. The brunette hostess said. "Yes that's fine." We walked over to the window and we were about to sit down when the blond hostess came up behind us and said, "In the future you go to the table that I sit you at you don't just seat yourself." No hello or welcome that you normally hear from a hostess. This left a bad taste in both my boyfriend and my mouth that we decided to get up in leave. I regret not asking for the manager to explain how unpleasant the employee was to us, but we will never go back to this establishment again. What happened to customer service? read more

Came here last weekend for dinner. Wasn't too crowded. Had a reservation but probably didn't need one - there where a handful of open tables. Food was decent. Oysters were very good, rest of the food was fine. Nothing note worthy. The reason for the two stars was our service. Our waiter Cameron couldn't have been more rude. It wasn't crowded enough for him to give us the attitude he did. He was super inattentive, after first round of drinks never came back to get a second round and once our food was delivered never checked on us to see if we were all set. I flagged him down to ask if they had A1 sauce and his response was "sureeee don't" while walking away. Never providing another option. The food here is not bad (not great but not bad) so if you are in the area it's not a terrible option, just make sure is don't have Cameron as a waiter! read more

Came here for Sunday brunch. Food was good. Had live jazz music. Place was quiet. Great place if you want to get away from the crowds. Parking was easy since its Sunday. read more

This is NOT the place for a business lunch. I went on the first weekday they opened and I've been 5-6 times since -- and it's just very uneven service. Today, even with plenty of empty tables you wait to be seated. Blasé hostess was all like whatever. Waiter was polite but slow. They ran out of the special at 12:15. Food is fine but really not extraordinary in any way. There's a cool vibe and great decor, but there's still too many gaps. The Merchant has a lot if work to do... read more

I had a great experience at The Merchant! The food was great and my margarita was amazing! The service was friendly and prompt! I will be back! read more

I love it !! Fine restaurant with great food and service . I was actually surprised to hear that it just opened as there didn't seem to be any problems. People should be realistic when commenting on new establishments. They are typically busy due to the newness and typically have minor issues. It was busy but I didn't have any issues at all. In fact the manager or owner stopped by to ask for feedback. And really asked. Not just the normal how are things. They asked what suggestions or improvements would we make. A good sign that they are committed to quality and to continuously improving ! I had the mussels and the Duck. They were great ! And there are enough choices on the menu that will bring me back again and again ! My wife had the scallops . Great also We had beers after. Great selections on tap. If you like "real" beer this is the place to go. The bar is along side the restaurant and it is visible but I felt there was good separation when we were dining. read more

The server was SO NICE - kept checking in, very polite, professional. I just didn't like my experience in the food and beverage department. Though, it looks like a cool place to have a drink at the bar. I ordered salad with grilled chicken on it. The chicken was so dry, I think it was a few days old...barely could cut it. It was nicely plated, so do not be fooled like I was, at the sight of it. The pinot grigio tasted corked...so when the drink goes to hell, you have a problem! The bread they serve is one week old, at least- you can barely break it... what a shame....good location, but the stuff that keeps customers coming back for more is certainly lacking. read more

Merchant is one of my favorite places to come for drinks after work or to end a Saturday night out. The bar is huge and the bartenders are very friendly. They have an extensive beer list, great cocktails (I'm a big fan of the Saber Tooth - sweet and spicy!) and a solid bar food menu. I've also had dinner here a couple of times, and the food is good. I will definitely continue to be a regular here! read more

My colleagues and I were looking for a new bar/restaurant to check out yesterday (April 2nd) after work ( I also wanted to check out the private dining space for an upcoming event my company is hosting). I'd passed by Merchant a couple of weeks ago, and suggested we go there. Although the reviews weren't that great (Yelp, for bad customer/hostess service), we decided to head there anyhow. On my lunch break I went to check out the space, and possibly make a reservation. I was greeted by two hosts, both told me the tables in the bar area could not be reserved. When my team & I arrived back at Merchant around 5:20 pm, the area which I was told could not be reserved, was reserved. There weren't any available dinner reservations. I asked to speak with the Manager. She came over, did not introduce herself, I explained the situation to her, she was unapologetic, unsympathetic, and her attitude a bit lackadaisical. I guess we'll continue to take our business to Intercontinental, The Langham, and Legals Harborside. Venues which cater, and pride themselves on excellent customer service. Anything less is totally unacceptable. We'll also listen to the Yelp reviews next time, no need to waste our time. read more

Good spacious bar and restaurant. Attended the Icelandic taste week and had a great time. The welcome was nice. The chef was gracious. The service was not friendly, which was surprising. read more

The wife and I found out about the Merchant due to there delicious looking burger and crispy wings that seemed to proclaim the fame. We arrived and immediately ordered a couple of drinks and the crispy wings with two oysters. Yet we didn't receive any crispy wings at all...the only thought rolling around in my head was laffy taffy and bubble gum. Because chewy wings fit better than crispy in my opinion, plus we had to force ourselves to eat three wings and we were starving. The wife isn't too fond of oysters, but as a chef myself I devour those lovely bi-valves by the dozen. When the oysters came to the table I got excited as usuall, though my excitement over the perfectly looking shucked oysters with no damaged meat soon fell short. For when you add mignonette sauce to your oysters you typically get a whimsical crunch from the cracked pepper and bruniose shallots slightly broken down from the acid. Not at Merchant! The crunch seemed to last throughout my slurping session because as the nice as those oysters looked somebody forgot to fully clean the oysters of the their shelly bits. So our hopeful experience started out as a let down, yet we kept our hopes high for the beef burgers that looked delicious on the web....eeeggghhhh! Wrong again! We recieved a giant dissatisfied main course. The top bun cracked under the delicate pressure of our simple grip to consume the burger seeming stale-ish and completely under seasoned. Not to mention compensating for their lack of S&P with the over used glob of black pepper aioli. It was a good aioli but way too too much. I am pretty sure the best part of the entire experience was the maverick's store bought frozen fries...cause they sure tasted like Ore Ida. Overall not what was visually expected and/or promised. But before I end this lovely description of poor service to the public, that was precisely the saving grace the Merchant could of had...the service! From start to finish our server showed slight interest in our experience for the table was never cleared from the oysters, the soft chewy wings, and the gigantor cardboard burgers. The first thing that was picked up the entire time we were seated was the check when we were leaving. Even though we were literally the last call customers for lunch doesn't mean standards should be thrown out the window similarly resembling the care for quality the kitchen showed. read more

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We had dinner last night at the newly re-opened The Merchant in downtown Boston. The place was rocking! It's so good to see this establishment open again after a long COVID shutdown. It used to be a very active bar and dinner place for the office workers and even though most office workers are still away, the bar scene here last night was very busy. Everyone in our party was pleased with our dinner choices. I had the Thai curry with tofu. Delicious. The fish & chips were also excellent. Order the French fries here. They are great. What I especially like about the menu is it's rather limited. There are maybe 10 starters, a few salads, and perhaps 8-10 main courses. I really like that as it allows the kitchen to be really good at a few things instead of being average in a lot of things. Our server Devon was very lively and very attentive. She helped make the evening. Welcome back The Merchant! read more

Had lunch here the opening week. Very good. Great atmosphere: good for after work drinks, a night out or a casual lunch. Perfectly located in the downtown area by the financial district. Highly recommend the spot. Cheers read more

Spent a couple of hours last night at "The Merchant" which I believe had only opened the previous Saturday. Really enjoyed myself, a great selection of beer and wine, a raw bar, and chefs from the famous Craigie on Main, so the foods not bad either! Bar staff were smartly dressed, engaging and diligent, even though the place was very busy and I was sat at the very end of the (very long) bar. The décor reminded me of a grand New York bar of the roaring 20's, everyone looked happy, and the comments I overheard from other patrons were all positive. Looking forward to going back. read more

Great place to grab drinks after work! It is a little dark and can get very crowded with the way it is set up but is the best after work spot in that area. Apps/oysters are always great, menu for dinner is limited. read more

Had the pleasure of eating at Merchant right as they opened their doors. I predict this will be a very popular spot in Downtown Crossing area. The drink options are plentiful ... lots of beers on tap, including many hard to find and local options. Mixed drinks also appear to be a specialty, and I see many a post-work pop in for folks who work in the area. The menu is Brasserie style, with lots of the traditional touches. The duck was excellent and the steak frites was exactly as I like it. At this point, I'd strongly urge you make reservations to avoid a wait as it's pretty popular for dinner. Looking forward to seeing what they do for a breakfast menu down the road, and will also keep this in mind as a late night dining option for post-theater or other times when I'm hungry and the clock is pre or post midnight. read more

Came here for the first time. Got 4 apps and drinks. Service was top notch. Drinks were excellent. All the food was amazing. Pleasant suprise for a small spot in town!!! Will be back. read more

Love this place! Check out their Tomato Sandwich, it's amazing! Lots to choose from, right near all of the downtown shopping as well.

This menu is full of lies! I'm not really impressed. The decor is nice and it's a pretty big place. Looks like it would be great for drinks but the dinner was a bit disappointing. Service was slow as hell but i think it's because it's new. it took 45 min to get our food. The "all natural" ( i don't even know what that means) burger was a very dry but the fries were really good. it lacked a lot of flavor. the steak and egg was such a small portion and the egg is actually an egg yolk, but it tasted good. The steak frite wasn't bad but also a small size portion. Then came dessert....we were fooled into thinking the banana creme brûlée came with a graham cracker crust......at most they just threw a few crumbs over a custard that tastes nothing like a true creme brûlée. The molten chocolate cake is pretty good though. i don't see myself coming back any time soon. read more

It is unfortunate I was so quick to judge this restaurant (and kudos to the manager and staff for arranging a return visit for us): The service was very good; the food, though somewhat small in portion, was excellent; and the drinks were strong and well made. read more

Great ambiance and beer selection. Love the lighting! Service at bar is fantastic . Will be back!

I went here with a group of 6 before a show at the Orpheum theater. It was a Friday evening around 6 pm. The place was packed with business people crowding the bar for the traditional after work drinks. It was very loud in the place, but had a great, lively vibe. We had reservations and were quickly seated. The food menu is small, but very interesting. The wine, beer and drinks menus are quite large. We all ordered drinks, which came pretty quickly. One nice touch I observed was that wine ordered by the glass was poured at the table by our sever. I like that a lot. With such a large selection of by the glass wine it's really reassuring to know you got exactly what was ordered. We ordered some oysters for the table, which were fabulous. A couple salads were also ordered which were all fresh and very tasty. For our main meals, everyone ordered something different and everyone was thrilled with what they received. I had the pork two ways, which was great, but I wish there was more of it. Two pieces of pork loin were cooked perfectly and very moist. A chunk of pork belly was to die for and the main reason I chose the dish. It had a great hard sear on the top and lovely buttery, melt in the mouth texture throughout. Our server informed us that they get all their pork from a local farm and and breakdown and cure everything in-house. Quite impressive, and the quality showed. Two others ordered the steak and eggs, which was recommended and out of this world. They take a fresh egg yolk, freeze it, bread it, then fry it. It was served on top of two very generous, perfectly cooked pieces of beef. Both loved the dish. Someone ordered the burger and said it was one of the best they ever had. In all the meal was fantastic. Some portions a bit small, others quite large. As the after work crowd thinned out, the noise level got much better. I would definitely come back here. read more

Great experience. Great hidden gem in the center of downtown crossing, food and drinks were terrific. We ate at the massive bar and really enjoyed the suggestions of the bartender, who helped make a great dinner. We started with the fried pickle spears, which were the best spears I have tried, but I would still prefer fried pickle chips. We next tried the fried tofu app, which was great. Really light and fresh, great texture. The bartender talked up the burger, and the praise was well deserved. Many of the kitchen staff came from Cragie on Main and Radius, both known for having a couple of Boston's best burgers. Both were delicious, and the fries were addictive, classy versions of McDonald's fries. The cocktails were great and reasonably priced. They have Gotham wine project wines on draft, pouring large glasses of decent wine for $8, and they have a terrific draft beer selection. The bartender noted that nearly every sauce and ingredient in the restaurant is homemade, and we could taste the difference in the food. Only exceptions: Heinz ketchup ("you just can't beat the original," she said) and the burger rolls (they order from Iggys, which makes some of the area's best breads. This is a real neighborhood gem, and I look forward to returning. read more

We went to The Merchant for dinner last night and thought it was very good! For those of you who remember the place as London Harness- the transformation is amazing! The restaurant lay out is perfect with an open concept for the dining and bar so everyone feels like they are part of the action and you are able to see the games if you are having dinner! The decor was great, having that old Boston / Vintage /industrial charm. We had a a party of nine and the service was pretty good for a busy Saturday night. We understood that they are just opening and fine tuning things (thinking some of the other yelpers should give them a break) and overall we were pleased and will return. The menu was creative and provided some nice options. Our party enjoyed their meals- scallops, steak and eggs and i had the burger which was delightful! Nice job folks! Keep up the good work and we look forward to returning! read more

Awesome food and ambience - great place to meet up with friends after work or to just watch a game...and was pleasantly surprised with how good the food was! Mahi mahi tacos were great size and absolutely delicious and the spicy ramen was fantastic. Perfect Boston staple. read more

This is the worst god damn place of all time. It does not deserve to be an establishment. The food is terrible and our party had a person cut off after four drinks when he was sitting casually and conversing for no reason other than that they "didn't feel comfortable serving four drinks within two hours." We thought that they were joking.. we literally couldn't believe it. If you are looking for terrible food, snarky waitresses that cut people off that are giving them great business, and overall terrible service then this is the place to go! Happy weekend to you all. Merchants, I HATE YOU. read more