The Merchant

I’ve met the most interesting people in my life at this bar — and that’s saying something as I travel frequently. From an insane asylum worker, to an amazing ballerina, to a former CIA operative — this bar has it all.
I’m a solo drinker or I tend to like small company/​dates, opting to take a seat and take in the environment, and open myself up to meeting new people. This bar has always delivered. The drink menu is original and constantly being updated, and the food is all fantastic (though slightly expensive for what you get). The burger and french fries come highly recommended. The fries are the small stringy type that you’d get out Hillstone/​Houstons. A favorite when paired with aioli.
ALSO — Jazz Brunch! One of the best brunches in Boston. Go with the Big Breakfast — forewarning — it is actually a BIG breakfast. A lot of bang for your buck.
Great for a date if you are going for a medium-​priced bar date — the hard wood and dark lighting lead to an intimate setting. The bartenders know how to facilitate conversation, and you can play off of them to improve your date.
Always recommend!

Good American food at a high price. The beer selection and drinks are really delicious. I got the duck as an entrée; it was very well cooked. I would definitely go back!

I ordered the fish and chips today, this is my first time coming to The Merchant. The fries were well seasoned, but I didn’t like the batter they used for the fish. The batter is similar to Chicken Fingers that you would get from a Chinese restaurant which I thought was weird. I payed $ 17 for fish and chips (lunch portion), it’s highly unlikely that I’ll return here since I don’t drink.

Caught lunch there and was quite happy with the country fried chicken sandwich and greens. Flavorful and filling, and I appreciate their attentiveness to location (though I’m no foodie). The beer menu is great — well-​presented and well-​stocked. Great service for our party of 5 despite a busy 12pm rush and pleasant ambiance on a sunny Boston day. The quality justifies the price.

I work around the corner, been here about a dozen times. Mainly for work lunch meetings, food is «ok». Service though is poor especially at the bar, wanted to grab a drink after work before a networking event just sat at the bar on a week day for 10+mins and no bartenders even looked at me. I asked the barback can I order a beer and he looked at me like he didn’t speak English (guy was obviously from Sudbury). I just left.
Go here if work is paying… otherwise better options in the Financial District. Place reminds me of a Prison crew working on the Mass Pike with no Forman… just a lot of «looking busy»…

Disclaimer: This review is about the Taste of Iceland that The Merchant was offering earlier this year and nothing else. I will probably go back, taste their main menu at some point, and report back with a more detailed review.
But for now, I’d stay away from the Taste of Iceland in general. Each dish was $ 65, which should have yielded a decent amount of food. However, there was barely enough to feed a cat. Even a chipmunk would have looked at the plate with disbelief.
I felt cheated, especially because some of the restaurant’s regular menu items sounded good (and were almost certainly served in larger portions).
On the upside, the restaurant has a welcoming atmosphere, the staff treats you like an old friend, and the patrons are classy. I would definitely go back to try their entrees but never again for what should have been named «A Whiff of Iceland.»

I’ve gone to Merchant a various times — for lunch in downtown/​financial district, post-​work happy hour and drinks in general. I think it’s in a great location in the middle of downtown and great for lunch and happy hour. Parking is probably not the easiest in this area so I would park farther and walk or take the train.
The restaurant is pretty interesting. It has a very cool and trendy vibes and I love going just to be inside. During the summer time they can open the massive window in the front for some fresh air. The room is pretty tight with a long bar and as much seating as they can fit. Merchant would be somewhere I would grab a small dinner or quick drink before continuing my night probably not the spot I’ll stay at the entire evening. It’s not a bad place for a small group. It may seem more trendy and dressy because if all the workers who come from the financial district and downtown area. It’s generally a pretty casual vibe.
The food is good. They try to create their own version of dishes so it’s not just another American bar and restaurant. Their aioli burger is really good! They also have a lot of pricier entrees you can try. I usually stick to more simple dishes or apps when I’m there. They have a good variety on their menu and it looks like they have a late night menu too now.

Just when you thought any dark wood, backlit kinda brasstropub (new portmanteau for the win?!) opening up near the Financial/​DTX is there to capitalize on location with overpriced, mediocre food, The Merchant steps up and says, «Nuh uh.»
Get the burger. A real nice sear on a juicy, hand-​packed patty topped with aged cheddar and perfectly rendered quality bacon, on a black pepper aioli slathered brioche bun. Side of fries or dressed baby greens, all for $ 16 (save a buck if you get one during lunch hours). That thick, crisp bacon crunches up the otherwise soft sandwich, and the pepper spices up the spread. It’s quite the offering, so much so, it’s the only entrée I’ve ordered in the few times I’ve been.
Love to the beer list, broken out by style and giving the sours/​ciders fans a decent choice. The Anderson Valley Melon Gose is quite the spring refresher — give it a guzzle when you swing through.
Service staff is attentive, especially during a quieter midday dalliance when tables in the massive dining room are readily available. And they locally source most proteins, save (naturally) the Painted Hills beef coming straight outta Oregon. Friggin’ Oregon… we had Portland first! Jerks.
Only dings come from a very torched bottom to the brioche bun last visit, and the odd soundtrack. Background Pandora playlist bounced from .fun to Matchbox 20, and (Nickel)back again. I’m all for guilty 90s butt rock, but not while I’m eating. Save it for when we’re washing down the ol’ Wrangler in a Hypercolor tank, sweet Zubaz and neon Wayfarers, bro.

Just arrived in Boston for a conference and was famished. Asked concierge at the Hyatt Regency for a place nearby with great craft beer selection that served carnivores (my partner) and vegans (me). He made a RSVP to the Merchant Kitchen. It was PERFECT!
Leana (sp?) was one of the most attentive and best servers we have had in a long time. She consulted with the kitchen on what could be made vegan.
I went for the Bahn Mi sandwich which is only on the lunch menu but was made for me. Partner did the fish and chips. Both dishes were outstanding.
Due to the Hyatt RSVP, a complimentary vegan dessert came out for us to enjoy. Another special touch by a restaurant that I will remember whenever I come back to Boston.

Came here for the long list of draft beer, stayed for the burger — which was cooked perfectly as requested and served with well-​seasoned and crispy fries (or side salad if you prefer). The atmosphere was warm and cozy — the service extremely friendly. We spent the better half of our night here watching the game, sampling beer, and talking with the people around us.
While the beer is pricey, as are the menu items, the experience was charming and accommodating. There was no pressure to get you in and out. Come, Stay, Enjoy!

3.5 stars for the excellent draft beer list, cozy atmosphere, friendly service, and live jazz during Sunday brunch. No complaints on food either– the boy enjoyed his (correctly cooked) $ 15 burger, and I was happy with my $ 12 veggie omelette and homefries. A nice addition to the neighborhood.

Decent food. Good beer list. Waaaay too expensive for what you get.
This place would be good for drinks if you were made of money since the ambience is cool and the beer list is legit, but if you don’t want to spend $ 9 – 10 per beer you should go elsewhere.
The food is decent but the portions are small and it’s expensive. You can do better at this price point.

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.

Convinient to the financial district, but not particularly good.
I came here on a snowy monday after work. I was a little bit disapointed with the small wine list, but life goes on. In terms of dinner, I ordered the Dayboat Tuna Sashimi, which had a fishy taste to it, and was also pretty small for the price. I also had an order of the Parisian Gnocchi, which tasted good, and was warm and gooey. I thought the gnocchi themselves were a litte bit overcooked, but overall the dish wasn’t bad. I also had the Arugula Salad, which was fine, but not overly interesting.
All in all, I don’t have any desire to come back here anytime soon.

I had lunch here this week. The place has a real man’s bar feel. Ladies you are welcome of course just that this isn’t some white wine place… Whiskey please! Well no whiskey for me at lunch. I had one of their salads with grilled chicken — hey still on the January diet!
Service was good and the meal was great. I work near by so I will be exploring this place more. Perhaps even after work :)

Went here for food and drinks last night. We had the mussels and poutine to share and I ordered a rigatoni dish that had pulled pork and mushroom in it. The drinks were good. I started with a Louboutin martini, it was good, but a bit bitter for me. The mussels were ok, I’ve had better at other places. The poutine didn’t have gravy which I thought poutine usually does, but it was very good. My rigatoni was too salty… I ate around the pulled pork because there was too much of pork but not enough pasta too even out my tastebuds.
Nice atmosphere, friendly service. I may return in the future, but not super eager to.

Fantastic service! Excellent selection. I had a hard time choosing and decided no matter what I choose I would enjoy. I had the short ribs. We had a variety of appetizers and each one prepared to perfection!
I’ll be back!

Solid afterwork spot to meets friends and co-​workers alike located right between DTX and Financial.
The all-​natural burger from The Merchant is tasty. Picture aged cheddar, homemade bacon, black pepper aioli and a Brioche roll that would make even the most esteemed French baker pop two thumbs up, all coming together nicely. It’s pretty simple, you have a great burger. Do you like shoestring fries? Oh yeah, it comes with those too.

I came here with a coworker and had gnocchi, oysters, and something else that I cannot recall. Well, it was fine and we had a good time.
The atmosphere is nice and the service was good, but the price was pretty high in comparison to what I’d expect to pay for the offerings. I think I would enjoy coming here with people after work due to the convenience of the location, but I’d never venture here on the weekends given the other options.

I’ll admit it. I’m a sucker for Groupon-​like deals. And brunch. So when I saw the Gilt City offer for brunch for 2 at The Merchant, I hopped — er clicked — on it immediately.
It really was a great deal, as they didn’t limit us at all! We could each pick any drink (wines, beers/​ciders, cocktails, brunch bevs) and any brunch entrée off the menu. The build-​your-​own Bloody Mary (regularly $ 11) lets you choose your poison among interesting options of vodka and gin including peppercorn, Thai chili, and maple & bacon flavors. Then you can choose 2 garnishes of your choice (go with the cornichons. Always the cornichons)!
The entrees all sound tasty and generally range from $ 9 – 15. I went with the eggplant sandwich with peppers and goat cheese. It tasted good — as expected — although it was a bit bread-​heavy, and I found myself forking out the insides. Entrees come with a choice of fries, mixed greens, or homefries. Homefries are the obvious choice here, served deliciously hot with caramelized onions.
My brunch bud ordered the country pâté, served with spicy whole grain mustard, cornicons, and crusty bread. This was a considerable slab of pâté, which was fatty and less spreadable than the previous pates I’ve encountered. Definitely a different brunch delicacy.
Overall, we enjoyed our experience — and the deal — at The Merchant. However, the restaurant itself doesn’t provide the ideal brunch atmosphere. It’s dark wood, dim lighting, and sports on the TVs emit an after-​work and late-​night drinks vibe rather than a casual morning meal. The large space was also rather empty on Saturday around noon, showing that its brunch popularity has yet to take off.
Honestly with all the great brunch options in Boston, I’m not sure if I would go out of my way to pay full price for brunch here. But if you happen to be in the area and need to build-​you-​own Bloody Mary STAT (hey, it happens), this is the place to do it.