Food was mediocre. Cheese curds greasy and the burger was pretty bland. Grilled eggplant dish was also bland. The best dish was the pickled vegetables. Really good with those.
We had a lovely meal eating outside at Merchant. The menu is not super extensive but we found just what we wanted : preserved vegetable platter, cheese board, and crispy skinned salmon --everything was absolutely delicious! The craft cocktail menu is creative and enticing. I ordered a Velveteen Rabbit and it was so good. Our server was Tori and she was super: friendly and 'just right' attentive. Excellent dinner all around.
Ordered the garden cocktail, italicus spritz, scallop and salmon crudo, herbed dumplings, and the grilled eggplant. Both drinks were great, perfect for a humid summer evening. The food was phenomenal. Both the crudo and the dumplings exceeded expectations; the eggplant was also delicious, but the star of the current menu is the herbed dumplings. Truly exceptional. Canât wait to go back!
Food was fantastic. A bit pricy for what you get. Waiter forgot about us twice, meals came out before appetizers, etc. The quality of food nearly made up for the downsides. Hopefully they'll get things figured out soon.
Service was top notch. Remodeled space was gorgeous, and the windows are amazing. Food was pretty great except, note the farmers market omelette comes with lavender in the cheese! ð
This is a little great spot, great food and location was perfect.
Was super cute!
Beautiful patio on a summer night. Fantastic food and lots of accommodations for restricted diets. Excellent service too!
I've been to Merchant quite a few times in the last few weeks, primarily because they take reservations for outdoor seating. The service has varied from excellent to quite inattentive. The menu is small, but the small plates are very good. The entrees are more mixed in quality. The drinks at Merchant used to be outstanding. After their renovation, it seems that the quality and variety is a little lower -- although that may just be that things get watered down if they wait at the bar too long before making it to the table. The prices are quite high. For some of the dishes that is reasonable. For others (and for some of the drinks) they seem a little too steep. Definitely a place worth going to for a nice evening eating outdoors, but not a place I want to frequent in the long run.
Another amazing meal at Merchant. So much attention to the flavor and consistency of the dishes. We sat outside again. The inside is awesome but it's hard to beat 78 degrees in late afternoon sun on the Merchant patio sipping a signature cocktail. Try the Frog and Toad cocktail and the beet salad appetizer. Curds are some the best in Madison and served with a ranch dip and a spicy honey type dip that was outstanding. Chicken with the white beans is insane. The chef knows what they are doing and the team delivers every time. Will be back on numerous occasions.