Fabulous experience at Merchant!! We went here on a Thursday night and the place was packed. Reservations ahead of time is highly recommended. They have both indoor and outdoor dining.The food was excellent and the staff was wonderful and super friendly. We started with the Virginia oysters and they were exceptional and so fresh. We would have ordered more if they hadn’t ran out of them for the night.In the apps we got the heirloom tomato and melon, fried cedar grove cheese curds, and local wax beans and shishito peppers. I can’t tell you how amazing each of them were. Abundance of flavor and beautifully presented.For our dinner we had the merchant crispy fried sandwich, braised lamb dumplings, and pan seared faron island salmon. Each dish was better than the other. So fresh and delicious.They have an extensive drinks menu as well. Check out Merchant in downtown Madison, you will not be disappointed.

OK there are not enough superlatives to describe our meal. Insalata was incredible. Cocktails are amazing. Gnocchi is to die for. Desserts are delectable. We met the sous chef & he was a delight. Highly recommend!

Ended up here last minute because Graze restaurant couldn’t open tonight. Glad I ended up here. The cheese curds were good (not the best I have had, a little to crunchy on the outside and very chewy on the inside). The main dish was the special - quail with tomatoes, onions and croutons. The quail was grilled perfectly, absolutely delicious. The croutons were rock hard and a strange addition to this dish. The main reason I give this place 5 stars was the goat cheese panna cotta. Wow!! I loved that, need to get that recipe. Seriously one of the best desserts ever! Service was nice and all the staff was wearing masks. Thank you!

Dark and decent with great cocktails. Had dinner and the place is candle lit, making it hard to read the menu. But cocktails will make the place feel more lively. My whiskey sour was a great blend of sour and sweet.The menus ingredients are locally sourced. Entrees portion are pretty small but tasty. Im guessing they want diners to have an app or they are trying to turn tables around.

This review is solely based on drinks and late night dinner with limited options. We stopped by merchant around 10:30 pm to see if we can grab food, we were given a limited menu with cheese curds fries and fired chicken/tofu sandwich. We basically all the limited items and each one of them was delicious. The buffalo style fried cheese curds were ooey gooey and lived upto expectations. I got the Nashville hot fried tofu sandwich which was insanely 🔥 and exactly what I wanted. We got a bloody Mary, some beer and merchant old fashioned all of which were excellent. Overall the late night food was at a discounted price however the drinks were expensive but we did expect that based on location. We will return back to try their regular menu.

Our waitress was so kind and friendly! We had a great time sitting outside enjoying the beautiful Wisconsin summer. There were lots of cocktail options that sounded fantastic. We got the springtime G&T and the Celtic Migration. Both were fantastic and would recommend.

Great cocktails, and a menu with something for everyone. Brunch and dinner were both great. The French toast was unique and very satisfying, not too heavy and lots of flavor. The burgers and chicken sandwiches are tasty, they have excellent vegetarian options, and tons of other options. Plus, the service was phenomenal--attentive and sensitive to your needs. Overall, Merchant is a great venue for friends visiting from out of town, a small work event, or just a nice night out downtown.

Came here for brunch. Sat at the bar and got great advice from the bartender on cocktails and food. We loved the scotch egg appetizer and the country fried steak and the hot chicken sandwich dishes were excellent. This was a great bar with a very cool atmosphere. They have beautiful and creative menus as well. Would definitely recommend this place and would come back if ever in Madison again.

Let me start by saying that when Merchant started over 10 years ago, they were really setting the standard for some great craft cocktails. Somewhere between now and then their way from a cocktail perspective. I really want to be supportive, but in my last 2 visits (one pre-pandemic, and one this past week), the cocktails are not as good as they used to be. On this last visit during happy hour, even though the happy hour specials were posted on the website, our server was unaware they had a happy hour. I can let that go as she said she was new. When ordering my choice of one of their house cocktails I was informed that they were out of that. Found that confusing as it was Rye, and a few other ingredients...so not sure how a craft cocktail bar is our of Rye. Ordered the Merchant Old Fashioned which was very one note and tasted as if it used a pretty poor Bourbon. Other drinks in our group were mediocre, and tainted with cloudy ice. When presented with our bill, there were no happy hour discounts which we had to (again) point out to our server who then corrected that. Lastly, a bit of an annoyance but they used to post their cocktail menu on their website but no more. They have a link buried down for Merchant Cocktail and Spirit List but it just directs you back to the homepage. I truly hope they can regain the creative and tasty cocktails they once were known for.

The seats at the bar were pretty awkward and uncomfortable. It was almost like they didnt want you to be there for more than a short period. Service at the bar was ok. The bar was mostly empty but I had to try to flag down a the bartender at one point because he was wandering around talking to coworkers. The food was pretty good but Im not sure if the combo of environment/service/food is enough to get me to come back. I think Merchant would be kind of a secondary or backup option in the area for me.

Lamb sliders were interesting and quite tasty. Old fashioned was flavorful and potent. Fish fry was good. Service was excellent.Would recommend sitting inside though. I suppose it depends on the timing, but we had difficulty having a conversation at our table due to noise from a construction crew and then two delivery trucks parked near table that sat there with loud motors running for quite some time. Not the restaurants fault, but definitely diminished our experience.

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.

Not sure what happened to this place? I understand COVID has impacted all businesses. We went on two separate days while in Madison to confirm what we feared. It’s true. This place is a shadow of what it used to be. In the past, it was the details that made this place stand out and it’s those very same details that are missing, especially regarding the cocktails and bar service. Go next door to Settle Down Tavern, you won’t regret your decision.

Chill vibe, great cocktail selection, delicious food, excellent service.

Surprisingly good place. Its a smaller looking bar with a door thats hard to see. Once inside its barely lit enough to find your way around tables but the food is really really good! The buffalo cheese curds are killer. Beautiful food presentation and very friendly staff made for a great experience. Ill definitely look to go back next time Im in town

Great restaurant with a great vibe. Excellent service at the bar and also tableside. Waitstaff was well versed with the menu and made superb recommendations.

First time in town and we ended up at this fantastic restaurant. The cocktail menu was out of this world and drinks were both creative and super delicious. We also had our first cheese curd experience — cheese curds in a buffalo sauce... yum! Everything about Merchant left a lasting impression. The bartenders were helpful with cocktail and dinner suggestions. A definite must-visit-again when back in town.

Must have came on an off day? (Sunday brunch). Food took over an hour to arrive. Lifted up the bun on the fried chicken sandwich to reveal the two tiniest ‘chicken thighs’ I’ve ever seen. The chicken definitely lacked adequate portion size for price - as well as it lacked salt. Atmosphere is really neat though, and my side of greens was good. I wonder if Merchant isn’t another one of the many places in Madison where the atmosphere speaks louder than the food.

The cocktail that my friend and I got were both delicious. Mine was the one with Pimms & ginger, delicious. The bartender who was our server was nice and consistently checked on us / filled our drinks. The charcuterie (pictured) was delicious except ill say i would always prefer more cheese ;) my friends fish & chips he said was delicious & I got the red wine mushrooms with polenta. The mushrooms/veggies were good but a little salty for my taste, however the polenta was so good it made up for it. Overall we left really satisfied! Ill try the mac & cheese next.

We always have an amazing experience at Merchant. Our favorite brunch place & date night spot. Be sure to check out their wine selection.

LOVED this restaurant! ❤️ Its situated near the capitol building which is a bonus if youre interested in seeing it. The menus are on clipboards and their drink specials are listed on a record album cover. 😍The food was phenomenal. Best fried cheese curds and cheeseburger I had while in WI. Highly recommend!

Nice ambience and good bartenders. The drinks were good, but the Nashville Hot chicken was gross. Way over seasoned. A nice spot to hang out.

Delish

Amazing curds! Brunch was overall pretty solid. Great flavors in all the food. Coffee was decent. Cocktails are a little strong but there are a LOT of choices there.

Eater beware! The menu is not the same as on internet. I ordered the walleye and recieved childs portion for $24.00. They accepted new order willingly (quickly), but there should not have been a need for it. The desert was not described accurately on menu. I would suggest that owners check their chefs for portion size and descriptions. Its their reputation not the so called chefs. The waiter was good but I think he didnt want to come to table after all the incidents. This is not a place to return to.

Outdoor patio. Friendly and efficient staff. Interesting menu and delicious food.

The food was fine. The service fine. The cost expensive for what it is. I found the atmosphere to be a bit pretentious. And you need reservations even tho there were plenty of empty tables.

Really lovely experience. Delicious food, great service, beautiful space and atmosphere. Nice selection of liquors to buy, including highlighting local ones.

Service and food was subpar. Hostess told me I was too early (7 minutes) so I had to wait outside. Okay, that’s fair. When it was time, the waitress assumed we were eating outside.. guess lack of communication between the two.I told her if we could sit inside. She asked to check the reservations before seating us. Came in, gave us our happy hour menu and didn’t explain they were only serving this until 5PM. Ordered food and it was okay. Lamb sliders was very salty, fries was very salty, but the chicken sandwich and cheese curds were decent.I barely received any service from the waitress except taking the order, dropping off the plates, and collecting it. Came twice and didn’t ask if I needed a refill on my water. I’ve had better service at a cheap buffet.It’s funny, when we asked for a table inside, the waitress had to “see if there’s any current reservations” but two tables came without this reservation check.. and by the time we left, the place was still empty.Apparently their service has been lacking for a while based on other reviews. For the prices they charge, you figured service would be better. It’s just a terribly operated hipster restaurant. This place is priced like a restaurant in Williamsburg or Chelsea (NYC).. but fails in food quality or service. I never write a review.. but this place was that bad for me.

Service was very poor, they were clearly struggling to keep up as full capacity ramps up. Several items were off menu but communication around what was and wasnt avail took a game of phone tag. Took us over 30m to get our check cleared we wer pretty grumpy towards the end. 1hr plan turned into 3hrs of slow and very inconsistent service. I empathize that theyre trying, but this low review reflects on the staffs poor communication and lack of acknowledgement that service was below par. Food was pretty good.

Was surprised to rind this place during my trip to madison. Who wouldve thought that gin would make a good mimosa.

Had a reservation otherwise we may have waited a bit. All locally sourced food. A little pricey, but over all very tasty. Attentive and accommodating staff.

Expensive but really delicious food!The eucalyptus drink on their drink menu is amazing but $10 for like 4-6 oz of beverage so pretty pricey. The cheese curds are fabulous and are served with ranch and a spicy sauce and both are great!

Tried to have brunch here today, very nice woman says shell be right with us as she took some dishes outside, guy waiter walks up, I say were looking for a table for 2, he says it will be a 2 hour wait, then just turns and walks away. We kind of stared at each other dumbfounded, thinking hed at least offer to take our name/number but nothing. So we walked out and I doubt Ill ever come back to a place that hits rude waiters.

Merchant is a nice cocktail bar with very good brunch on the weekends and excellent bartenders. I like the atmosphere. Table service can be slow when busy, but its a nice place for sure

Would you pay $17 for a hamburger? I would. At least at Merchant I would! Most everything on the menu is locally sourced and your palate will thank you.Clams for an appetizer.Came with frites that stayed crunchy even in the delicious sauce!The drink menu is seasonal and well worth trying. I had a mezcal based cocktail that was delicious!Main courses: The burger afore mentioned. Give it a try.My companion had the Sturgeon. Again, delicious! The side salads were fresh market greens.We rarely get dessert but made an exception and got the Dark Chocolate Cherry Custard did not disappoint!You should try this restaurant. It is pricey but the food is high quality.Service was spot on.The server was knowledgeable about both the food and drink menus.

Most creative cocktails and menu in Madison!

They arent quite hitting the quality mark for the price, but it is a good restaurant.Expect smaller portions.

Love this place! I got the Loretta Flower cocktail and it was delicious.

For several months, I had wanted to visit Merchant Madison. They are farm-to-table and very local.When I go there, I was a bit disappointed to see that the menu is different from the one on line; this is typical of farm-to-table restaurants and normally a selling point, but in this case, I liked the old menu better. I should note, I do not eat pork (often), and pork was the majority of the large plates. The small plate menu seemed very dull; there was a salad, fries, and soup. The small plates seemed to be more like appetizers rather than small plates.We did order the three items; the warmed olives appetizer, the Ploughmans Board, and the Mussels and Frites. Everything was local, which is a large gold star, and very delicious. The olives were not pitted, which is interesting; never have I been served olives with pits. They were very good! When they cooled, they were quite hard and lost their appeal. I normally order olives and slowly eat them throughout the dining experience.The board offered a very good selection of meats and cheeses, and the pickled vegetables were a nice palate cleanser. I did not care for the cheese selection of the day; they were good, but not too interesting to the palate. The meats were, however, quite a treat! I have wanted to visit Underground Butcher for some fresh meats, and now I know that I must! Very good.The mussels were also very good, served in a nice broth. I did not order them myself, though I sampled them from my partner, because I am not a huge fan of mussels. If you are a fan of mussels, I though recommend.Also worth mentioning, although I dont review them, their drink menu was insane! It had to be 8 pages and had something for everyone. Very expansive. There is also a liquor store attached to the restaurant that has a very nice collection of local drinks.

Cava and Prince Edward Mussels is always the right choice!Theyve changed the menu and I can say with confidence it is not as good as it once was. When I first dined at Merchant in 2015 it immediately became my favorite restaurant. Im not sure why they chose to downgrade perfection? Still, a delightful place. Cool drinks and chill, chic atmosphere.

Great cocktails and great food. Their burgers fly under the radar in town but are sneaky delicious

The drinks were great and dinner was just as great. I had the lamb chops with a side salad for dinner. The lamb was cooked to perfection and the veggies were great. Their cocktails were top notch. I would recommend going.

If you only care about the food, then 5 stars! Unfortunately the service and bartending were awful. Kept getting wrong drinks, or none at all, zero service to order and then excruciating wait to get any food! No bread, crackers, anything to endure over hour wait.

Their cocktails are always delicious, well prepared, and well presented.

Some real good items like cheese curds and drinks, service just ok.

This restaurant would be 5 stars in any USA city. That is probably the most important thing that can be said. I had a cocktail crafted by Thor that was exceptional, the Missed Flight Heard, and the scotch eggs and lamb sliders were exceptional. If you come to Madison and you love cocktails and good food, you must, must, must come to this place. Period. Thanks!

Chic hipster bar for artisan cocktails and delectable locally sourced meals. Pick your spirit and they have a drink for you.

Best cheese curds on the Capitol square. You won’t find a more dedicated and creative crew of bartenders in Madison. Go for a classic or something special from the seasonal rotating menu. Of course you can always go with bartender’s choice.

This place...YUM! Get the lamb sliders and you will be in bliss. Also their bartenders are actual mixologists so I challenge you to sit at the bar and just have the bartender make u a surprise. I usually tell them if I have a liquor preference and/or a flavor preference (sweet, sour, citrusy, etc.).

Great outdoor area - appreciated the gas fire pits for warmth without a smokey smell. Delicious drinks.

It was next door at settle down the food was ok .The staff was nice. Sitting outside is cool

Amazing brunch options. Been here during the day and nights, but the breakfast items really surprised me!

What a beautiful evening.Great drinks, amazing food, perfect weather.

For anyone looking for delicious mixology inspired cocktails, fun kitchy modern decor, and attentive staff this place is for you. Also, delightful surprise to find a selection of absinthe on their menu. A very cool experience of doing water on sugar cube over a special spoon into the absinthe, something I havent encountered in any other bar in the US.Later in the night on the weekends they move the tables and make the bar area a dance floor, which was a very fun surprise. Havent had their food just yet, because the kitchen was closing when we arrived, so its a good excuse to return, not that we needed one.

Love the drinks and the food. Badly miss the Dance & DJ. Any idea when theyll be back?!

Another great meal! Cant wait for warmer weather and more Streetery!

Please go check this place out! Went here for a birthday brunch and the food was so good (and the drinks) We had great service and the aesthetic of this place was very hip

Had the chicken plate (dont remember the name) but it tasted great. The service was great and professional (even though we had a server in training). Had an old fashion and that tasted delicious as well. Overall a good experience and strongly recommend to try. Will be coming back on my next visit.

This restaurant was great. The cocktail menu was extensive and inventive, try the Dark Horse, delicious! We also had the cheese curds and I had the Trout and was really pleased with both. Everyone else liked their food too, they had the mussels, steak and burger. The ambiance was very nice, from the lighting, to the wall of liquor bottles, all details well thought out and complementary.

Stopped in for a quick snack. We enjoyed both the cheese curds and ploughmans board. Loved how the cheese curds breading was similiar to a fried chicken crust. The ploughmans board was lovely as well, there were 4 meats, 3 cheeses, a cranberry jam, honey, capers, little red peppers and pickled root vegetable. The only thing I wish the server would of done is told us the meats and cheese we were being served.

Cool ambiance and great service at the bar side. Its definitely a go to place at Downtown!!

Drinks are overpriced for the amount of alcohol. Didnt try the food. Like the atmosphere and music. Staff were friendly and fun.

Best cheese curds I’ve ever had. Hands down.

Delightful food and beverage offerings. A little pricey but worth it.

Awesome bartenders, the bourbon selection was huge! I recommend letting the bartenders pick your drink for you, you will not be disappointed! I did not get a chance to try the food, but everything coming out of the kitchen looked really good.

Very good but a tad pricey for what is offered.

Eh.... small portions and the triple cream cheese appetizers was subpar. Not worth the hype.

Atmosphere: Dimly lit interior augmented by small candles. Wooden tabletops with a hard tile floor and a large bar with a concrete top.Staff: Mostly friendly, young, and hipster.Food: Very tasty. Consistent. Creative. Expensive.Drinks: Fun. Tasty. Consistent. Creative. Hipster. Expensive.Fun fact: Pre-COVID, this place turned into a dance club from ~ 11:00pm - 2:00am.

During this rough Pandemic days it’s hard going out and enjoy the little things we did before. We stopped by Merchants to have a drink at merchant and they made us feel welcome and very comfortable with all the guidelines. We didn’t have reservations but a lady by the name Andrea made all the arrangements so we could be taken care of promptly and like always well taken care of. While having our celebrations our company felt like a little bit of Peace and normal during this difficult times. Highly recommend

Recommended! Wonderful cocktails, insanely fast service 🎉, and the steak we got was delicious. Its a great date place, and then a wild dance floor on Saturday nights. The Merch has everything.

Drinks were great, but the servers literally didnt know what were in the drinks. More stay training is needed

Nice place. Friendly staff. Vgood food.

Holy cow, get the dried lamb sliders

Brandy old fashioned was spot on. Great stop for cocktails!

Always a great experience!

Every dish we ordered at Merchant Madison showed expert flavor combination and execution. The steak frites were cooked exactly as ordered and seasoned wonderfully. The cocktails were above average, but short of what I would consider five star. Each drink was just one degree off in some way. They were good and enjoyed, just shy of the last star. Is moreso $$$ than the $$ on Google, but well worth the extra $.

Good food, a bit pricey

Merchant is a great place to get dinner downtown. Their menu is small but wonderful — the food is always fresh and well-prepared. Weve never been disappointed!They do a weekly date night deal on Tuesday that makes it a bit more affordable as a regular thing, which we really appreciate as well.All in all an excellent restaurant with beautiful decor and great food!

Amazing cocktails, excellent food. Would recommend making reservation.

Great service.

The food was amazing!

Best place for an extensive cocktail menu.Enjoyed the atmosphere as well!

Meh food, good drinks

Bar staff executes at a high level

My wifes pork chop came out way to spicy for her. The waitress was so great at handling the situation. She took the pork chop back and had them redo the chop with no spice, in the meantime, the waitress brought out a complementary salad. Another waitress brought out the second chop and it was perfect. Our main waitress came over and apologized that she wasnt able to bring it out. Bottom line, excellent service and a great job at handling the situation. The service we received was so good. Seems like this kind of service has been lost at many many restaurants. Thank you to our server Andrea. We plan to return real soon!

Amazing place to grab cocktails, not only are the cocktails good but the beer selection isnt too bad either! The employees are always friendly and attentive, its a good date and brunch spot as well!!! Probably one of the best places in Madison to be at on a Friday or Saturday night!

Delicious food, amazing cocktails, good atmosphere. Socially distanced.

Drinks were phenomenal. Curds were tasty. The burger was horrible. It was quite dry and bland. Merchant definitely needs to revisit their recipe on that one. Also, we ordered the hot chicken sandwich. Why can’t you make it one chicken piece? The two pieces were sliding around and it ended up being a non-sandwich. 🙁 Food for thought, Merchant.

Food is delicious. A bit of a pricier place but well worth it. Brunch is also amazing. Great drinks. Love it!

One of my most favorite restaurants in Madison. Great selection of wine and house cocktails. Their cheese curds are at the top of my list but all their appetizers and entrees are amazing!!

The drinks here are delicious.

Cool place for unique and tasty cocktails and well prepared food. Staff is friendly and attentive. Great place for meet for drinks, food.

AMAZING selection of innovative drinks. A fair amount of gluten free options, but very few vegan choices. My hamburger on a gluten free bun tasted delicious! (Which is probably an understatement) You really cant beat good, quality ingredients. The only down side was the very loud environment. It was hard to hold a conversation with my mom sitting two feet away.

Beautiful bar. I highly recommend the pisco sour.

This place is awesome!! My favorite spot in Madison to go for cocktails. The lamb sliders are an absolute MUST!! I actually crave them after not having them for a few weeks. The sauce they put on them is a perfect match.The staff here have always been friendly and very helpful. When its not crazy busy you can actually get a few minutes to chat with them and get to know them. Which is always a great time.The drinks are out of this world! I typically do the bartenders choice, because hey, who knows how to make a drink better then the novice...thats right the master! Tell them what spirits you like or what flavors you like and theyll take it from there. Theyve never disappointed me personally.For my birthday every year its a gamble between this place and Red sushi. I typically do both. Here for drinks if were not eating. Or in those times too indecisive, well do both for food on separate days 😊

Great food and great service.

The food menu changes, while maintaining the classics that you will probably order over and over again. There is also a large range of great cocktails which have never disappointed. I have seen a mix of delicious-sounding vegetarian options on the menu, but have not tried them.The bartenders are known for being basically the best craftsmen in the city, and Ive never had a disappointing drink here. Plus, their menu has plenty of options.

If youre looking for a place for great cocktails and creative drinks, this is the place in Madison. Other venues do it well, but the Merchant always seems have a consistently good drink menu with knowledgeable bartenders.Food is very good. I would recommend coming here during the week if you want to avoid the crowds or pre going out crowd.

With so many good restaurants in Madison, there are very few that we go to more than once a year. Merchant is one of those few. Sometimes we just stop in for a cocktail and warm olives. Sometimes for cheap date night. The food is excellent, the bartenders are skilled, and the atmosphere is modem and inviting. We will continue to keep Merchant on our go-to list.