tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588051831069283523.post6540256411914105367..comments2024-03-17T17:54:37.568+00:00Comments on Cheese and Biscuits: Merchant's Tavern, ShoreditchChris Poplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02668565800857295023noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588051831069283523.post-73548806818807818602016-12-21T14:21:40.217+00:002016-12-21T14:21:40.217+00:00That's so surprising. I lived in Shoreditch un...That's so surprising. I lived in Shoreditch until recently, and the Merchant's Tavern has been one of my favourite restaurants in the area if not in the entirety of London. Excellent wine list, extremely nice staff, very good restaurant design and, above all, what I found to be excellent food. I would recommend you trying it once more (maybe for dinner?).Lars G.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588051831069283523.post-73101168000655534212016-12-21T09:59:05.296+00:002016-12-21T09:59:05.296+00:00Haven't been for a few years but used to be a ...Haven't been for a few years but used to be a great standby in the area. Don't remember a bad meal there. Mind you, was back in the day when Thomas Blythe was GM. Coincidence?Gavinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01259095508399818312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588051831069283523.post-68197840224878941652016-12-20T21:03:34.313+00:002016-12-20T21:03:34.313+00:00The Merchant's Tavern is a bit of a 'Local...The Merchant's Tavern is a bit of a 'Local' for me. I live in the area and I go 3 or 4 times a month. I visit the bar more frequently as they have a small and constantly changing list of cocktails that I enjoy very much. But the food is always decent and - I think - deserves better than a 5/10. For me, I would place the venue just into the second standard deviation from the mean, with a solid 7/10.<br /><br />The wine list is extensive and takes some chances with regions that normally don't appear on a typical London wine list (Lebanon, Israel, Greece). But the wines compliment the food selections in some innovative ways you otherwise would not see at a similar establishment. Far too much space is devoted to wines from France, but this is a common failing of the British restaurant community. The point is that they have taken some chances and they should be congratulated for that decision.<br /><br />The service is reliably good. In a London postcode renowned for 'hipster cool', the Merchant's Tavern takes a very helpful and polite approach which is incredibly flexible and forgiving. I have been treated much more poorly at restaurants with much better reputations. Service is friendly, convivial, intelligent and <br /><br />But I must agree with some of your points regarding the food. There are pockets of innovation (the snacks you mentioned in your review), but the main menu relies too heavily on a past trend for 'traditional' English fare at the expense of the possibility that failure with an idea or two, might result in a door closing negative review..<br /><br />As with many similar restaurant models, the goal seems to be to convert after work drinkers in the main bar, into after work diners once they become a little squiffy and comfortable with the low lights and the cool tunes and the confident, successful vibe of the place. It's a profitable model no doubt, but it seems obvious to me that the kitchen longs to do a bit more.<br /><br />Service, pockets of innovation, combined with assured and confident execution are enough for me to put this one at 7/10. Some more well thought out innovation and considered risk taking with the menu would ensure the Merchant's Tavern achievement f a great deal more positive buzz.<br /><br />~MMichaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02575513931404772561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588051831069283523.post-65288238094135941832016-12-20T20:35:20.200+00:002016-12-20T20:35:20.200+00:00I haven't been there for a couple of years, an...I haven't been there for a couple of years, and only for dinner, but I really liked it when I went.Alicia Foodycathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11931796992646884249noreply@blogger.com