Great family owned gem in Des Moines. Wines, cheese, charcuterie, scratch kitchen and cocktails. So sad to see it close. read more

UPDATE: 3/24/26... As a Yelp Elite member for 6 years, I pride myself in giving fair reviews, whether good or bad. And with the bad, I strive to be positive on the experience that was good before giving suggestions or letting the owner know what fell short. I'm never out to bash a business. Rather, as an owner, if you pride yourself in customer service, you will take what a sincere Yelp Elite reviewer has to say, step back and see how you can improve. I just read the comments another reviewer posted a few days ago and saw that they were berated as well. I had nothing to gain from giving the review I did and it's unfortunate that you're no longer going to be in business, but there were two other people with me that came to this consensus. With that, I will reply to the unfortunate remarks slammed at me, the reviewer. Let me preface by saying I asked for a pic with the owner before tea service started. If it was said that we had a wonderful and lovely time, it was not by me but one of my friends who, when asked how everything was, couldn't think of anything else to say. Also, I wasn't going to express all of this in front of the owner at the time because I had others with me. So, to rebel and ask me if my mother is still alive and did she teach me to behave like this? Well, all I can say is your reaponse as a business owner is extremely childish and unprofessional. I didn't make the food. I reviewed it and if that means it's not the best review, so be it. It pains me not to give a business owner a good review because that's not what we as Elite members strive for. That said, lashing out is not the answer. At least I have the maturity and diplomacy to put these comments in without getting into a mud fight like you chose to do. Review..... My two girlfriends and I came here for afternoon tea. Since I'm the Yelp reviewer, I asked them for their input and so it was a consensus of the three of us. Here's what went right. It was nice to have a carafe of water at our table, there were beautiful flowers and dyed water to match in the vase, the teacups and saucers were very pretty, the owner was extremely nice. Here's what we thought needed a second look. The sign in the store advertised cheese and fruit for the afternoon tea but it didn't appear. When we asked we were told it didn't come with it but we could get some if we wanted. Please revise the sign as people do notice. Suggest you have a selection of three sandwiches rather than two of each. One was a small croissant filled with egg salad and if we hadn't been told that we thought it might be chicken. The other was a cucumber sandwich which although it's nice to have thin slices of cucumber, these were razor thin. Sort of disappointing that there was so little on a beautiful piece of bread. They scones were nothing special. Perhaps have something inside whether it be cranberry, currant etc. The sweets consisted of a Mexican wedding cake which was rather dry and was there a detection of almond extract? The orange macaron, as beautiful as it was, lacked flavor of orange. I was expecting a nice burst of something but it just wasn't there. The fondant on the petit four was much too thick, and sweet. Whatever fashion the raspberry is used, keep a bit of that tart flavor to offset the sweetness from the fondant. The effort was there, things just felt short. read more

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What a gift to have a place like this so close to my home! Easy going, friendly and knowledgeable staff. I grew up in Napa and it's so nice to able to talk wine again! The layout is spacious and comfy with enough seating and a comfortable atmosphere. Des Moines is a real community and MM is a great place to meet up for wine, snacks and I'm dying to try their brunch! I wanted to come here for my birthday but we ran out of time! We'll call it birthday month and I'll,for sure, be there soon! read more

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What a delightfully civilized way to enjoy a Sunday meal. We ordered the Brunch High Tea (24 hours notice requested). You are greeted with white linen tablecloths, silverware with a proper heft, tea cups with a great mouth feel. (I prefer these to delicate porcelain.) While sipping well chilled water, the hotness showed us the tea menu (two-sided!) and brought out a tray of jarred tea leaves so we could smell the aroma of the offerings. A vast range of black teas, with greens and tisanes as well. I ordered the Victorian Cream, which is popular. Good flavor - balanced roundness of black with floral notes. Tasted good alone as well as with cream. My companion had the Nocturne, which was lovely flowery flavor without being heavily perfumed. Then the goodies arrived - three delicious tiers. First tier ( Sandwiches): - croissant with curried egg salad (tiny bits of carrot - how different and delicious). - dilly herb cheese with cucumber rounds. - homemade pumpernickel with truffle butter and wisps of radish. The bread has great texture and chew. Second tier (baked goodies): - mini cheese quiches with bits of hot peppers. Creamy interior and flaky crust. - scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Beautiful scones, delicate crumb, great textures and flavor, chewy currents. THIS is a proper scone, not the muffin tops which are often being passed off as a scone these days. Clotted cream... legit and so delicious. I could eat a tub of the stuff. Third tier (a panoply of desserts): - chocolate dipped biscotti - chocolate macarons with raspberry filling. The macarons were chewy; the filling was fresh and creamy! - petit fours. Tender cake, buttercream layers, and a nice fondant. The bunny decorations were amusing too. - teeny chocolates with pistachio filling. The perfect last bite. Absolutely delightful experience. I love the heart and soul that goes into this store. Their unusual groceries (competitively priced), fun items, and cozy atmosphere draw me, joyfully, every time I'm in town. read more

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We brought the in-laws here for a birthday celebration and afternoon tea. I enjoyed the fact that we all got to pick individual pots of tea. Plus, I paid for a champagne kicker for my in-laws. I did feel the charcuterie board was a little skimpy as well as the sandwich fillings. The scones, clotted cream, jam and little Russian tea cookies were all delicious. Overall, we had a wonderful time and enjoyed ourselves. read more

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Came in for afternoon tea with a couple of my girlfriends to celebrate my birthday. We got there a few minutes early but our table was already ready. We were given the teas to smell so we can choose one we wanted. We got the PNW tea with some holiday treats mixed in. The teas were fantastic and the ladies were so accommodating. Perfect to sit and sip with girlfriends on a cold rainy day. The food was yummy. Loved the scones! Wish they did an extra something to recognize birthdays.. maybe as simple as a candle? But overall, worth checking out if you love afternoon tea read more

An absolute complete waste of time. I called and spoke with the owner to celebrate my birthday. We went in FULL DETAILS about hours and operation. EXTENSIVELY. She stated that happy hour was from 3-6. So a reservation isn't necessary. I decided to come later so that my WHOLE family could make it. They are closing up shop at 5pm. She had a fundraiser an was closing up shop 5 hours earlier. Didn't mention it AT ALL in hour long conversation. I asked her why she didn't mention it, she cuts me off and says "that's why we make reservations" in a rude condescending tone. Literally BLEW UP my Whole birthday celebration. Horrible experience and no accountability. Condescending lowkey racist/prejudice Karen vibes from the owner and staff. Not one hello when I walked in. Like I was a threat. read more

Marina Mercantile - Tapas Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

We have been to a lot of high tea, the Empress in Victoria, the Dome in Edinburgh, Tohono Chul park, Scottsdale tea, several other places...and now the Marina Mercantile. My wife loves everything about afternoon or high tea. Give me the scones, some clotted cream, my tea and I'm good. This was a fun local thing to do, so we gave it a try. The tea selection was good, my wife had the gunpowder green tea, the 12yo had a Chai, and I had Blueberry Pu-erh. Everyone loved the teas. The scones were scones, the cream was delicious, and the jam was good. The sandwiches were not the kid's thing, but he did try them...which is a win. I liked the cucumber with dill cream cheese and there was a jam and cream cheese that was good. My wife ate the ham, cheese and Dijon, she said it was very delicious. There were a lot of desserts. Cheesecakes, macaroons, dipped cookie dough, and so much more.. Overall we enjoyed the experience. read more

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We have been wanting to go here for a very long time! My husband was pleasantly surprised he called and left a message to make reservations for Valentine's Day we were able to get a table in a booth in the front we were greeted by the owner she was such a lovely lady. We were seated quickly and the magic began. The atmosphere, music, food made us feel like we were in another country. I had the lamb kabobs and my husband had the lamb shank both were amazing we also had the fresh made that morning Babaganoush appetizer. Everything exceeded our expectation! We can't wait to come again. It was an amazing experience and such great care the waitress did. Thank you for such a magical valentines day. The food was so wonderful! As was the experience! read more

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We were recommended to go to the Marina Mercantile after a comedy show and I decided to call first since this place isn't really a gathering spot later in the evening. The gal that answered the phone was already giving off the vibe that she was annoyed and I told her that one of the other businesses had recommended for people to go there. We walk in and immediately the gal was not pleased. I asked her if it was okay that we were there and her response was ...well there's still other people here. Not one time did she act like she was happy we were there. I said we did call ahead to make sure. She rudely asked for our orders and all of us were like... one and done. Unfortunately one person did make a comment about her disgust of having us there and she fought right back. Anyway after we paid I went to the gal and tried to figure out why she was so unpleasant the minute we walked in. She had total attitude the whole time. The owners seem to be nice folks so I had decided that I would call them the following day and let them know of our experience. Well, they decided to turn it into a public shaming event on Facebook and the gal who was our bartender completely lied or decided to leave out details about a lot of what happened. I'm sure she was trying to protect her job since she was a miserable host. The person who made the comment even reached out to owner and DM him through FB and wrote post on the shaming post and they never took it down or updated that the guy they were shaming was attempting to resolve the issue. It really doesn't matter since they will be out of business soon but I'm very disappointed on how they handled the situation. read more

Went with a friend for afternoon tea. The tower was full of beautiful and delicious sandwiches, scones, and sweet treats. I don't eat dairy, and they were able to offer me some excellent replacements. Could easily have been vegan accomodating, too. The tea options were great. You can smell the options before you choose your pot of tea. I actually bought the tea I had with lunch, I liked it so much. The inside is cozy snd sweet. We were there to chat, but there was another table who were playing chess. The service was attentive, but let us enjoy our time. The gift shop is a hidden gem. Will be back! read more

Marina Mercantile - Traditional Afternoon Tea - Tapas Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

This is our weekly go-to restaurant! Great food, beverages, activities and the most wonderful, friendly owners and workers! So grateful to have such a personable place to come to and celebrate life with! read more

Owner was very kind and accommodating to our little group. Terrific snacks and selection of teas. Adorable and cozy decor in our little alcove. Well stocked artisan market with unique gift, food and wine. read more

Marina Mercantile - Freshly crafted tummy treasures - Tapas Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

My hubby and I went to tea on a Saturday at 11. There were a few visitors to the shop, and a larger party for tea about an hour after we were seated. The shop was cute and eclectic. We each got a pot of tea, I had coconut chai and my husband ordered their peach pie blend. Both were very good. The treats that came with tea were great as well! We really enjoyed the ham and cheese sandwiches and the rhubarb bar (which was also gluten free). After eating, we shopped and got a few tins of fish. The owners were super nice and accommodating! I would visit again. read more

Marina Mercantile - Tapas Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

The people here are so kind. I really enjoyed the cheese board and they have some pretty unique merchandise as well. This is definitely worth passing through. Great vibes. read more

Cute! Fun afternoon in a chic little boutique setting. Service is friendly and welcoming. Menu is yummy. Specialty drinks are fun and unique. A great place to spend a bit of time shopping for food and wine as gifts! Thanks Brenda! read more

Great place to grab a glass of wine. New years here was fun, also! They have a nice selection of grab and go stuff, but I have yet to try the fresh food. Will have to give that a shot sometime. Very nice service! Casual, relaxed atmosphere. read more

Love the set up! Small bites paired with wine yet affordable. I ordered the can fish platter and it was so much better than I anticipated amd I'm a huge charcuterie person read more

Best cocktails in Des Moines. Excellent vegan options. Great service. Cool vibe. Tea is a meal and a half though--arrive hungry!

I love it here. The vibe is neighborhood wine bar but even if you dont drink (I dont) there are plenty of options. They have amazing teas, pastries, charcuterie boards, and (my favorite) a tinned fish plate where you get to pick out your tinned fish from a variety of tasty options. I come here to work alone, with friends to socialize, or for a date night. Its an all around perfect place! read more

First time in and the owner who sat us seemed proud to be blasting some live stream from New Mexico about aliens in a way that made it hard to have conversations. TV Way too loud, 2x what was needed. According to the manager or owner, they never really turned on the TV before, and he said some joke like "I've always said if the TV ever gets loud that means everyone's fired!" Then he chuckled. A total non-sequitur inside joke? Of 20 people in the restaurant only three at the bar were giving a passing glance at the loud TV. I Asked server if they couldn't cut the volume down even a bit and she said flat out No. Never mind us also paying customers. As we were wrapping up to leave, the manager came over and joked to us that we had a bit of quiet when the live stream was buffering for 10 minutes and was silent due to some technical difficulty. Like haha. So he also knew it was invasively loud for us and did not care. Not a great first impression on a date, had to side-sit because sitting across from my date I would not have heard her for the TV volume the loudest it could go. Totally unnecessary interference with an otherwise reasonable dinner. Burger was so so. Vegan flatbread was okay. Service was curt and kind of rude especially around the noise pollution they decided would be part of their evening with a handful of aliens fans. Kind of an odd experience to be Frank. Not worth what we paid for the dinner to sit through that giddy geekiness about a supposed famous person live streaming a talk into the WHOLE restaurant about Roswell and aliens. Everyone had to raise their voice to talk over it, except the three people sitting at the bar watching over their drinks. What kind of restaurant even does this? read more

What a wonderful addition to our downtown!! Exactly what we needed! Hubby and I have enjoyed specialty wines and beers at the bar for date night and we brought our kiddos back for an ice cream a different day. I've purchased some cute, unique birthday gifts that were a huge hit! The service is always very friendly, and we love the vibe of the place. read more

Marina Mercantile - Bar area - Tapas Bars Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

Love this place!! This is a great addition to Des Moines. Lots of delicious food, gift ideas wine and service! I hope 'Des-Monians' do well by this shop it is a gem!!!! read more

Love this gem! Has been such a welcome addition to downtown Des Moines. The staff is always charming, the bites are delicious, and a great wine list, plus the boutique stocks a small but well curated selection of gourmet foods, gifts, and kitchen accessories. It's easy to shop local at a place like this, and I look forward to trying one of their events (such as wine tasting) and their high tea! Also a great place for a small party or gathering. read more

Des Moines now has a new treasure in the form of this mini Trader Joe's on Marine View Drive next to the Des Moines Theater. Inside there is a bar that invites you and tables of around sixteen. There are so many choices of wine beer and beverages to sate your thirst but the aura in this restaurant is old world, old times. In the cabinets are a magnificent selection of cheeses and sliced meats for sandwiches or snacking European style. Everything in this little building is a specialty and we can not leave with an empty bag. Yes, they do have bags for return trips too. Like the famous potato commercial, you can't jus go there once we found. From clams in a can to goat cheese from Greece, wine from Italy, and others in Europe. The wine cellar is on their wall here and if you can't find your favorite, they will try to accommodate you. We did find a Lambrusco wine and took many items to decorate our shopping bag. It is so friendly here that we chose a table and ordered Pastrami sandwiches, which they had just run out of for popularity. To assuage our disappointment they concocted some biscuit-size sandwiches which they named "sliders" and we soon had Hot Pastrami Sandwiches comparable to the ones we have missed since we left New England. missed. This place is so well organized that you can find just about anything desired in a short visit, though you will find a compelling reason to stay awhile. Our table was comfortable and we enjoyed small pumpkin pies for dessert. This Marina m Mercantile iis reminiscent of the old General Store we loved in New England without the pot-bellied stove and pickle barrel. Joey Kline the manager is an old friend in five minutes. WE are excited to have this new business in Des Moines and intend to be "regulars" read more

This is such a wonderful addition to Des Moines and the owners have really put a lot of care into to making it a great spot for meeting for coffee or tea, or a drink! The new cozy seating area is so nice. We did their afternoon high tea, and it was excellent and well worth the money. They also sell some fun specialty grocery items and have select wines to try. It will be on the rotation now for sure! read more

This place is cute. Lots of good wine for sale, as well as specialty goods. Wine pours are lacking though. For $9-$20 a glass I expect more than a 4-6 ounce pour. If it was even that. Lots of potential. Will come back. At least to get a bottle of wine to go. read more