Service is pretty slow and nonexistent. Be prepared to take the check up to the counter and settle there. Food is okay. The steak is a bit tough for the kids but they ate it. If you order mussels in a Guinness cream sauce, it's not served on the shell. It's pieces of mussels in a cup, marinating in a creamy beer "soup" and foam. Burrata and tomatoes are yummy. The bathroom is upstairs and relatively clean. There's a lot of history in this restaurant - interesting to read while waiting for food or service. read more

Merchants - Kids steak and chips - Pubs Near Me - Lancaster, LAN

See all

Bags of ambience and a select menu make this place a winner in the eating out stakes. Housed in a complex of old wine cellars, it's a great intimate place for a nice quiet night out. The menu isn't all that extensive, but friendly and helpful staff go out of their way to make sure that any peculiar dietary requirements that you might have are taken care of. It has a nice bar area with a goodly selection of beers and wines a-plenty to choose from, and if I hadn't come in search of food I would have happily have hung out in the bar area all night. There's a nice outdoor area as well if you like to people-watch on the street. Top marks for location, the staff service and ambience - in fact I'm only deducting a star because I feel that they could do with a couple more choices on the menu for meat- and dairy-free eaters. read more

Merchants - Tuna Nicoise, hot. - Pubs Near Me - Lancaster, LAN

Merchants 1688 is one of the best options in Lancaster, which otherwise is short on real ale pubs. It's a lovely venue, with several designated sections and a nice, comfy [slightly "cavernous", see pictures] atmosphere. The real ale selection is certainly more than adequate, staff are generally nice and helpful. Recommended for Lancaster! read more

See all

I really love the Merchants. The story I've been told is that someone was excavating a basement or something and suddenly realized they were standing above 3 huge wine cellars (dating back to 1688!) that had been forgotten about for decades, which where then renovated and turned into this great little underground pub. The three cellars help break up the space and give people a more intimate feeling than if there'd been one big room down there. There are pool tables, too. It's great fun to grab a burger and a pint and sit outside on the patio. The street can be a bit busy there, but you'll never want for people to watch, and if it's a Sunday you can hear live jazz wafting around the corner from the Robert Gillow a lot of the time. I have a lot of places to try in town still but I doubt any of them could have as much personality as the Merchants. When people visit from out of town, we always take them there after doing the tourist bit at the castle. read more

See all

We only had a flying visit here but Merchant is obviously a very cool pub. It's hidden in these huge ancient wine cellars with arched ceilings which create a very cosy place for a pint, especially if you're hiding from the rain. That said, if it's sunny or your finding it a bit claustrophobic, they do have ample seating outdoors too. I was amused to learn from the history of the pub provided at the back of the menu that it had been an entirely forgotten cellar. The main entrance had, at some point, been bricked up and for a long time no one had known the place had existed. Somewhat ironically, once it was opened it spent a while acting as an inn for the temperance movement. These days the bar stocks an excellent selection of beers. The food menu looks good too and mostly traditional pub fayre. On Wednesdays and Thursdays they run a discounted early bird menu from 4pm-6pm and it looks like a pretty good deal. read more

Merchants - Pubs Near Me - Lancaster, LAN

See all

Wonderful atmospheric 300 year old pub that is a series of cellars off a main bar area with tables and chairs, music, low lighting and good ambiance, good wines and beer selection, many real ales and superb staff. Friendly, homely place and an outside beer garden frontage under large umbrella shades, regular music spots and events. Top notch chef and superb menu rivalling many more expensive restaurants in area such as The Highwayman, Hipping Hall or Northcote. Once the grain or food and wine cellars for Lancaster Castle which is a few hundred yeards behind this and a bolt hole led through to the Lancaster Castle for escape if under siege. Now bricked up! The pool tables and music make this a happy place and each room of the 4 is seperate from the others so noise and crowds are better segregated and you can get a group of friends into one room if enquire first well in advance. read more

What can I say. Interior was superb. The food was exceptional and the customer service was excellent. There really isn't much else to say. It's just a shame I live over 300 miles away so can't come back very often. Next time I'm in Lancaster I will 100% be back read more

One of my favourite Lancaster pubs. Great staff who are really helpful and know their stuff especially their beers! The pub itself is the tunnels of a 'warehouse' of years ago and is really unusual. See the photo in images and you'll see what I mean. The beer is top notch but I haven't eaten here so I can't comment on the food. Always our first port of call on a night out in Lancaster- highly recommended! :-) read more

Merchants - Pubs Near Me - Lancaster, LAN

See all

Pretty much what the other reviewer said. The great thing about the Merchants is that it is set under ground in vaulted tunnels if you will. This leads to a very cosy atmosphere if you and a group of friends get a couple of tables. the staff in there are brilliant. Every time I've been in they've been helpful and friendly and it's a pleasure to go to the bar. At times when I have been umming and ahhhing at the bar they have suggested drinks I might like. In summer you can sit outside under the big umbrellas and there always seem to be a couple of people there with their dogs. Disabled access might be an issue as the toilets are up some very narrow stairs which is a shame. Not eaten there for a while so can't comment on the food but if you want somewhere to have a drink then it's highly recommended read more

Definately a cracking pub to visit in Lancaster as it's right near the railway station, there was a range of beers although slightly overpriced, the service at the bar was very good with staff being pleasant very honest as to the waiting times of the food being delivered. The interior inside is very Victorian and I liked the pub for the fact that it has kept a lot of these features. The only sore point was the food menu was very limited and well overpriced, but I would definately visit the pub again if I am in the city centre! read more

An excellent venue, with a top class menu and an amazing chef. This is my prefered eatery when visiting Lancaster. read more

I've only ever been here with my girlfriend for Valentine's Day. One of the best meals I've ever had in Lancaster after having lived there for about a year and a half. We got three courses for around £20 each and the drinks were reasonably priced. Food was varied and cooked to perfection with absolutely wonderful staff who were attentive to our every need. The wine menu was also quite varied in terms of both price and sorts with some interesting choices on there. You could say that it's a little low-light with there not being any windows in there (I did think that the first time I went in to look around), but the it is sufficiently lit when you're in there and the background music provides a lovely ambience without drowning you out and making it hard to talk. Plenty of space around the tables is nice and candles were a nice touch too. I couldn't recommend the Merchants any more highly. 5/5 without a doubt. read more

Ok it's fairly unique perhaps should be called the cavern or the cellars . It's basically four barrel stone vaults linked together . Good range of real ales good quality though a little pricey for the North , lots of dark wood leather and subdued lighting . Refined real ale drinking . read more

Found this little pub by complete chance. The building itself is very quaint and old. The place we sat in was a vaulted cellar, very nicely decorated with blue lighting and great atmosphere. The menu was a little limited but it is all locally sourced and freshly home-made so couldn't complain too much. There were all the usual pubs main meal faves to pick from burger, fish & chips, steak, sausage & mash, hot pot etc and the starters: soup of the day, potted shrimp, cheese board, pate etc. Deserts included: sticky toffee pudding, selection of ice cream, cheesecake, home made scones with jam and cream. I had a steak with blue cheese sauce and my partner had the burger. Both were very nice, the only thing that let done the meal was the chips, too greasy and not really crispy. The price for the meal was fair, high end pub prices. The staff were friendly and helpful. I would visit here again if I happen to be in Lancaster. read more

After a day of playing tourist, we had our sights set on Merchants for dinner. Uniformly positive online reviews, an impossible-to-miss location, and a lovely outdoor patio sealed the deal. A dish with giant chunks of feta cheese and roasted red peppers got us off to a good start. Our fish & chips and lamb mains were a bit of a letdown, however. The chips were quite nice, but the fish was greasier than it needed to be and not overly fresh-tasting. My partner's lamb came with a wonderful jus, but the meat itself was overcooked. The low-ceilinged, windowless dining experience didn't really work for us either. One-of-a-kind it certainly is, but it left us feeling more than a little claustrophobic by the end of our meal. Fortunately we had a spacious and very pleasant beer garden to enjoy afterward. That, coupled with a decent selection of ales, warrants a return visit. read more

The Merchants is a superb pub with great food and wonderful staff. Definitely one of the best places for a pub lunch. Often 'invaded' by wedding parties, so it can be unexpectedly busy! read more

Nice pub, really good any time of year, although must have a big mention for beer and pie festival!!