The food is delicious and the portions are well sized. The prices are reasonable. If you get the Brussel sprouts, makes sure to get the bacon, it's worth it. The restaurant is clean with a relaxed fun atmosphere. The live music on Saturday nights is enjoyable and the acts are usually very talented. The service is very good with the right amount of attention without hovering. Parking along Lake Street can be tight, but there is always plenty of parking on the side streets.

Great British pub close to downtown Minneapolis! Stopped by on a Friday night with a group of five. We were seated immediately on the bar side. The drink menu features plenty of draft beers, from England, Ireland, and local breweries, as well as cans and bottles. Huge selection of Irish whiskeys and Scotch. Service was slow but our server, the younger gentleman with long hair, was excellent! Our group tried the Scotch Egg (warm), Fish & Chips, Irish Stew, Celtic Knots, and the housemade Crisps. Everything was pretty good. I especially enjoyed the Irish Stew though I wish it had come with some sort of bread or roll. Portions might seem smaller (a great thing in my opinion) compared to some American pubs but they are definitely filling. Draft beers are available in a half pint which is a dream for "lightweight" beer lovers. Recommend for an authentic pub experience; if I lived closer this would definitely be a regular stop!

Cocktails are the worst...icy, watery, cheap ingredients and expensive. (Edit: sorry I disagree, but I grant that it is subjective. I've tried them several times--they are filled with ice. Hi LO has better cocktails, Sonora has better cocktails. Next time I'm in I'll order a manhattan one more time so I can post a photo of it. It is really quite pathetic.)

This place is great no matter what time of the day you go. The bartenders really know what they are doing. They are passionate and want you to love your drink. Bag pipes are there often, and definitely on Saint Patrick’s day. The food is great too.

The service was great the food was not good at all had no flavor we ordered chicken strips and was literally only 2 strips of chicken for $8 dollars my chicken wrap was tasteless too much money for what we received.

Simply an awesome Reuben, and try out the ginger beer, yes it does contain alcohol. Great atmosphere really comfortable.

Cute pub with an awesome Scotch and Irish whiskey selection and good food. I had the fish and chips but there were a lot of English foods on the menu I wanted as well including cottage pie and pastys. Their Scotch selection is the best I've seen at any bar and I appreciated that they had their rare bottles in stock. I would definitely come back.

Turns out, Tuesdays are Trivia Nights here. Ye Olde Trivia Master kindly let us play, though we missed the first half of the game. AVOID Trivia Night if you do not like articulate bellowing. It is a very wonderfully decorated Pub. They had a great beverage menu and a wonderful selection of British food. Obviously, I was in it for the Scotch Eggs, which they offered with or without blood pudding, and cold or hot. May consider trying to blood pudding ones next time! I didn't get many great photos because I was super inebriated, super quickly. Had a wonderful server who served me Summer Sangria wonderfully. Scotch Eggs. A+. Would love to go again and eat more.

Fun local pub, we went for the annual Halloween party with live music performers. They have non alcoholic NA Guinness now, too. Yes! Trivia nights in Weds

I used to love this place. The food and atmosphere was wonderful. I'm heartbroken to learn that their recent closure was due to several of their staff testing positive for Covid-19. They did not communicate this properly with the rest of the staff or bother to alert patrons. Past management blunders aside, this feels underhanded and leaves me bitter. I will no longer be recommending a place that doesn't care about their employees or customers.

Merlin's is one of the best places to go for authentic and delicious British food. Come for the amazing food and drink options, stay for the cozy and friendly atmosphere. When you're at Merlin's, you're with family, and it shows with their amazing staff and hospitality. Whenever friends from out of town come, Merlin's is at the top of the list of places for them to try, and has become a sort of pilgrimage for visiting friends to come and experience the pub. You won't be disappointed here!

First time in and I cannot wait to go back. I had the Irish stew which was delicious. Said at the bar and the bartender was very attentive and the clientele there was friendly. The menu has tons of great options, the atmosphere was perfect, and the service was prompt and welcoming.

Anything on the menu with mushrooms is godly. The best burger I've had all summer was the mushroom Swiss I ordered from here. Everyone else in my group agreed their food was amazing, but man I still dream about that burger. I had a lot of great mead and cider while I was there and I'm so coming back for more soon.

I would definitely come here again for the vibes alone! When we went, there were two customers playing dueling accordions and it felt like we could have been in Europe in October. Giving 4/5 only because the food was just okay- simple standard pub fare. Everyone in my party enjoyed their cocktails and beers.

Recently remodeled and expanded, yet retaining the Irish Pub look and feel. Cultural cuisine and full complement of condiments. An expansive selection of distilled spirits that reflect the lands, for which the pub known.

Great food!

Nice bar with above-average pub fare. I got the Celtic Knot (big pretzel), and it was very good, fresh and warm and just the right amount of salt. My dining partner got the naked Pub Wings, which were just excellent. Her gin and tonic was very heavy on the gin, so much so that it was a little hard to drink. The waitress did eventually bring some extra tonic, but by that time her drink was almost finished. The service was not overly attentive, but not bad either. We waited a very long time for the check, but that's ok. Reasonable prices. Will return. Note: the air conditioning was way too cold!

Without TVs to distract, this is a perfect place to enjoy the company of friends.

Merlin's is amazing, anyone who disagrees is entitled to their wrong opinion

Food was pretty great. I would stick with their homemade crisps over the fries. Staff was friendly and were talking safety very seriously for themselves and guests. Just didn't get 5 stars because of cost. I would go more often but each beer costs $6-8. Nothing is really cheap there. I like it and be wish I could afford to go more often.

We stopped in as we were passing by to check it out- we’ll becoming to a memorial service here in a couple weeks. What a great bar! -and the food looks good, too. Friendly, knowledgeable bartender as well. We’ll be back for a meal in the near future ( as well as the memorial!)

I visited Merlin’s rest pub on a Tuesday evening. It was quick to get seated and service was really fast (even though the server and bartender kept apologizing for being slow, it was faster than a typical restaurant). I had the fish sandwich and would definitely recommend it. It was good fresh and also good as leftovers the next day. I look forward to visiting again.

I had the vegetable pasty with a side of brussel sprouts no bacon and honestly one of the best meals out I had all year..

My family had a celebration dinner here tonight and had a great time! The staff were perfect, very cozy and comfortable pub. All of our food was absolutely perfect!! Between all of us we had the fish and chips, smash burgers, bangers and mash, a pasty, and another sandwich. Everything was excellent!! Will definitely eat here again especially for the smash burgers and fish and chips! We didn’t order drinks but the drink menu also looked very very enticing, we’ll have to order drinks next time! Thanks for the great food!

My food at the Merlin's Rest was pretty decent. I got a 3 piece fish and chips malted and wrapped in a paper as well as bright delicious little peas and some pure coleslaw. The food was good. I enjoyed it. They gave good service offering to fill my drink plenty. I will go there again no problem. I look forward to the chill environment.

We were there celebrating my youngest son's birthday. Another of my sons made the reservation but we arrived first. The staff was wonderful from the time we got there. A few minutes after arriving, we noticed we were short a couple seats. They quickly & happily added a table & left a couple extra chairs. Our waitress was amazing!!!! We weren't a super organized group but she handled our dinner like a boss!!!! Everyone's food was great too.

Great place to drink whiskey and enjoy well executed pub food in a calm atmosphere. This pub is one of the few in Longfellow that has a full liquor license. They also have amassed an impressive Scotch selection. It's a chill vibe after normal dinner hours.

My friends and I came here on a Saturday night and were delighted to find a live band playing. Folks were up dancing to the music and our servers were patient and kind. One notable thing we ate was the “pot of gold” which was their fried chickpeas. So delicious and special! We’ll definitely be back.

Super fantastic place. A very Irish/British/Scottish pub, with great food, a decent tap list, and lots of good whiskey/whisky. As our (hopefully not misguided) confidence that covid is becoming more manageable grows, so will our attendance. See you there!

YUM!! Best fish and chips ever, very generous portions of fish. LOVE the Reuben tots, they're a meal in and of themselves, my mouth is watering just thinking about them. Great drink menu and the most delightful service.

The good: Brussels sprouts! Fantastic. Fried fish was pretty good too. Also the scotch list but... The medium: ... they were out of the first four or five scotches we asked for. Other than the sprouts the rest of the food we tried was pretty flavorless. The bad: Service was truly bad. Our party of four was there for a little over an hour. Our server took our drink order after about 15 minutes, and our drinks came out about 10 minutes after that. That was the last we saw of him, so we sat there with empty glasses for the rest of the time and finally just went to pay our check at the bar before leaving.

Fantastic food! Service was phenomenal as well. Great fun for the whole family. Love music on select days. Harp players and other Celtic types genres. Food feels like it's right out of the UK.

I do not normally do reviews and I definitely try never to do a negative review. However, I think the owner needs to know what their staff is like. We arrived around 5pm and the place was practically empty. No big deal we grabbed a table and sat down. We were so excited for the experience based off reviews and the fact they had a huge selection of Scotch and Irish Whiskey. We sat for 40 minutes and all we received was water even though we placed a drink order shortly after arrival. It was another hour before anyone even stopped by the table. We decided to order food. It was awful food. No flavor at all but burned meat on the steak sandwich, Mac and cheese with chicken was absolutely mushy and runny, meat and mushroom pie also burnt. We have had fish and chips in England and those were not it at all. Besides being ignored we were yelled at by the server when we corrected an order. She loudly proclaimed to those in the restaurant they were understaffed and everyone needed to be more understanding. We watched 3 tables not get anything but water for an hour or more. I would much rather had been greeted with a sign on the door that due to staffing they were not open then be treated the way we were. Not the Christmas present I had hoped for my husband and fun experience for my family.

We met friends here for dinner and trivia. I had the Highlander burger, which I really enjoyed, but pretty much could not put down once I started eating it. I got the tots, which were tasty. My wife had the small fish and chips, which she thought was just so-so. Both the fish and the fries were wet from condensation in the paper they were served in. She ate the fish, but barely touched the fries. The trivia was really fun, and the drinks were tasty. We would go back and try different food next time. Updating review - Really appreciate the response from the owner about the English vs Yankee fish and chips. This was something we did not know, and don't feel we can ding them for something that came as intended.

Merlin's is a place I enjoy returning to again and again because they are simply a stellar local pub. No doubt that they've got regulars of all backgrounds... why? I think it's because people value unpretentious establishments and places that make patrons feel like they're as important to the atmosphere as the staff are. This place is a genuine delight...love ordering a Johnny Jump-Up with fish & chips! :) It has a welcoming atmosphere and when the live music is playing, you can still have a conversation with your friends. Will be moving away from Minnesota soon but whenever I visit town, I know that Merlin's will be the place I go to for Irish music, meeting with others who love Fandom (Doctor Who) and other interests... love it!

We loooove Merlins Rest Pub first because of the whisky selection, but also because of the food and the fun events they hold there. We come here often, and usually I eat a pasty or a meat pie-- which are always solid. This time around, we just ordered appetizers (sausage rolls and tater tots) along with some scotch. We love when they invite whisky brand ambassadors and have exclusive tastings, or on Burns Night, when they serve haggis. The bartenders are nice and very knowledgeable. The scotch selection is top-notch. We have found a few "unicorn" bottles here (we may or may not have finished them off...😉). They're also one of the few British pubs in town that serve a Pimm's Cup, so huzzah!

Merlin's is a great place. Food, beverages, and staff are AMAZING!!!

We had a lovely time at Merlins Rest. It was not too loud to have a conversation. The food was delicious. Service was pleasant.

Food was tasty, indoor or outdoor dining, taking covid precautions and showplace! Best of all, since I was last there they have completely redone the restrooms into shiny, clean, totally accessible showplaces!

I believe this is the place we had a private party at with catering and everything. It was fantastic.

Best place around to sample single malt. Start with a 12 year and work your way up!

They take the food and whiskey 🥃 of the UK very seriously. Joe and Shelbi are well versed in the menus as well as being very hospitable. The quantity and quality of the Merlin Stew and the Steak with Yorkshire pudding was excellent. The whiskey tasting sized pours makes it more economical to try a few different offerings.

Best reuben I've ever had!!

Great food, great drinks, very specific atmosphere… I love enjoying my drinks outside on the patio

They have alcoholic burgers. Need I say more? AMAZING drinks, excellent service, delightful atmosphere.

I can’t tell you how amazing my experience for me and my wife was here. After meeting the owners at my bar, they encouraged me to swing in for a drink sometime and I’m so glad I did! We are vegetarian/vegan and they went out of their way to make sure there was something we could order while checking out the scotch list! The bartender was knowledgeable beyond belief and we learned so many new things! The service was top notch from start to finish and we would definitely recommend this place to a scotch aficionado or a beginner sampling the most diverse scotch menu we’ve ever seen. Great business and we hope to be back in the future.

Coziest spot in town!

I visit here every few months to check on there delivery equipment for bitesquad everytime I come in staff always make me feel welcome always upbeat and very laid back never rude and they are truly a neighborhood favorite today I came to do my 90-day check-in I met the most entertaining bartender you will not meet anywhere else she has great conversation very chilled vibe and again so does all of merlin's staff you don't find places like this much anymore welcoming and talkative the owner of this place knows exactly what he or she is doing he or she hires the best employees and the most welcoming atmosphere I can't wait till this shutdown is over and a Friday come around this is a great place to wind down after your work week.

Really wonderful burgers!

The wizz was wonderful and the store cleab. Thw staff wasnt able to get me home to Kansas but its not the end of the world

This is a low key amazing neighborhood bar in Longfellow. When there isn't Covid they have some of the most difficult trivia as well. Amazing whiskey selection, good food and amazing staff.

Corn beef tots are delicious! Service was good, and the atmosphere is fun.

Great fish and chips.

Cool pub with great pot pies

Have never been inside, just ordered take-out since we were in the area and I had a mad craving for Scotch eggs and this was the only place we could find that had them and was open. Major disappointment. I've never had a restaurant serve them cold, but I was open to the idea. However, they didn't end up just being cold but also lacking in any flavor or texture whatsoever. Bummed we ordered three orders of them because I couldn't even eat one. My husband's burger and tots were good, though.

It was so tasty. The service was very friendly and attentive. This place has a cool feel to it.

Great whiskey selection and friendly bartenders

Awesome fish n chip s

This place is great!

Good veg options, good beer, great service.

Big pub with small town feel. Good selection of whiskey and great food!

Very nice people

Cool spot

This place never disappoints. They serve awesome dishes for fair rates, there no long wait even when the spot is packed.

Had Bangors and mash, my wife had fish & chips. Food was delicious and good portions for lunch. The staff was efficient and curious.

That food is the BOMB! Meat pies and sausage rolls were awesome. Highly recommended.

One of the few places I've been to in recent years that has a Scotch selection of items that I have not had. Truly amazing! The food and service is incredible too. It's a good thing I don't live closer or I would be spending way to much money there.

Really enjoyed the food! Very tasty and cooked perfectly. 1st time being here and found it to be a cool Irish bar! Not sure if it's going to last as only a few people working and service was super slow as a result. Felt bad for the bartender who was overwhelmed, but giving it her best. Will go back if it remains open!