Merlins Rest Pub — Restaurant in Minneapolis

“The proper drinking of Scotch whisky is more than indulgence: it is a toast to civilization, a tribute to the continuity of culture, a manifesto of man’s determination to use the resources of nature to refresh mind and body and enjoy to the full the senses with which he has been endowed.”

– David Daiches, Scotch Whisky 1969

Since the attendance of our first monthly scotch tasting in October of 2016, my husband and I knew we stumbled upon one of the city’s finest hidden gems. When you first walk into Merlins Rest Pub you find yourself in unpretentious surroundings, always greeted by a smiling face with a joyful demeanor. This review will speak on point to the monthly and private scotch tastings the pub offers. First, arrive early, grab a tap special, and peruse the menu. The fare will not disappoint. My husband’s go to happens to be the Steak and Pudding, whereas I am quite keen on the British Fish and Chips. The tone for the evening is set by a ceremonious march of the bagpipes played, Dennis, The Whisky Guru; as well as a Gaelic welcome and toast bellowed in jolly fashion by Bill Watkins, Ambassador of Culture. Dennis takes great pride and care in the selection of the four featured whiskeys, and his breadth of knowledge of scotch and all of its intricate complexities, history and geography is exceptional. The tasting is interlaced with Bill’s endless recollections of his life not only in Ireland, Scotland but of all his worldly travels; stories of historical, humorous and sometimes somber nature. (As aside, Bill has authored a literary trilogy available for purchase which are spectacular reads and highly recommended). You will enjoy a night of intellect, education, and humor not to outshine a remarkable flight of whiskeys.

Our experience at the monthly tastings only broadened our desire to learn more about scotch whiskeys and keeps us coming back month after month. The pub also offers private tastings tailored to your liking and experience level. I opted to arrange a private tasting in celebration of my husband’s birthday. I worked with Lee, Owner, who thoroughly interviewed me to gain insight into my husband’s taste and experience level. He worked side by side with Dennis to create an incredible flight of six whiskeys, many quite rare and indulgent, producing an unforgettable evening for the two gentleman and one lady in attendance. Lee humbly poured and served each glass, accompanied by the bottle to be perused and inspected by the table. (Be sure to photograph the bottles and add them to your brag book. They are sure to make lively conversation with good friends in the future). Dennis once again took his time to answer every question we had in detail without hesitation, reiterating his vast knowledge, and years of study and education of the all things scotch. He was even so kind to grace us with a song of Happy Birthday played on his bagpipes. The attention to detail and care put into the whole presentation was, in our humble opinion, world class. My husband is already anticipating what will surely become a yearly birthday tradition.

To wrap up this lengthy review of our favorite pub, you will not be disappointed. You will always come away happy, having learned something new with every visit. Over time, the staff will become friends and when you walk in door you almost start to feel...

The only reason this isn't one star is because the food is really good. There seems to be an issue with the Front of House though. We came in last Saturday for dinner around 5pm. We were there for almost 2 hours. It started with our server bringing our drinks, saying they would be back in a few minutes to take our food order, and then not returning for over 20 minutes. Once they took our food order and our food came, I requested more sauce and the person did not come back. Our waiter never came back after our food order was taken. The manager finally came to check on our table (my fiance finished his food by this time, mine was half-eaten because I was still waiting for the sauce). After correcting me about it being "Pub" not tartar sauce, they went to get it. After they got it, they went to the table behind me and the young child requested something. The manager then began to lecture the child about saying "May I" instead of "Can I" if they want someone to get them something. After finishing my food, we sat for another long period before the manager returned to ask for our check. It was after this that our waiter returned and provided our bill. As I said, the food is really great but there definitely needs to be some improvements on the Front of House with how it treats guests and its turnover. We used to go to Merlin's a lot and this was never an issue. We recently went back after not being there for awhile and were surprised by the decline in service.

In response to the restaurant's reply about lecturing that poor child (see the second definition): Dictionary Definitions from Oxford Languages · Learn more can1 verb be able to. "they can run fast" be permitted to. "you can use the phone if...

first of all, I got to tell you I miss this pub a lot - it used to be my most favorite spot for lunch when I was working in the area. I also happened to go there to watch some European football matches live in pre-COVID times, and it was also very enjoyable experience.

secondly - back to my most recent visit - last Friday night my wife and I decided to go there for dinner before going a movie theater. we were running on a bit of a tight schedule and asked our server, Kevin, if it was possible to expedite our order. he was absolutely spot on and super professional during our entire dining, and we had our food and drinks ready in no time.

and, lastly, my personal food recommendations: fish & chips - hearty portion of delicious and crispy fish and lots of fries with the price that is hard to beat London broil steak salad - perhaps one of the best steak salads I have tried in Twin Cities, perfect combination of greens, bacon bits, croutons, bleu cheese and extremely juicy steak their burgers - to me, the Irish burger is a bit oddly tasting, but Scottish and English are great! my wife absolutely loves their Swiss and Mushroom one on a gluten free bun (it is worth to mention that they do have quite a bit of nice different options for those who are gluten-allergic)

p.s. don't forget to grab yourself a nice fresh pint of Guinness or Fullers to pair it with their delicious...