Merchantman Fresh Seafood & Oyster Bar

It was our first evening ever in Charlottetown, just arriving there, and we stopped by Merchantman - well on the patio Next Door. The staff, the food and the setting made it an unforgetable first impression on us. Did I mention the food? Try the blueberry ale. Cheers!

Visiting from Ontario second time eating at this amazing Restaurant
Service was exceptional second time around as well. Thank you Payton for a wonderful experience and Tamara for such an amazing greeting chat and interaction you also made our day.
This Restaurant is a true Gem in Charlottetown we highly recommend the oysters and Spinach salad.
Wonderful staff.
Ana…

Nice selection of food and beverages available.service was excellent, everyone did a great job.they all made you feel welcome.well worth checking this place out.sorry for the partially eaten food in the photos.was so hungry almost forgot to take them.

Visited this restaurant on our first night and overall good experience. Based on the restaurant look and feeling higher end we didn’t really feel like we got that in the service or food. Presentation for the food was average but the food itself was delicious. Surprisingly no espresso martini is offered. We got the surf and turf appetizers (portion was tiny for the cost), halibut (portion and taste was good) and roasted cauliflower (could’ve cooked for longer, overall good). Was hoping for a better overall experience based on the price and look of the restaurant but enjoyed our time.

First - kudos to Tamira. Tamira was funny, engaging, helpful and entertaining! The top notch service made the whole experience wonderful.

The atmosphere warm and welcoming.

The calamari, fish cakes and the fish and chips were wonderful. The later being very generous.

There is a nice selection of on tap and local beers.

If you find yourself in downtown Charlottetown, then take a break and treat yourself.

Had an absolute blast at The Merchantman, next door. We were greeted right away and served by Temira who was amazing, friendly and a great hostess! She made our first experience so good that we had to return back a second time while we were on our trip to PEI. Thank you Temira, you absolutely rock! Also, the fish tacos are out out this world. Cheers!

Lobster roll, fish and chips are highly recommended. Chowder is ok, I personally more prefer a different type of creamy seafood chowder.

Les tacos ainsi que les huîtres étaient délicieux! Par contre, le service était un peu lent. Belle ambiance sur la terrasse extérieur!

We called ahead to see what oysters they have on the raw bar and liked the selection so decided to go. However when we were seated and asked again, turns out the board was wrong and didn't have the kind we like. The selection was okay, just not what we were expecting. Seafood pasta was bland but just needed more seasoning, the seafood itself was nice. Fish burger was tasty, and we liked the fennel coleslaw.

Great bar atmosphere but not so much for restaurant. Wifey got the pasta and I got the platter. The pasta was good. The lobster and crab legs were good. The mussels in the platter were just average. Platter is $91

You cannot visit PEI and leave without having a seafood boil. Fresh as it can be with the Lobster, king crab, mussels, potatoes and corn with the delicious seafood broth. This dish can feed four hungry people. Highly recommend if you are coming with a bunch of friends or big family.

The seafood chowder is a must as well and the big bowl of chowder is enough for two people.

Very disappointing experience.
We ordered the Seafood Boil - the lobster had a weird taste, and was very overcooked (Yes, I know lobster is supposed to have a form of rubbery texture, this was well beyond that).
The kitchen didn’t include the clams as described on the menu and when we advised the server - she told us she would discount it for the mistake; only to return and tell us the kitchen was out of clams so they replaced them with more mussels - yet we were never advised of this until we asked.
Would never return, and do not recommend. Not the servers fault, but the kitchen and management clearly don’t care about proper customer service.

Used to be a really nice place, pretty disappointing these days in comparison. Quality of food decreased and I got a glass with tons of lipstick on it.

Visited from Toronto and wanted to try new things and not go anywhere twice. We ended up here 3 times anyway - can’t beat their oysters, and highly recommend their seafood stew (the broth is incredible) and date pudding (the best we had on the island)!

A long time favourite for Islanders and tourists alike. The Merchant Man always tries to support local suppliers, and that quality and freshness is reflected in their dishes.

Their menu always has something new to try, and I've never had anything their that I haven't loved. Staff was excellent as well as friendly, quick to check-in and very knowledgeable about the dishes.

Food is also reasonably priced. It's hands down one of my favourite places to eat in Downtown Charlottetown. A reservation is highly recommended.

I was really surprised how good the food was here, best pub food I had in all the places I went to in eastern Canada. The day we went they had a slow kitchen issue, but the server was so warm and friendly it made up for it and we were fine waiting, and the food ended up being totally worth it! The fish tacos, surf and turf and fries were all really good.

Absolutely amazing food! This is a must try in my books. We had Dayna and she was lovely. We sat on the front patio and couldn't stop raving about the fish and chips, lobster rolls, house salad and the date dessert. We are looking forward to our next visit

We went during a busy evening and were treated very kindly by an understandably overwhelmed staff. Had the chicken burger and the fish and chips, the kids had chicken fingers. Good food, good beer. Overall lovely.

Called for reservations for 6 even 2 days out and no room. Was told to come and wait for a table. When we went, we were told no room and should have taken reservations. Multiple tables of 6 with 3 people seated…we had the same poor experience a few years ago.

Best dinner I had while in Charlottetown! Was very impressed with the crab cakes and Jalapeño relish they make so delicious! Our server was very kind and attentive. Will definitely visit again when in the area.

When it comes to seafood, I am very picky with the quality and how fresh it tastes.
We had dinner in Merchantman last night and it was one of the best seafood i have ever had.
The staff are very friendly and nice. The place looks classy. I highly recommend this place

Amazing! I don't know the word to describe this restaurant. We had the Smoked salmon board for lunch and came back for salmon, and steak dishes. The service was amazing and on point. The atmosphere was romantic and positive/family friendly. The food was impeccable. I will be back again. I highly recommend this place to everyone!

Top notch service, atmosphere and food.
Recommend the hoisan braised salmon, and date pudding with caramel sauce from the winter menu.
Oysters. Crab cakes.
Nice drink menu.
Lots of room between tables, and covid guidelines are being followed.
Street parking.

Great service and meal was delicious. Hubby and I raved about their spicy corn soup. Hamburger was very juicy, must say though, I will pass on the garlic spread next time.

I am surprised to see this mediocre restaurant receive such a strong rating. Our experience was anything but splendid. We began with the steamed clams. It was too salty and the broth was exceedingly thin. Such a dish does require a certain richness. This had none. One main dish was spectacularly poor. The haddock was dry and quite flavourless. The vegetables were undercooked and lacked flavour. The dish claimed to use basmati rice, but I could detect no such flavour, and we cook with basmati often. The other dish, pasta with lobster and scallops, was somewhat better, but not enough to redeem our experience, nor to warrant a favourable review. We will say that the staff was friendly and our service was good. However, if you visit Charlottetown this might be a restaurant to avoid.

The Lobster Seafood Boil was delicious, and the staff was friendly and experienced. It was an amazing experience.

Delicious and good portion size! Their buttery lobster roll was solid and stuffed full, clam chowder was steaming hot and creamy, and their fish taco is crispy on the outside tender on the inside. Favorite is probably the merchant man nachos which uses seasoned kettle chips instead of corn chips We enjoyed it so much we came back two days later for more.

Note that they get extremely busy at night so a reservation is a must, even though we came early October which is end of season. The second time we came during lunch and it was much quieter.

Had a great dinner here. They were very considerate of all of my allergies (I have a ton). The waitress helped me pick something gluten, fish, pork, and nut free and made me feel comfortable that the kitchen was doing everything they could to keep me safe. Food was great!

Loved the oysters, beautifully prepared fish tacos were excellent, definitely will go back when we go to PEI again.

Food was either overcooked/dry or underseasoned. Oysters were mutilated but fresh. Beer was nice and cold. Service was good.

That was great. From oysters to dessert. The fried calamari is amazing and the sticky date was delicious. Way better than Fishbones…

This restaurant is fantastic! The food has perfect seasoning and all the raw materials are super fresh! With friendly and lovely service! Can’t miss it!

16$ Clams 4 stars out of 5;4$/each Baked oysters 2 stars out of 5. 不推荐生蚝但是扇贝推荐。 we will try most restaurants’ oysters and reviewed again.

We were here several years ago but I still think about how great the mussels were and what nice conversation we had with the bartender. Lovely, lovely place.

The place will satisfy both meat and seafood lovers. I ordered thai mussels and Atlantic salmon. They were delicious. We asked to be moved to another table and our request was immediately addressed. The staff are truly amazing.
The only one star down is for tables on patio. Our table wasn't leveled, so if you lean on one side, water would spill on the other. Staff were swamped with the number of clients and understandably forgot to bring something to level out. Please, level your tables or give something to visitors to do it yourself

The service was excellent. The hostess, server, and trainee went out of their to be awesome. The food was perfect. Thank you for a great experience.

Everything is tasty. Have choice for seafood lovers, meat lovers and vegetarian. Service is a bit slow during peak times. Waitress is nice.

Such incredibly poor service at the grab and go area of the restaurant beside Merchantman tonight. The server was visibly upset we were put into her section at 7: 30PM and proceeded to clean tables around us for 20 minutes, serve other tables and not even come to take our drink order. We left without the server even speaking to us and took our business gladly to the John Brown, which was 5 star service.

Seafood cakes were the best we've had.

The (delightfully large) mussels were served in a Thai Green Curry sauce—both are tasty, but they didn't blend together well—as such it was just okay. It was like having plain mussels with a side or green curry soup. It was also served with garlic bread which didn't make sense given the chosen flavouring.

The chowder was thick without having an overpowering cream flavour. Served with a buttermilk biscuit, which is too soft for soup, so I recommend asking them to swap out for a thicker crust bread.

Overall, it's okay but don't have 4-star high hopes.

We try and pop into the Merchantman every time we visit Charlottetown. And by pop in, I mean, sit in the outdoor patio. Their seafood chowder is one of the best in the Maritimes anywhere, in my opinion. Their fish and chips are also excellent, though not exactly what I would call English or New Zealand style. Mussels are also superb.

PEI is synonymous with amazing seafood. We did a lot of research and read many reviews of restaurants to visit and we were hoping choosing Merchantman for a Tuesday night dinner would be a hit. Sadly, it did not meet our expectations. We ordered oysters and crab cakes, both of which were excellent and made us excited for our entrees.

Unfortunately, it seemed that the order was either missed or forgotten because we waited 40-45 minutes for our entree after the appetizers were brought out. The server was apologetic about the wait and we were patient without raising an issue. The dishes looked delicious, but looks were deceiving. The Cioppono's broth lacked the depth of flavor I was expecting for a dish that took so long. I wanted to dip a crusty piece of bread in a flavorful broth but was not impressed at all. Furthermore, I tasted cold canned tomatoes; this is something I would not expect for something you charge close to $30 for. The chowder was decent but there was nothing special. The biscuit was the same. The server was polite and kind but after the entree, there was no urgency to get desert.

It may have been an off night. Most people who dine here enjoy their meals, unfortunately we didn't and will not return.

Food was excellent. The only reason for the 4 star review was we waited for and hour and a half which could be to the seafood boil. Could easily serve 3 to 4 people. We barely made it half way through.

We gave this restaurant our buisness 2 days ago. Our bill came to 180$. I hadn't been back home to pei in over 2 year, I ordered take out for MM to surprise and treat my family.

This establishment put the wrong sauce in with my mothers Cesar salad, she opened it because it was within the salad container and poured it all over her salad which was then ruined (the sauce didnt go with anything else we had ordered)

The lobster rolls we ordered when we opened the containers they were a mess all over the inside of the container, like someone just scooped and dumped it inside the container and then flipped them all upside down. They are 25$ each.

I ordered a two scallop appetizers and the sauce leaked out of the styrofoam container all down the inside of the bag so our burger order container was all sticky. They didnt put napkins or utensils in a takeout bag during peak tourism season.

The foods flavoring was delicious however the presentation and appreciation of the customers takeout buisness is lacking. I'm not sure if I'll be giving them my buisness again on my next trip to pei. I was so disappointed.

*****Also when I called to order my food over the phone the staff didnt want to assist me with my choices! *******

I haven't ordered there since the new owners took over the restaurant. So I wanted a little guidance of what were popular dishes so I could provide my family different choices for food selection for their treat out on me!

They rushed me off the phone, continuing to repeat my order would take 1 hour- 2hour before it's ready and the menu is online. (update; they do not have an updated menu online it's the menu from the previous owners. The staff member I spoke with over the phone didnt know the menu and told me over the phone they didn't serve scallops atm.

I walked out of my hotel and across the street and made my order inside with 2 orders of scallop appetizers, 2 lobster roll dishes, 1 burger dish, 1 artichoke and spinach dip. ****** I only recieved 6 of the 7 items I ordered. ******

I didnt call back to complain I decided to make a review which isnt something I regularly do. But my experience was so disappointing not only to my family but to me personally. I work very hard for my living wages and to be left feeling unappreciated as a well paying customer after tipping for take out I'm just appauld.

I dont recommend this place. Perhaps dining inside is a better experience however I highly doubt I'll be a returning customer. CUSTOMER BEWARE WHEN ORDERING TAKE OUT.

Food was good. Service was friendly. Oysters were fresh. My first time having Atlantic oysters, I do prefer Pacific oysters after having both, but that's my preference.

The chowder was just ok. It tastes more potato than seafood, I've definitely had much better. The blackened fish sandwich was standard, but still good.nthe Lobster roll was quite delicious! The linguini was a bit dry but maybe that was so you can taste the lobster more, however a litttttle bit more sauce would have made it very good.

Great service n great food esp the ribs.second to none! Loved the outdoor patio n music.beautiful spot loved my special drink

Probably the best/my favourite pub food establishment in PEI.
The flavours in every dish are complex enough to be interesting with only enough pretension to make them relevant. The service is good and the prices are very fair given the location.
Any place with high quality disposable napkins gets an extra star from me.

Do you guys do 6 foot distancing precautions in the kitchen? No. So the whole virus distance precaution is as much as a joke as the whole story itself.

Great food and great service! We saved by visiting during the Dine & Save promotion. Everything is fairly priced even without the promotion. All of the food was delicious. I got the Island Burger and we also got chips and dip for an appetizer!

Have been there a few times. Today I have lobster and scallop linguine which is creamy, rich, and a little bit sweet. However the first few bites taste a little bit weird to me (maybe because of the big chunk of goat cheese) but when i become familiar with it, it is fine. The highlight of the dish is lobster meat. In the summer, I like their lobster roll (better than some other similar locations in town). Service is ok, depending on the day, I have experienced both good and not so good service here

Used to be my favourite place to go when I was living downtown, in the summertime you have a choice of relaxing in the sun or next to a fire on the patio or you can choose the cozy more intimate indoor dining room. The fish and chips is great along with many other menu items

Food & Service Was Very Good. Overall it was a Great Atmosphere & Comfortable Surroundings.

I had the fish and chips with their homemade tartar sauce which was awesome! Well definitely order that again!

I was extremely disappointed with the service. When we arrived there was only one other couple finishing their meal. The waitress took us to a dark tiny table at the back hidden from everything. I was not happy and asked for another table. I was told then that only two stools at the window were available. That all others in the restaurant were reserved. Not the case entirely. We sat at the window and then waited and waited to be served. Finally the waiter arrived and took our drink orders. Not alcohol and our meal orders. The drinks arrived but then we waited for our meals. 25 minutes and the only meals to be prepared. What happened was the two parties who had reserved some of the tables arrived and all the staff focussed on them and totally forgot about us. Obviously it was because they were ordering alcohol beverages. Then we had to hunt someone down for our bill and were told it would be a minute. We will never go back. Poor service and the food was just ok. I wouldn't recommend. Don't waste your time or money. Oh and the only way I could post this was to give a rating. I don't feel the staff or restaurant or food deserve 1 star

Sunday 25th, your cooks don't wear masks! We seen at least 2 guys back there. Not hard to walk by the bars side to look. Dr Morrison said to wear masks!

I see. So kevin murphy didn't wear a mask or do 6 foot spacing entering his own kitchen at merchantman. We got eyes you know. INTERESTING.

Inconsistent COVID-19 rules. Would be nice to know before entering that a party of 7 is accepted.

On giving 2 stars because the service was decent but that was only good thing about our meal.

Ordered a calamari to split, fish tacos, and crispy chicken tacos. Calamari was in the fryer too long and came out overdone. Chicken in the taco was overdone, sauce was tasteless. Fish in the taco was also overdone and tasteless.

We decided to skip dessert.