Linus & Peppers

It amazes me how people will leave a wonderful review but do four stars. Folks, start at five and deduct for faults. No faults here - exquisite place to come, settle, have amazingly crafted cocktails, and have a good time. Hilary is an asset - she knows her spirits and how to mix them. Came for an event, came back for the quality.

Came here for a company dinner with 16 people. I tried all the food and each non-alcoholic drink, and they were all amazing. Every taste is carefully designed, it's like a perfectly mixed music track where every instrument stands out and nothing gets muddy. On top of that, our server was perfect and handled our large group with ease. Wonderful experience!

A date night at The Merchant made me feel very hip and cool! Granted, it is a much younger crowd. On a Saturday night it was loud, very loud. Not a cozy date night venue, but a high energy buzz kind of place. We loved our drinks… the cocktail menu is extensive and creative with a short list of fun seasonal drinks. Smoke and Daggers pictured is delicious and served in its own smoke box. Small plates are great for sharing with a dozen or so choices. Recommend brussel sprouts, steak/ frites and short rib pasta dish. The spot is somewhat tucked away upstairs. Recommend reservations on a weekend. There are sofas for gathering if your evening vibe is cocktails + friends.

The cocktails were so delicious and well balanced and the adult grilled cheese was everything! The menu divided the drinks into flavor profiles rather than the type of alcohol which made it so easy to figure out exactly which drinks fit the vibe you were going for. I loved the speak-easy feel and the music was so good.

Full disclosure, we tried The Merchant because we indirectly know Jacob, one of the bartenders. We arrived outside the front of Virgil's puzzled about the entrance to The Merchant. We asked the hostess who inquired if we had a reservation, we did not. She called upstairs, chatted for a moment and then proceeded to move the soda vending machine aside which acts as the hidden entrance to the Merchant. Upstairs we discovered Jacob wasn't working yet so we sat at the bar and ordered a round. I had the Julep, they hand crack the ice at the bar preparing the cocktail. My wife had the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Both were quite good. We later tried the American Dream and the Aviation, both also excellent, along with an order of the duck fat fries. The fries were tasty (could have been a tad crispier), well seasoned with a good aioli on the side. Chatted with Jacob when he arrived and his dedication to his craft and his enjoyment in sharing it with his coworkers and clientele is obvious. Some of the best cocktails in Raleigh.