The Merchant's Inn in Rugby - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

A great selection of ales. Helpful and courteous staff. Recommended.

Cider festival now, so had to give it a try. Many excellent drinks but a bit pricey...and strong🤯 Enjoyed the evil cider, but wasn't happy about the stagger home! Oh well, I done it to myself & had a nice lie in😴😴

A great selection of beers. Some of the bottled Belgians are rocket fuel, so pace yourself! There is regular live music which really adds to the atmosphere. People tend to congregate around the bar so you will need good manners, or sharp elbows, to get served sometimes.

Under refurbishment but still doing what they do best

The Merchant Inn, Rugby is an interesting pub, extensive and well laid out with plenty of tables and seating. Has a nice outdoor seating area. It's all about the beer, with a great range of guest ales, cider and niche foreign brews. Have regular special events, like a cider festival in late August.

An authentic local pub. Winner of the CAMRA Rugby pub of the year 2023, therefore, naturally has a great range of real ales and ciders along with the usual lagers, etc. If you like 🏉 rugby, then this pub is a good place to watch both league and union. A good place to visit.

Nice beer choices, calm ambience👍

Excellent range of beers. Staff are pleasant and welcoming. The beer garden is enjoyable if the weather allows.

We gathered here for a reunion 70 plus people on a Saturday night. We all had a great time it was lovely to see everyone again. The staff were brilliant, and the atmosphere was amazing. Many thanks to the merchant's inn.

Good pints and nice place, but when it came to closing time, we were rushed out the door, while some old dads at the bar were stood with full pints. The rush for us to leave left me bewildered.

Cosy, dog-friendly pub with a small beer garden to the back. Moderate choice of beer. Nice selection of Gin however.

Great Pub. Friendly people, Rugby on the TV and a great quiz each month.

Just went for a quick lunchtime pint in the sun. Didn't seem to find a food menu but a very extensive beer/ale menu. Very cool bar area.

Great atmosphere . good selection of ales

It's being than it looks from the outside. A very nice pub.

Wonderful old pub with great atmosphere.

This is the best real ale pub in Rugby worth a visit

Great boozer with large selection of beers

A big thanks to Leonids and team for accommodating our ‘hag-do’ recently, along with our many changes!! This is continually the best pub in the Rugby, keep up the great work!

What a welcoming pub to shelter from the 🌧️ and dry off by the roaring coal fire. Crammed full of pub memorabilia and quality cask ales along with a great collection of European bottled beers. Fabulous barman who sorts out my itinerary of where else to visit later on. There’s an interesting outdoor drinking area to take advantage of when the weather bucks up.

Midday no hot food but pork pies are wonderful. Very interesting pub with great variety. An enjoyable drink too..Welcomed warmly and great choice of seats. no

Very good atmosphere. You can see the match. The atmosphere and beer are fantastic.

A great selection of quality beers and cider. Murphy's on draught! Been here twice, once to see live music on a busy Tuesday night and again to watch Rugby. Can't get enough, I'll be returning whenever I can.

This place is great if you want to go out with your friends to watch the rugby or simply have a good laugh with a few drinks. Amazing burgers and good drinks. Can get quite loud but that is alright because it is all part of the atmosphere.

Number 1 favourite pub everytime we visit Rugby , loads of different beers to try each time we visit ,and a lovely outside area when the weather is right ,Rugby matches are always shown on televisions which gives thevpub an amazing atmosphere 😀 👏 🏉🍺🍺🍺can't wait for our next pint .. cheers 🍺🍺😁

Just had a drink, so haven't rated food. Really impressed with the range of drink options - including my delicious cherry beer recommended by the bar staff. Hubby and I enjoyed the relative quiet of the bar at that time on a Tuesday evening.

Great place with excellent beer.

Great pub, great selection of beer, can highly recommend the pork pies!

Amazing traditional pub with a fantastic atmosphere

Popped in for a couple of beers with a friend who also has a dog The drinks choice was, well, vast, and with quick service, fresh pints were on hand at a reasonable price. Plenty of room, at the time we went, and a bowl of water for the dog too. Service can't be faulted. Toilets have been refreshed since I last visited, and whilst not the best part of the pub to discuss this is a very welcome upgrade. All in all, it is a good friendly pub with a good choice of beverages. If that way, pop in for some refreshment.

Great place. Interesting decor. Little bit dark in the back room. I only had their snacks..pork pie and pasties but they were tasty. Quiz night was busy and popular, and with good host and good humour. Car park is awkward and small.

Great pub, a little busy but that's to be expected

Great atmosphere and service. Best pub to watch the rugby. Only downside.... too many referees 🙄

Realy good ale and a gr8 atmosphere

Tuesday, but still a reasonable vibe.

Great choice of beers and brill atmosphere.

Typical atmosphere for an English pub, very good beer and a diversified offer, quite clean toilets, acceptable prices, worth a visit.

We only stopped off for a quick drink before heading off for a curry so only had a quick look around. The place had a good atmosphere and it was pretty busy as it was the last week before Christmas I expect. There's parking nearby although we had to park on the road a few minutes away.

Just came here for a pre lunch drink and enjoyed the pub very much. Lovely quirky decor. Service was good and drinks were fine and good value.

Such a great pub with a superb selection of beers and cozy interior.

Not a great smell. A bit of a dark cold feel. Looks to have a good choice of drinks and fast service.

Good selection of real ales,ciders and lagers.

Vibrant pub with a great atmosphere and good beer

We go there quite often. Always a lovely atmosphere and great staff working there. A1 pub with a big cider and Ale selection

We were only here for a drink, prior to eating in a restaurant. The place was well attended by customers enjoying themselves. The bar was busy. I bought a pint of beer (real ale), called 'Hung Drawn and Portered' and it was absolutely delicious. The pub was providing support for dark beers, and HD&P was one of them. ⭐

One of a kind. Amazing atmosphere, knowledgeable staff and very good drinks.

We tried there a few beers and I really enjoy all of them. The interior and atmosphere are amazing!

Great beer in a fantastic proper booza !

Loved it in here. When I went in I said I hadn't been here before and wasn't sure what I wanted, the lovely woman working behind the bar gave me samples of five drinks! I chose my favourite and went and sat in a nice and cozy room with great decor. I'll definitely be back.

It was OK. Did feel a bit old in here tho. Very busy pub.

Real sport pub atmosphere and perfect service

Had our drinks outside, nice area to relax in. Good variety of beers, recommended.

Good place to meet up for a chat, interesting decor too

Great pub with great choice of beer and ales

The lady behind the counter was so lovely and the inside the pub was so beautiful~

This is a really nice place to sample craft beer. So many to to choose from, friendly and helpful staff and quality food. If you are in Rugby go here

Been a long time since was last here. Was good but not enough to give it 5 stars. Lacking in atmosphere but still a reasonable place to go and see friends.

Great drinking pub - has a buzz.

First time in the pub, as I'm new to the area and I think I've my new favourite/local. I apologise as I can't remember the barmaid's name but she was brilliant. Gave me lots of info on the pub and events. Great selection of beer, staff and atmosphere. I will be back, lots!

Pretty good all in all, only thing I would mention is the total lack of anywhere to tie up bikes/scooters/... etc bit of a pain.

Friendly atmosphere. Happy , helpful staff. Friday night so was very busy but we did still get a table to sit at. They had a cider tasting promo on that night.

Always a great atmosphere in the Merchant's. Good range of ale....Bishops Farewell is a particular favourite. Can also recommend the pork pies. They are splendid

A first-rate establishment for a drink. Plenty to choose including scrumpy-type ciders, ales, and bottled beers. The walls are covered with interesting breweriana memorabilia and ceilings are clad with pump clips of ales past. Always a smashing atmosphere. One of best places for quite some miles. Cheers 🍻

Great value, good range of drinks. Smashing stuff.

Any other time I would be giving 5 stars, the staff ate friendly, the customers are friendly and every other experience I have had at the Merchents had been exceptional. However on 10/06/2023 I was having some drinks with my friend. Just after paying by card for my 3rd pint (with a packet of bacon fries) I then had the money in cash slammed on the bar infront of me and told to leave because I had too much to drink. In my shock I questioned the man (regional manager?) who was telling me to leave if there was a particular reason why and from what I gathered he was accusing me of mocking a older gentleman for the shirt he was wearing. In actual fact I was praising the man's shirt as it strongly aligns with what I like and I was talking to his wife about where she got it from. As a person with ADHD I can be excitable, eccentric and often misunderstood. So to go back in the following Friday to be refused service because of this is very disappointing especially it is opposite my house and is somewhere I enjoy spending time throughout the week. This review has no reflection on the lovely and amazing staff that work behind the bar and are consistently friendly. Some disorders are invisible and before treating your good customers in a particular way this needs to be considered before future discrimination could be implicated.

Fab craft beers and friendly atmosphere, what more do you want!

Saurday evening, buzzy atmosphere. goodrange oge of beers, spirits. Service was fast, efficient & friendly. Would visit again

No idea about food but this pub is 🫶

I love this pub, for a pint while visiting rugby.

Top pub with great staff and lovely food. Great entertainment on selected dates. This is a most excellent place for drinks and the Sunday roasts are amazing! I mean they are the best.

Still the best place to drink in Rugby, and thankfully they don't ever have or show tge football , just other 'mans' sports. A nice pkace this weekend (Saturday) to rest away from the FA Manchester game. James the 'governor' runs a superb place and never allows anybody to spoil others fun.

Always a warm welcome and some great beers on tap. Love the 'real' pub atmosphere. For me, best pub in Rugby.

Great place, Great atmosphere, one of the best pubs left in town

Wonderful place to meet with friends

Looks a great pub,very friendly people and excellent facilities enjoyed talking with the landlord James really nice helpful person

Great beer, great atmosphere and great staff - a pub in the centre of Rugby that really does have it all. Beers are constantly being updated and refreshed, which means it's always a surprise to visit. Children are welcome until 7pm. Always a variety of sporting and music events on, as well as beer festivals focussed on countries around the world. Oh, they do good food too.

Don't go tp Rugby often, but every time I do I end up here. Love the beer choice and atmosphere, just wish they did some food, though they allowed us to bring a takeaway pizza in when we got peckiah but didn't wnat to leave; which I thought was very generous.

It's an odd place..beer routinely is ok but once you get the place as a pub isn't that old it has established a really old look beyond it's years. It feels old it looks old and on occasion smells old.

Reasonable Rugby boozer. Friendly staff

Perfect harmony, you have a few scoops at The Merchants, then Womble into the Hill Murray curry emporium after, all very convenient. Carry on.

Always nice to visit a pub with an awesome selection of real ales and ciders, with a great relaxed atmosphere.

Good beers 🍻 and friendly staff 👌

Great pub and has Murphys. Proper rugby club. Really good friendly atmosphere, it's busy, but ace. Great snack selection too!

Always a nice pub to go in with real ales. I love the cherry beer too. Looking forward to trying Listers.

Nice place clean and friendly nice beer 🍺

Visited the pb over the festive season and was very pleased with the service and the selection of drinks on offer. The place was busy when we have arrived but we still managed to get a table.

If I could I would not give a star! We were made to feel unwelcomed so rushed our first drinks and left. I thought I'd look at Google reviews . . . Well, discovering the General Manager's response to Mr Mcleod's review shows we're not the only ones speculating discrimination, whether directly or by association! In response to Mr McLeod's review, the General Manager states: 'What I don't like and what has left me sad, upset and extremely frustrated are the implications that you were refused entry because I don't like you, your 18 year old son or the ethnicity of your wife. lf you knew me or anything about the pub you'd know this is downright wrong and morally unfair. These ambiguous accusations are potentially slanderous and completely unnecessary.' Well, General Manager, as you claim to be upset about the accusations, think about the people potentially left sad, upset and extremely frustrated because they were made to feel unwelcomed for some reason! What is it about you and the pub that means suspecting discrimination is ‘downright wrong and morally unfair’ – a strong statement I’d say so expecting a compelling account, if you can be bothered to respond to my review. And ‘These ambiguous accusations are potentially slanderous’ reads like a threat to me but why should people keep quiet about what they experienced at your pub and what they suspect? My review clearly shows that Mr Mcleod and his family are not alone to speculate discrimination . . .

What can I say great pub, great food great beer, rugby on the tv

First rate pub, with flagstone floor and a huge collection of breweriana, a wide selection of ales to choose from, a excellent pub grub.

A marvellous tradional pub with long history of serving real ales and also good selection of Belgian and German bottled beers. Very reasonable prices. Beer selection varies and tasting trays of six third pints always available. Beer Festivals are planned now worst of Covid Pandemic is over. Check web site for details.

Great beer selection, great prices and a relaxed friendly atmosphere! Fantastic pub and I will definitely be back

We love this pub. Lots of great memories made and deleted (grog) in the pub.

Popular as ever, good meeting place plus big screen for sports events

A unique pub with a good atmosphere and friendly staff!

Quality traditional pub. Can lack seating at busy times. Great selection of beers & ales

Pleasantly surprised with the friendly atmosphere and general aura as created by the landlord and his staff not at all like a town centre pub of years gone by, felt safe amongst the Christmas crowd of all ages, to be honest had a more relaxed country pub feel/vibe to it, So keep up the good work guys and girls who work there shall definitely be putting it on my Christmas list for next year at least

An excellent pub, with plenty of real ales. Once they start doing food again it will be a 5 star place. 👍

Great pub atmosphere and service.

Nice, Cosy and friendly oldish type of pub. Gets very busy weekends. Really enjoyed my time there.

Good choice of drinks and great atmosphere