"Merlins Rest in Minneapolis’s Longfellow neighborhood is beloved for its drink menu (draft beers and — it claims — the most extensive list of single malt scotch and Irish whiskey in the state), its entertainment (live Irish music, jazz, blues, folk, and open jams), and its total lack of pretense. While it’s not strictly an Irish pub (as a “British Isles” pub, it embraces the cultures and cuisines of England and Scotland, too), Merlins Rest is a staple of the Twin Cities pub scene: It was voted best neighborhood bar for several years by City Pages. Menu highlights are classic bangers and mash, Cornish pasty, cottage pie, and English toffee pudding with Bird’s custard." - Eater Staff