Fans of the classic French bistro experience will have a new reason to raise a glass and say ‘À votre santé’ when the West-Coast-by-way-of-Lyon brunch restaurant Mèreon officially opens its doors in the heart of West Vancouver’s Ambleside neighbourhood at 1479 Clyde Avenue on Wednesday, January 31st.
The 52-seat space will be open Wednesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and feature a full complement of timeless French fare, artisanal espresso-based beverages, classic, contemporary and zero-proof cocktails and a thoughtfully curated list of Old and New World wines, and the signature sense of hospitality for which French bistros are famously known.
Mèreon represents the culmination of a long-simmering passion project of Owner Ophelia Arida, who took her inspiration for the name of the restaurant from ‘Mère’, the French language word for ‘mother’ and the honorary title bestowed upon female cooks in the city of Lyon that dates to the 18th Century.
The opening menu will offer an array of hearty and home-spun soups, salads and small plates, a trio of iconic ‘Croque’ sandwiches and mains and desserts including:
- Lobster Bisque (Gruyère, rouille, croutons) and French Onion Soup (classic, gratinéed with croutons);
- Soup and Quiche du Jour (rotating daily selection)
- West Coast Niçoise Salad (smoked tuna loin, fingerling potatoes, hard-boiled egg, anchovies, green beans, Campari tomatoes, roasted red peppers, olives) and Mèreon Salad (beetroot, burrata, caramelized walnuts, green onion, grainy Dijon dressing);
- Chicken Liver Mousse (grape chutney, cornichons, pickled pearl onions, coffee bread toast);
- Sardine Can (steamed potatoes, truffle butter, country bread toast);
- Croque Monsieur (Gruyère, béchamel, herbs de Provence, cornichons, frites & salade), Croque Madame (ham, Gruyère, béchamel, herbs de Provence, sunny egg, cornichons, frites & salade), and Croque Forestier (mushrooms, Gruyère, béchamel, herbs de Provence, cornichons, frites & salade);
- Prosciutto Socca (chickpea flatbread, goat cheese, prosciutto, toasted sesame seeds, manuka honey, micro cilantro, arugula) and French Smoky Socca (chickpea flatbread, smoked salmon, guacamole, capers, fried onions, frisée salad);
- Duck Confit Cassoulet (navy beans, merguez, bacon, poached egg);
- Eggs en Cocotte (smoked salmon, spinach, cream, salmon roe);
- O’s Breakfast (two sunny or scrambled eggs, bacon, chorizo, roasted fingerling potatoes, mango chutney, brioche toast);
- Mèreon’s Burger (teriyaki prime rib burger, bacon, Gruyère, pickled shimeji, tomatoes, greens, peppercorn sauce, frites);
- Steak Frites (8oz bavette, brandy mushroom sauce, frites & salade);
- Desserts: Passion Fruit Crème Brûlée; Crème Caramel; Lemon Crèpe (star anise and vanilla syrup, Chantilly, berries compote); and Chocolate Fondant (salted caramel, vanilla ice cream).
Arida developed the menu with well-known Vancouver restaurateur/chef Emmanuel Joinville, who helmed the beloved former Gastown Bar à Vin Jules Bistro from 2007 to 2023. Joinville began his career in 1981 in his hometown of Dijon, France as an apprentice at Chef Rene Villard’s Michelin 3-Starred restaurant Chateau Bourgogne and went on to become an acclaimed chef in his own right prior to emigrating to Vancouver with his family in 2000.
In keeping with the French-meets-West-Coast theme, the Mèreon cellar will showcase a rotating array of wine, Champagne and sparkling available by the glass and bottle that hails from Old World vineyards as well as renowned wineries located in BC’s backyard like Penticton’s Roche, Kelowna’s Tantalus, Oliver’s Intersection, and more.
The Mèreon bar team will also feature a creative collection of no-guilt, zero-proof mocktails like Vanilla Lavender, Pineapple Tarragon, Cucumber Sage Lime and others that hit notes ranging from sweet and savoury to zesty and herbaceous and showcases handcrafted non-alcoholic spirits as well as a variety of house-made tinctures and cordials.
To make reservations for Mèreon, call 236-323-2010 or email [email protected]