Meo: New cocktail bar slated to open in Chinatown

Mark Yammine/Meo

Something exciting is coming to Vancouver’s Chinatown, and we’ve got all the details. Meo, a new cocktail bar, is opening soon and will combine coy and playful ’70s-inspired nostalgia with inventive cocktails, small bites, and intimate seating.

This new restaurant is brought to us by the team behind award-winning restaurants Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie and the Michelin-starred Kissa Tanto.

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The concept + space

The inspiration for this room was sparked after co-owner Tannis Ling saw a photograph by Greg Girard that came from a series documenting the nightlife of Hong Kong in the ’70s and ’80s.

From there, Meo’s design evolved featuring romantic pink tones, dark wood panelling, soft plush fabrics, drapery, and carpet. It will feature 70 seats inside a dimly lit dining room, anchored by the glow of a vintage jukebox.

Ian Lanterman/Meo

“Meo is the second piece of the puzzle to our tri-level building, where each experience is unique and complements each other — Kissa Tanto for supper upstairs, Meo for great drinks and snacks downstairs, and a third yet to come,” said Ling, who operates Bao Bei, Kissa Tanto, and Meo together with chefs Joël Watanabe and Alain Chow.

The menu

When open, Meo will be featuring eight reimagined classic cocktails and eight signature cocktails, all developed with one concept in mind: fruits are not vegetables.

The cocktail program is being headed by Denis Bykov, who has worked at bars like Dubai’s renowned Sucre where he mixed drinks alongside one of the world’s top bartenders, Tato Giovannoni.

Mark Yammine/Meo

Examples from the menu include the Golden Devine with Blue Agave Altos Tequila, summer peach, cacao nib, ginseng cordial, Cocchi Americano vermouth, and a peach cacao yogurt crisp; and the nitro-charged Espresso Carrotini with Beefeater Blood Orange Gin, carrot reduction, citrus peel infused cold brew and carrot dust.

“We want to break a stereotype that all fruits are sweet and all vegetables are savoury,” explained Bykov. “Our cocktails will demonstrate how unexpected something can taste on your palate when different approaches are applied to both sweet and savoury organics. While we utilize modern techniques to extract and enhance flavours, our menu remains approachable and fun. Equal emphasis and care will be taken towards our non-alcoholic program as well.”

But Meo won’t just be all about cocktails. It will also feature a food menu developed by Watanabe with chef de cuisine Marcià Bagur. You can expect an assortment of casual small plates like Trinidadian doubles, tostadas of the day, and Som Tum, which is a green papaya salad.

Mark Yammine/Meo

“Our utmost desire is for Meo to function as the neighbourhood hangout and to build a regular clientele enticed by the comfortable room and excellent food and drinks at varied price points,” added Ling.

“We hope nights at Meo will encourage the improvisation and spontaneity from pre-pandemic days, where guests can dine and drink as they please, order as the night progresses, invite friends to join, leave and come back, linger all night or pass by for a quick visit.”

Meo is expected to open later this month from Wednesday to Sunday, 4 pm to late.

Meo

Address: 265 E Pender Street, Vancouver

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