Mèreon: New brunch spot offers a menu of French-inspired fare
It’s only the second month of 2024, and so far, we’re off to a delicious start. Metro Vancouver has seen many anticipated openings of late, from taco spots to croissant destinations, and here’s another place worth wandering outside of Vancouver to try: Mèreon.
This new brunch destination only launched a few days ago in West Vancouver’s Ambleside neighbourhood, but based on the steady flow of patrons who popped in during our Thursday morning visit, it felt like a place that’s been a part of the neighbourhood for much longer.
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Owner Ophelia Arida aims to offer a taste of France’s iconic cafe and bistro culture with Mèreon. The North Shore resident was inspired by her many visits to the European country.
“Those trips helped me develop my passion to host and showcase the sort of hospitality and home-spun cuisine for which French culture is so well known,” says Arida.
“It’s a place that’s nostalgic, welcoming and evocative where guests can gather around the table and enjoy a little joie de vivre with friends, family and loved ones.”
Mèreon Exterior (Hanna McLean/Daily Hive)
The 52-seat Ambleside bistro is located at 1479 Clyde Avenue, you can’t miss the soft green exterior of the restaurant.
Stepping into space, we were immediately greeted by Emmanuel Joinville, who was brought on to envision the menu.
You may know Joinville as the longtime chef/owner behind Jules Bistro, which announced its closure after 16 years of operation in fall 2023.
It’s great to see Joinville in this space and even better to taste the food he’s developed for Mèreon’s menu.
Guests can expect a solid selection of hearty brunch and lunch eats made using French techniques and West Coast ingredients.
Mèreon Interior (Hanna McLean/Daily Hive)
We tried several dishes during our visit, but first… drinks!
In addition to coffees, lattes, teas, etc, Mèreon offers a selection of mocktails, signature and classic cocktails, and wines.
Vanilla Lavender Mocktail (Hanna McLean/Daily Hive)
We opted for the Vanilla Lavender mocktail, made with butterfly pea flower-infused seedlip grove, golden vanilla lavender cordial, martini floreale, and lemon super juice. It was refreshing and photo-worthy.
The hardest part was picking what food to check out. We knew the trio of Croque sandwiches would be a must, so we ordered the classic Madame.
The combo of ham, gruyère, béchamel, herbs de provence, a sunny-side-up egg, cornichons, frites and salade didn’t disappoint.
Croque Madame (Hanna McLean/Daily Hive)
Another must-try, in our opinion, was the Duck Confit Cassoulet with navy beans, merguez, bacon, and a poached egg.
Duck Confit Cassoulet (Hanna McLean/Daily Hive)
Perhaps less on the traditional “brunch” side of things, but the French Onion Soup at Jules Bistro was to die for, so we had to see if the magic made it over to this side of the bridge with this dish – we can confirm it did.
French Onion Soup (Hanna McLean/Daily Hive)
From there, a little less hearty but delightfully flavourful, we tasted West Coast Niçoise.
It arrived with smoked tuna loin, fingerling potatoes, a hard-boiled egg, white anchovies, green beans, Campari tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and olives.
West Coast Niçoise (Hanna McLean/Daily Hive)
Just as swiftly as we pivoted to “lighter” fare, we turned our gaze to Mèreon’s Burger.
This handheld is a combo of teriyaki prime rib burger, bacon, gruyère, pickled shimeji, tomatoes, and greens.
It’s served with peppercorn sauce and frites, and it’s worth a try if you’re a burger lover. We give it the Dished seal of approval.
Pro tip: get those extra napkins for this one.
Mèreon’s Burger (Hanna McLean/Daily Hive)
Based on our first visit, we have a hunch Mèreon will become a bonafide neighbourhood staple in no time, as it seems it’s already well on its way there.
Find the new spot open Wednesday to Sunday from 9 am to 3 pm.
Hanna McLean/Daily Hive
Mèreon
Address: 1479 Clyde Avenue, West Vancouver
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