Sidewalk cafe tables, baskets brimming with fresh produce, and display cases packed with inviting sandwiches and tempting treats: Check, check, check. You'll find all this, as well as a menu of sit-down bistro-style eats, coffees, and a little Parisian charm at Marche Mon Pitou, a new bakery-cafe-grocer that's just opened up in Fairview.
Marche Mon Pitou ("pitou" is a casual term for a dog) is up and running at 1387 W Seventh Ave. The bakery and cafe opened to the public in early February, and is already a popular local spot for picking up croissants, cookies, and sandwiches, grabbing a flat white or hot chocolate, or sitting down and enjoying some casual French-inspired fare.
Inside Marche Mon Pitou. Photo by Lindsay William-Ross/Vancouver Is Awesome
The hybrid restaurant-grocer moved into the space vacated by Vancouver brunch staple Slickity Jim’s Chat & Choux, which closed its doors in November 2020 after a five-year run. The Marche Mon Pitou have made impressive renovations to the small 500-square-foot shop, making it light, bright, and cheery, and using a sweet "pitou" as its logo (and its unofficial Maitre D').
"Mon Pitou is inspired by the French 'savoir vivre', or as we like to call it, not counting calories. We are passionate about creating fresh-from-the-market, classic French fare made with the very best local ingredients," explains Mon Pitou on its website.
A croissant from Marche Mon Pitou. Photo by Lindsay William-Ross/Vancouver Is Awesome
A quick visit over the weekend yielded some tasty treats taken to-go, including a buttery classic croissant and a lime meringue tart, and some warm drinks to enjoy on a rainy Vancouver day. (And none of the calories counted!) The line moved fairly quickly, the drinks came up fast, and all patrons were asked to sign in for contact tracing once they were able to move inside.
Right now Marche Mon Pitou is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
