Whimsical! That's the word to describe the helterskelter look of MerryBerry in Cabbagetown. With ashen floors on a 45, and variegated strips of decorative papers on the walls MerryBerry is a real looker, perfect for a date or small-group dinner. If you are lucky enough to sit against the wall, you are treated a bench covered with a diverse arrange of multi-colored pillows. The non-cushioned seating here resembles park benches, painted with the shadows of trees. This motif is carried on with the very real logs of birch throughout. Just for fun, striped placemats dangle from cords stretched across the ceilding, like a clown's laundry. Whee.
Foodwise there is quite a bit on the menu. Lots of lunch-like options: soups, sandwiches, burgers, etc. I had a chicken pot pie with a side of slaw and a fresh orange and apple juice. Admittedly, our party was the largest in the restaurant at six, but the food took a long time to come out. When it finally arrived a few requests were ignored, but nothing egregious. (I wanted to substitute my side salad for slaw and got it as a side instead.) In my opinion, the pot pie was good but nothing special. Kind of gentle on the flavour and too dry for my tastes. I really enjoyed the slaw however, and it was dusted with something crunchy. I think sesame? The crême brulée for dessert was phenomenal.
I think I will come back here for lunch sometime.
Obligatory Title Pun: Eat, drink and be MERRY.
Menu Readability: Their menu is a folder full of brightly-coloured loose pages. This isn't my favourite, but the design of each page is definitely some of the best I have seen.
Need to mention: They have a front patio.
What this place teaches me about myself: I can't not order chicken pot pie when it is on a menu.