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January 2024 by Shawn Baker
I've visited Merridale Cidery & Distillery multiple times, and while the atmosphere and cider have consistently been delightful, I regret to express my disappointment with the food every time.One particular item that stood out was the Margherita pizza. Comparing it to a local competitor at a similar price point, the difference was striking. A true Margherita pizza (see photo attached), as I have experienced elsewhere, typically features a thin, golden-brown crust, fresh mozzarella melted to perfection, and a tomato sauce that doesn't give the impression of being straight from a can.Unfortunately, the Margherita pizza at Merridale Cidery & Distillery fell short on these expectations. The sauce seemed lackluster and appeared as though it might have been directly from a can. Additionally, the inclusion of raw diced tomatoes on top was unexpected and deviated from the traditional presentation of this classic dish.I believe that by making improvements in the kitchen and focusing on the quality of ingredients, Merridale Cidery & Distillery could further enhance its reputation for providing an exceptional all-around experience.
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January 2024 by Jeremy Poole
My daughter and her boyfriend went for a dinner here and he proposed to her, knowing ahead of time because he asked me if it was ok I called earlier in the day and put a credit card credit with explicate directions to apply it to the bill, this was NOT done. :-(
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January 2024 by Kathy Halliday
Great food and lovely atmosphere ?
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January 2024 by Amber Sparks
We had our staff party and it was great! We sat in both areas and got to stay a little longer which was so nice of the staff. Everything was fast and delicious and staff was amazing!Walkability: Nice lighted walk around the area. Very seasonal and great little walk.Food & drinks: Food was delicious good variety and very fast
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January 2024 by Shelley Ellis
Out family dined at Merridale Cidery on Dec.11,2023. The grounds before you even enter are beautiful and very welcoming…like an old fashioned Christmas “Welcome” with so many twinkling lights and delightful decorations.Then you step inside and are greeted by genuine smiles and the aroma of delicious food. The restaurant was filled with laughter, smiles and excellent service. Everyone dining was relaxed and happy as the place filled with warmth and feeling of being “welcomed home”. Even though the restaurant was full everyone was pampered at each table and treated like they were the only ones there.We will absolutely go back and encourage people to treat yourself to the very best of what the Cowichan Valley has to offer…great atmosphere inside and out,,delicious food and truly happy and attentive staff. It doesn’t get any better. If your children haven’t seen the decorations yet or you are just a kid at heart take the time to tour the decorations and lights because it truly makes you feel like “It’s a Wonderful World at Merridale Cidery.Merry Christmas Everyone ?Walkability: I am in a wheelchair and everything was accessible.
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January 2024 by Elizabeth Zastrow
Lovely place. Beautifully decorated for the holidays. Made reservations so sat inside in the warmth and everyone was so nice. Great cider, food. Will go
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January 2024 by Sarah Rowley
Where to begin!! Location - 5 stars, restaurant building - 5 stars and from there we go down hill fast. Made our reservation for 7:30 p.m., arrived and sat down on time, the room was lovely and warm with an overhead heater. We ordered our drinks and food - so far so good. The drinks arrived, 2 of the orders were wrong but hey, we were meeting up with friends we haven't seen for a long time, so we didn't mind.Three of the meals turned up together, an average lamb burger with kettle chips, a microwaved chicken pie and a sandwich, I had to wait for my steak and mushroom pie - you must only have one microwave. The pastry was both tough and soggy (standard for microwaved food), there was only one mushroom in my pie and the meat was grey and tough. My kettle chips obviously came from the bottom of the bag as they were a bowl of crumbs with a few chips on top. Then the heating was turned off - were they trying to freeze us out? and the staff started putting their coats on, it was a bit cold so we grabbed some blankets. We had ordered 2 apple pies with ice cream and whipped cream for dessert, the microwaved apple pies turned up but we could not distinguish between the cream and the ice cream as they were both like soup and had obviously been sitting out for quite some time - had the kitchen staff gone home? did a server have to microwave the apple pies? The only thing holding the ice cream together was the caramel sauce drizzled on top. The bill for our microwaved food was insane and did not seem justified given the standard of our meals, our tip reflected our disappointment. I guess we should be grateful they left the lights on. We were informed by a lady in her coat that last call for drinks was at 8:00 p.m., our friend wanted to fill his growlers so he went to do that and was informed he couldn't pay with cash as they had "closed the register", but could pay by card. We headed out around 8:20-8:30 and were saying our goodbyes in the parking lot when we were informed that they wanted to lock up and we needed to leave. Totally disappointed, 2 stars was generous. Don't have a provision for people to reserve tables at 7:30 if expect them to leave by 8:00.
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January 2024 by C. Dina Christie
Merridale is one of my favourite cideries to go to and Steve consistently makes the experience so much better! Personable, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about what he does. The food and ciders are always delightful. Highly recommend the experience!
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January 2024 by Integral Health
This was our second year having our Christmas staff party here. Planning was easy, service was excellent, and the food was delicious. We quite enjoy the family style dinner they provide rather than individual plates. It’s a great atmosphere for these kinds of events. We will be back!
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January 2024 by Laurie
We had the chance to celebrate Christmas at Merridale this year and WOW… it was so magical and festive! We absolutely LOVED walking around with a glass of your delicious spiced rum. This is a must see at Christmas! Thank you Merridale for sharing with us!
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January 2024 by de mue
Amazing place! The kindest and most welcoming helpful staff! tasty food and crafted beverages!
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January 2024 by Graham Philps
The property and restaurant buildings are beautiful and cozy. This was a great place to have a festive family dinner. The food and drinks were delicious. We will be back.
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January 2024 by Jennifer Thornton
What a lovely place! A very pleasant drive in from Mill Bay through farm land and sleepy back roads. There is a lot to see for all ages and they have done a great job with the Christmas decorations. We all had lunch and flights of drinks and it was excellent. The food is delicious! I can imagine this is a fun summer outing so we will definitely be back. Highly recommend the clubhouse sandwich, steak and mushroom pie and the chicken pie. The Merri Berri cider is my fav! (This is not a hotel)
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January 2024 by Angelia Matheson
My family and I loved the Christmas lights and decorations of today and the past. The food is a light offering such as rhe Merridale Burger and kettle chips. Tasty but not very filling for a meal. The sweet cider flight was a great way to sample the ciders. My 10 year old had the non-alcoholic soda flight. He enjoyed the apple juice the best. Looking forward to going back and walking the orchard. The staff are attentive and do a great job.
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January 2024 by Dagny Pollitt
Went to have dinner and see the Cmas decorations. Omg outside decorations were amazing, little disappointed on Xmas decorations on inside, food was amazing, I had rise penne with chicken, so yummy! Do wish there more lights on road going in. If you hadn’t been there you might miss it. Will return for sure! Happy New Year to you and your staff❤️
