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Hervé Martin: charting a new course for points east, Tim Pawsey photo
We reckon Hermitage—Robson’s romantic little Burgundian backwater—should be pretty busy over the next couple of weeks…
After they’ve poured the last glass of Château de Chamilly Pinot Noir, and finished serving the profiteroles and chocolate sauce on Valentine’s Day, Hervé Martin and his long-serving crew will hang up the closed sign for the last time—at least on Robson Street.
Hermitage, as well as all the other restaurants in the complex (including Caffé de Medici, which was shuttered over two years ago) is having to vacate to make way for a new, yet-to-be-named retail store. The courtyard (not exactly the town’s sunniest patio) will be filled in and existing structures remodelled into a massive 45,000 sq. ft. complex. And duck confit and Coquilles St-Jacques are not part of the plan.
Martin (who says, his longtime landlord is ‘a good guy’ who’s been helpful through the whole process) plans to open a new, more bistro-styled Hermitage in the space vacated by the Purple Crab, at 3916 Main St., just a couple of blocks north of King Edward.
It’ll take a while, says the owner-chef, who hopes to reopen in a few months:
“There’s a lot of work to do”, he says—and he’ll be doing plenty of it himself…
The end of an era? Perhaps.
Robson: signs of the times
Hermitage (which Martin opened 24 years ago) is the last of the smaller family-owned formal rooms (no offence to CinCin) that at one time ruled a more affordable Robson, which once sported such a plethora of European cuisines it was known as ‘Robsonstrasse.’ Martin enjoys a well-earned reputation for more traditional French plates, with a loyal following.
No one questions Robson’s success as Vancouver’s retail ‘ramblas.’ But departures such as this chip away at the interest factor, the multi-layered fabric that makes a neighbourhood worth visiting in the first place…
Like Main Street.
Call 604-689-3237 for reservations.
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True, Robson Street’s loss is Main St’s gain.
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