Today was my first visit to el meraki. My sister Kathryne went last year and still raves about it. And now I understand her affection. 

As you walk down the narrow entrance, the restaurant’s courtyard suddenly unfolds into a beautiful space with seating around an ancient tree. I love the rustic decor and the open kitchen. Besides the restaurant, there is a second floor sanctuary that offers a quiet place to read, mediate or enjoy a beverage or your food. The space is used for yoga, spiritual consultations, intimate musical and dance performances and has hosted pottery and sushi making classes. It’s meant to be a communal space that is shared. 

What Kath, and now I, enjoyed the most, is el meraki co-creator, Andrea. Swiss born, she first heard about the island from her mother who started visiting 25 years ago. Her mother brought her and the family 12 years ago and fell in love with the place. She moved here 3 and a half years ago, opening El Meraki in December of 2023.

We started by ordering beverages. I had the juice of the day, which was passion fruit and mint. My friend had the water of the day which was pineapple. They were both so refreshing. 

Deciding what to have to eat was not easy as there were a lot of delicious sounding choices. This vegan restaurant also offers lots of gluten free options. There is also a “Mexican dish” which changes seasonally and based on the cooks creativity and imagination. The day we visited they had vegetable tacos on offer. 

I decided to try the “Sweet Dream”; chick pea crepes, topped with a cashew cream and sweet cooked apples. I’m not one for anything overly sweet and this was perfect and full of flavour. 

My friend ordered the “Isla-Bowl”; a smoothie of banana, almond butter, protein powder, and spirulina, it was full of pineapple, papaya, and apple and topped with homemade granola. Andrea shared the vision for the bowl, the fruit is like all the treasures in the sea, the green smoothy, made with spirulina powder, a blue-green algae full of protein, vitamins and antioxidants, represents the sea itself. And the granola floating on top is like the island. Food as art!  I love when people think so deeply about what they present. Best part was it was super tasty and more than my friend could finish for breakfast. 

A fellow sitting next to us, visiting the island from London (England not Canada), thoroughly enjoyed an omelette, the restaurants one vegetarian option, that he requested be  filled with sautéed peppers, spinach, and onions. 

Next visit I’m going to have the “Sunrise of Memories”; oatmeal-banana pancakes with agave syrup and fresh fruit. A sure sign I loved the food, when I’m busy deciding on what to order for my next meal there. 

I so enjoyed chatting with Andrea. She has such a heart for the island.  She shows her care by offering fresh and healthy food and hosting events to improve people’s physical, mental and spiritual health. She talked about her dream of finding ways to increase sustainability on the island. Perhaps one day someone will let her set up a small community garden on their land. 

I absolutely cannot wait till the next time my vegan family members are on the island. They are going to absolutely love this place. 

In a video on El Meraki’s instagram, Andrea says “Do what you love and you will sparkle with that heart energy” That’s the energy I experience in Isla. And you can see that Andrea too is doing what she loves in the way she sparkles. 

Insider tip: If you stay in Centro, use that communal space as if it were your home. And then tell everyone you know about the oasis of el meraki!

Kath’s quote: Meraki is a Greek word meaning, “when you do something with love, creativity, and soul; putting a piece of yourself into what you do.” 

Love never fails.

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