AUTHOR BIO: New York–born Mia Brown began reviewing restaurants in college and kept at it while traveling for a government job. She’s partial to poutine without cheese curds and La Fin Du Monde.
I first started going to Kelowna back in college, when the town felt more like a quiet lakeside outpost than a city people flew across the continent to visit. In those days, you could wander down Bernard Avenue without dodging strollers and tourists holding gelato, and dinner usually meant a pub burger.
Today, Kelowna is busier—sometimes frustratingly so—but that crowd has brought with it a restaurant scene that rivals far bigger cities. Chefs here are running kitchens that feel ambitious, chef-driven, and proudly Okanagan, sourcing local wines, produce, and meat in ways that give the city’s dining a real identity. What once felt like a sleepy college-town escape has become a food destination, with the best restaurants in Kelowna offering everything from winery dining rooms with lake views to downtown tasting menus built for bragging about back home.
So here’s my favorite Kelowna restaurants—proof that the Okanagan has traded in its pub wings for plates you’ll actually want to photograph before eating.
19 Okanagan Grill + Bar
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Chef Geoff Molloy runs the kind of kitchen that nails polished but approachable. The menu hits familiar notes—steaks done right, seafood that doesn’t need dressing up, and pastas that lean seasonal without being fussy. Add in the wide-open view over Two Eagles Golf Course and a wine list stacked with local bottles, and it’s the kind of place where dinner feels like an occasion, even on a Tuesday.
Best for: Those who want fine food without fine-dining stiffness
Antico Pizza Napoletana
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Miranda and Tony Katsabanis brought authentic Neapolitan pizza to downtown Kelowna with dough made from imported flour, a true wood-fired oven from Naples, and toppings like fresh bufala mozzarella, San Marzano tomato, and simple but perfect Margherita or Diavola pies. Their Greek-Italian heritage shows up too—the hummus, pita, and Greek salad are worthy sidekicks, and their homemade no-bake cheesecake is a local legend. What makes Antico stand out is the devotion to craft: those pizzas cook in seconds, charred at the edges and soft in the centre, the way Naples intended.
Best for: Classic Neapolitan pizza lovers
Bai Tong Thai Food Restaurant
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Bai Tong is where every pad Thai, massaman curry, and spicy chili-garlic gai goong tastes like someone cares about doing it right. The generous portions of classics—crackling spring rolls, creamy coconut curry, crisp stir-fried noodles—make it one of the most dependable spots when you want Thai food that leans bold, not just safe. The décor isn’t fancy, but the warmth, flavour, and friendly staff make it feel like you’re being invited to dinner in someone’s home rather than just ordering takeout
Best for: Relaxed dinners of authentic Thai
Bouchons Bistro
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Chef Stephane Facon, originally from Paris, has built Bouchons into a Kelowna institution, where authentic French regional cuisine meets the best of Okanagan ingredients. Notable dishes include the Escargot de Bourgogne with garlic butter, the decadent La Bouillabaisse seafood stew, hearty Le Lapin à la Moutarde, duck leg confit and a show-stopping Steak Tartare — all executed with precision and elegance. What makes Bouchons special is its intimate, Paris-inspired ambiance: dim lighting, white-tablecloth service, a well-curated wine list (France + Okanagan), where dinner feels like more than just a meal—it’s an experience.
Best for: Romantic dinners, French-food lovers & special-occasion nights
Central Kitchen + Bar
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Since it opened in 2014 , Central Kitchen + Bar has made its name in Kelowna with creative twists on familiar favourites—think “Big Dill” crispy chicken sandwiches, Wagyu sushi-press bites, truffle-hunter chicken mains, and burgers that people actually argue over. The vibe is casual, a place where portion size meets quality, and the menu leans modern: fresh tuna tostadas with chilli-lime, smoked jalapeño popper dip, bow-and-poke bowls, even pizzas with sweet peach & prosciutto that hit sweet/savoury just right. What makes Central stick is its consistency and energy: solid food, lively atmosphere, friendly staff, and a neighbourhood-local feel that doesn’t try too hard but delivers on flavour every time.
Best for: Laid-back dinners, burger lovers, casual nights out with friends
Home Block
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Chef Neil Taylor has turned what used to be just a picturesque vineyard stop into one of Kelowna’s truly chef-driven destinations. His “wine-first, terroir-to-table” menu leans heavily on the Okanagan’s bounty — expect things like wood-fired flat iron steaks, roasted squash risotto or slow-cooked pork cheeks, always paired smartly with CedarCreek’s own wines. What makes Home Block special isn’t just the flavours, though: the rustic-meets-modern space, reclaimed barn wood, sweeping lake views and that open kitchen all add up to food that feels luxurious, but never precious.
Best for: Winery dining that feels both lovely and ambitious
Nature’s Table at Summerhill Pyramid Winery
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Executive Chef Eric Hanson leads this organic-and-biodynamic bistro tucked into the vines at Summerhill, where the view of Okanagan Lake is half the experience. The menu leans into freshness: think Spanish prawns with garlic and lemon, warm marinated olives, burrata with cherry tomatoes, classic steak frites, and a house-made focaccia that’s perfect for soaking up the organic wines. What makes Nature’s Table special is how effortlessly it blends winery elegance and relaxed atmosphere—sunsets, just-picked ingredients, crisp service, and food that tastes of place and season.
Best for: Sunset views and organic wine pairings
Polene Bakery & Bistro
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Owner Myroslav Pomazan and the team behind Alchemy Bread Company founded Polene to bring artisan sourdough, European-style baked goods, and hearty sandwiches to Bernard Avenue. You’ll find stuff like “Beef’n’Pickles,” Chicken BLT, Beef Dip, muffins and freshly baked bread (no yeast, sugar or excess fat) all sourced or baked in house. It’s bright early-mornings and midday kind of charm—simple ingredients, strong bread work, good sandwiches that remind you why bakery-bistros feel essential.
Best for: Pastries, sandwiches, serious sourdough
Social 242 Lounge & Grill
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If you’ve spent any time on Lawrence Avenue late at night, you know the glow spilling out of Social 242—half lounge, half dinner spot, always full of people who look like they came here for both. Chef Jordan Wilton’s menu is built for that energy: garlicky prawns stacked on focaccia, carpaccio that disappears too fast, and fries so messy they come with a nickname. The place hums on weekends when the DJ is spinning, and if you end up staying longer than planned, that’s exactly the point.
Best for: Dinner that turns into drinks
Sunny’s Modern Diner
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Audrey Surrao and Chef Rod Butters (together with Top Dog Chef de Cuisine Robyn Sigurdson) have turned what could’ve been just a playful nod to nostalgia into something sharper—Sunny’s is diner food elevated, from the moment you walk past its reclaimed brick wall into the soaring-timbered ceiling and the open kitchen. You can order goofy names like “Cluck and Grunt” for eggs and bacon or “Two Cows, Make ‘Em Cry” for a double-stack burger, but every item—waffles with mascarpone, garden bowls, crispy fried chicken—carries urgency, thoughtful technique, and local sourcing that keeps the familiar feeling fresh. What makes it stand apart is how everything feels like comfort food with ambition; less greasy spoon, more diner that deserves attention.
Best for: Brunch lovers, comfort food with a twist
Waterfront Wines Restaurant
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Chef-sommelier Mark Filatow, who trained under pros like Joel Robuchon and has spent over 20 years perfecting food-and-wine pairings, helms this flagship of Kelowna’s fine dining scene. Signature dishes like the lentil-crusted Quadra Island scallops with smoked lentil ragout, seasonal asparagus and a honey-lime vinaigrette show off his passion for fresh, local ingredients and the way he makes BC terroir taste unmistakably proud. The atmosphere strikes a rare balance: polished but not pretentious, elegant but warm, with one of the most extensive wine lists in the Okanagan to match those plates.
Best for: Celebrations, romantic dinners, and anyone who cares as much about the wine as the food
Wildling
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Chef Sai Batta came up cooking in Europe and Delhi, and now he’s doing something deeply good: menus that change with the seasons, anchored by one ingredient, pushed by big ideas. On any given night you might see the hasselback potato with sweet soy and trout roe, blistered green beans with miso and a 64 °C egg, or wild lingcod glossed in fennel-carrot beurre blanc—dishes that read simple and eat like small revelations. Natural-leaning wines, an a la carte lineup that changes often, and a Carte Blanche option make it the kind of place you trust enough to order whatever they’re excited about today.
Best for: Natural wine and adventurous small plates.
