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The best restaurants, cozy wine bars and too-cool breweries in Kelowna.
The tourist brochures would have you think that eating in Kelowna is always done en plein air, a freshly picked apple enjoyed while strolling through the riesling vines. And while the outdoors is ever-present here, Kelowna is also the fastest-growing city in B.C. and now home to 200,000 urbanites. So here’s a sample day of enjoying the best of what the city has to offer—no hiking required.
With giant Pulp Fiction posters adorning the facade, this downtown coffee shop is hard to miss. The inside has a retro-cool vibe and, you guessed it, Pulp Fiction-themed artwork throughout. But this is no ordinary coffee shop: adjacent to the café is Robbie Rare Books (a bookstore named after the poodle of owner and former oilman Max Sloan) and Britannia Antiques, a shop full of rare treasures. This cozy spot is the perfect place to grab a cappuccino and sticky cinnamon bun while you spend a few hours reading your newest paperback.
The best brunch places always have a lineup outside, and the Bohemian is no exception. Luckily, the turnover rate is quick—and the food is well worth the wait. At this family-run eatery (decorated with mismatched chairs, movie posters and eclectic artwork), the menu is inspired by comforting home-cooked meals: eggs Benedict, blueberry oatmeal pancakes and corned beef hash. We recommend the BOH combo, which allows you to choose four of your favourite breakfast items for only $15. The aBOHcado (half an avocado stuffed with salsa) is delicious, especially with a sprinkle of pink Himalayan salt.
This Kelowna wine bar and restaurant has a divine drinks menu and some stellar happy hour deals. From 5 to 6 p.m. you can enjoy buck-a-shuck oysters and save $2 on draft beer, wine, original cocktails (the Devil’s Akvavit is a refreshing mix of orgeat, aquavit, pineapple, lime and ginger beer) and appetizers. The seasonal menu includes prosciutto-wrapped portobello mushrooms and pan-seared halloumi with glazed beet carpaccio. And the happy hour gets going early at 3 p.m.
READ MORE6 Must-Try Restaurants in Kelowna
Featuring seasonal menu items and beloved mainstays (Burgundy-braised beef cheek! Grilled octopus!), owner and chef Chris Shaften’s farm-to-table restaurant is the perfect date-night spot. It’s trendy yet cozy, styled with industrial wooden tables, metal chairs and hanging incandescent light bulbs. Though there will always be meat on the menu, Shaften says a number of vegan dishes will be featured this spring. Look for the “not tuna tartare taco,” which features compressed watermelon in a seaweed vinaigrette—according to Shaften, it looks and tastes like the real thing.
End your night with a few beers at the Tree Brewing Beer Institute. In addition to offering seasonal beers and year-round favourites, this local brewery also features a “tank to tap” selection—a rotating lineup of experimental beers for patrons to try. You can visit the institute during the day for a behind-the-scenes tour of the beer-making process, but after dark is better suited to sipping brews and playing board games.
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