Best Patios and Lakefront Dining in Kelowna

The best patios and outdoor dining in Kelowna are on the lake: King Taps on the downtown boardwalk, the Lakeside Dining Room at Hotel Eldorado and Annie's Beach Cafe at Frind Estate Winery in West Kelowna. This guide covers ten restaurants that sit on or look over the water, with hours and the catch at each, plus eight good patios away from the lake. Places that only show a sliver of lake from three blocks away, past a parking lot, are left out.

Summer is the busy season, and traffic on Harvey Avenue is heavy, so plan ahead. Winter is quiet, and tables are easier to get.

King Taps Kelowna Lakeside

1352 Water St | $$ | Good: Hand-stretched pizzas and craft beer. Bad: The noise level and summer wait times.

Best for pizza and craft beer on the downtown waterfront boardwalk, in the old Rose's location. It's open 11 AM to late. The dough is hand-stretched and baked in a real pizza oven, and dozens of craft beers are on tap. Order the pizzas and share plates rather than the mains.

The room is loud and fast-moving, with a mixed crowd of students, office workers and boaters coming off the lake. Park in the Library Parkade and walk over.

The catch: it's very loud, which rules it out for a quiet date or a business meeting. Summer waits run to an hour. Arrive early, put your name on the list and walk the boardwalk while you wait.

Lakeside Dining Room at Hotel Eldorado

500 Cook Rd | $$$$ | Good: Lakeside dining and boat-watching. Bad: The prices.

Known as the closest you can sit to the water in Kelowna. The dining room is on the boardwalk deep in the Mission, at the hotel locals call "the El," and wakeboard boats and million-dollar yachts pull up to the dock during service. The hotel's site lists current dining room hours and brunch service.

The original hotel burned down decades ago and was rebuilt in the same heritage style, wooden floors included. The caesar is the standard order.

The catch: it's expensive. The crowd is mostly retirees, established locals and tourists, and the price reflects the history and location as much as the food.

Maestro’s Mediterranean

3762 Lakeshore Rd | $$$ | Good: Seafood tapas and lake breezes. Bad: Finding parking.

Best for Mediterranean seafood tapas on a large lake-facing patio. It's inside the Manteo Resort, next door to the El, and serves lunch, dinner and weekend brunch; check their site for current hours. The space was fully renovated a few years ago, and the seafood dishes and fresh dips are the strongest part of the menu.

The patio looks straight across the water and catches the breeze off the lake. Patio heaters make it a good choice in late September, when evenings turn cold.

The catch: it's a resort restaurant, and parking off Lakeshore Road in July is limited. Expect to park up to three blocks away on residential streets.

Cactus Club Cafe

1370 Water St | $$$ | Good: Reliable food and prime location. Bad: It is exactly the same as every other Cactus Club.

Best for a predictable meal in a prime spot. This chain location is attached to the Kelowna Yacht Club downtown, and boaters tie up at the temporary moorage and walk up to the host stand. It's open 11 AM to midnight (1 AM Fridays and Saturdays).

The glassed-in patio stays usable when the wind picks up off the lake. The menu is the same as every other Cactus Club, down to the Bellini and tuna stack.

The catch: the food is identical to any Cactus Club in Vancouver or Calgary, with a premium for the Yacht Club view. Friday night waits are long.

Annie’s Beach Cafe at Frind Estate Winery

3725 Boucherie Rd | $$ | Good: Eating pizza right on the sand. Bad: They close early.

Best for wine and pizza at a picnic table on the sand. Annie's is the cafe at Frind Estate Winery, North America’s first beach winery, across the bridge in West Kelowna. Buy a bottle of white wine, order a sourdough pizza and eat on the beach. Hours are seasonal; check their site before you go.

In winter, heated transparent dining domes are set up on the beach. The drive down Boucherie Road is scenic in its own right. The winery guide covers more wineries in the area.

The catch: it's a daytime spot and closes early most of the year. Plan it as a late lunch, not an 8 PM dinner.

OAK + CRU Social Kitchen & Wine Bar

1310 Water St | $$$ | Good: Local wine list and lagoon views. Bad: Slow service during peak tourist season.

Best for a strictly local wine list, which makes it a good choice for out-of-province visitors. The restaurant and wine bar is inside the Delta Grand downtown. Its large patio sits on the lagoon, with paddleboarders passing the tables, and the wood-fired oven turns out good flatbreads.

The hotel is the centre of downtown conventions, so the patio is busy and good for people-watching.

The catch: service gets stretched in peak season. In July and August, a drink can take 20 minutes to arrive, and hotel pricing applies across the menu.

CRAFT Beer Market

257 Bernard Ave | $$ | Good: The huge beer list and rooftop sunset views. Bad: The food is average pub fare.

Best for a long beer list and a sunset view. This beer hall at the bottom of Bernard Avenue is open 11 AM to late and has over a hundred beers on tap. It's across the street from the lake, but the rooftop patio looks directly over the Kelowna Sails. The Kelowna sunset spots guide lists more places to watch the sun go down.

The catch: the food is standard pub fare. Go for the beer and the rooftop, and expect a lineup down the sidewalk on long weekends.

The Landing Kitchen + Bar

4205 Gellatly Rd | $$ | Good: Casual vibe and a lake-view patio. Bad: Bridge traffic to get there from Kelowna.

Best for West Kelowna residents who want a relaxed lake-view patio. The restaurant is at the Cove Lakeside Resort on Gellatly Bay; check their site for current hours. The menu runs to boards, flatbreads and burgers, and it works like a neighbourhood pub with a million-dollar view. Nobody rushes you off the patio.

After eating, the Gellatly Bay waterfront walkway is right there.

The catch: bridge traffic. From Glenmore, Rutland or the hill, crossing at 4 PM on a Friday can mean an hour of gridlock on Highway 97.

Old Vines Restaurant at Quails’ Gate

3303 Boucherie Rd | $$$$ | Good: Fine dining and wine pairings. Bad: Nearly impossible to get a summer reservation.

Best for a special-occasion dinner with wine pairings. Old Vines is the fine dining room at Quails’ Gate, open 11 AM to 9:30 PM. It sits on a slope above the vineyard, with the lake spread out below. The menu changes often with what's growing locally; the duck and the rotating local steak are reliable orders, and the pairings are well chosen.

In winter, the vines are dormant and the room is very quiet.

The catch: it's a major tourist draw. Summer reservations usually need more than three weeks' notice, and it's expensive. Treat it as an anniversary dinner, not a casual lunch.

Shore Line Brewing Co.

3477 Lakeshore Rd | $$ | Good: Cold craft beer after the beach. Bad: The tiny patio fills up instantly.

Best for a beer and a burger after a day at the beach. The Mission brewery is across the street from Boyce-Gyro Beach and is open from 11:30 AM (2 PM Mondays and Tuesdays) until late. The patio looks over Lakeshore Road to the water, and the menu covers burgers, salads and comfort food.

The catch: the patio is small and fills with beachgoers, so you may end up seated inside. Parking near Gyro Beach is hard to find in summer.

Best Patios Away From the Lake

Kelowna's best patios away from the lake are Earls on Top, The Train Station Pub, BNA Brewing, Skinny Duke's, Red Bird Brewing, The Curious, DunnEnzies in the Lower Mission and The Terrace at Mission Hill. These are the ones worth knowing when you want to eat outside but don't need the lake at your feet.

Earls on Top

#200-211 Bernard Ave | Elevated patio with views of the lake and the city.

Best for a lake view without being on the waterfront. The patio on Bernard is high enough to see the lake. The food is dependable and the music upbeat, so it suits a slow lunch or a louder evening.

The Train Station Pub

1177 Ellis St | Large, sunny, dog-friendly patio.

Known for its setting in the historic Kelowna train station, close to the cultural district. The menu is straightforward pub fare and local craft beer.

BNA Brewing Co. & Eatery

1250 Ellis St | String-lit patio and beer brewed on-site.

Best for a night out downtown. The brewery has good food, an eclectic interior and a string-lit patio.

Skinny Duke's Glorious Emporium

1481 Water St | Small patio, good cocktails.

Best for cocktails. The patio is modest; the eccentric room and the drinks are the reason to go.

Red Bird Brewing

1080 Richter St | Live music and wood-fired pizza.

A local favourite for a slow afternoon, with an in-house kitchen and a long list of beer brewed on-site. Red Bird's website lists a dog-friendly patio, outdoor fire pits and live music. Bringing the dog? See our guide to pet-friendly Kelowna.

The Curious

1423 Ellis St | Downtown patio and wood-fired pizza.

Best for pizza and a drink outside in the cultural district. The Curious opens its patio "when the sun is out" and is open Monday to Saturday from 11:30 AM until late, with Sunday brunch from 9 AM to 2 PM. More downtown pizza is in the Kelowna pizza guide.

DunnEnzies Pizza Co. (Lower Mission)

4638 Lakeshore Rd | Backyard-style patio under a large plane tree.

Best for a casual family dinner outside in the Mission. The Mission location's page describes a backyard-style patio shaded by an old London Plane tree, a daily happy hour from 3 PM to 5 PM, and live music and events. It's open until 10 PM Sunday to Thursday and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

The Terrace at Mission Hill Family Estate

1730 Mission Hill Rd, West Kelowna | A dressy winery patio over Okanagan Lake.

Best for a special occasion. The winery patio has award-winning wines and a lake view from up the hill. The catch: it's seasonal. Mission Hill's website says The Terrace is closed for the season and will reopen in 2027.

A few patio tips: