I’ve Lived in Canada’s First UNESCO City of Gastronomy for 9 Years—Here’s How to Plan the Perfect Culinary Trip

Our family moved to the city of Kelowna in British Columbia for its access to nature, but we quickly fell in love with its food and wine. In between forest hikes and paddles on Okanagan Lake that first summer, we picked cherries at an organic orchard, bought jars of honey from a nearby meadery, and ate everything from foraged mushrooms served on toast to wood-fired pizzas loaded with local veggies and house-cured meat.

Over half of the city's land is zoned for agriculture, making it easy for chefs to use fresh, seasonal ingredients, and for residents and tourists to get their hands on flats of sun-ripened peaches or a dozen just-laid eggs. There are also more than 40 wineries tucked into the surrounding hillsides, making it an ideal epicurean destination.

After almost a decade living in the scenic Okanagan Valley , I have strong opinions on where to drink, eat, and go cherry picking. These are the best ways to explore Kelowna's under-the-radar culinary scene.

Go wine touring.

In Kelowna, wine begins with the water—grapes can't grow this far north without the lake, which moderates the valley's climate year-round. That connection comes into focus on the Lake-to-Estate Voyage , sailing from the Kelowna Yacht Club to three of the city's best vineyards and tracing the journey from water to wine.

"I came to Kelowna for the promise of what the Okanagan Valley could do," says winemaker Shane Munn, who creates structured pinot noirs and intense rieslings at Martin's Lane Winery . "It probably hasn't reached its potential on an international scale. Here, most wines are still sold direct from the winery."

Next door at CedarCreek Estate Winery , the Block 5 chardonnay and Block 4 pinot noir have their own cult following, assisted by highland cows that fertilize and stomp the vineyard soil, and a flock of free range chickens that eat the small pests.

"A healthy and balanced environment enhances the vines and that translates to the wine," explains winemaker Andrés Gálvez Pizarro.

For a more laissez-faire tasting experience, rent an e-bike and cycle the rolling hills through East Kelowna. I always bring friends to Tantalus Vineyards for the terroir-driven rieslings and lake views, and to SpearHead Winery for the award-winning pinot noirs.

Nibble around downtown.

To learn a bit about Kelowna's history while sampling wine and snacks from locally owned restaurants, join Andrew Deans on a walking food tour around the Cultural District, a downtown hub packed with museums, theaters, and historic brick buildings that used to be fruit-packing houses.

The tour visits some of my favorite stops, including Sprout , an artisanal bakery that uses organic, locally sourced flour, and Gather , a Korean-Italian fusion restaurant helmed by chef Sung Ji Park, who grows his own herbs and vegetables like squash in his yard.

"In Kelowna, we mix city life and farm life really well," says Deans, whose grandfather owned an orchard north of town.

In fact, many downtown restaurants champion regional growers and foster community through food. Don't miss relative newcomer Wildling , which serves up small plates such as scallop crudo and a weekly tartare.

"A lot of Kelowna chefs are doing farm to table—they work with local farmers," says Wildling chef Sai Batta, who plans dishes around seasonal produce, like the popular charred cabbage. "The vegetables here are a chef's dream."

Visit a farm.

I'm not a farm girl, but one of my favorite things about Kelowna is its pastoral setting. On weekend drives through the city's southeast, our family likes to stop for fresh eggs (and a bottle of gin) at Luckhurst Farm & Distillery , a jar of wildflower honey at Arlo's Honey Farm , and pick-your-own fruit at Twin Oaks Organic Orchard .

"The diversity of agriculture in Kelowna makes us unique," says Jennay Oliver, who owns Paynter's Fruit Market . "There's Gellatly Nut Farm Regional Park with walnuts and hazelnuts. There's even an Asian pear orchard."

Operated by the same family since 1919, Paynter's grows more than 100 different varieties of produce and brings in items like corn and blueberries from other B.C. growers.

"There's so much community support for farmers, and eating locally," says Oliver. "People want to know where their food is coming from."

Stay close to the source.

In Kelowna, where you rest your head can be as much a part of the culinary experience as what's on your plate or in your glass. We've done our best to bring the valley's bounty home by planting a plum tree, raspberry bushes, and grape vines in our backyard. Travelers can do even better by staying in a vineyard, orchard, or right by the lake.

The Outside Inn at Niche Wine Co. offers an immersive agritourism experience with three modern cabins located right in the vineyard. Guests can take a stroll between the vines before walking to the winery for a tasting, says co-owner Joanna Schlosser.

Across the lake, the Farm Inn at Soma Craft Cidery features 10 boutique suites on the upper floor of a small-batch cider house. Visitors are free to wander the apple orchard, see the resident alpacas, or sip flights of cider in the lounge.

And celebrating 100 years this summer, Hotel Eldorado is the city's original lakeside resort. Once famous for garden parties and croquet, the Victorian-style inn is now known for its boardwalk dining, afternoon tea, and decadent desserts. Longtime pastry chef Bikram Sandhu creates signature sweets like the baked Okanagan chèvre cheesecake made with local goat cheese and drizzled with a cabernet and blackberry reduction.

It's a reminder that the best dishes begin not in Kelowna's kitchens, but on its farms, vineyards, and orchards. We came for the mountains and the lake, but it's both the outdoor lifestyle and the incredible food that have sustained us.

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