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Old Vines Restaurant
Categories: Arts & Entertainment Wineries Food Wineries Restaurants Canadian (New) Wineries, Canadian (New) [Edit]
3303 Boucherie RoadQuails' Gate Estate Winery
Kelowna, BC V1Z 2H3
(250) 769-2500
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11:30 am - 9 pm
Sun 10:30 am - 9 pm
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
15 reviews for Old Vines Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"The restaurant overlooks the picturesque Okanagan Lake." In 4 reviews -
"Beautiful view over the vineyard to the lake." In 4 reviews -
"...and then I had the Pinot noir wine flight with my food." In 2 reviews
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15 reviews in English
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Review from Chris C.
9/9/2011
Service was excellent and the patio overlooking the vineyard was the perfect place to have lunch -- not too warm or in direct sunlight either.
I had the trout and it was excellent. The variety of wine flights was great and we got to taste a lot of their wines which complimented their food very well. -
Review from Jay P.
Edmonton, AB
8/26/2011
9 Reasons Why Old Vines at Quail's Gate is as good as it gets!
I've eaten at some fine restaurants and I know what I like. But this week, I was blown away by my dining experiences at Old Vines Restaurant at the Quail's Gate winery near Kelowna, BC.
I don't want to say anything bad about the other restaurants and dining establishments in this areas, but without a doubt this one is one of, if not THE, best! Here's why:
1. The building is beautiful. Warm wood beam construction and open air views of the vineyard, lake and mountains make this a special summer spot. But I can imagine it feeling warm and cozy in the winter as well.
2. The patio is divine. On a warm August afternoon or evening (we experienced both), the comfortable chairs and large tables make for the best kind of food and wine experience: outdoors.
3. The food is so good, it's hard to describe. I found the food fresh and flavourful, yet not overly rich. Some restaurants substitute rich, strong tasting ingredients in place of skillful flavour-making in the kitchen. I often return from dinners at these other restaurants feeling bloated and uncomfortable. Not here. Old Vines uses old-fashioned culinary skill to create excellent tasting food without side effects. There was almost a kind of incredible lightness to everything I ate.
4. The wine is top-notch. Known for their Pinot Noir among other Quail's Gate products, Old Vines serves a variety of other local Okanagan winery products. Our favourite was the Blue Mountain Sparkling Brut - a fresh and crisp bubbly that goes well with everything.
5. The service is superior. The serving staff are friendly and knowledgeable about the food and the wine. But it's the little things that make such a huge difference. We dined as a party of four and a party of six and each time our plates arrived and were served simultaneously - by two servers for four of us and by three servers for six of us. How many times have I eaten at a pretentious downtown restaurant and received nothing approaching this kind of service? If you lament the disappearance of quality culinary service - not formal stuffiness - this is your place.
6. The kids menu is simple and fairly priced. My smaller kids both had pasta and even they remarked how good it was. Their bowls were all but licked clean.
7. The pricing is very reasonable - for the quality and service and setting and the whole package. You can pay the same - and more these days - and come up so far short compared to Old Vines. I'm a value person - which means I want to get good value for what I pay. It bugs me to no end when I'm asked to pay the same amount and I get so much less.
8. The setting is spectacular. The verdant green of the vines sloping down to the lake and mountains opens your senses and puts you in the mood for an extraordinary dining experience.
9. Casual is cool. Don't get me wrong, I like to get dressed up. But vineyard dining is decidedly casual, especially on the west coast. And I like the combination of great service, yet done in a casual and relaxed setting. The other dining establishments where you get good service tend to be more formal - which I find less enjoyable.
All in all, Old Vines is the premiere dining establishment in the Okanagan region. There's no reason to not LOVE it. -
Review from Betty L.
8/31/2011
Old Vines Restaurant was the first restaurant I visited while visiting Okanagan. It met most of my expectations and gave me high hopes for other restaurants I would visit while vactioning in Okanagan. The restaurant had a nice modern, rustic warm look to it. I dined with my family. We were seated across from the open kitchen. So we could view the action in the lively kitchen. As for the wine list, the focus was on wines by Quails Gate Winery and prices for the wines were very reasonable.
The starters arrived in a timely manner. I ordered the grilled octopus with wild rice and pickled veggies. It was pretty tasty. The octopus had a nice charred flavour to it and was still tender at the same time. The veggies had good texture and nice acidity to it. My brother enjoyed the pea and mushroom risotto with creme fraiche. It was cooked al dente and the creme fraiche offered a nice tartness and more creaminess to the dish. However we waited at least 45 minutes for the main course. At first we had lots to talk about, the converstion quickly faded and all of us at some point were staring at the kitchen and guessing if those main dishes were for us. Our server understood our desire to eat quickly and assured us that it wouldn't take that long and reminded the kitchen about our order.
As for the main course, I ordered the ribeye steak with potatoes, farm vegetable and butter. Eventhough it was a simple dish, but all the ingredients were fresh and the steak was cooked perfectly. Everyone enjoyed their main course.
A good start to a lovely culinary adventure in Okanagan. -
Review from Allen W.
6/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Visited on a friday night after a long drive to Kelowna. The setting is wonderful and the view from the restaurant spectacular. You stare directly into the Okanagan mountain and lake. So, request a table by the window!
Friendly staff at other tables, however ours was quite reserved. We sat near the staff register where servers stood and chatted, so we overheard the head server training what seemed to be several summer employees.
We heard a server drop utensils on the floor at a table behind us, our server dropped utensils while clearing our table, another server clearing a table in front of us dropped utensils on the floor. It was an unfortunate theme.
However, the food was excellent, as was the Quail's Gate wine which we paired with it.
I ordered the 10 oz. dry aged ribeye and it was delicious. The truffle and parmesan frites were subtle in flavour, but hard to stop eating.
Unfortunately, we ate so much that we couldn't have dessert. -
Review from Roger B.
Richmond, BC
11/4/2010
The wife and I talk about the Old Vines Restaurant all the time but we live so far away.
One of the very best dinners I have ever had was a warm mid September evening at OV. The food is fantastic and really would stand with any of Vancouver's best.
Anytime we happen to be within an hours drive from OV we make an effort to try and get a table.
I don't recommend dropping in because the chance you'll get a table is very rare and reservations are highly recommended. The wine list is so-so but it's to be expected with a winery owned dinning room. They sell their wine and don't offer a choice of others.
If you are in the area make the effort and drive out to this place never disappoints. If if you can't get in the view is worth it. -
Review from Vincci L.
8/4/2010 7 photos
One of the nicest lunches I've ever had.
We managed to make a reservation for 2:30pm, which was perfect timing for us. The restaurant overlooks the picturesque Okanagan Lake. We got a table on their outdoor seating. It was perfect, shaded from the sun, and a light cool breeze, with breathtaking views.
Their menu is simple, with lots of West coast seafood choices. Our table ordered some oysters, a Spinach Salad with pea sprouts, toasted almonds, prosciutto crisp, goat feta, rhubarb vinaigrette, and I got a BC Albacocore Tuna with sundried black olive and organic quinoa salad, anchovy and lemon vinaigrette.
There were many pieces of the tuna, and the quinoa salad was heaping, and very refreshing, especially with the lemon vinaigrette. Oysters were fresh as well.
We ended off the lunch with some desserts and cheeses. Of course, I got the creme brulee. This was a larger than normal portion, and it was creamy and thick, and the vanilla flavour was outstanding.
Service was exceptional here. Water glasses were always filled, the waitress was very attentive, and it made the lunch even more pleasant.
A perfect way to spend a lazy day, sipping on a glass of wine, and overlooking gorgeous landscape. -
Review from Evelyn M.
10/10/2010
Hmmm... Where to begin....
Mediocre pinot; but a full rich cab with true depth and chocolate and cherry tones
My dining companions had chanterelle mushroom salad, beef shank ravioli on glazed cippolini onion ragout, braised shoulder of lamb on barley risotto with beets, lamb jus and gremolata and finally warm apple raisin cake. Another had heirloom sugarpie pumpkin soup in which an
apple & goat cheese beignet floated with pumpkin seed oil; dungeness crab cakes on a bed of fennel, celery & apple slaw aside a sauce rémoulade and a pan roasted Cornish game hen with sweet paprika, lemon, sun dried olives, hand made potato gnocchi and pan juices. They were all happy with their meals. Though there was some whisper of tough-ish rather than tender hens.
After discussion with our server, I ordered a pear, endive and slivered almonds salad (good), the honey pumpkin soup sans beignet and a passable mushroom risotto. Of course our discussion went to our own successes with risotto and what made it work or not.
As with most of our meals this trip, the companionship and conversation were the highlight. It was fun. The setting was beautiful. The meal was A-OK. Three stars. -
Review from Larry L.
8/7/2010 5 photos
Nothing beats a great view, great service with attentive staffing and a balcony. Of course the food has to be on par with all of that. My meal was good. very good. What did I have?
Salad - see pic and you'll know that it has goats cheese and nuts and it was yummy. Maybe a bit too much dressing, but it was tasty.
The next dish was the Halibut and skinny little fries. The fish was on a bed of mushy peas. I love mushy peas. The batter was light, I think the oil was fresh because the fish didn't have an overly dark colour to it and it wasn't oily. The fish was moist inside and I could taste the natural flavour of the fish. Meaning it wasn't overly salted.
Lastly was the cheese and a cup of coffee. Great selection of cheese which would have been paired better with the wine, but I had to drive. So coffee was it for me.
Makes me think, I should do this more often. I'd get used to this.
OH. they also have bottled water from Quebec. I was told it tastes like a fresh snowball (the good kind) and it did. Can't remember the name, but it was a nice bottle of water! -
Review from Taya N.
Vancouver, BC
8/7/2010
Although there are stunning views and amazing food, we will not be returning because our appallingly rude server, Pierre, ruined our evening.
How disappointing. -
Review from Allison F.
8/9/2010
While on a family vacation, we decided to stop in at Old Vines to test it out as Quail's Gate is a favourite winery of ours. We made a reservation for 8 ppl at 1130am and were very promptly welcomed and seated. We had a lovely seat out on the patio, out of the sun and where a slight breeze came through. Perfect! Our glasses were quickly filled with water and our waitress took our drink order. We had discovered the day before that their rose wine was to die for (main taste is rhubarb) and so we ordered that. Unfortunately as our wine was being poured, another larger group was seated directly beside us, complete with several small children. Ack!
To start, we ordered the beef carppacio and organic greens salad. Bread was brought out and I loved the addition of sea salt, sprinkled on top of the butter. The beef was melt-in-your mouth, and came with a small salad of pea shoots on top. Delicious! The garden salad had pepitas and a nice light vinaigrette. My only suggestion is that large chunks of radishes aren't that delightful.
For lunch, I had the ahi tuna with green beans and quin salad. So. Good! I had my tuna done medium and I think I would have been better off with medium rare as it was a little hard. But still nicely seasoned and the whole dish was very good. Others at the table had the ling cod, precocity and bison and everyone fully enjoyed their meals. By this time, the children at the table beside us had gotten up and were running all around. Worrying about a child hanging off the umbrella that's shading your table isn't something I like to think about.
And finally for dessert, we had the chocolate cherry cake, raspberry almond cake, and lemon tart. Again, fabulous. The cherries in the cake were fresh and came along side a small truffle. We could tell that it was super warm out that day, as the chocolate garnish had melted and tipped over by the time we were half done. T top it off, our neighbours then stumbled past us on their way out to take pictures in the vines, and informed us that they make damn good wine. Thanks tips.
Aside from our unfortunate neighbours, we had a lovely time and I would definitely return for a special occasion. The view is breath taking and staff is very helpful and pleasant. I hear they also serve Sea Cider products from the Island! -
Review from Tracy H.
11/4/2010 10 photos
The wine was mediocre, but the food was amazing. I tasted six wines, three of the free tasters, a rose, white, and merlot, and then I had the Pinot noir wine flight with my food. The Pinot reserve was by far the best that I tried. The merlot smelled great, but the taste did not live up to its smell, at all. I didn't care for the low end pinot. The others were nothing to write home about but okay.
The food however was exquisite, although all I had was a 3 cheese plate and the crab cakes, which I usually don't like, but was recommended by the chef. All were fantastic.
The décor is breathtaking, with a view of the vines and then the water. The place is a winery and with a store and free (and non free) wine tasting and fancy wine items for sale. There are two menus, a lunch menu and a bar menu, and they don't overlap, so I recommend asking for both. The décor is absolutely perfect and a delightful way to spend an afternoon. -
Review from Jenn W.
8/8/2009
Old Vines is a great (if slightly overpriced) restaurant with a beautiful view located on the grounds of Quail's Gate Winery.
We arrived sometime between lunch and dinner and were seated on the gorgeous patio overlooking the vineyard and Lake Oakanagan. We ordered gathered greens ($11), oysters ($17), and 3 selections of cheeses ($17) from the slim wine bar menu, along with a bottle of the Chenin Blanc ($30).
The cheeses we selected were all excellent and paired well with the Chenin Blanc, which I must say, is now my favorite BC wine. It wasn't terribly overpriced, when we were done eating we walked up to the wine shop and found that the markup was just over 50%.
Our server was also excellent, packing our already chilled wine in ice as it was a scorching day and we had just come from a long bike ride, and polling the restaurant staff on where we could buy cheese on our route back to where we were staying. -
Review from Dominic L.
Vancouver, BC
8/7/2010
Last lunch seating is at 2:30. A bit expensive, a bit slow (40 min to get main course on a busy long weekend). The 17$ oysters (6) appetizer was ok, probably better with wine though. The special was a lamb burger with capers and pesto inside, on a focaccia-like bun that had fine herbs in it. It tasted very good. The crème brûlée is a good size (~4 in. diameter), and yummy (although the sugar crust was a bit thin for my taste), served with a pistachio biscotti, no berries though.
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Review from John M.
2/12/2011
We have a summer condo next to the winery and love both Quails Gate wine and the restaurant. The food is always great and service wonderful. However, in prime season (summer) it is crowded so make sure to make a reservation. The brunch is also very nice but we have found a couple of others we prefer simply due to the crowds at Old Vines on the weekend. Still would recommend this place to anyone in the area looking for a great dinner experience.
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Review from Michael D.
Burnaby, BC
2/10/2010
One of the best meals we've ever had. Beautiful view over the vineyard to the lake. Small terrace. Fantastic foods and great wine. Highly recommended.
