Fine Okanagan Dining: Three of the Best 5 Star Dining Experiences You'll Ever Have

The Okanagan region is one of the most beautiful spots in the country and offers plenty to see and do. One thing that the area is especially known for is its fine dining scene, which includes a number of restaurants that can serve you up some of the highest quality dishes you've ever tasted. So if you're looking for a new restaurant to try out, here's a list of three of the best 5-star dining experiences you can have in Okanagan.

Fine Italian Dining Available at La Bussola

If you want to try a real Italian meal at a restaurant that really knows the cuisine best, the family run La Bussola is the place for you. Located right in the middle of downtown Kelowna at 1451 Ellis Street, the family business at La Bussola, which has been serving patrons since 1974, is well known for its extensive menu of Italian dishes and wines. Their primary meals and customer favourites include a variety of traditional pasta such as spaghetti, linguine, penne, lasagne, gnocchi, fettuccine, and ravioli. Also featured are mains such as filet mignon, fresh lamb rack, steak, pizza, chicken parmigiana, chicken piccata, lobster, halibut, salmon, veal, and a whole lot more. Their wine menu includes selections from some of the top winemakers in both Italy and Okanagan, all available for you to sip and enjoy with your dish of choice.

Enjoy Great Food and Gorgeous Scenery at Smack DAB

One of the more uniquely situated restaurants in the region is Smack DAB, a kitchen and bar nestled along the pristine shores of Okanagan Lake at 3762 Lakeshore Road. Their outdoor lakeside patio is the biggest in all of Kelowna, and when paired with the restaurant's open concept design and delicious food you really do get to experience the full fine dining package. Your meal will be prepared by Smack DAB's chefs in their open kitchen so you can watch the process from start to finish. Their most popular menu offerings include grilled Caesar salad, pickled beet and spinach salad, crispy beef and prawn salad, Asian baby back ribs, fries, crab fondue, tandoori spice crispy calamari, salt spring island mussels, beef burgers, chicken sandwiches, chicken schnitzel, and pasta.

Taste the Gourmet Flair at Ricardo's Mediterranean Kitchen

To explore the full range of authentic Mediterranean style cuisine, Ricardo's Kitchen offers you the chance to taste straight from your plate the very best that the Mediterranean region has to offer. Their Tuscany based dining room is located at 415 Commonwealth Road and was created by award-winning designer Tara Trumpetter. Speaking of awards, Ricardo's itself has received "Best Restaurant" awards from both Off-centre Magazine and Okanagan Life Magazine. Their menu was one of the main factors that went into winning them each of those recognitions and really does speak for itself. It includes such savoury foods as classic bruschetta, coconut curry mussels, Vancouver Island clams, Pernod and garlic prawns, Caesar and Mediterranean spinach salad, spaghetti con polpette, ravioli chicken pesto, jambalaya pasta, pork tenderloin, salmon, chicken Dijon, BBQ ribs, Parisian steak, and red Thai curry.

The Okanagan is a region rich with ample opportunities when it comes to 5 star dining. These are some of the best restaurants in the Okanagan, if not the whole country. Each can offer you a unique twist in terms of quality food and a great fine dining experience.