5 Best Gastropubs in Kelowna

“My brother, his fiance and myself had a wonderful lunch at Home Block at CedarCreek Estate Winery. Everything about the establishment is top notch! From the moment we entered, ordered our drinks, ate our food and left the restaurant - was perfect! I would absolutely dine here again without a doubt!“

““The Weight of Wanting”
By K.A. Hill McPherson

Monday night. The pub sat lakeside, quiet in the off-season. A few men, alone in their routines, nursed their drinks like a dying habit. The air was thick with words, their voices loud enough to cover the silence that lived in all of them, as they tried to fix the world with opinions too worn to matter anymore.

Then the door opened.

A stranger stepped in. Not from around here. You could tell by the way his coat settled over his shoulders, by the shine of his watch that caught the bar light. Generous. Alone. Drunk.

He slid onto a stool near the locals, slapped a black metal card on the bar.

“I’m buying. What’ll it be?”

The men didn’t hesitate. Beers. Shots. The ritual.

They drank like men wandering through a desert, desperate for something to fill them, knowing it wouldn’t be enough. The whiskey burned, but it never reached the emptiness inside.

Then she walked in.

There was no rush about her. She moved like she knew she could take her time.

Tall. Blonde. A cashmere sweater that caught the light, cigarette pants that fit like they were made for her. The kind of woman men had killed for, the kind who had seen it all and remained untouched by it.

The air shifted. Conversations faltered. The men watched her the way the thirsty watch rain, as if just seeing her might be enough.

She sat at the far end of the bar. Ordered bourbon on the rocks, her voice low, steady. Her eyes didn’t meet theirs, didn’t even drift in their direction. She was somewhere else. Or maybe she was just done being seen.

The bartender leaned in close. “That’s the good stuff.”

The men nodded. They knew.

But they didn’t speak. They couldn’t.

She took her time with the drink, as though savoring a moment that wouldn’t last, even though she knew it couldn’t. The men watched her, and in the space between their stares, they felt the weight of wanting something they’d never have.

She finished her drink. Paid without a word.

Then she was gone.

The door shut softly behind her.

The men stayed in the quiet, the kind that comes after something has passed, but none of them can quite understand what it was.

The generous man cleared his throat. “Another round?”

The bartender nodded, pouring the next drink without a word.

The world outside was cold, still, dark. And the men kept drinking.

One drink at a time.“

“10/10 amazing food and great service. Family friendly and lots of vegan options.“

“Amazing pizza and cool location! Very neat pizza oven!! It was a well worth it stop when we were in Kelowna!“

“We love going to Black Diamond, both for the food and the great service. The owners and staff are really attentive at all times and the food is consistently excellent. The drinks and food are well priced and they never mess up on things so that keeps us going back!“