Reviews Terrace Restaurant

One of the best restaurant I've been to. Food and wines all world class.The restaurant is located at Mission Hills Winery with fantastic view of the vineyard and the mountains sorrounded by water. Fast and friendly service. I can't wait for another road trip and stop by at this place.

Amazing views, gorgeous wines, excellent service and very delicious pairings. The food was outstanding. The package deal here includes the priceless ambiance and is worth every penny. I would highly recommend this for any visitor to Kelowna. Soul satisfaction guaranteed!

The Terrace Restaurant stands upon its merits to such a degree, it can be reviewed separately from the Mission Hill Winery it resides within. In some alternate reality where cats are dogs, gender roles are reversed, and I’m sporting a goatee and wicked thoughts (well, s’more), the Terrace Restaurant sits alone atop a hill, overlooking a picturesque lake, and I would proclaim it as one of the best restaurants you could ever hope to visit.

In the real world, the Terrace stands as a prominent aspect of a must-see tourist destination. Ignoring the winery, you’re still greeted by one of the best views any restaurant could ever hope to have, at least one not facing a thousand-year old work of human ingenuity (although there was that one sushi place overlooking Kowloon bay in Hong Kong where there are nightly laser shows).

This review encompasses a full day, including two meals, lunch and dinner, separated by an insufficient four hours. Also, my position as a food blogger was foretold, like the coming of plagues or the rising of Neo to save Zion. It arose because of an invitation to name-drop in order to receive preferential treatment. Yes, all that flowery mumbo-jumbo can be reduced (like good chicken stock) to the simple truth that I told them I was a blogger. As result, the head chef, Chris Stewart took it upon himself to lead me on a tour of the restaurant’s sustainable farming ventures. Herbs and vegetables are grown on site and incorporated into the restaurant’s menu, a menu that changes depending on what’s in season. An ever-evolving selection is proudly listed at the bottom of the page: asparagus, beets, cattail, chickweed, duck, egg, fennel, hazelnuts, mallow, mint, etc. (since I’m only up to “M” and have a word budget). Edible pansies stood out—partly because I think that sounds funny (“all wimps should line themselves up to be replacement staple for the strong”), as did foraged watercress, which sounded oddly specific. As the waiter ran off the numerous dishes laid out before us, she actually caught herself in an error naming off the specific olives and corrected herself…like that actually mattered.

The restaurant itself is creative in its simplicity, like those exhibits in the Tate Modern of Lego brick stacks. The Terrace has no walls to speak of, veils descend to shield against rain and sun. It’s one long stretch of tables, with waiter stations positioned bow, middle, and aft—the boat metaphor is apt. To the left reveals the Mission Hill Amphitheatre and are the best seats in the house. To the right is a drop-off overlooking the lake. The prep area, not unlike those in top bistros, greet guests only a few feet from the maître d’ podium. Fresh-baked bread is presented on slabs of stone with novelty butter pats shaped as…well, they don’t look exactly like corks but they should look like corks. That preceded a meal that cost only $22, and for that we received peace country carpaccio (with arugula, onion ash, puffed wild rice, and oak barrel vinegar), wise earth gem lettuce salad (with duck confit, raisin glace and pear dressing), hand cut frite (because what kind of meal would it be without French fries apparently), and numerous fresh olives (the aforementioned labeling mistake). The price escalated with the addition of wine, because we obviously needed more after the afternoon tour. It didn’t include the aperitifs served before and after the full course—pickled cherries and homemade jellies.

After a quick jaunt to Quail’s Gate down the road, we returned for the evening’s chef’s table. You’ll notice if perusing the online menu that there’s no option for a chef’s table, but it does exist, usually in July. It was June…because the head chef is just that awesome. Once again came the aperitif and homemade bread, the candied rhubarb, and then two sesame chips jutting from a wood clinging onto a dollop of—I kid you not—wine tartrate (I think that’s what it’s called--basically wine residue/sediment). After that followed the roasted Haida Gwaii octopus with chickpea fritter, yogurt, mint, and I kid you not, squid ink (which I suspect Chris did intentionally due to a conversation about experiencing that in Teatro). And yet after all that, three more courses followed, a risotto, a beef over spinach salad, and smoked beef short rib & frites (with smoked shallot, seared lettuce, beef glace). I actually couldn’t finish—dessert had to be cancelled. Gone, but not forgotten. I will be back for that dessert, Chris.

Terrace does nothing by accident, like an oracle, everything is purposeful, from the black weave mats to the artistic knives that stand at rest on their edge. The service is impeccable, the environment romantic and lavish. I can only count a few meals in my life that measure up or supersede the Terrace. And since this is based on two meals, my opinion should count twice, right?

Wow, first Bouchons, now this—Kelowna really is a gastronomic mecca.

Food: 5/5

Service: 5/5

Presentation: 5/5

Value: 5/5

Recommendation: 5/5

Absolutely stunning! The level of service, the dishes, the wines and the surrounding makes The Terrace restaurant a divine experience.

Perspective from dining here 3 years in a row.... As with all my reviews, I begin by asking a simple question which I believe sums up the entirety of my experience and, really, the only thing others should care about: "Would I come back?"

The answer... maybe. This is the first time I've ever given that answer - normally I force myself to give a direct yes or no. However allow me to explain.

I've dined at the Terrace 3 times, once every season since 2010 whenever I take a vacation in the Okanagan. After a job change, I now found myself living in Kelowna and was excited to be so close to a restaurant that had always exceeded my expectations and quite simply blew me away. I was convinced that the behind the kitchen line were deft hands that created food of stunning presentation and flavour composition. I work professionally in the food service industry and have eaten at good share of fine dining establishments and have always found my meal at the Terrace remarkable. That is, until my third time which was, unfortunately, a disappointment.

You can, for all intents and purposes, stop reading here, but I am somehow compelled to write the details of why my meal was so marked from my past experiences.

I won't dive into the service much, because all in all it was as polished as ever. To be honest though, I'm not keen on their new uniform. It doesn't match the ambiance and looks aged versus the food that's coming out of the kitchen.

As for the food, it seemed to attempt to capture the same magic it had from previous years but it fell short. In some cases, the skillfulness that I've always admired seemed to be blatantly missing. The amuse, peas and chocolate mint, was under seasoned. Also for soup in a shot glass it seemed naked. Having no garnish seemed a little off. Perhaps it foreshadowed the meal to come. The first courses which were veal cheeks and Sezmu tartare was also under seasoned. However while the tartare at least benefited with some cohesion of flavours and textures, the inspiration for the cheeks were lacking as the rest of the garnishes failed to pull together for anything other than a satisfactory bite. The foie gras torchon was, in fairness, the kind of dish that had kept me coming back to Mission Hill. The combination of flavours and textures were superb. Main courses though were anticlimactic. The elk tortellini was sadly one dimensional. The filling and the garnished starch could have been the same thing with no contrast. The accompanying richness of the slaw also made the palette suffer an overwhelming richness. Also, it was a tad salty. The pork belly was also doomed to a similar fate. The brine (I assume) was salty which really would've been fine if there was anything to cut it with, but alas it was a bit of a palette overload. I was, at this point, driven away from ordering dessert though my dining partner ordered the lemon tart. This was "ok" though I've come across far superior lemon tarts. I didn't also agree that the said "basil marshmallow" was indeed a marshmallow.

Mind you the pairings for each course, which we had, was good. This was where the food was able to redeem itself. However, the food should be able to stand on its own or be as enjoyable with or without the wine. And while I am, I suppose being overly critical it is because I've had the chance to dine here each year and while I don't expect to be blown away every meal, I do hope that the quality remains the same. The price too commanded a premium and while I don't mind paying for good food, I do expect then very good food.

And so that is why I'm saying, "maybe I'll come back". To give it another cautious try and hopefully find myself returning it to my all time favourite restaurants.

The Terrace at Mission Hill. I went with 3 other women on a rainy afternoon in September (not what one expects in Kelowna). They had the heaters on and were giving out blankets! The wine was even free for turning out! But really the best was the food. We all ordered different appetizers, entrees and desserts and everyone loved every mouthful. The presentation was excellent. I think it is the best restaurant I have been to.

A wonderful evening, with top notch service, fantastic food, and a spectacular setting – highly recommended.

Really nice place I loved the terrace, the views, and the ambience here. Definitely an elegant and unique experience especially for someone like me who hasn’t been to one of these wineries before. The food was delicious, high quality, and well balanced with excellent wine pairings. I ordered the scallops and though the scallops themselves were big and delicious, there were only 3 and I need more for an entree. Overall great view and high quality, Tasteful food, but value-oriented diners probably won’t feel satisfied.

This restaurant was absolutely beautiful; from the moment you drive in the driveway to the winery to the entrance of the restaurant. Customer service was beyond; from our hostess to our server; they just went above and beyond. Amazed by everything. We went on a rainy day which was still amazing because of the heated terrace. Food was good, but not amazing. Everything was local and fresh and looked beautiful however taste was missing. I was expecting to be blown away or to taste something I have never had tasted before. But you must try the bread with oil and vinegar together with the butter. Amazing together not separate. Price was descent for the quality. diffidently recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants a beautiful restaurant with a beautiful view!