Answer 1
Best Kelowna restaurant openings of 2025–2026
My strongest picks are Wildling and Kin & Folk from 2025, followed by Mabui Kitchen and Pandan Thai Eatery among the 2026 arrivals. The 2025 restaurants have had enough time to establish themselves; several 2026 openings are promising but still too new for a definitive ranking.
1. Wildling
Opened: February 14, 2025 Where: 1036 Richter Street Best for: Date night, adventurous food, serious wine Price: $$
This is the most interesting complete restaurant concept among the new arrivals. Wildling specializes in seasonal, vegetable-forward cooking, but that does not mean vegetarian. The kitchen treats vegetables as central ingredients rather than obligatory sides, with a menu that changes regularly.
It is also a genuine wine bar. The owners built a list that is roughly 90% international, including bottles from France, Italy, Spain, Georgia, Armenia, South Africa and other regions. That makes Wildling unusually distinctive in an Okanagan restaurant scene naturally dominated by local wine.
Verdict: My pick for the best genuinely new restaurant of the period, especially if you value creativity and atmosphere over enormous portions.
2. Kin & Folk Kelowna
Opened: Mid-May 2025 Where: 281 Lawrence Avenue, formerly Krafty Kitchen Best for: Sharing with friends, bold flavours, cocktails Price: $–$$
Chef Zachary Chan’s Penticton restaurant expanded to Kelowna with a menu of modern Asian-inspired share plates. It is energetic, polished and broadly appealing without turning into generic fusion.
The commonly recommended dishes include Korean fried bao buns, Mr. Chan’s family fried rice, sticky ribs and the wonderfully excessive ginger-beef Double Double burger. The food tends toward sweet, spicy, crunchy and intensely seasoned rather than delicate.
Verdict: The safest recommendation on this list. If four people want a lively dinner and nobody wants experimental fine dining, book Kin & Folk and order broadly.
3. Mabui Kitchen
Opened: Spring 2026, with a May grand opening Where: 3009 Pandosy Street Best for: Authentic Japanese food, sushi, sake Price: $–$$
Mabui is probably the most promising 2026 opening. It is Japanese-owned and positions itself around traditional technique, seasonal ingredients, sushi, nigiri, temaki and a curated sake selection. That is a more focused proposition than the enormous sushi-and-teriyaki menus common at casual Japanese restaurants.
Its own material emphasizes seasonal fish sourced from international markets and restrained, traditional preparation. Because it opened only recently, there is not yet a deep body of independent professional coverage, so I would call it a high-potential recommendation rather than a proven Kelowna institution.
Verdict: The first 2026 opening I would personally try for a proper dinner.
4. Pandan Thai Eatery
Opened in Kelowna: April 2026 Where: 482 West Avenue, Pandosy Village Best for: Thai food, casual dinner, dependable flavours Price: $
Pandan’s Kelowna restaurant is its second location, so this is less of an untested startup than most 2026 openings. It brings an existing Thai concept into the former El Taquero space in Pandosy Village.
This is likely the better choice when you want a satisfying neighbourhood meal rather than cocktails and presentation. Its established operating history also gives it an advantage over restaurants that have only been serving for a few weeks.
Verdict: Potentially the best casual full-service opening of 2026, particularly if you want Thai rather than another burger or contemporary sharing menu.
5. Istanbul Cafe & Brunch
Opened: July 6, 2026 Where: 1603 Pandosy Street, downtown Best for: Brunch, Turkish breakfast, pastries and coffee Price: $–$
Istanbul fills a real gap in Kelowna. It serves large Turkish breakfast platters, house-made desserts, baklava, traditional pastries and Turkish coffee, with the food described as family-oriented and home-cooked.
This is not the place I would choose for an elaborate evening tasting menu. It is the place I would visit for a leisurely late breakfast with Maria, sharing a Turkish breakfast spread rather than each ordering an ordinary eggs Benedict.
Verdict: The most distinctive new breakfast and brunch option.
6. Natsukashi Neighbourhood Store & Eatery
Opened: January 2026 Where: 103–604 Cawston Avenue Best for: Casual Japanese food and hard-to-find Asian ingredients Price: $–$
Natsukashi combines a small neighbourhood eatery with an Asian grocery component. Its appeal is not upscale service; it is the feeling of discovering a useful, personal local place with food and ingredients that have historically been difficult to find in Kelowna.
Verdict: One of the most interesting casual openings, particularly for lunch or ingredient shopping, but not directly comparable with Wildling or Kin & Folk.
7. Ask Pablo
Opened: 2025 Where: Downtown Kelowna Best for: Cocktails, small plates, lively evening out Price: $–$$
Ask Pablo is primarily a cocktail-bar-meets-tapas proposition. It belongs on the shortlist if the drinks, music and social atmosphere matter as much as the cooking. I would choose it for an evening with friends, but not ahead of Wildling or Kin & Folk when food is the sole criterion.
Verdict: One of the better new nightlife options, though it is more bar-forward than restaurant-forward.
8. False Bay Savoury Pies
Opened: August 2026 Where: 2640 Pandosy Street Best for: Takeaway lunch, comfort food, freezer supply Price: $
Owners Kevin and Anita Best brought their established Sunshine Coast pie business back to Kelowna. Their substantial savoury pies include Irish beef and Guinness, lamb, seafood, tourtière, brisket mac and cheese, peppercorn steak, chicken and mushroom, and several other fillings.
A local opening report praised the crust and hearty fillings after sampling multiple varieties. These are freshly baked daily, but False Bay is fundamentally a takeaway pie shop rather than a sit-down restaurant.
Verdict: Probably the best new grab-and-go comfort-food specialist.
Also worth watching
- BTM, Bar Travelling Man: Opened on Bernard Avenue in July 2026 with cocktails and an eatery component. Interesting pedigree, but too new for me to put above the established choices.
- Café Quattro: A pleasant Italian-style café near the airport for espresso, pastries, brunch and lunch.
- Morso: Casual Italian panini, focaccia pizza and salads downtown. Good for lunch or food to take to the beach.
- Komorebi Cafe: A serene Japanese-inspired café specializing in matcha and specialty drinks.
- Café and bakery openings: Twin Sparks, the second Sandrine location and Crave Cupcakes are worthwhile, but they are not full restaurant experiences.
- Coop Wicked Chicken & Bar: A new downtown franchise using locally sourced Armstrong chicken. Potentially fun, but not distinctive enough to make my top group.
- Roma Nord Bistro: Recommended, but it appears to predate the requested 2025–2026 window, so I did not count it as a qualifying opening.
What I would choose
| Situation | Best choice | |---|---| | Best overall new restaurant | Wildling | | Best for four people sharing | Kin & Folk | | Most promising 2026 dinner | Mabui Kitchen | | Best casual dinner | Pandan Thai Eatery | | Best brunch | Istanbul Cafe & Brunch | | Best wine-focused date | Wildling | | Best cocktails and social atmosphere | Ask Pablo | | Best takeaway | False Bay Savoury Pies |
Short version: Start with Wildling, Kin & Folk, Mabui, Pandan and Istanbul. Those five collectively offer the strongest mix of quality, originality and reasons to visit rather than simply being new.