It doesn't get any better than elegantly dining on the waterfront.
Stupendous views of the marina and Okanagan Lake.
Some pan-seared scallops on your plate and Quails' Gate Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay in your glass.
Open Table, the massive international online reservation platform, has taken notice of this idyllic setting, food, atmosphere and service and named the Lakeside Dining Room at Kelowna's Hotel Eldorado one of the 'top 50 hotel restaurants in Canada'.
The white-tablecloth Lakeside Dining Room runs along the front of the hotel for the view of Okanagan Lake.
In the summer, huge windows open to the view for an indoor-outdoor vibe.
Lakeside Dining Room is the only Okanagan eatery on the list and one of only 9 in BC to make the cut.
Open Table compiled the list in conjunction with KAYAK, the price comparison travel website.
Both platforms are owned by Booking.com and joined together to determine the 'top 50' based on over a million diner reviews, diner ratings and reservation demand on Open Table.
The list was accompanied by some facts and figures about hotel restaurant dining and trends.
Hotel restaurants long ago ceased to be convenient pit stops for weary hotel guests and travellers.
In fact, many hotel restaurants serve hotel guests, locals and other visitors alike.
Open Table data indicates 39% of diners in hotel restaurants are also hotel guests, whicl 61% are locals or visitors that are staying somewhere else.
64% of Canadians believe hotel restaurants are an ideal dining option for both hotel guests and non-guests.
Some hotel restaurants -- such as Lakeside Dining Room at the Hotel Eldorado -- are actually some of the top restaurants period in any given city.
As such, 74% of Canadians will give a hotel restaurant a try if it comes highly recommended, whether they are a hotel guest or not.
68% of Canadians will book the same hotel again and again because of a great dining experience at the on-site restaurant.
Some of the dishes at Lakeside Dining Room include classic prawn cocktail for $28, the aforementioned pan-seared scallops for $34, rigatoni bolognese pasta for $32 and a filet mignon steak for $58.
The resto also has an extensive cocktail list and Okanagan and international wine list along with various beers and ciders.
While it's technically a different restaurant, Boardwalk is right in front of Lakeside Dining Room outdoors on the dock, right over the water.
It gives diners choice, the best of both worlds -- Lakeside Dining Room for more fine dining, Boardwalk for casual outdoor eats.
The Boardwalk's menu includes Baja fish tacos for $17, pepperoni and hot honey pizza for $22, fish and chips for $26 and The Eldorado burger for $28.
It also has a wine list that includes The Eldorado's private label red, white and rose wines.
The eight other hotel restaurants in BC that made the list are:
- The Courtney Room at the Magnolia Hotel in Victoria
- Tea at The Empress Hotel, Victoria
- The Victor at Parq Vancouver Hotel
- The Brickworks at the Delta Village Suites in Whistler
- ARC at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel in Vancouver
- Atlas Steak + Fish at the Delta Burnaby
- Notch8 at the Hotel Vancouver
- Botanist at the Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver
See the full 'top 50' list here: https://www.opentable.
