The Okanagan winter gets a bad reputation. While the rest of the world shivers through January's darkest days, something magical happens in downtown Kelowna. Snow dusts the vineyard-covered hillsides, Okanagan Lake reflects pewter skies, and more than 50 restaurants across the Central Okanagan unveil their most creative seasonal menus. This is Taste Around Kelowna, the region's premier winter dining celebration, and it transforms the coldest weeks of the year into the warmest, most delicious time to explore the valley's culinary scene.

Running from January 21 to February 8, 2026, Taste Around invites both locals and visitors to experience multi-course prix fixe menus that showcase what makes Okanagan cuisine exceptional: hyper-local ingredients, world-class wine pairings, and chef creativity that rivals any major food city. With pricing ranging from $25 to $70 per person, the timing couldn't be better. Just as cabin fever threatens to set in, restaurants across Kelowna roll out exclusive tasting menus designed specifically for the event, many featuring dishes you won't find on their regular offerings.

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The Heart of Downtown Dining

On a crisp January evening, downtown Kelowna's waterfront comes alive with a different energy than summer's patio season. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows of OAK + CRU Social Kitchen & Wine Bar at the Delta Grand Okanagan Resort, you can watch snowflakes drift past the glow of the lagoon's lighting while diners settle into their tables. Located at 1310 Water Street, OAK + CRU epitomizes what Taste Around celebrates: modern Okanagan cuisine built around a massive Fire Deck oven, sourcing from hundreds of local wineries and countless valley farmers and artisans.

The restaurant's winter ambiance offers something summer dining simply can't replicate. Where July evenings bring crowds to the expansive patio, January creates intimate moments in the warmly lit dining room, where the kitchen's energy pulses through the space and lake views provide a constantly shifting backdrop. Executive Chef Daniel Craig, who honed his skills at Ritz Carlton properties across Canada, has built OAK + CRU's reputation on emphatically local ingredients, and Taste Around gives him the canvas to showcase winter's bounty.

During the event, participating restaurants create thoughtfully designed three-course menus that balance accessibility with culinary ambition. Many restaurants, including OAK + CRU, offer optional wine pairings featuring Okanagan vintages that complement each course, turning dinner into a comprehensive journey through the valley's terroir.

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Beyond a Single Restaurant Experience

What makes Taste Around more than just a restaurant promotion is its invitation to explore. With participating locations spanning Kelowna, West Kelowna, Lake Country, and Peachland, the event becomes an excuse to venture into neighborhoods you might otherwise overlook in winter. This year's roster includes established favorites like 19 Okanagan Grill + Bar and Bernie's alongside newer arrivals like Erica Jane and Kin & Folk.

The event particularly shines for those who want to experience elevated dining during the quieter season. January reservations at sought-after restaurants become suddenly accessible. Chefs use the opportunity to experiment with ingredients at their seasonal peak: root vegetables from Okanagan farms, locally raised meats perfect for winter braising, foraged mushrooms, and the occasional luxury of winter-harvested ingredients.

For wine enthusiasts, the timing aligns beautifully with ice wine season, when Okanagan wineries release their most prized dessert wines made from grapes frozen on the vine. Some Taste Around participants may incorporate ice wine pairings or feature local wineries' winter releases, creating combinations impossible to replicate at any other time of year.

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The Strategy Behind Great Taste Around Experiences

Seasoned Taste Around participants have developed strategies. Book reservations early, particularly for Friday and Saturday evenings when restaurants fill quickly. Consider weekday dining for easier walk-in availability and often more relaxed pacing. Many locals plan "progressive" evenings, starting with appetizers at one location before moving to mains elsewhere, though this requires coordination and proximity planning.

The event rewards exploration beyond your comfort zone. If you've been curious about a chef whose name keeps appearing in local food conversations, Taste Around provides the perfect low-risk entry point. The fixed pricing removes menu anxiety, and the curated nature of tasting menus means you're getting each kitchen's best thinking about seasonal ingredients and flavor combinations.

Some participating hotels may bundle Taste Around dinners with accommodation packages, creating opportunities for genuine staycation experiences. Imagine checking into a downtown hotel, walking to multiple restaurants over several evenings, and never worrying about driving home after sampling Okanagan wine pairings.

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Living Where the Culinary Action Never Stops

The concentration of Taste Around participants in downtown Kelowna reveals something significant about Okanagan living: the best culinary experiences increasingly cluster in walkable urban neighborhoods rather than requiring wine country road trips. Water Street and the surrounding blocks have evolved into Kelowna's restaurant row, where nationally recognized chefs operate alongside innovative newcomers, all drawing from the same network of valley producers.

For residents of One Water Street, the twin towers at 1181 and 1191 Sunset Drive, this concentration creates an unusual lifestyle proposition. These high-rise towers place residents within a five-minute walk of dozens of Taste Around participants. The development, completed in 2022, features hundreds of residences ranging from efficient studios to expansive penthouses, all designed around the premise that downtown Kelowna offers resort-style living year-round.

The buildings' "Bench" amenity level, a landscaped podium on the fourth floor, includes resort features like multiple pools, fire pits, fitness facilities, and social spaces. But the real amenity extends beyond the property line. Residents step out their lobby door onto a streetscape that functions like an extended dining room, where world-class restaurants operate as neighborhood gathering spots rather than special-occasion destinations.

This proximity matters especially in winter, when Okanagan weather can shift quickly. Rather than committing to a 30-minute drive to West Kelowna or Lake Country for dinner, downtown residents walk three blocks through falling snow, knowing a warm restaurant and carefully crafted meal await. The waterfront location means most walks include views of Okanagan Lake, the floating bridge, and the dark silhouettes of mountains across the water.

One Water Street's design embraces this urban resort concept with floor-to-ceiling windows that maximize lake and mountain views, private balconies that work even in winter (Okanagan cold rarely reaches unbearable levels), and layouts that accommodate entertaining. The proximity to restaurants paradoxically makes home dining more appealing, as residents can pick up ingredients from the downtown farmers' market, grab fresh bread from local bakeries, and still have multiple restaurant options as backup plans.

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The Okanagan's Year-Round Food Culture

Taste Around succeeded because it challenges the assumption that Okanagan experiences must revolve around summer. The event celebrates what winter offers: intimate dining rooms with fireplaces, seasonal ingredients at their peak, wine cellars showcasing aged vintages, and the pleasure of warming up with exceptional food after a day on nearby ski slopes or snowshoe trails.

The culinary culture that supports Taste Around extends far beyond the event itself. Kelowna's food scene operates at high intensity year-round, with new restaurants opening, established kitchens rotating seasonal menus, and chef collaborations creating one-off dining experiences. Living in the heart of this scene means access to cooking classes at places like Lakehouse Kitchens Cooking School, spontaneous chef's table evenings, and the kind of casual relationships with restaurant staff that turn dining out into genuine community participation.

As Taste Around 2026 unfolds over these three weeks in late January and early February, it demonstrates a fundamental truth about Okanagan living: the vacation never really ends if you choose the right address. The region's appeal isn't limited to beach season and harvest festivals. Winter brings its own gifts, and a culinary event that draws thousands of participants shows how residents have learned to not just tolerate the cold months but to genuinely celebrate them.

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Making Every Day Feel Like a Getaway

The ultimate staycation isn't about occasionally treating yourself to a weekend away. It's about structuring your life so that exceptional experiences happen as part of normal routine. When a short walk delivers you to restaurants creating some of the most exciting food in British Columbia, when your neighborhood transforms into a winter culinary festival, and when lake views and mountain backdrops frame every outing, the distinction between everyday life and vacation blurs beautifully.

Taste Around Kelowna runs through February 8, 2026, with participating restaurants and menus available at the official Taste Around website. Reservations are recommended, particularly for weekend evenings. The event returns annually, making it a reliable midwinter highlight for both established residents and those considering making the Okanagan home.