Gather Restaurant — Restaurant in Kelowna

Gather was the first restaurant I was eagerly looking forward to on my first night in Kelowna. Just from its exterior, it was clear this was a bustling spot, so I was fortunate to have made a reservation through OpenTable. From the moment we were seated, the experience began with a charming and ceremonious touch—a mini juice served to welcome us and awaken our taste buds. I ordered the Gnocchi Fritti, a dish marked as their signature on the menu. The gnocchi were first boiled and then pan-fried to achieve a crispy texture, making the traditionally doughy gnocchi uniquely delightful. While the tomato cream sauce was expected, the dish as a whole was impressively balanced.

Speaking of the overall dining experience, there were delightful surprises along the way. The pre-dinner juice was served in a container filled with peach-scented dry ice, creating an aromatic spectacle. The final bill was presented in a wooden treasure chest, also filled with peach-scented dry ice, which was a playful and unexpected touch.

Another aspect I particularly enjoyed was the dual culinary offering of Korean and Italian cuisine, thanks to the chef's Korean heritage. This fusion caters to a variety of tastes, and the semi-open kitchen adds to the sensory experience, allowing diners seated at the bar to catch glimpses of the chefs at work—a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.

Overall, my dining experience at Gather exceeded my expectations. Perhaps because I live in Banff, where similar experiences can easily cost over $70, I found the quality, service, and pricing here to be exceptional. Our server, Kim, provided warm and attentive service, making our evening even more enjoyable. If I ever find myself back in Kelowna, Gather is a restaurant I would...

I’ve never experienced such blatant discrimination at a restaurant before. My group of 14, all Asian professionals from Vancouver, had an incredibly upsetting experience at Gather, all because of how we were treated by Paolo.

We originally made a reservation for 14 but were told that groups of 6+ must order from a set menu. Wanting to order à la carte, we were advised that making three separate reservations (for 6, 4, and 4) would be fine. We even staggered our arrival times to accommodate the restaurant.

However, when we arrived, Paolo immediately greeted us with hostility. He scolded us, lectured us about having separate tables—despite it being previously approved—and even went so far as to say we were not allowed to interact or mingle with each other. You are not allowed to gather in gather btw. It was humiliating and completely unnecessary.

Then came the issue of gratuity. Paolo first stated that each table would be charged an 18% auto-gratuity, which already seemed unreasonable for tables of 4 or 6. But as we were being seated, he suddenly changed it to 20% without explanation. When the bill arrived, one table was charged 19%, which made no sense. The lack of transparency and shifting policies felt targeted.

While the food was decent, no meal is worth being treated as if we were unwelcome. We couldn’t shake the feeling that we were being singled out because of our race. The way we were spoken to, the unnecessary rules imposed on us, and the general hostility made it clear that we were not valued as customers.

I would never recommend Gather to anyone, especially people of colour who expect to be treated with respect.

Dining out should be an enjoyable experience, not one where you feel discriminated against...

This is one of the best restaurants I have been to in a very long time !!

Wowwww

It’s such a beautiful intimate place for a nice romantic dinner date or family dinner or with friends , it’s such a special place!

As we walked in, The manager Paulo was incredibly friendly and welcoming , asked us for our name and we got there 20 min early but they were able to find us a table right away!! :) so awesome He asked to take our coats as well and even gave me a fancy ottoman so I can place my purse on instead of the table :’)

He then came back with a mouth cleanser before our dinner to cleanse our pallets Divine!!!

We had a very friendly waitress afterwards Natasha who took our orders explained the menu and we started ordering!!

Food absolutely delicious I still dream about everything I had it was that good!

Cheese board: 5++++++++ The most delicious variety of cheeses, capers pickles, olives, rice in vine leaf crostini’s, wow

Caesar Salad: 5++++++ it was packed with so much flavour you won’t regret it!!

Gnocci Alfredo: 5++++++ My favourite to die for!! The most buttery most flavourful dish I’ve indulged in such a long time wow .. seasoned to perfection and just the best meal I had !! I recommend this dish by far !!

Steak Tataki: 5+++++ the flavours all made sense my husband had this ! He was amazed the meat was tender and the entire dish made sense!!

Pesto Burrata Salad: 5++++++ Everything just made sense wow

The presentation of every meal as well and the final bill at the end with the smoke show .. so incredible

Also I feel like you wouldn’t go wrong with any dish everything was just amazingly delicious!!

Overall, This is kelowna’s best kept secret A true gem !!! Wow I can’t wait to come back here again...