iN PHOTOS: Heated domes provide one-of-a-kind Okanagan winter dining experience
The dining domes at a West Kelowna winery offer customers a unique and extravagant experience during the cold and dreary winter months in the Okanagan.
With fluffy brown and white blankets draped over cushioned chairs, tables draped with black linen table cloths all inside see-through plastic with a view of Okanagan Lake and snow covered mountains, the dining domes at Frind Winery in West Kelowna are truly an unique experience.
“The whole vibe that it brings, it's so exciting... it's a shocking thing to see. It's a pretty magical time just sitting there. It's quite quiet, so it's intimate but... you're sitting in a restaurant with other people, so to bring that ambiance is a pretty spectacular feeling,” Frind Winery hospitality manager Joanna Nicole told iNFOnews.ca.
The winery, located at 3725 Boucherie Road in West Kelowna, invites guests to take the dome experience which brings the indoors outside.
The 14 domes on the outdoor patio, imported from Lithuania, were installed in 2020 during the COVID pandemic by winery owner Markus Frind. Each dome seats up to eight guests.
Each dome has a heater hidden away under the table, as well as a heater hanging from above. The domes are constructed of a hard plastic to keep the warmth in.
Glowing lights line the bottom of the domes to add extra magic to the evening.
The experience has a private feel, with sounds of chatter and outside noises muffled by the dome. The domes ensure privacy, while diners can still have the restaurant because they can still see other guests enjoying their evening.
“It's that ultimate winter cozy feel that we're all craving when we have these grey skies,” Nicole says. “You can be looking up and the stars are glistening and you're like ‘I’m outside but I'm inside.’"
Weekends and holidays are particularly busy, as date nights are a popular event under the stars in the warmth of the domes.
The only time the domes close are when the temperature drops below -15 Celsius.
“It's kind of just a little magical place to come visit,” Nicole said.
Find out more about Frind Winery and their domes here.
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