Ayla C.
Yelp
Ok listen up: BNA is bomb. As in, best ever, you'll never experience love like this again.
Boyfriend and I finally got to stop in after hearing how amazing it was for weeks. We popped into the tasting room next door first, which has a cute, kitschy vibe with old mirrors, mounted animal heads, and lots of amazing beer! We tried a flight, including their Earl Grey beer, their blood orange beer (Blood Sugar Hops Magic - best name ever!) and two others that were also great but let's just take a moment to discuss one of the best beers I've ever had. Earl Grey. In beer. Yes, it works SO well. It's not heavy, it's a light, fragrant, hoppy beer that just totally blindsided me with deliciousness! I highly recommend you try it if you can.
Next door has a gorgeous little patio area with lights strung up over it, lending it a dreamy, romantic vibe. The inside is an outstanding feat of beautiful design - two floors tall with exposed beams, soft lighting, and very carefully arranged seating, it's casual and intimate while simultaneously being fancy and a party spot - no mean feat. Downstairs has booths around the outside, and a mish-mash of seating inside - anything from a wooden bench to oversized armchairs! There's also a shuffleboard table, and the menu board is designed like a movie title display - so cool. Upstairs has a long table, and again a bunch of quirky chairs from chaise longues to comfy sofas. There's also an indoor bocce court (YES!!!) and a long bar area beside it where you can look over the rest of the space and people watch/talk about how you're going to slide over the edge and sit on the moose head below you... no? Just me? Ok...
We tried the zucchini fries, ramen, and heirloom tomato salad; yes, it's a little pricey but not very different from most spots. The portions are a little small, but that can also be a good thing - you can try more! All three dishes were excellent and the heirloom salad was bursting with flavour and juicy pieces of tomato! I could have had three. We had a slight issue with the ramen which we mentioned to our server - she apologised profusely then fetched the manager who again apologised, then brought us a gift card! The service was way, way above and beyond - we were extremely impressed!
This is truly an incredible gem that could easily compete in Vancouver, San Francisco, or New York. Kelowna, you don't know how lucky you are - don't screw it up! Go visit BNA, every day if possible, and let's make this the institution in Kelowna it deserves to be!