Hooded Merganser Restaurant

When we went for stroll along the Lakeshore, we realized we were hungry. We Googled for nearby options and happily selected this restaurant. It offered a great view of the lake, the atmosphere is nice and the service was good. The food was great too. I would say it was a much better choice than the hotel restaurant, which was very loud and bar like.

Our group of four were met with a very friendly staff. Leah, our server brought us to a large table, but we requested a smaller one near a corner before we sat down. No problem to move. The atmosphere was nice and the newly completed renovations really open things up. We took our time ordering without being “pushed” even though it was busy. The appetizers, entrees, and wine were top shelf. The service was efficient and friendly, even the Manager visited us to see how we were doing. We had a great time and would definitely recommend to all!

My husband and I are visiting from out of town and thought we would stop by for a bite to eat, some wine and enjoy the view. We had such an amazing experience. We were met by smiling faces, Hannah’s sense of humour and attentive service, and some amazing food! Hannah recommended the goat cheese dip which was to die for, and she recommended we followed up with lamb chops and the halibut- couldn’t have asked for a better dinner! Compliments to the chef and the staff for making this an unforgettable way to finish off our Okanagan experience!

Location is incredible, patio right along the water front, beautiful view. Service was great! Good vibe, nice music. Food is fairly priced but nothing special(I wouldn't rave a foodie has to go here). Beef deep was okay, crisp fries. Burger didn't look great but they were super accommodating with the side salad which was appreciated

It is a wonderful experience eating here, lovely restaurant on the lake, gorgeous views like land’s end and even more delicious food Our server Isabella was very polite and lively! We ordered spinach and artichoke dip, chicken sandwich and fish&chips, all dishes came freshly prepared and with huge servings. We are so glad we chose this place to have dinner, on our two day trip to Penticton. Till next visit..

Hooded Merganser may have a five-star location, but the service and food were abysmal—avoid it unless you're just there for the view with a drink in hand. We were told we'd be seated on the "east side," which meant nothing to us (this is our first time to Penticton). She led us past 15 empty tables with beautiful lake views to a seat near a drain by the exit gate, overlooking a swampy area. Despite the restaurant being nearly empty, we were left there without a drink menu for 15 minutes until a server noticed. After moving to a better table, we ordered wine, beer, dynamite rolls, and Brie with crackers. The Brie came with limited crackers, and the "dynamite rolls" were just rice rolls with Sriracha. Our server acknowledged the rolls were simply rice and offered to have new ones made, which was great. The replacement was equally disappointing, and she never asked what we thought. In the end, we paid $70 for a meal that was a complete letdown. Hooded Merganser might have a great location, but the service and food make it not worth the visit.

Beautiful views, amazing salmon dinner, local wine, really friendly staff and attentive service! I was sat right away and pretty much had the whole patio to myself. Loved it.

The Hooded Merganser has just reopened after several months of renovations. Beautifully done. New Chef New Menu. We had a wonderful dinner last night with our good friends. All 4 of us loved the food. Leah our server was fantastic, and we were happy that the Manager stopped by for a visit. The new menu is a Mediterranean based.

Been several times over the years and it has really seen it's ups and downs. Happy to say it is now on the up again! Food was very good and the service was as well. The menu has some of its old favorites back like Baked Bri and Garlic! Caesar was fresh, well tossed and lots of flavor, the pizza was excellent.

I dined here on a busy Friday night at 7:30pm. I expected it to be busier but it really quieted down around 8pm and we had the whole place to ourselves. The ambiance was so nice especially sitting next to the window where you are basically right on top of Okanagan lake. I had a striploin steak and they cooked it exactly how I asked. I also added the peppercorn sauce which was delicious. My only complaint is that the carrots could have been a little more cooked (they were crunchy) My espresso martini was very strong but I like that they have a large variety of cocktails to choose from. Overall, I always like to try something new here and I have never have a bad experience.

Decent. Good food not great selection prices high service average. Convenient but not one of the best.

The Ambiance is five star. The room opening on to the lake is outstanding. The service is fine. Think pub style pretending to be a restaurant. The food is just okay at best.

The food and the service here are top notch. The waitress took very good care of us. And the views of the lake are spectacular. Highly recommended if you want somewhere close to the Lakeside Resort.

Gorgeous views, great food! Had the seafood stew, seared halibut, the steak and also tried the pizza... all of which was exceptional. The service was friendly and attentive, and the prices are reasonable given the high-quality of the food. Overall, this is a must-visit for anyone looking for a delicious and memorable dining experience.

Best Burger in Penticton and beyond ! lovely times Thanks Dave Frontier History

Service was lacking. Waited over 20 minutes and had to go inside to ask for water. They didn't have a few of the local wines we requested. Dinner was good, but the garlic mashed potatoes came ice cold. Ordered a dessert and after waiting 25 minutes for a premade item, we cancelled and asked for the bill. Spoke with the manager, and he was snippy with me when I told him that I am a chef and overall wasn't impressed. He just complained about staffing issue's which is not at all a customers issue. Over $200 for a dinner for 4 with less than acceptable service. Don't argue with your customers.

The Mango Gouda Grilled Cheese sandwich is excellent and the yam fries are the best.

pasta & a burger over an hour to receive after asking the server who completely ignored us while we waited. Couldn't eat the pasta- overwhelmed by garlic. Fish was cold. Server couldn't care less. We've been several times before over the years and I'd been looking forward to it. All I want to do now is brush my teeth and get that garlic taste out of my mout. Utter garbage.

I had the Calamari...very salty I could barely eat it. Service was slow. The view is amazing!

Food Quality: 5/5 Customer Service: 5/5 Location: 5/5 Handicap Access: 4/5 I heard about this restaurant through family members and took my partner to check it out. It was a romantic experience right from the beginning with string lights wrapped around the entrance bridge and a dim atmosphere inside. The staff were very friendly and quick to respond and refill. Masks were provided if you didn't have one, and the manager was walking around interacting with customers. There is lots of seating available for wheelchairs and the bathroom isn't so bad to access, but entering the restaurant might be slightly difficult. The view was adorable and the booth seats are cozy and private. The social distancing enforcements are kind of nice because you get the whole view to yourself. The food was expensive but worth it; this is one of the fancier restaurant around, after all. The steak was cooked to PERFECTION and my salmon was floating on an incredibleeee lemon butter sauce. The plate was filling: I almost had leftovers and didn't have room for dessert! I would 100% recommend this business for date night, birthdays, celebrations, or if you're rich enough to spend $70 on food and drinks in one night and just want a nice view. ;)

Come for the view (4 stars), not the food (2 stars). We were here for dinner last weekend, but left disappointed. The restaurant is located on the south shore of Okanagan lake, so the view is great. We were seated on the patio, which is just behind a breakwater, so you also get a view of the stagnant water in between. The rest of the restaurant is new, modern and has a good vibe. A few elevated booths inside face the windows, so they have some great views. As for the food, we both ordered the St Louis-style BBQ ribs, which were not trimmed well and had a lot of cartilage. Flavouring was bland, and the worst part was that the ribs were dry and tough. We ordered a half rack and a full rack, but barely made it through even half of the ribs before giving up. We had hot wings as an appetizer, and in hindsight they were dry, too. Anyhow, lots of potential here, but you can find much better food elsewhere in town.

What a joke! Waited an hour to go from 15 to 13th on their list, while many people groups walked by. They said no reservations, yet a person could book on line hours ahead - thats reservations isn,t it. Many tables remained available and their host and managers, ,didn't, even appear legal age. Big joke!! ...on us I guess.

I came here expecting more, especially after being recommended to eat here. For the price of wine per glass, I wanted better wine. My halibut, potatoes, carrot plate was the most plain I have seen and not worth the price. Chicken tacos were fine. Service good. Sat close to waterfront and nice view. I guess if my expectations were not so high.... hmmm.

We had the best steak (6oz tenderloin) dinner and the amazing Megan was our server - outstanding service ! Meal was delicious and the view was perfect overlooking the lake. We will definitely be back !

love this place! high quality food and service. will always come back. Has been here forever.

The patio here is insanely beautiful! If you think you would like panoramic lake views with top notch service and high quality food, then you need to check this place out! Definitely makes for some beautiful photos. Eclectic and creative drinks, a pretty decent wine list and a super tasty menu all around! The best calamari I have had in a long time was at this beautiful lake side restaurant and bar. I was sad to see that there was no crab on the menu, because I remember ordering crab legs here years ago. I noticed from recent reviews that they have changed their menu since I last visited. I also ordered the Curry dish with chicken and rice, and I was very pleased with that as well. Rich flavor and not too spicy. Service was prompt and professional! The restaurant is quite large, as well as the patio. The prices are totally reasonable considering how lovely the restaurant is. This is a must visit when you are Penticton.

Staying at the hotel and tried the restaurant twice...0 for 2 Salmon the first night quite boring...ordered the Butter Chicken for room service....not good at all! Again..very boring..zero spice or flavor to it. Came up in about 15 mins so certainly nothing fresh about it. Some bone and gristle in some of the chicken as well.. also came up warm at best. I should have sent it back but was far too hungry to bother. Ate most of the chicken and rice ..bit of the mediocre naan and left the rest.

We were excited to try out The Hooded Merganser on our recent trip to Penticton. Upon arriving we were met at the door by a hostess informing us the dining room was full but we could certainly go into the lounge. We chose the bar because we love to interact with the bar staff and get to know the place. Service was good and the bartender was very pleasant. However the bar felt sticky like it hadn't been cleaned well for sometime. Here is where things go south. We ordered the burger and it was disappointing. Clearly not freshly made in the restaurant, this was simply a frozen hamburger patty. No condiments were offered and the waitress was quite shocked when we asked for some. We also ordered the Braised Beef Sandwich and it wasn't bad at all, so there is some hope. This place is set up for success being right down on the water but clearly they seem to take that all for granted. The experience was underwhelming and we are certainly not inclined to return.

Hooded Merganser Bar & Grill @penticton. Great location at lakefront and in the hub of Penticton's tourist area. Romantic sunset can be seen from the patio. You do pay a premium to be at that location with prices a little higher than most other restaurants and menu selection is ordinary. The food was okay. It was really the experience to be at the tourist hub and be right next to our hotel that drew us there.

First time to visit the hotel and restaurant. Beautiful location on the lake. Food was reasonably priced and good. Food was warm, but not piping hot. Coffee and service was great. Waitress was very friendly and did a great job taking care of us. Thanks to the hotel for providing us a place to charge our Tesla Model 3 while we were having breakfast!

No better place to sit outside with a panoramic view of the lake in the Penticton area! We enjoyed the chicken tikka massala and ahi tuna.

Good food and great views! You can sit on the patio right on the water. Good service.

Really, really good. Fish was good, not greasy, fries fresh cut golden brown perfectly cooked, lots of coleslaw has hint of apples, plus dish with pickles, dish with cut fruit all beautifully plated. We will be back

Every time I am in Pentincton I always stop here! The location is great! You can't ask for a better view of the lake! The service is not the best, several times the wait has been long, others the waitress was training and made mistakes, but at the end of each service I still left satisfied. The food is also great! The octopus salad is by far the highlight, the calamari is also really good! The beef bites were good but the presentation and accompaniment was lame and could be improved upon, the chicken tikka was also very well done! I will definitely keep coming back!

I ordered the Seafood club- it was different but okay. This is a restaurant in a great location - hangs over the edge of Okanagan Lake - beautiful setting, unfortunately I just didn't this the food was that great. It wasn't bad, but I felt it just didn't meet the spectacular setting of this restaurant.

The view is great and the location perfect especially if you're staying at the resort. The vibe is laid back and the atmosphere much nicer if you're not looking for a pub feel like the barking parrot, which is also connected to the resort. Good menu options.

Tasteless food, poor, very slow service and very expensive. Nice view but that's all, go elsewhere if you want a decent meal and service. We waited for almost 2 hours for our food and very displeased with what was served. Avoid this place if you don't want an unsavoury palate and big bill.

Very Nice resteraunt on the water and can take larger groups. I think some of the local winerie bistros are better but are much smaller. This is still a good choice if in penticton. On the expensive side but it is a formal dining spot. Great pad thai and delicious lunch options. My prime rib I had for dinner came a bit overcooked and had to send the wings back as they were so tough that they could not even be cut with a knife. The wings were taken away and off the bill with no problem at all. They ran out of a few items, but we were a big group of 20. I think I would stick to lunch next time.

The best part about this restaurant is how friendly the servers are! They have always been very welcoming and friendly! The last time I went here was after leaving another restaurant due to the poor service. Coming here was a world of difference. We had an amazing table out on the patio and a very friendly server!! The food has also always been good! I will definitely be back!

I always visit and eat their delicious meals. All have been 100 percent delicious and beautiful presentation. I grew up in Penticton and this restaurant is my favourite

Terrible food, Caeser salad had no dressing, roast chicken was so dry it was almost inedible, coleslaw had no flavour, trying to hard to make food look good with no attention to the basics.

Staff were great, unfortunately the NY steak was not so great. Can't beat the location on Okanagan Lake, though.

We just had breakfast at the Hooded Merganser in Penticton and I just wanted to say how AWSOME the service was. Our waitress was Randi.. I hope I have the right spelling. She knew her town and gave EXCELLENT SERVICE. The food was also EXCELLENT.

I was staying in the resort connected to this eating establishment. I called down for pick up. She advised she would call when it was ready. After 45 mins I called down and she said they TRIED to call me but it didn't go through. Seemed odd as they also do room service to this hotel. Needless to say my food had been ready awhile, so by the time I got downstairs and over there it was cold. Not that being warm would have improved it. And the $$$ was high for the low value food. The rest of my stay I ate elsewhere. The convenience wasn't worth it.

If your trying to find a place with a great view and patio to have drink.....this is definitely a great option! right on the water. The food was underwhelming especially for the price. I would come here again for a drink and appy, but not door a full meal. We ate the sante fe chicken salad and the spicy cappacolo pizza.

My wife and I left the kids at home and had breakfast here today. Rating would be 3-1/2 stars Excellent friendly service, nice atmosphere, great view and food presentation. Reasonable prices. Food was ok, my omelette was good, my wife's was sort of bland. Potatoes/hash browns were kinda dry/plain. Small criticisms are, no espresso drinks, no fresh juice other than carrot. My feeling is that being in such a busy/touristy location, that part of the object of serving here is to move the maximum number of guests in and out so focus of the kitchen is to prep meals quickly and efficiently, hence not spending too much time on the little extras. I'm sure it is a delicate balance between speed & quality in any mid size mid price restaurant. They are open at 7am which is a nice option to have when travelling.

Atmosphere is fabulous. Beautiful views of the lake but the service was mediocre we had a more attentive server from another table than our own. Calamari was delicious but every other meal at our table was subpar. Over cooked steaks, flavourless seafood and pasta. Super disappointed and probably will it return. So many more satisfying restaurants in Penticton

The Hood (as they call it in Penticton) is placed perfectly by Okanagan Lake. The view is simply spectacular. If the weather is good, you should definitely sit outside. We were on a work vacation in Penticton and decided to stay at the Penticton Lakeside Resort. The Hood looked great, so we decided to give it a go. Our first visit was when arrived from Vancouver for lunch. I ordered their burger. My colleagues ordered wings, and pad thai. Everyone loved their food and we decided to go back for dinner and breakfast the next day. Everyone's food arrived on time and together. No one was left to look at other peoples food. The staff made sure we were all having a good time. A great atmosphere with amazing food. Will definitely go back when I visit Penticton.

Have been to this restaurant several times in the past, and food has always been great, and of course view is outstanding. Food and service were also good on my most recent visit. BUT, there is virtually no COVID-19 precautions, no masks, no face shields, no physical spacing from the server. Other than stating they would not top up our water glasses and descent table spacing, physical closeness was pretty close to normal (within arms reach). We had a certificate for any of the Lakeside Hotel restaurants and wanted to use it, but none of their restaurants had servers wearing face protection. We wore our masks, and left them on till food was served, and put them back on any time the server returned, which should not be our job. I still travel and need to dine out, and all other places I have been to have taken far more pro-active steps.

WHAT A VIEW! Celebrated my bachelorette party here with 12 girlfriends on Saturday night! Great time, amazing views. Service was a bit slow and a few items in the group were over salted or overcooked. On the hole everyone was really pleased. Would definitely come back. Reasonably priced too!

We have been coming here for years and tonight was a new low. Our food took an hour to arrive. The potatoes were so cold and overcooked that we had trouble cutting them, even with a steak knife. The rib eye special the server described turned out to be a prime rib special. No problem, we like that as well. The prime rib was also cold and overdone. The halibut was overdone and a very small piece of fish. A very disappointing evening indeed.

Went on Friday evening of the Labour Day long weekend for dinner and a couple glasses of wine. The view and ambiance on the patio was fantastic. Husband and I both ordered steaks with mashed potatoes/veggies. Was it the best steak I have eaten? Definitely not but no complaints and still an enjoyable meal. Nice wine options, both by bottle and glass. The service was polite, but fairly flat and not very engaging. The dessert was absolutely atrocious and they should have been very embarrassed to serve it. We ordered their special that night which was a fruit and custard tart. We were excited to try it, especially being in the Okanagan and having amazing fruit at your fingertips. The fruit consisted of some frozen, gummy, sad looking blueberries and strawberries. There was no trace of custard, which I suspect must have completely absorbed into the tart as the entire crust was limp and soggy. It reminded me of the type of dessert you would get in a cafeteria line up. Not the best way to end our night, but the view almost made up for it. The Hooded Merganser isn't going to rock your world, but a decent option if you manage your expectations.

Bad first impression with having to pay for parking. Would have been nice to have it validated or at least discounted off the bill. That aside, service was good, no issues there, very attentive. Food was ok. It was food I would expect to find in a pub, with fine dinning prices. Very over priced in my opinion for the taste. No chances taken, normal run of the mill "keg style" food. Decor was terrible. Bad 80's look to the interior, plastic menus, and very hollow feeing space. View is fantastic. It's a pass for me. Lot's of other more exciting options out there with more Okanagan flair. For the prices, I expect more excitement.

I would have liked to rate as 3.5 stars, but since that's not an option I decided to round up to 4 stars. We ate here several times this summer while staying at the Penticton Lakeside Resort. We came once for dinner, and three times for breakfast. The view alone is worth 5-stars, but the food and service brought it down slightly. The food is just a little better than average, but certainly nothing out of the ordinary. Their breakfast menu is very predictable, with several varieties of eggs benedict (veggie benedict being my favourite), regular eggs & bacon (w/hash browns and toast), french toast/waffles, etc. Rather limited selection if you ask me, but nothing to complain about. The dinner menu is rather limited as well. However, the steak that my girlfriend had, and the tuna that I had were both excellent, albeit a little bland. Both meals could have used some more flavour though, as we found ourselves reaching for the salt a fair bit. Also with dinner, we shared a caesar salad and some kind of sushi as an appetizer. The caesar was a 7/10, but the sushi really needed some work. I assumed the restaurant would actually know how to make proper sushi before offering it on their menu, but then again, I'm used to very traditional sushi. It was really my fault for ordering something like that at this type of a restaurant. The dinner portions are relatively small - we each had an appetizer, an entree, and a desert, and still left feeling a little peckish...and we're not big eaters. The staff were neither here nor there, in my opinion. They did their jobs, and not much more. Not overly friendly, but not rude either. This wasn't a problem for me, it just meant that they didn't get any more than 15% tip. The prices are a little higher than other nearby restaurants, but the view and atmosphere are worth it. The Hooded Merganser is a few strokes away from a "Five Star Restaurant", but I'd still be back nonetheless.

If this review was just about location, it'd be 5 stars. It's beautiful, spacious, airy and quite high-end looking but not stuffy. Unfortunately, one goes to a restaurant to eat and we've had some wonderful meals there and some horrible meals there, sometimes on the same visit. Because of the beauty of the location, we love to take visitors there, but many, many times we've been not only let down by the lackluster service and cold or burned or parched and dried out food, but downright embarrassed by it. Over and over again we are tempted back by the breezy seating on the water and have lived to regret it. With their pricey menu, we expect a lot more. I hope if I'm ever tempted back again that they will redeem themselves but so far, they've had many chances and they blow it 8 times out of ten. I even called and talked to management a few years ago and they just said sorry.

The Hood Merganser We found this place by accident on the Aug 2nd long weekend, very busy everywhere else. The place is amazing, we sat on the Patio and the view is spectacular to say the least and even more so as the Sun went down. The food was excellent and very hot and their selection of BC wines was incredible. THAT SAID.... the service was inattentive to put it mildly and the server seemed to go everywhere else and forget about us. He bought water with him when we arrived but not once did he refill our empty glasses, I sat there waiting for another beer (they only sell sleeves or bigger for Guinness) and when I went looking to get another one he said ok np, 10 minutes later still no beer, I went up to the bar his answer was a little rudely, well the bars backed up right now, would have been nice if he told me that. When we paid the bill my wife was talking to him and he just left mid sentence. It would probably have been funny if it was a comedy skit on tv but not in a better class restaurant..

Food is pretty good with a nice selection! Server was great! And the food came pretty quickly as we probably missed the lunch rush on a Friday afternoon. The parking is in the casino lot and is validated when you pay, so don't forget to bring a portion of your ticket stub to be validated. Walk through the casino and out and over the bridge/walkway to the Hooded Merganser. We sat on the patio overlooking Okanagan Lake, but the outdoor patio couldn't accommodate 8 people, but I think we would have been fine indoors. We just sat 2 groups of 4 and we all faced the lake. Beautiful! The prices on the drinks and dishes were all quite reasonable too! You're not "paying for the view" in your meal...it just comes with it as a bonus!