Quick walk down from the bicycle trail, KVR, for a bit of food ... another day maybe we will be back for a tasting... but today enjoyed carrot soup and a most delicious green salad! Service was okay. Busy place. read more

Hillside Winery - Carrot soup - Wineries Near Me - Penticton, British Columbia

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We came to taste at the Hillside Estate Winery after hearing many positive things about the wines and being generally excited to check this spot out. The grounds and gardens are simple and colorful. I think this place was likely built in the late 80s, and it had that retro Steely Dan vibe to the place. We didn't try the dining area, but they do have a low key spot that while not as atmospheric as other winery restaurants in the area, did seem to have a active crowd enjoying the afternoon sun. It reminded me a little bit of V. Sattui in Napa. We sampled several wines in the tasting room and this was one of the few real wine misses we had in the Okanagan Valley. Nothing here really hit the mark and we tried four to six wines, to no avail. Wine tasting can be fairly subjective, but the wines here just didn't mesh with our palate or interests. For us, this winery was a miss. read more

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If I could give more than 5 stars, I would! This place is fantastic! Amazing ambience, top notch service and some of the best food I've had in Penticton! I have visited Hillside twice in the last month, and was lucky enough to have Mackenna both times. She was so attentive, but not overly so and was so well versed in describing the amazing food we ordered. She paired each course with awesome wine, that was spot on! I am amazed at the servers at Hillside, walking all the stairs and carrying heavy food dishes always with a smile and great attitude. Chef Erick came and told us all about the tomahawk steak and the desert board, he prepared for us. I so appreciated meeting the chef of the evening. The seafood chowder was to die for, as well as the elk tartar. I also thoroughly enjoyed the mushroom forager we had to start. I could easily eat there once a week and be happy!!! Thank you Hillside for another wicked season :) read more

Beautiful winery and restaurant on the Naramata side of Penticton and the Okanagan. We stopped in for a leisurely lunch on the upstairs patio, which was the perfectly placed restaurant. The view of the valley and lake was great. Our service was pretty good. The food was also good. 3 of the people at our table had the special of the day, the bbq pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw. It was very tasty and very messy. The other three people had the salmon sandwich which they all raved about and I wish I had gotten a bite. We all thought the portion sizes were good and the bbq pork sandwich was a hefty portion size. We had several desserts among us and the most popular was the buttermilk pudding cake. It was unusual but really delicious. And of course, everything is better with a garnish of locally grown fruit. We made a reservation which I recommend. We were able to get a nice spot on the deck rather than inside, so definitely a plus. I would recommend this place for lunch. I don't drink, so no idea on the wine. read more

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Had an amazing wine experience here. The wine is so good and the staff are all so friendly. I highly recommend stopping in! The bistro was also amazing, the food is great. read more

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Hillside Winery is a wonderfully unique location and venue! The building is absolutely stunning as well as the winery and view. The staff are very welcoming, professional and accommodating. And, of course, the wines are AMAZING! read more

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Always one of my favourite wineries to go to in Naramata. The wines are amazing. Especially the muscat Ottonel. However, the bistro is what keeps me coming back. They always have a changing menu featuring fresh and local ingredients. Their gnocchi is one of the best I've ever had. They are literally like small potato pillows that melt in your mouth. Their bread (terra bread) somehow tastes even better than the one you buy in store, and I know they bake the dough there. They will bring you flights of wine to go with your meal, and your treated with a magnificent view. The service is always great and fast. My one thing is their patio is incredibly hot in the summer, it would be great to add misters. Their portions are also quite small considering the price, however it is considered a higher end restaurant. read more

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Beautiful winery that we visited in June. Make resos in advance! Turning customers away because of resos despite being empty when we arrived in July. Food is moderate to pricey. Good portions. Average flavour. Not very creative. Not the most flavourful food especially when considering the price point. Average service. read more

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Well, after my last meal here, I really need to upgrade this to a 4 star venue. Please read my previous review for general info about the winery, Bistro & accessibility. While yes, I have had sub-par food here, I have also had spectacular food here, including the best quiche I have ever eaten. This last visit (May 2015) I had one of the top 10 pasta dishes I have ever eaten (and since I am vegetarian, I end up with a lot of pasta, some of it quite good!) it was an amazing wild mushroom mix with a light cream sauce - the balance of flavours was extraordinary, & the mushrooms were divine. I even had several morels! I could not finish the dish, so passed it to my partner to try. He claimed he was full after his steelhead trout main - but he ended up finishing every last bite of my pasta. It was that delicious! Always make reservations here, as they do get quite busy sometimes, especially if the weather does not allow for patio dining. read more

We love the ambiance of Hillside - intimate, w/ beautifully designed interior & exterior. It felt like we were back in Tuscany. Loved menu - it had wonderful vegetarian choices; Nina's service & recommendations were amazing! Great value for your money - a perfect experience! A worthwhile visit with beautiful wines as souvenirs to be enjoyed at home. What we had: Artisan Green Salad w/ Apple Dressing (topped with Chevre, Candied Pecans & Apple Slices) - Fresh, perfectly balanced Unbelievable Mushroom Bolognese Pasta Bowl (Hand-rolled Pasta, Wild Mushrooms & Caramelized Onions) - I was in heaven and cleaned my plate. Oktoberfest special: Kesler (Smoked & Cured) Ham, Bratwurst, Pork Belly w/ Spetzle & Braised Cabbage - brought you Germany on a plate Wines: Riesling, Muscat & KVR - both affordable & delightful Desserts were a light sweet finish! Open during the Wine Season - Closed during Winter read more

Hillside Winery - Wineries Near Me - Penticton, British Columbia

Visited here as part of a wine tour and let's say the wine is good, the building is nice, it's a larger production than some of the other ones but what stood out to me was the burger... it was oh my god good. I still dream about it. Absolutely delicious. Of course we washed it down with some wine as well. read more

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Very, very nice! Good wine too! The view of Lake Okanogan from the upper patio was beautiful read more

Hillside Winery - Merlot - malbec, fish tacos, brie - Wineries Near Me - Penticton, British Columbia

We came here after hearing a lot of positive reviews from people who had eaten here a while ago. Oh boy were we disappointed!! It sounds like they had recently changed their menu from more casual pub-style fare (i.e., we heard they had a really nice burger). It seems like they might've been looking for ways to increase their revenues as they had switched to a "sharing style" menu with small dishes - and they were not exaggerating, these dishes were tiny!! Our $15 salad came in what appeared to be a small soup bowl, and our $16 potato gnocchi came in a similar sized dish. Furthermore they squeezed 7 of us onto a small table and were unwilling to add an extra table despite the place being relatively empty. Only positive was a great view of the sunset! Sub-par dining experience - would not recommend to anyone with so many better options in the Okanagan! read more

HILLSIDE WINERY & BISTRO Hillside. Is a. Beautiful. Winery. That is patently evident. The building is such a signature; it's etched on all their bottles. Despite the building's fledgling age, it's becoming practically a landmark. It may not boast a curbside view of the water or a snaking driving path through vineyards. It just features a tower. A magnificent tower. From there is a view of which many would seek, nearly 80 feet up. And it's worth it. Hillside is a destination in Naramata, one of those must-see locations that sits near the top of wineries to visit in the region. The timber-frame construction made almost entirely of white pine eschews modern methods for a classic old-school approach reflected in other aspect of the grounds. Excavated rocks were employed in the building of the cellar. The tower doubles as a heat excavator for the wines below. Their garden is picturesque, dreamlike even. The very wood in the flour-mill-inspired design has a history. The tasting room is sizeable and features two bars on opposing walls to deal with traffic. Hillside has more than certainly staked their claim to their own patch and shouted to the viticulture gods of their intentions to compete with the greats across the world. It just sucks I don't care for the wine. Yeah, I know, I should have spoiled the lead and mentioned that early, but truthfully, my opinion on the bottles should be ignored. I mean it. IGNORE ME! For those still hanging around, the winery is still a recommendation. After the competition had closed, we ate at the bistro and loved it (to be detailed later/in its own separate review--depending on the website). Hillside is magnificent, inside and out. To go to Naramata and not go inside would be a waste of a trip. I just didn't care for the wine. I know, I said it again. And it's not all bad. I did drop nearly fifty lira on a 2014 Gamay Noir Icewine. But their signature bottles just never spoke to me. And it wasn't just my mood that day. One of my favorite local restaurants practically taps their veins with Hillside. I have sampled their collection on more than on occasion. I just have a very select palette. I love Cassini Cellars, Silver Sage, and Synchromesh. As I said, ignore me. Hillside put a lot of effort in their construction, and on our vacation, we hit up a lot of wineries, like 60 in a week. We brought back 120 bottles. Alas, none were from Hillside save that solitary Icewine still in its box. On our second trip months later (only a few weeks back), we took photos of the exterior but skipped the interior. It's a great place to visit...you may even enjoy the wine. It just wasn't all for me. As for the Hillside Bistro, it is one of the nicer looking restaurants slotting itself among the sprawl of beautiful wineries across the Naramata bench. It has both a patio and an interior dining room. We opted for the latter, and we were stupid to do so. It was hot out with little breeze, so we figured there would be air conditioning. Apparently, Hillside designed their bistro to face the setting sun as a focused beam of solar energy "lasered" across the back of my neck. It got really hot in there, and we eventually had to shift tables. Afterward, we settled into a nice meal. The menu offerings were to my liking. Although above average in price, I didn't feel anything was not worth their value (though I can't speak for the $114 26oz Angus Beef Short Rib sharing platter). The bistro, when not attempting to reenact the finale scene from the film "Knowing" is quite impressive, carrying over the stone and timer-frame construction of the winery. Amazing original art hangs from every space. The tables are custom-made with stone tops. Wine glasses etched with the winery's logo sit at every place setting. They spared no expense. And when I said art hangs from every space, I'm not hyperbolic; in fact, I'm probably understating. In three photos taken, I counted twenty. The dishes we ordered were very good, from the basic artisan bread served with white beam hummus and butter to the pan seared halibut with lemon prawn risotto, corn cream, and carrots. Dishes were small, but that offered us the room for multiple courses. The menu has been changed since our last visit, though a few options remain. The bistro was empty when we arrived, and it remained so until we left, most people opting to the balcony like we probably should have. The Hillside Bistro is one of the better restaurants in the area, at least in the expanse between Naramata and Penticton. The plating is well above average, and the flavors are certainly present. This was a good one. read more

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Don t go there. You waste your time! My friend and I went there for a wine testing this afternoon, Sunday May 19. We were asked to stay outside, as the testing room does not hallowed more than 5 people We were told it s not gonna be long: 5 minutes MAX. So we obey gently as we trusted them...After more than 10 minutes, a group of 10 people was introduced before us. We were told it should not be too long after them...! Not even an excuse or a nice little smile! We left without having testing the wine. Obviously these people does not need customers! They know sheet about customer service They don t respect people and lay to you How can you buy wine to these guys? So pretentious and disrespectful! read more

Tapas style selection of food . Great meatballs . However chef selections were not always harmonious with wine pairings and fought with the wine. The sparking wine acidic and without bubbles and would have done without. read more

Hillside Winery - Wineries Near Me - Penticton, British Columbia

I may have been slightly inebriated from an extensive morning wine tour prior to dining here, but we loved this place. First of all, the building itself is gorgeous. If you're on the main floor, make sure you take a minute to walk up to the upper dining areas because the views are awesome, and the stairway up is really cool. It is a tapas styled place, so portions are small, prices are medium-high, but hey; you're in wine country. I started with the Duck Rilette which was fantastic, but I'm biased because I love all things pâté. The little pieces of cracker that it comes with are delightfully crunchy and yummy. My friends had the beef carpaccio, which I received positive reports about. I have to rave about the apple cider braised pork pork pasta though, because it's probably one of the best things I've tasted. It's a light dish, perfect for summer. The sauce is an incredibly flavourful and complex broth: magnificently salty, slightly sour, slightly sweet, and cilantro-ey. The pork is succulent, soft, and juicy, having soaked up all the sauce. Colourful slightly roasted cherry tomatoes brighten the dish. I literally licked my plate clean, and I was not discreet because there is no shame in enjoying amazing food. Downside? The portion was too damn small. I need more of that deliciousness. Next time I'm in town, I'm ordering two. read more

We stopped here at 7pm on our way home to Naramata during our summer vacation. We called ahead - 20' - to make a reservation for our family. Welcome and attention we're friendly and efficient. Our waitress Sarah very accommodating and knowledgeable. Much appreciated was that she recommended what she considered the appropriate wine for the meal (cheaper) and not the expensive one. We had several plates to share, everything was excellent and a good portion. We ordered another plate - just for the taste - after official hours and we're accommodated. Kids had a great time, eating and playing and eating etc Views were amazing. Certainly the culinary highlight of our visit to the Okanagan. read more

I have enjoyed thousands of restaurants in over 30 countries around the world, and this is one of the best meals I have ever had. I enjoyed the charcuterie, a salad, and Confit Duck Leg "Grilled Cheese" Sandwich. It was a struggle to eat anywhere else in the Okanagan on my 5 day trip when this was only an hour's drive from my hotel. The service was pretty good, the view was amazing, and the food was perfect. read more

After a busy morning of wine tastings, my husband, a friend, her 11 month old, and myself were looking for a nice restaurant to have lunch on a Saturday morning. We heard good things about the Hillside Winery and Bistro, so we decided to head there. The restaurant was expecting two large groups on the patio, but we were able to get a table inside. The waitress also brought a high chair out for the little one. While it was appreciated, the cloth seat of the chair was disgusting. For a "fine dining" establishment, this didn't really give a good impression. Also, there were tons of flies in the restaurant. I don't think there is much that can be done to prevent that, but it didn't help the atmosphere. For lunch, I ordered the Rossdown Farms Chicken Ciabatta Sandwich with the side salad. While the portion of chicken was a good size, and the bread was good, the sandwich itself was quite bland. All you could taste was chicken and goat cheese. I expected a little bit more for $19. My husband ordered the special, which was a salmon and cream cheese panini with deep fried capers. While the bite I stole of it was better than my chicken sandwich, I thought it was pretty mediocre for the $21 price tag. I was also disappointed that not only did the women's washroom smell vaguely like an outhouse, but they watered down the hand soap! For a bistro that boats itself to be the "Best Bistro in the Southern Okanagan", this was really disappointing and unhygienic. I was really hoping to try out some wines and maybe pick up a bottle, but both tasting room counters were packed, and after waiting a few minutes, we decided it wasn't worth our time. As we were walking back to the car and packing the child back in the vehicle, a few other couples entered the winery and immediately turned around once they saw the crowds. I wish I could recommend this winery to you, but there are just so many better wineries down the road that you shouldn't settle for mediocrity. read more

Went there over the long weekend for my wife's birthday dinner with 2 friends. Started off well with a tasting downstairs, bought a couple of bottles then went up to the restaurant for dinner. Good view, staff seemed friendly enough, food came out fine but found a deep fried bug in our salad, which is not ideal, so we asked to get it taken away (only half eaten) but was not automatically taken off the bill (we had to ask). But the most annoying part of the whole experience was that the restaurant charges a service/ corkage fee for their own wine!!!. A bottle we bought for $25 just downstairs was now close to $50 IN YOUR OWN RESTAURANT. I don't know if this is a common practice in the Okanagan but what a cash grab. On a side note out server (Jesse I think her name was) was great. She was very accommodating and professional and went out of her way to make us feel welcome. This review has nothing to do with her but everything to do with ripping off the customer when it came to the wines. read more

My friends and I first ate at Hillside Bistro three years ago. We loved it so much that we ended up eating two meals there on our three-day roadtrip. What I remember fondly: their delicious hangar steak over a potato salad, the gorgeous patio, and a view of the sunset. This summer, my boyfriend and I went on a road trip and I insisted we have dinner at the bistro while in Penticton. I'm so glad that we did! We each started with fresh and delicious salads, enjoyed our main courses (prime rib special for me, gnocchi for vegetarian him), and shared an amazing lemon buttermilk pudding cake with a basil parfait. The prices were a bit steep, but as we had just spent a week camping I thought it was a justifiable expense. My only complaint was that we felt a bit tricked when ordering wine. Prices on the wine list are for 5 oz glasses rather than 8 oz, so when we got the bill, our 8 oz glasses costed more than we anticipated. I would also recommend making reservations so that you get to sit on the patio upstairs, as we walked in and were seated downstairs, and our view of the sunset was blocked by the building. The bill came to around $150 for the two of us including tips--given the quality, taste, and that it was a rare visit to Penticton, it was worth it. read more

Service = excellent. Food = excellent. Portion size = small. Prices = expensive. We had seven people at our table and we all agreed on the above points. If the portion sizes were a bit larger this restaurant would get a 5/5. read more

Never had to make reservations for wine tasting before, no sign outside so you try to find a place to,park, unload everyone, wait and then are told to go away, no opportunity to even purchase wine, I get it might be the covid thing but put out a damn sign outside to save people the aggravation oif you don't want them to taste or buy your wine, Will never come back here. Too many other wineries read more

The winery is located on the lovely Naramata Bench. Great location with a beautiful vineyard. The staff was super friendly, and we were seated promptly. Our server had good menu knowledge when asked about vegetarian options. We didn't inquire too much about wine. Starters came out and looked amazing. Fantastic presentation, big bold flavours, and just delicious. Now I'm a stickler for details. My plate was cleared before my guys (because I was done early). Cutlery wasn't cleared between courses either. Hate. That. Shiz. Would definitely recommend the Tom Yum mussels (it was... YumY) and the kale salad that came loaded with good stuff including bacon that almost turned me back Meatatarian; it looked SO good and totally *thick* cut. We decided to split the gnocchi as a mid course. Again, stickler for details, the dish came out and wasn't split; I had to ask for side plates and use last course's cutlery. No serving spoon. Lame. The dish was beautifully presented yet again. Big handmade gnocchi that was finished in a pan. Pesto. And an egg to crack. I must say it looked better than it tasted. It was missing some salt and acidity. Other than that it was a pretty stellar dish. Really appreciated the team effort by the staff. Water was always full. Tea came out when I asked right away. There was somebody at the door to greet us. And the food came out quickly. Kudos for that. Would I come back? Oh yes. And recommend? Definitely. Were there a few points that would have added a star? Yep. Oh yea, and the view is like right there. You can imagine it's one of the best in the Okanagan, but for some reason it's well, JUST out of view. You can't see it from the restaurant. What's up with that? read more

Hillside was wonderful! We'd been to a few tasting rooms prior with no food so we were thrilled to come across this amazing bistro! We shared 3 plates, great sizing and really good food. But the real star was the wine! Their ports were incredible also. The woman who provided us with our tasting was very nice and knowledgeable and when she found out we liked port, gave us some extra tastings. This will definitely be a stop next time we're in the area! read more

We are obsessed with Hillside. First - their wine is so freaking tasty. BUT!!! I think a shout out to there customer service is due. They are prompt to respond; they are super accommodating; they treat their customers with respect; they are so friendly. There are a lot of wineries off the Naramata bench, but seriously, this group is top notch. The wine is great and delicious (FYI - their Rose is the bomb), but we keep going back because of the service. If I could give more stars, we would. read more

Excellent wine ! The Rose' and the muscat are a must have ! The view is fantastic and the resteraunt / cafe always have good food. I am a wine club member for a reason !!! read more

we reserved a patio seat for my birthday on June 28. What an amazing patio!! wow, fantastic view for sunset! the food was really really interesting and delicious. I had the gnocchi. usually i find the gnocchi gets boring before i finish it. every mouthful the same. not this one. there was more other stuff than actual gnocchi. i was a little worried about the cilantro hazelnut pesto (not liking hazelnuts much) but it just gave the cilanto pesto a really nice texture without a strong taste. the hubby had the steak, he said it wasn't the most awesome steak ever but seasoned and cooked well. for desert the chef made some kind of frozen basil cream thing that sounded scary but tasted amazing. the wine was a really good price point too, and very yum. bad bits? not enough blankets - the patio gets chilly when the sun goes down. the service was only ok - there were several very large tables that sucked up the servers time and energy (and blankets)... there was only one veg choice - which is kind of lame, lucky for me it was awesome. read more

I've had pretty good experiences here in the past but was extremely disappointed when we went there this weekend. We were a group of 5 experienced wine tasters between the ages of 34-62. We were not "yahoos" by any means. When we arrived at the tasting bar, a grouchy old lady, whose name tag indicated that she was the manager, told us she'd be with us in "half a sec". She then proceeded to unload boxes, etc. for at least 5 or 6 more minutes. The first thing she told us what that there was a $5 tasting fee per person, waived with the purchase of a bottle of wine. (No surprise there, that's standard.) After the tasting, one of my companions bought two bottles. The woman looked over at another of my companions and said, "Well?! Are you going to buy anything?!" In the end, our group paid for two bottles of wine, AND two unwaived tasting fees, and left with a sour taste in our mouth. read more

Hillside is best in the evening upstairs on the deck watching the sunset. Service is excellent and food is equally as good. It is pricey but worth treating yourself. 4 stars on the romance scale, and less corporate feeling than Burrowing Owl. read more

Had a delicious lunch here overlooking the lake and the mountains with some of their terrific wine. We all loved our food, especially the Pulled Chicken BBQ Sandwich with Apple Coleslaw on Ciabatta. read more

Enjoyed a lovely lunch in the dining room. Great service, flight of wine, and thoughtfully prepared and delicious food.

Mmmm! We had the pleasure of having lunch here just after the spring opening of Hillside Estate Winery and we very much enjoyed ourselves. I started with the spiced carrot and local apple soup (highly recommended) and then shared the charcuterie platter (also highly recommended) with hubby. Delicious and fresh. Our server was friendly and attentive. All in all, a very nice experience. read more

This is the first and only review I've ever left in my life... I have never been somewhere where the staff was more condescending and rude towards me. We were in town for a large concert at South Okanagan Events Centre and had a day off to go to some wineries. Hillside was the last stop for us and we had been to the friendliest wineries beforehand, Kerry at Ruby Blues even drove us to our next destination.... Anyway, when we first arrived at Hillside the hostess looked us up and down and then told us they were booked up... Looking around we could see that it was empty and persuaded them to seat us. After one glass of wine in about an hour, we were told that we were being "cut off" because other parties needed the table..... Yeah right it was a rainy Thursday...... Moving on, we closed out and moved downstairs for one more glass of wine while we waited for a cab. During this time they yet again refused to seat us because of "reservations", told us the patio was "closed" (what? I thought there was a party coming?) and then when we sat down told us that they had heard us using profanity upstairs and that's why they wouldn't serve us.... LOL. So we were getting up to leave when a worker with a nametag reading Sarah, got right in our faces and started talking down to us saying we were Scum and the only people she had ever had to 86 in her 10 years of working there. She said it was her "managers" orders, but when I asked to see a manager she refused to get one for me. This leads me to believe that she was the manager and she handled the entire situation with disrespect from the start. Never in my life have I been kicked out of an establishment, let alone for something as trivial as using profanity in the (what I perceived as) privacy of our own conversation/ table. read more

Amazing food! The Brie was my favourite and a must try :) the wine tasting was great and the lady pouring our tasters was a very nice lady :) :) read more

After a full day of driving, two of us had a fabulous late afternoon dinner. Probably the best experience that we've had anywhere. Excellent in every regard from the hostess who accommodated us without a reservation, including finding a way for us to dine and have our dog nearby (it was a very hot day and he couldn't stay in the car), to the meals, desserts and the wine. We were seated inside near the door but quickly moved to the picnic table out front with a view of the vineyard(s) and lake. Our wait staff took it all in stride including bringing a dish of water and burger patty for our greyhound. Highly recommended. read more

Fun? Great experience? The Canadian hospitality? You'll wouldn't find those here. Well to be fair the wine servers appears to be pretty nice and accommodating. The manager... Yah stay away if you want to enjoy a good time at a winery. Been on a winery tour all day and had amazing experience with everyone... Except Hillside... Sometime one bad winery is all it takes to ruin your good trip. So save yourself any headache and just avoid them. I can easily make a shout out to a couple other winery nearby we had amazing time with, like D'Angelo, Joie, Marichel, or Laughing Stock. Honestly why would you risk having your good time ruin by a rude and bitchy manager at Hillside? read more

Hillside Winery and Bistro is a great place to stop for lunch when you've been working hard all morning tasting wines on the Bench. It has a nice outdoor patio and since it's not on the lake side of the street you can usually get in! That's no reflection on the food but rather on the lack of water view while you're dining. Have the burger and chase it down with one of their cabs or meritage blends. Highly recommend. read more

Good but over priced!!! I ordered their vegan stew it was 5 rice balls for $26 and a small piece of flat bread for $15.. If they want to charge high end prices they should treat it like one, give free bread or something read more