Elma - Penticton

Absolutely fantastic food. Delicious and good portions. The restaurant is very nicely done and the staff knew their stuff. Great menu and some good cocktails to... read more Absolutely fantastic food. Delicious and good portions. The restaurant is very nicely done and the staff knew their stuff. Great menu and some good cocktails too.

What started as an unplanned date night turned into one of the best dining experience we've had in the Okanagan. From start to finish every interaction we had w... read more What started as an unplanned date night turned into one of the best dining experience we've had in the Okanagan. From start to finish every interaction we had with the staff was sincere and not just transactional, and it truly felt like we were in our neighbourhood local hangout—except we were also experiencing the most mind-altering good food we've had in a long time. The menu is small but so intentional, everything down to the flakes of salt are meant to be on the dishes and you can tell how well planned out each dish is. We are new to Turkish food and this was an amazing introduction to it. Our server made wonderful suggestions that both comforted us with familiar flavors and pushed our taste buds to learn new ones. The meal ended with labneh dotted on our fingers and spiced meat gravies running down our wrists in the beautiful way a dinner that encourages you to fully explore your food through all senses by ripping, dipping and smearing flavours together without utensils. Our drinks were unique takes on flavors we loved and complimented all the complexities of the food so well, the perfect addition to the meal that did not take away or outshine the food but could definitely stand alone if a night of drinks were all you needed. This is definitely a place we will be coming back to again and again any time we're in Penticton and can't wait to be the cool friends in the group to introduce everyone to their new favourite restaurant.

Lovely setting right along the beach of Penticton. Welcoming service and amazingly diverse menu. Some faults IMO is what most seem like to me, or might as well... read more Lovely setting right along the beach of Penticton. Welcoming service and amazingly diverse menu. Some faults IMO is what most seem like to me, or might as well have been, a mini sesame sourdough loaf cut into 4 slices to go with our flight of 3dips over 30. Which forces you to either purchase another loaf or more pita. We asked for more bread, 6 on our bill. Why not give more bread? I used heaping spoonfuls of dips and there was still dip left after two loaves. Overall the rest of the dishes were delightful, we had the beef tongue donair, special charcoal mackerel, Elma fries and their signature octopus dish. My fav was the octopus. We had two out of the three desserts offered, pavlova with raspberries and lemon; and the crème fraiche with baklava filling and honeycomb bits. Slightly sweeter than I would like but nice flavours in both desserts. It’s really great to see a unique restaurant in the Okanagan that does a really good job executing both the concept of the menu and cooking it. It’s but worth it for special occasions.

We had dinner here last night and were blown away by the food, ambience and service. The hostess was so kind and accommodating and our server Ebony was incredib... read more We had dinner here last night and were blown away by the food, ambience and service. The hostess was so kind and accommodating and our server Ebony was incredibly thoughtful with her menu recommendations. She took the time to speak with us about thedishes and didn't make us feel remotely rushed even though we were there towards the end of the night. The food was amazinglyflavorful and fresh with great quality ingredients. I wish we lived closer so we could come here regularly.

The location of this restaurant is amazing, just in water front. We were looking for a special place to celebrate our son's graduation. Big mistake! It is neith... read more The location of this restaurant is amazing, just in water front. We were looking for a special place to celebrate our son's graduation. Big mistake! It is neither Turkish cuisine at all nor inspired! They changed the recipes in a bad way. To be honestwe didn't like most of the food. The staff were nice and friendly, but there was a misunderstanding in our order so we havebeen charged almost 50 dollars more! I wish they could hire a good Turkish or Mediterranean chef to increase the quality andgood taste of the food. Otherwise there are better choices around Elma Restaurant.