Manzil Restaurant.

We went to Manzil expecting a great meal. After all, the Dhaliwal family’s original restaurant, Masala Bistro, had long been a favorite at Kismet Estate Winery in BC’s Okanagan Valley, known for its generous hospitality and deeply satisfying, spice-laden dishes.

What we hadn’t expected was just how evolved the experience would be. Manzil offers a modern, refreshingly light approach to Indian cuisine, delivering bold, vibrant flavors without the heaviness. It’s thoughtful, refined, and perfectly paired with the family’s wines.

It begins with a name: Manzil means “home” in Hindi. But this is no ordinary homecoming.

Dining at Masala Bistro never disappointed.

For years, visitors to Kismet Estate Winery came not only for its bold reds and floral whites, but for the unmistakable scent of spice that greeted them before they even reached the tasting room. That was Masala Bistro, a dining experience that began humbly in a tent, serving wine samples alongside samosas, and grew into a destination restaurant.

When it closed, it left behind more than just an empty patio, it left a craving. One that wasn’t just about the food, but about the feeling of connection it created.

Now, in 2024, the Dhaliwals are answering that call but not by repeating the past.

The beautiful estate at Kismet.

They’re boldly stepping forward with Manzil, a contemporary, confident reimagining of Indian cuisine that speaks to their story as farmers, winemakers, and stewards of their culture.

Before the wine, there were grapes. And before the grapes, there was dirt. Row after row of it, carefully tended by the Dhaliwal family as contract growers for some of the Okanagan’s most respected wineries. That intimate connection to the land is still evident today, in both the vineyard and the kitchen.

The kale chaat salad.

At Manzil, local produce meets the spice markets of Mumbai…literally. The team sources select spices directly from Maharashtra, bringing depth and nuance that most Indian restaurants never reach. These are not fire-breathing dishes that shock the palate. Instead, spices are used with intention that are layered, balanced, and deeply integrated.

The kale chaat salad, for instance, is a fresh mosaic of crisp spinach, roasted sweet potatoes, and chickpeas, kissed with a tamarind glaze and spice blend that wakes up your taste buds without overpowering them.

Or the Dahi Puri, a playful, street-food-inspired bite with puffed crackers, cool yogurt, and a whisper of mint chutney that disappears too fast. You’ll order it again. Everyone does.

The achari prawns: contemporary meets traditional.

There’s depth here too. The kind you don’t expect until you’re halfway through a plate of achari prawns resting on a humble mound of kitchari (an Indian comfort food made with lentils and rice) and realize you’re experiencing something quietly revolutionary.

Pairing Indian food with wine is often treated like an afterthought. Not here. At Kismet, it’s the backbone.

Every dish at Manzil is thoughtfully crafted with Kismet’s wines in mind. The aromatic Viognier brings lift to vibrant, spice-layered dishes like chaat and kitchari, while the earthy Cabernet Franc finds harmony with deeper flavors (think masala-dusted seafood or lentil-forward mains) without ever overwhelming the palate.

It’s a menu built on balance, not butter. And then there are the mussels.

Kismet wines offer the perfect pairing.

Served in a cashew cream sauce with cilantro masala and pomme frites, it’s the kind of dish that whispers of Goa but lands perfectly in a wine-centric setting. Unconventional? Yes. But it works.

In the kitchen, a team of chefs from different regions of India brings perspective, depth, and range. It’s a reflection of the country itself. A mosaic of culinary traditions, from north to south, east to west. The lead chef, trained in the Mumbai area, brings both street-smart flavor and modern refinement, striking a delicate balance between innovation and authenticity.

The incredibly talented chef and team.

Our dessert featured two well known dishes but not in ways you’d expect. The rice pudding was elevated and not cloying. And the Gulab Jamun, was nothing like the syrup-drenched cliché you’ve had before. These are familiar flavors made fresh and nostalgic but not stuck in the past.

What makes Manzil so compelling isn’t just the food, or even the wine. It’s the story of returning to something essential. The Dhaliwals didn’t need to reopen a restaurant. But they couldn’t ignore what their guests, were asking for: a place to gather, to eat, to sip, and to connect.

And maybe that’s what “home” really is: a table full of flavour, a glass of wine that tells a story, and a welcome that feels personal.

Manzil Restaurant at Kismet Estate

316 ROAD 20 Oliver BC V0H 1T0

T: (250) 495-4462

H: 12pm-9pm Friday to Sunday / 12pm-8pm Monday & Thursday / Closed: Tuesday & Wednesday

*Manzil is open seasonally at Kismet Estate Winery in Oliver, BC. Reservations recommended.