After a long wait for summer heat, a day on the cruiser bikes meandering from lake to lake along the Valley Trail seems well deserved. Dinner’s destination then becomes a choice of sunny patios and not necessarily the menu…..but sometimes you uncover the combination of both.

Like any other gem, the beauty is usually just underfoot where we pass by regularly without being the wiser. Whether it was past recommendations, the association to one of our other fav spots – La Rua – or the way the sunshine hit the patio, Caramba lured us in.

As soon as we were seated I was whisked back to Marbella, Spain with endless similarities. The red wine I ordered resulted in a surprisingly beautiful blush. Our server’s accent; although Irish, delivered us elsewhere. Surrounded by flowers, excited patrons, and Spanish guitar melodies the menu became the last of our focuses, but thankfully we did make our selections.

While the Maple Glazed Duck Breast was not an easy find in Spain, nor was the Thai Chicken Salad, they were both as stunning as the view. Meanwhile, a special request, the Champignones a la Plancha – paired with the delicately seasoned green beans and House Salad – could have been delivered directly from Costa Del Sol. While the gelato finale in Spain may have been more authentic, the tasty flavors we found in Hatley Scoops won our votes as we strolled along Whistler’s version of the piazza.