Every Tuesday and Wednesday this summer, something special happens at Thermea Spa Village Winnipeg. A small group of guests—12 at most—are welcomed through a private entrance, greeted with a surprise amuse-bouche, guided through a curated ritual experience, and then seated for a multi-course dinner unlike anything else in the city. No rushing. No outside noise. Just beautifully crafted food, thoughtfully chosen wine, and the kind of unhurried hospitality that reminds you why you came to a spa in the first place.

The Chef's Table at Thermea Spa Village Winnipeg is a beloved summer tradition, one that executive chef Darnell Banman and his team of roughly 60 food and beverage professionals look forward to all year long. The experience was recently recognized at the fourth-annual Tourism Awards Winnipeg | Manitoba in 2025, taking home the Culinary and Agritourism award, which reflects what makes it so special. Taking place on July 15, 16, 23, 29, 30, as well as August 6, 12, and 13, this year's series promises to be the most ambitious yet.

An Evening Designed to Be Remembered

The Chef’s Table is a whole-spa effort. From the guest experience team’s warm welcome at the door to the Ritual Artisans who lead a private sauna session—weaving in essential oils tied to the evening’s menu—every department plays a role.

“It takes a village,” says Banman. “It’s the Ritual Artisans, the team setting the table, the front-of-house team. It really comes down to everyone coming together.”

With 13 seatings planned this summer, each dinner is an opportunity for the group to create something new because at Thermea Spa Village, no two Chef’s Table evenings are quite alike.

A Menu Shaped by the Season

Ask Chef Banman what’s on the menu and he’ll give you an honest answer: he doesn’t fully know yet, and that’s entirely intentional.

“I like to hold off until closer to the time, because I always want to wait and see what local ingredients show up,” he explains. “With summer, the farmers’ market opens, things become available. That’s the exciting part.”

The culinary foundation is Nordic and French, including clean fundamentals and refined techniques, but the kitchen’s diverse team brings their own influences to the table, from Vietnamese to Middle Eastern. Dishes are tested, debated, and refined collaboratively before making the cut. One standout this season: roasted shishito peppers, a shareable, interactive dish where one in 10 carries a gentle heat.

“When food can be fun and interactive like that, it’s quite rewarding,” says Banman.

Each course is paired with wine selected in collaboration with Jones & Company Wine Merchants. Before the series begins, Banman and the team run a dedicated tasting, pairing wine to the arc of the dinner, including seafood, soup, salad, entrée, and dessert, ensuring every glass tells part of the story.

Rooted in Manitoba: Local Suppliers

The St. Norbert Farmers’ Market is the team’s weekly ritual during Chef’s Table season, a source of fresh produce, wild mushrooms, seasonal surprises, and the creative energy that comes from not knowing exactly what you’ll find. Beyond the market, Rich Lane Farms just north of Winnipeg supplies farm-raised trout after Chef Banman and his cooks visited the farm in person to see the operation firsthand. That relationship now shows up directly on the summer menu.

The spa’s own herb garden, which grows basil, mint, rosemary, sage, and thyme on site, supplies the kitchen all summer and flavours the waters guests sip throughout their spa day.

“We never want to take the shortcut,” says Banman. “Supporting local small businesses, we know we’re going to find superior products—beautiful local honey, artisan jams, vegetables grown just for us.”

The Chef Behind the Table

Darnell Banman grew up in Portage la Prairie, a small town in southern Manitoba, where cooking was part of everyday life long before it became a career. After high school, during which he’d considered paths ranging from meteorology to marine biology to ranching, he enrolled at Red River College’s (now known as Red River Polytechnic) culinary program in Winnipeg and never looked back.

“Once I started, I saw my passion and curiosity grow, and it just became very addictive,” he says. “Especially exposing myself to people who were better than me and really learning from them; seeing the struggles, the successes, and understanding how I can always be better.”

His cooking style is rooted in Japanese and French cuisines; fundamentals instilled by mentors who shaped the refinement that defines his work today. His measure of a perfect Chef’s Table evening is simple.

“At the end of the night, I always want to know, are you full? Are you happy? If the dessert is half-finished, I know I’ve hit the right point.”

Summer Dining for Every Guest

Can’t make the Chef’s Table? The same care runs through every Thermea Spa Village Winnipeg dining experience this summer. Le Resto serves seasonal mains and rotating bi-weekly features that put Manitoba’s best ingredients front and centre. The Biergarden, which is a summer-only highlight, features wood-fired pizzas made with locally sourced dough alongside cold craft beers from Winnipeg-area breweries. And the Lounge offers lighter bites and refreshing drinks, perfectly timed for a break between thermal cycles.

Reserve Your Seat

The Chef’s Table runs Tuesday and Wednesday evenings starting in mid-July, with 13 seatings across the summer. Seats are limited, and demand is high.

Whether you’re joining for the full dinner experience or spending a summer evening at the Biergarden with a local beer in hand, dining at Thermea Spa Village is always more than a meal, it’s where the spa journey and the culinary one become the same thing.

Written by Shayna Wiwierski, @shayna_apopofcolour

Chelsea

Winnipeg

Whitby

Thermea Spa Village Winnipeg’s Chef’s Table Returns This Summer