Lighthouse 971
Lighthouse 971 is a quaint restaurant serving brunch, club sandwiches, and other all-day classics.
Sitting on south Kingston's main drag, a meal here sort of feels like a trip to a seaside eatery, ideally post-swim. Its beachy exterior, coupled with the name and the kind of fries that are delicious in a sandy food truck kind of way, definitely gives this small restaurant a homey feel. The vibe kind of makes sense, given the owners are the same folks behind Outrigger, a popular pub-style destination with the huge patio that sits just north of Balmy Beach.
The menu has its similarities, especially in the sense that, like many pubs, it covers everything from coffee to wine, and tacos to Indian food—all on the pricey end.
The interior here is really my favourite part of Lighthouse: with hanging lights and cozy seating, it's an ideal spot for a cup of coffee in the day, or maybe to share a bottle of wine at night.
A wildberry salad ($19) is colourful and reliable, with a mix of quinoa, berries, feta cheese, avocado, and candied pecans that you can't really go wrong with.
An unwieldy chicken avocado club ($17) is much less memorable, with grilled chicken breast on multigrain bread. The fries, however, are delicious.
A standout is the chicken xacuti ($22), their take on a Goan chicken dish served with basmati rice and a cooling side yogurt.
A vegan coconut curry bowl ($19) is definitely filling with a healthy serving of veggies, noodles, and tofu, but fails to taste like much else beyond its coconut base.
Lighthouse's price points and my level of satisfaction fail to match up, but a brunch list of weekend bennies may well trump lunch at this beach house that isn't quite near the actual beach.
Fareen Karim