The Lighterman

The good: We went for a sunday roast and the portions are sizeable, with nice touches such as 1) Lovely crispy crackling without so much salt that you're gasping for a drink 2) Tender, not overly fatty pork belly as sometimes it can be more fat than meat 3) The apple sauce was different which can often be a euphemism for "not good" but here really was! It tasted as though they has mixed it with horseradish or something which gave it enough of a kick to cut through the sweetness 4) Possibly the best sticky toffee pudding I have had in a long time, light not stodgy, none of the burnt taste that you can get when the toffee goes over The bad: 1) Overly salty gravy. Tasted like straight up Bisto. A good reminder to taste something before you drown your plate in it! 2) Roast potatoes that tasted as if they had been deep fried not roasted and (whisper it) a bit stale The ugly: I had a sizeable piece of pork left on my plate. I did ask the waitress to pack it but she must have not heard as when I reminded her later she had thrown it away. Lots of environmental resources have gone into cooking/rearing food, to throw it away wastes all of that. Please ask your staff to offer to pack things if there is lots left. It was mothers day and complimentary petit fours/ a drink for the mums wouldn't have gone amiss. Most other restaurants do this automatically when you book for a special occasion.

The Lighterman is my go-to lunch spot in Kings Cross. I absolutely love it here; it is a fantastic location for a quick stroll along the canal from our offices and for any business meetings, it is only a stones throw from Kings Cross. Summertime here is wonderful as the L-shaped, upstairs terrace affords great views of the canal or the fountains in Granary Square and is able to accommodate shade-seekers or sun-worshipers alike. Downstairs, especially on a Friday night, is buzzing and when they finally opened up the lower canalside this year, it was the perfect spot for an after work drink with friends, colleagues or even on a date! The food here is really good too - they do change the menus seasonally however, they keep firm favourites there, such as crispy squid for starters and the amazing steaks! I have actually tried all the squid and all the steaks on offer in Kings Cross and The Lighterman is by far the best. I like to go here at least twice a week if I can - in fact, I'm there again tomorrow! If I were to have one minor issue, I think that the service could be more attentive. Lovely and polite waiters/waitresses however, I do often have to call them over rather than them noticing I need their attention. I work as an Executive Assistant and I have taken various EAs from other companies there for lunch and now they are using it too as a great venue and amazing location. I look forward to many more lunches and dinners here!