The Lighterman restaurant on Granary Square in King’s Cross, with its wide open spaces and window walls, is a jolly place to meet. On sunny days, the al fresco dining is particularly lovely, and a descent down one level leads to the Regents Canal where another outdoor space beckons for a drink or a meal. Watching the comings and goings on the canal from there is delightful.
I have experienced all these and, in fact, I have eaten here so many times over the last few years, regularly meeting friends and colleagues, that it occurred to me that the time had come to offer my review of this gastropub-style eatery.
So one summer’s evening, we took our place on the terrace looking out towards the square and the dancing fountains. We sat back, sipping our cocktails in the warm air while the dapples of orange hues reached our table as rays of sun squeezed through the gaps in the parasols.
The Lighterman – dappled table
There was no rush, and staff were friendly and unbothered by our slowness. So we savoured the moment eventually picking up the menu to make our choices.
We started with a zesty seabass tartare served on avocado with chilli and lime for extra flavour, with some flatbreads on the side and a simple mozzarella and tomato salad – both ideal summer dishes.
There’s a varied choice of main dishes on the menu, including a 32-day aged wagyu burger, and a vegetarian plant-based burger, chicken Caesar salad, as well as a traditional fish (hake) and chips with crushed peas and porthilly mussels in white wine – pretty traditional but comforting fare.
The chicken schnitzel, one of my all-time favourite dishes, winked at me from the top of the list. I’ve always expected shnitzel to be served beaten thin and wide, yet the one served at the Lighterman is chunky and more compact, somewhat like a huge chicken nugget. Though the texture was a little different from the norm, it was very flavoursome.
It came served with rocket and parmesan and a small pot of tomato confit. I spread the tomato confit over top and that lifted the flavour no end.
I ordered extras too, triple-cooked chips with truffle ailoi and Winchester cheese, tenderstem broccoli with a little chilli and a heritage tomato and basil salad with a lemon dressing.
There is a dessert menu, of course, and I ordered the dark chocolate and hazelnut crèmeux, raspberries, vanilla ice cream and as it was tennis season, the strawberries and cream with elderflower and ginger syrup.
VERDICTThe Lighterman restaurant has a trio of ticks: a fabulous location, an easy and fun environment and incredibly friendly staff who are funny, energetic and highly attentive, handing over the menu with a happy flourish. The cuisine is casually stylish and all-in-all this canal-side restaurant in London’s trendy Kings Cross has all the ingredients for a fun and relaxed get-together.
INFO
The Lighterman, check out the menus here
3 Granary Square, London N1C 4BH , a 2 minute walk from King’s Cross station.